Travel Inspired

The island of Borneo includes Brunei, Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), and Indonesia.  Although I was able to visit Brunei and Malaysian Borneo, I was not able to visit Indonesian Borneo due to flight cancellations.

Brunei

Hello:  Hai (a casual and simple way to say “hello”)

Thank you:  Terima Kasih 

Currency: The Brunei dollar is interchangeable with the Singapore dollar.  If you do withdraw money, exchange any leftover Brunei currency for Singapore dollars at the airport.  No charge.

Planning Your Trip:

Flights are very difficult to book because the schedules flying into and out of Brunei are limited. I was able to find a direct flight from Manila to Brunei but ultimately missed the flight because of a cancellation on an earlier flight to Manila.  Usually, you will need to fly to another city such as Kuala Lumpur (KL) to find a flight to Brunei.  In my case, I had to fly from Manila to KL, stay overnight, and then fly to Brunei the next day.  I lost a full day in Brunei but was able to visit Ulu Temburong Park, the key reason I wanted to see Brunei.

And remember this is a Muslim country, so you will probably want to avoid visiting during Ramadan. It may be difficult to have full service in many places especially since Muslims fast for the full month of Ramadan from dawn to sunset.

Practicalities:

Customs/Arrival: You need to complete an eVisa before arrival and departure.  I also found direction on a Brunei website that I needed to complete a health declaration but neither the app or website worked, and no one asked for it when I arrived. 

Transport: It is very easy and cheap to take a taxi from the airport to your hotel.  My driver was very chatty and friendly and gave me a good introduction to the country. He also informed me that since I arrived right after Ramadan ended, which is the Eid al-Fitr holiday (breaking the Ramadan fast), it was a time people spent with their families which often involved a lot of travel throughout the region.  Based on the size of many of the suitcases I saw with families in the airport, I was convinced they were relocating for weeks.

Money: You can easily withdraw Brunei currency from an ATM in Bandar Seri Begawan AND you can also use Singapore dollars if you have them.

Lodging:

Bandar Seri Begawan: Radisson - Great location, and a very nice and wonderful staff.  My original flight was cancelled, so I arrived one night late, and they did not charge me (woo hee!).  They also helped me arrange a day trip to Ulu Temburong Park and suggested some other options if I wasn’t able to book it in such a short time frame.  I chatted with the staff in the evening and again in the morning – they were so kind and helpful and seemed so delighted to talk to one of their travelers.  I got the impression that most people don’t stop to talk with them.

Food:

Since everything seemed closed for the holiday, I broke one of my dining rules and ordered room service - sea bass in a curry coconut sauce with rice and vegetables.  It was delicious!

Places visited/Area Sights:

Bandar Seri Begawan - I wandered a bit from the hotel to see the mosque and museum and waterfront, but everything was closed or deserted as Ramadan had just ended and it was the Eid al-Fitr holiday.  However, even seeing the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien (SOAS) Mosque from the outside was worth the walk in the heat.  It was a beautiful complex surrounded by a lagoon.  Even the small airport was beautiful and people were so friendly!

Ulu Temburong Park – This is a fun and interesting day trip that involves about a one-hour drive to a lodge (Freme) on the river where you have tea and snacks before heading upriver in a traditional long, skinny boat.  Because the water in the river was quite low, our driver had his work cut out for him as we maneuvered around rocks and logs clogging up the river, requiring pushing with poles at some points to drag us over the shallows.  You won’t see much wildlife, but it is a beautiful river ride through the wilderness.  We arrived at a small outbuilding upriver, and then climbed steps from hut to hut, a total of four, until we reached a scaffold-built tower ascending high into the trees.  And then our guide announced that we would climb the narrow and step stairs (more of a ladder) to the top, walk across another skinny little walkway built of metal to the next tower and so on until we reached the top.  So, we began in small groups since only five people could be on any tower at one time.  Yes – the little thought bubble above my head was saying, “And will the tower fall if there are six?”  Yikes.  Let’s not find out. 

I climbed the metal stairs to the bridge leading to the next tower, walked along the narrow walkway (clutching the skinny handrails of metal, hot from the sun), climbed another tower, walked another narrow walkway, and could finally see the top.  However, my small group of three was stuck on one high tower for several minutes as the group in front of us stopped to take numerous photos on the final tower.  Not the kind of place you want to stand for too long. Try to dismiss the feeling in the pit of your stomach when you feel the towers moving slightly from the actions of the group. According to Google searches - it’s 50 meters high (or 165 ft), which is about 15 stories.  You climb and climb and climb and you are so high over the treetops that you really can’t see how far you would fall, if you fell.  An interesting adventure!  We descended and headed back to our boats for the return trip downriver, stopping to transfer to rafts for the last 20 minutes until we reached our final stop.  With the water so low, it was pretty uneventful.  I did see a white egret and one shy monkey watching us from a tree.  

I highly recommend booking this day trip and doing the canopy walk, even if you are afraid of heights.  It was not as scary as it sounded from the ground. 

Malaysia

Hello:  Helo (sounds the same as in English and many people speak English)

Thank you:  Terima Kasih 

Currency: Malaysian Ringgit ($1 U.S. ~ $4 MR)

Planning Your Trip:

After reviewing the set itineraries some international travel companies offered on Borneo and not finding anything that encompassed all the places I wanted to visit (including a few days of diving), I contacted Sticky Rice Travel as recommended by a Lonely Planet Guide and found they were very responsive to inquiries and in adjusting a custom itinerary for me.  Having a company arrange things for me was very helpful because I had a tight schedule and I needed a guide for the different parks.  I was also able to stay in some of the parks and with limited availability for lodging in some areas, I was glad I had arranged everything in advance. I booked my own airline reservations after studying schedules and figuring out the best direction of travel so I would not have any connections once I was in Borneo.  You need to be aware of this as some flights are only offered once a day, so consider how you want to spend your time.

If you plan to visit Indonesian Borneo (I had planned a river trip to see Camp Leaky), it becomes very difficult to plan with the irregular and unpredictable flight schedules.  I recommend not trying to align flights for the same day (as you can’t book a connecting schedule across the countries and various airlines) because one cancellation ruins your itinerary.  I had my return flight cancel from Borneo to Jakarta, meaning I would miss my connection to leave Jakarta.  I tried and tried to find a solution that would not cost me hundreds of dollars but that didn’t happen, and I had to cancel the entire Camp Leaky expedition.  With no refunds.

Practicalities:

Customs/Arrival: You can complete an eVisa online before arrival.  This will make your entry into the country almost seamless as you will only need to scan your passport.  One special note – when you cross from Sarawak to Sabah, you will need to go through immigration as the two territories are separate interests in Malaysia.

Transport: Most of my transport was pre-arranged including airport transfers and drives between destinations.  I booked my own airline travel which was easy as the flights were inexpensive.  Be aware there are limited flights between some of the smaller cities.

Money: You will want to withdraw Malaysian currency at an ATM in a larger city such as Kuching, or Kota Kinabalu as the more remote areas will not have places to withdraw money.  Since I had pre-arranged hotels (many included meals) and transfers, I didn’t need too much cash and even the daily hotel tourist tax could usually be paid with a credit card.

WiFi:  WiFi is not guaranteed and cell service can be spotty (even with an eSim), especially in Mulu.  

Since I had prearranged my travel, I was greeted by guides at each site – Bernard, my chatty guide in Kuching, dispelling facts and information about the city; Jangin in Mulu with encyclopedic knowledge about the area and who timed each excursion so that we had every place to ourselves before the other tourists from the lodge arrived; Jeffrey in Sepilok who was very experienced and knew where to find animals every place we visited; Roger in Kinabatangan who knew exactly where to direct the driver of our boat to find elephants, orangutans, crocodiles, and monkeys on our river excursions; and Henry in Danum Valley who knew when and where to find creatures, including the elusive orangutans, and became my on-the-spot videographer when chasing gibbons through the forest.  I so enjoyed chatting with all of them and learning about their lives and the country.  Don’t think they didn’t quiz me as well!  And this is one of the real values of travel, getting to know and understand people around the world.  

Lodging:

Kuching: The Waterfront Hotel - Great hotel in a good location along the river, it was a higher end hotel with a large room and a river view.  You can take a long walk along the river, crossing the elaborate foot bridge to explore the other side, although you can’t enter the beautiful Sarawak Legislative Assembly Building.  Stay to watch the sunset along the river, you will have plenty of company, and later you can watch the evening light show illuminating the Sarawak Legislative Assembly Building or view the display (and hear the music) from your room.  

Mulu:  Mulu National Park Chalet – A lodge in a rustic setting within the park which is very convenient for the hikes and exploring the caves. Rooms were large with AC and fans, plenty of room for a few people, and a separate toilet and shower room.  Staff was very helpful and the food at the small café was very good.

Kota Kinabalu: The Luma - Beautiful little hotel and an equally beautiful room (with no window to see outside).  It was across the road from a large mall, convenient for picking up necessities and grabbing food at the numerous restaurants.

Sandakan: Sabah Hotel - Not my favorite place, although it had a nice pool.  It was not close to much of anything, but you could walk down the hill to the city along the water.  The food was “meh” and I did not care much for the breakfast although they did have yogurt - a plus for me!

Kinabatangan River: Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort - Lovely.  I could stay there for days but there wasn’t really anything to do on the property.  The main attraction is the daily river excursions in the morning and again in the evening to watch wildlife. The buffet food was pretty good.

Danum Valley: Danum Valley Field Centre – This is a basic lodge that used to house researchers and was converted into rooms for guests.  The room was a bit rough, but clean and adequate for a short stay.  There was a tiny bathroom with a shower by the toilet (no enclosure), no AC (there were fans in my room), and no power from 11p.m. – 7 a.m. each day.  There are rooms with AC (still no overnight power) and even a dorm for the truly budget traveler.  Food was pretty good and fresh cold filtered water was always available.  The setting was perfect for viewing wildlife.

Mabul Island: Sipadan Water Village – Very impressive to see the individual rooms/chalets on stilts over the crystal-clear water!  But closer inspection reveals a crumbling resource.  My room was huge, but I could see signs of disrepair - shower door was precarious, the small refrigerator door had no seal, so my bottles of water didn’t stay very cold, and my foot went through a board on the deck over the water.  I noticed that many of the rooms looked as if there were not being used and could see signs of broken boards on the walkways or dysfunctional-looking doors. But the staff was very helpful and friendly!  Not much to do here other than dive and eat.  

Kuala Lumpur airport: Capsule Max – A great overnight option if you have a late arrival and/or an early flight the next morning.  Clean, quiet, and a very comfortable bed.  The added bonus of staying in such a big airport is that there are plenty of places to grab some food if you arrive in the evening and if you want to eat before your morning flight.

Food:  Most hotels and park resorts had buffet food, and the food was good overall.  I could always find something I wanted to eat. What did I miss most?  Yogurt at breakfast and salad for lunch or dinner.  A few notable places outside of the hotels:

Kuching – The Commons restaurant was located very close to my hotel and offered a delicious menu in an elegant dining room reminiscent of colonial times. 

Kota Kinabalu - Next to the Luma Hotel there was a small restaurant called the Kopi Ping Cafe where I had a delicious bowl of chicken noodle curry soup.  Across the highway, was a large mall with multiple restaurants.

Places visited/Area Sights/ Notable Activities:  

Kuching:  Semenggoh Orangutan Sanctuary – I began my Malaysian Borneo journey in Kuching to visit the Semenggoh Orangutan Sanctuary.  I thought I had the timing just right – after the fruit season so the orangutans would be likely to appear for the morning feeding.  The orangutan group is considered “semi-wild” as they have been rescued from captivity and as part of their reintroduction to the wild, the sanctuary offers daily feedings of fruit, so they won’t starve if food is scarce.  

Despite a small crowd of unofficial animal-seeking paparazzi eagerly awaiting their appearance, the orangutans were a no-show. However, I did talk to a young woman who was interning there while finishing her university degree in Forestry.  We chatted for a bit about the animals and the work at the sanctuary and she seemed to be truly committed to the environment, saving both the forests and the animals. It was nice to see a young woman interested in saving the forest of her homeland as more and more areas are lost to the palm tree farms.

I only had one afternoon of free time in Kuching, so I wandered along the river and crossed an elaborate footbridge to take a closer look at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly Building, an impressive site along the river.  I also visited the Ranee Margaret of Sarawak Museum to understand the British woman married to the White Rajah and the impact she had on the state.  Many accuse the British of their imperialistic endeavors, but she was an individual who wanted to help the local people, was an avid supporter of women’s rights, and genuinely respected the indigenous people.  

Mulu National Park:  Deer Cave and Lang Cave – My young guide, Jangin, met me at the airport (a small building with one gate for arrivals, one for departures) and led me to my five-minute van ride to the entrance for the park lodge.  He was extremely knowledgeable about the park and the caves and explained that he had worked alongside animal researchers, further cementing his passion and education about the area.  We had some interesting conversations about the efforts to save the land and forest.  He said that people who owned land did not have to pay taxes (!?).  That would certainly make it easier for them to hold the land over time and pass down to their descendants.  However, as in most places, there is always the threat of development.  He said they are building a highway for easier transport of resources and materials, but it will be an elevated highway, over the forest and animals, to have less impact on the environment.  He was a very earnest and interesting young man who seemed eager to learn.  One interesting note – I was given a wrist band identifying me as a legit visitor and instructed NOT TO REMOVE IT while at the lodge.  I guess that’s how they know if there is an intruder.

On the first afternoon, Jangin led me on a short hike along the boardwalk, to the Lang Cave, named after his grandfather who discovered it.  We did spot one bright green viper high in a tree as we walked.  After inspecting Lang Cave, we went on to Deer Cave, named for the deer who used to drink the water for the salt, a result of the runoff from bat guano. Both caves were immense and the park has boardwalks and handrails in each cave to keep tourists on the path as you wander in each cavern.  Jangin pointed out the different features and the local names for the formations.  The ceiling in Deer Cave was covered with thousands of small bats from several different species. He said they prefer this particular cave because of the large opening making it easier for them to exit each evening and consume several tons of insects.  In fact, Deer Cave has “the largest cave passage in the world”, according to the information the park provided.  After exploring both caves, and discovering a frog and a turtle, plus lots of long-legged spiders, we exited to wait for about an hour for the evening bat exodus.  And what a spectacle!  Thousands flowed out of the cave, the whisper of their wings and the clicking of camera phones the only sounds as the small crowd recorded the black swirling bodies against a fading blue sky. It was a moving wonder, like some alien animal coordinating moves in synchronicity against the clouds.  Group after group swelled upward and outward.  Again and again. The exodus continued for almost half an hour before we headed back to the lodge for dinner, leaving the bats to eat their way through the insect population overnight. 

Batu Bungan Penan Settlement, Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave.  The following day we took a long boat up the river, with the water so low in some spots that Jangin demonstrated some intense pole pushing against the rocky bottom to keep the boat moving upstream.  We stopped at the Penan Settlement, a small village along the river, to look at handicrafts and see an example of the blow guns they used for hunting.  Jangin explained how they carved the traditional poles for the blow gun, normally longer than the sample we saw, and made the darts so that a puff of air could send the dart long distances - no friction in the pole interior, a perfectly straight dart, and a tip that fit perfectly inside the pole.  The tight fit was needed to close the hole, so all the air from “the blow” was behind the dart to give it the blast it needed to reach a target.  A very impressive bit of technology!  Of course, he offered me the opportunity to give it a try.  I definitely need more practice but his effort in sending the dart to the target was a winner.

Back in our long boat and on up the river to Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave - two more remarkable large and deep caves the park has made safe and accessible for tourists.  After the cave walks, I was able to swim in a deep, cool pool of water flowing from the cave and into the river.  A very refreshing dip after light hiking into the caves.  We had a nice picnic lunch and returned to the lodge.  

Since the lodge was within the park, there were several hikes/walks that visitors could do on their own.  The only requirement was to write your name and destination on a whiteboard outside the office with your departure time so they could monitor for any lost individuals.  I opted for an afternoon hike to the Paku waterfall, only about a 6 km return, mostly on a dirt path, and marked with concrete stones through the jungle.  About midway to the waterfall, I heard loud noises overhead and looked up to see the canopy walk - not nearly the height of the one in Brunei!  On and on I walked until it began to rain.  I threw on my bright yellow poncho and continued my walk in a gentle rain.  I arrived at a very small waterfall along the river, picturesque even in the rain.  Once I returned to the room, the rain grew more intense, and the afternoon was punctuated with loud thunder and lightning.  I was glad I had seen the bat exodus the previous night as my guide said they don’t always fly out in the rain.  I enjoyed my short visit to Mulu and found that two days was a good amount of time to see the highlights of the area.

Kota Kinabalu – I only had one afternoon in the city and spent some time at the local mall picking up a few essentials for my upcoming forays into additional national parks.  For one, I grabbed a larger dry bag with a shoulder strap.  With unpredictable and sudden showers, I wanted to keep my camera and phone safe as I scurried through the jungle.  One interesting observation – in each large city I visited, there were large malls that were packed with people.  I didn’t notice a lot of shopping bags, but the restaurants were always full, and it was certainly a good escape from the heat.  

Sandakan, Sepilok, Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, and Rainforest Discovery Centre.  Sandakan is a popular tourist destination because of the wildlife sanctuaries in the area.  I stayed in a hotel just outside the old city which was located along the waterfront of Sandakan Bay.  Since I had just arrived and had no scheduled activities, and because I MUST explore, I loosely followed the Sandakan Heritage Trail.  I walked down the hill headed to the old city but was sidetracked by another road I followed to a Rotary lookout point (yes, they are everywhere!), a point at which I could overlook the old city and buildings along the water.  From there, I continued until I found the Sandakan Massacre Memorial and what seemed to be an Asian gate.  The map confirmed that perhaps I was close to the Japanese cemetery.  I was trying to find a series of steps that led down the hill to the town.  And then I realized I must be lost which was confirmed by three young men who probably thought I was an idiot and told me, “No,” when I asked if the road I was on led into town.  I backtracked by a barking dog and found the 100 steps, which I followed down to the town. There did not seem to be a lot of activity, so I walked over to the waterfront where there were several canopy tents of people cooking food on grills and a more festive air, including a bouncy house for children.  It was the end of the day, and people were gathering to relax and enjoy the oncoming evening.

The next day was for visiting the various centers to see the wildlife of Borneo, even if most of it was in some type of sanctuary.  The Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre works to re-wild orangutans who have been rescued, either from an accident that killed the mother or if they have been “found” as pets.  They isolate them briefly to make sure they are healthy and then match them with a “buddy” to start their rehabilitation process.  Orangutans don’t become independent until about eight years of age so the Centre works to build their confidence and independence to successfully return to the wild, which includes climbing activities and providing the types of food they must learn to forage for themselves. They encourage them to start building their nightly nests and sleep in the forest as they get older.  The regular feedings give visitors a chance to observe them without interaction.  Many of the orangutans eventually leave the center to never return while some occasionally return for the extra support. 

The Sun Bear Centre is similar in that the bears are rescued from various situations with the intent to re-wild them if possible.  Sun Bears are smallish bears, and the regular feedings give visitors a chance to view them up close while safely on the other side of a fence.  The Centre also had four Bornean elephants on site.  

After lunch, we ventured to the Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary to observe another wildlife feeding.  My guide, Jeffrey, said the feedings started as a way to discourage monkeys from bothering the area farms while looking for food and the Centre was funded by a palm oil plantation company.  It’s always interesting to watch the animals interact even if the situation (such as the feedings) is a bit contrived.  The feedings seemed to have solved the issue of monkey raids on the area farms so perhaps it was a win-win.  One female had what looked like a huge goiter hanging from her throat.  When we returned to the parking area, two hornbills were waiting in a tree – a very lucky random sighting!

The final stop was the Rainforest Conservation Center with the canopy walk - very different from Ulu in that it was wider and very sturdy with individual towers you could choose to climb.  And it wasn’t as high.  Jeffrey directed me to a green viper just off one trail.  Although very venomous, it stayed very still and seemed unconcerned with visitors.  He said that this type of snake prefers to pick a spot and wait quietly for prey.  Having a guide is very beneficial as they know exactly where to look and find the wildlife, including elusive birds along the walk.  You do need to watch for the evil macaques as they will follow you if they think you might have food.  Carrying a stick seemed to keep them at bay.  

Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort and Kinabatangan River cruise, Pitas Oxbow Lake – A wonderful place!  The rooms and resort are exquisite.  I had to walk down a long boardwalk to reach my remote room.  Perfect!  I was shocked at the size and greeted by polished wood floors, a window to the forest behind the room, and a huge spa-like shower in the large bathroom with another shower outside.  So much privacy.  The boat ride from Sepilok was over an hour along a very wide river bordered by acres and acres of trees.  The river cruises to see wildlife are the reason for staying in this remote area.  We went for a river cruise in the afternoon, searching for elephants.  Success!  We waited while the large male contemplated a river crossing and then watched while he swam across, head bobbing above water and his trunk raised as his snorkel.  This was definitely worth a video. 

As our late afternoon cruise continued, we sighted a rather large crocodile beneath a bush with macaques in the trees above.  Perhaps the crocodile was waiting for a failed jump from the monkeys… Then down another narrow canal to see the Proboscis monkeys scurrying among the trees.  Another side trip towards the Pitas Oxbow lake led to the rescue of an injured Kingfisher.  He squawked and squawked with displeasure at being handled and Roger, my guide, released him closer to the bank, hopefully away from the crocodile we had just seen a little further down in the tall grasses.  Later, once it was dark, we walked along the boardwalk to see the creatures of the night.  On this particular night, our sightings were limited - some pitcher plants and a few spiders.  It was an interesting resort – you couldn’t wander around because of the thick foliage on either side of the boardwalk that circled the area, and the likelihood to encounter cobras in the brush.  I went on one walk along the entire board-walked area and did see a monitor lizard, some silver leaf monkeys, and a small crocodile.  The following day we had more elephant sightings on both morning and afternoon cruises and even saw a few wild orangutans in the trees along the river. 

Danum Valley:  Danum Valley Field Centre (DVFC) - It is quite a long journey to reach the Danum Valley from the Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort.  First, I had a 6:30 a.m. one-and-a-half-hour boat ride.  You will want to wear long sleeves or a jacket as the mist on the river becomes quite chilly after about 20 minutes of zooming along the water.  But the river?  Smooth as glass, untouched by other boats.  We were alone.  Finally, the boat slowed and angled toward a very small jetty where I was met by a young driver for the next two-hour journey by car.  He drove FAST and the roads were not so great for speed.  I had to ask him to slow down because I was bouncing so much in the back seat on the rough road.  We finally stopped at an office in Lahad Datu, where a woman/travel agent gave me some instructions on what to expect as she reviewed my stay at the DVFC.  No AC?  No power from 11 p.m - 7 a.m.?  I don’t think I knew that, but I would adjust.  

A small group loaded on the transport bus - Fran (the word “avid” is too weak for his bird photography passion), Jorge, and Mary from Spain; Jenna, an American living in Australia; and unknown to me at the time, my guide, Henry.  Once we arrived at the center, it was quite a lovely little group and we ate all our meals together but had different guides for our various hikes - late afternoon, night, early morning, and post breakfast.  I wanted to see as much wildlife as possible.  My guide, Henry, was great - a nice young man, who was eager to help me find all the critters and knew where to look.  He was from the Dusun Subpan tribe, originally from the area.  Henry had resorted to farming during the pandemic as tourism closed down.  He definitely seemed to prefer being a guide and said he was constantly working on improving his English, which was already quite good.

We did see gibbons, red leaf monkeys, a couple orangutans, some snakes, many birds (especially the cute and colorful blue and red black-headed pitta, sleeping with his head tucked under his wing) and a few too many leeches!  It was my first experience wearing leech socks, an interesting fashion statement I fully support in such situations.  Despite precautions, at one point, I felt a little itch on my stomach and discovered a small leech, which I quickly removed by sliding my fingernail under the adhesion point to dislodge that greedy mouth.  And even though I was careful not to brush against foliage or touch anything as we scrambled through the trees and brush, I found a couple on my hand (one I pulled off my palm), and a few attempting to crawl up my leg - easy enough to flick off from the leech sock.  

Once we heard the loud hoots of the gibbons, Henry took over as videographer for me, dashing through the brush to follow them as they swung from tree to tree, resulting in some great video of the primates.  When we found an orangutan in a tree across the river, almost too far to see, he used his binoculars with my iPhone for an orangutan close-up.  

I wouldn’t mind staying there again for the access to the forest and the animals, and it’s probably better to stay for about three full days.  We did a night safari and I did get a good video of a civet cat hunting for food.  It seemed very unimpressed with us, despite being in our spotlight. On the last morning, we did a short hike at 6:30 a.m. and we saw a young male orangutan feeding in a tree.  He let us take a few photos and then he moved up the tree and out of sight.  Who wants an audience when they are eating?  And then saddest part of the day - we found a small bird (a spider catcher) by the research center that had apparently flown into the window and lay stunned and struggling on the ground.  Henry picked up the small, distressed bird, but it died within minutes, so he gently laid it in the grass.  😢 Even in such a remote area, windows affect the bird population. 

Additional floral and fauna sightings in the Danum Valley:  the Selaginella, an interesting stiff-leafed fern; the Gnetum, a vine we found curled around trees; the Bronze-back tree snake; Wallace’s flying tree frog (sighted at night with several in a clump trying to mate); the Bornean angle-head lizard; a Harlequin butterfly; a family of gibbons; a giant roly-poly; an aggressive Hornbill we caught snapping at some swallows (they will supplement their diet this way); some swinging Red leaf monkeys; some local deer; and the ubiquitous macaques. 

Mabul Island Diving:  From the Danum Valley, I headed for Semporna, on the coast, to catch a boat to Mabul island where I planned to do a few days of scuba diving.  I had the same driver as before, and although I thought he drove a bit too fast for the road conditions, a small thunderstorm and the build-up of traffic finally slowed him down.  It was about a two-hour journey and from Semporna, I had to find another boat to take me to Sipadan Water Village resort.  I arrived so late in the day that I missed a check dive.  We rescheduled for the following morning, and the dive master led me and another woman around a small shipwreck right offshore.  Even that close to shore we saw a giant moray eel and a sea turtle swimming around the wreckage.  It is really impressive how man-made objects become part of the sea floor landscape and the animal life develops around it.

Our second dive that day was much better, along a wall where it was easy to see a great variety of fish and other sea creatures: Rockfish, Lionfish (with their specular mane-like fins), Nudibranch (aka sea slugs), Barracuda, Needlefish, myriad types of angel fish, including the striking black, yellow, and white striped angel fish, tiny bright yellow fish swimming in thick schools, clown fish (Hello Nemo!), huge moray eels with their sinister snarky grins, hawksbill turtles, grouper, wrasse, parrotfish, snapper, clusters of lobster or crab eggs, and the numerous sea stars, and corals.  You will see plenty of sea life.  It becomes difficult to follow another diver when your head feels like it will swivel off your neck from twisting and turning to note every creature you encounter.

I enjoyed six dive locations over the two days – Paradise, Ray Point, the Lobster Wall, Kapalai House Reef, the Seaventures Oil Rig (very interesting to swim beneath the structure), and the Coral Garden Reef.  My dive buddy was a Chinese woman with a camera, so she was constantly angling for some good photos.  The water was warm enough so that a shortie wetsuit worked well.  I found the gear to be more comfortable than the gear in the Philippines, but I did have to add more weight to my belt or my built-in flotation devices would cause me to begin to rise, especially if I tried to stay still.  There was a group of young Malaysians traveling together and one young man chatted with me since we were on the dive boat together.  He probably wondered what an old lady was doing traveling all alone. 

Like most places, meals were buffet style with some flexibility on the timing so that you could plan your meals depending on when you were diving.  The final morning, I took the boat back to Semporna where a van drove me to the airport in Tawau (about 2 hours) to catch my flight to Kuala Lumpur.  Another fast and furious drive for a five-hour wait for my flight in a small airport with a few food or snack places.  And if you arrive too earlier, you can’t check your bag.  Ahhh!  The joys of travel!

As much as I experienced in Borneo, it takes time to travel from place to place and I could have spent another month on the island, just exploring and experiencing. And so, I ended my Malaysian adventure in the KL airport that night with one last sleep before I flew on to Jakarta.