It was a really exciting trip, particularly Borneo, where we had some incredible wildlife experiences. There were so many highlights although the primates in particular were really stand out.
We spent the whole time in the vast state of Sabah, briefly exploring the area close to Mount Kinabalu, before moving East to Sandakan. From here we explored the rainforest around Sepilok before finally spending a few days along the Kinabatangan River as far as the village of Sukau.
For the most part, we had our own guide, which have to say was well worthwhile, particularly along the Kinabatangan, where we had their full attention, as well as being able to approach the wildlife that bit easier, as apposed to being part of a group. Exploring the Kinabatangan with our guide was a particularly exciting part, cruising up and down the river searching for things, not knowing what will appear around the next bend in the river!
On the mammal front, the highlight was one, possibly two wild Orangutan around Sepilok. The first was a young male (photo 3 of 4) coming to the daily feed at the Orangutan Rehabilitation centre, who we were told was not part of their programme. Seeing this was amazing however if I was ultra picky, it wasn't quite the same as seeing one in the wilderness! The other Orangutan (photo 4 of 4) will have to go down as possibly wild. This was seen close to the Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre at some distance. Looking at the photos of it, I can't see any evidence of tattoos (to show it was part of the rehab centre projects) but hard to tell for certain considering the distance we saw it at. Lovely to see all the same!
Across the road from the Orangutan Rehab Centre is the Sun Bear Sanctuary, also well worth a visit. We were able to enjoy rescued Sun Bears at close quarters, climbing trees and play fighting. It's so sad that throughout Asia, these stunning animals, Orangutans and many others are slowly disappearing due to the illegal pet trade, medicine trade and habitat loss. Us humans really have a lot to answer for!
We were very lucky to see a group of wild Bornean Pygmy Elephants close to Sukau, feeding on the side of the Kinabatangan River. These were by no means certain, however thankfully we were at a time of the year when they can be found moving along the river. They spent pretty much the whole time in the long grass, however we were able to get pretty close and enjoy good views.
We managed to see four species of monkey in all, including Pig-Tailed Macaque, Long-Tailed Macaque & Silver Langur. The Long-Tailed Macaques, were particularly bold around the Abai Jungle lodge, with Em & I having one particularly nasty encounter, being cornered by a seriously feisty beast, baring his teeth and growling at us. Somehow, we managed to escape...lesson now learned, never stare a Macaque in the eyes, this tells them you want to fight! Woops!
Of the monkey species we saw, it was the Proboscis Monkeys that really stole the show. We saw quite a few troops of 15-20 and spent quite a bit of time watching their antics.
Onto the birds! I saw just shy of 100 species which was pretty decent going. Rarity wise, three species stood out. Firstly we managed to jam in on TWO Bornean Bristleheads at the Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok. This was made the more remarkable by the fact we were only looking for about 15 minutes before a huge tropical storm swept in! This is a very unique species in that it is the only member of the Pityriaseidae family. It is also a Bornean endemic and is notoriously difficult to see due to spending most of their time in the tree canopy. So basically, we got very lucky!
Another standout was catching sight of a couple of Storm's Storks high over the Kinabatangan, near to Abai village. These are exceptionally rare and endangered, with a very fragmented population across Malaysia & Indonesia of perhaps only 400 individuals left in the wild. So a very special encounter.
Finally, the other real stand out bird was encountered while on an evening boat cruise down a tributary of the Kinabatangan. The boat screeched to a halt and the guide announced to us that in a nearby dead tree was a very special species. It turned out to be three male White-Fronted Falconets, a Bornean endemic and one of, if not THE smallest bird of prey species in the world, being no more than the size of a Chaffinch! Amazing!
The Hornbills were my personal bird highlight, they really were impressive! We saw 4 out of the 8 Bornean Hornbill species with Oriental Pied the most common, as well as seeing Black, Bushy-Crested & Wrinkled. The one I really wanted to see, Rhinoceros unfortunately eluded us! Twice we saw probables, however neither us or the guides saw enough to confirm for sure.
We saw 6 stunning Kingfisher species, including our very own Common Kingfisher! My favourite though was this formidable Stork-Billed Kingfisher, found by Em sitting motionless on a riverside branch! Look at that bill!
There were several reptile highlights including 3 separate Crocodile sightings, Mangrove Snake, a couple of other snake sp. and amazing views of a couple of large Monitor Lizards around Abai Jungle Lodge.
There were some spectacular butterflies, however the Common Tree Nymph was the one that really wowed me the most with it's approximate 15cm wingspan and transparent wings. They would glide around the forest, barely flapping their wings; a real mesmerising sight!
Our day spent close to Mount Kinabalu allowed to connect with a few very cool plants. A walk with our guide around the botanical gardens was really interesting, finding out what many of the local plants were and still are used for in Bornean culture. Here we saw a few native Orchid species including one of the smallest in the world, the Pin-Head Orchid as well as the aptly named Dancing Lady Orchid.
Down the road we paid a visit to the Poring Hot Spring which I have to say, was a bit of a uninspiring tourist trap. However, here we were able to see a flowering Rafflesia keithii, the biggest flower species in the world. Quite a bizarre sight and a unexpected treat! The ones we saw were not at full size but were still a good c3 feet across!
This is a bit of a highlights package and so there are plenty more photos on my flickr page here: http://bit.ly/2zEljBf
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