Sunday, 7th March
Despite setting my alarm for 8am, i slept right thru' it and woke up just before 10am, so just in time for breakfast. I rushed downstairs, had some toast and tea and headed out to find a tour operator who could inspire me. I quite like the sound of a jungle area called Kinabatangan, but it would require me to fly to Sandakan, which might be more hassle than it's worth. I also fancy going to see Sipadan, which was described by Jacques Cousteau as one of the most beautiful diving spots in the world......can't be bad !! After speaking with a few tour operators, I decided to try to book my own trip. The agents were wanting to charge around £250 for a 3day/2night stay at Kinabatangan, not including flights. I have managed to book it for about £50. See what a little bit of internet searching can do? I have arranged to stay at Greenview B&B in Kinabatangan and the lady has given me the telephone number of a driver who will transfer me from Sandakan to her place for £6. Great value for a 2 hour car journey. I call the driver, but he cannot do the trip until 1pm. This is not a bad thing, because it then gives me the opportunity to visit the Oran-utangs at the world famous, Sepilok. I wasn't going to go there, but as i am in the vicinity, it seems silly not to visit. I am too late to book a flight to Sandakan, so i will have to go to the airport tomorrow and hope they let me on the 7.05am flight.
Monday, 8th March
I get on the 7.05am flight to Sandakan, but pay the earth for it.(£60, for Air Asia, that's a small fortune in Malaysia) Well at least I got on the flight ! I take a taxi from the airport to the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre (SORC). The airport taxi man says he can take me to Kinabatangan for MYR 40 after I see the o'tans. So I cancel my original taxi man and agree with airport taxi man that we leave Sepilok at 10.30am. When we arrive at SORC he changes his tune and says it will cost me MYR 200. In the meantime, I have cancelled my original lift to the B&B. I call my original taxi man and grovel for another lift. He agrees to pick me up at 1pm as previously arranged.
Sepilok is a world famous sanctuary where they rehabilitate o'tans who have been injured or mistreated as pets, which is illegal anyway, then they release them back into the wild. We watch a video then head to the feeding platform to see the o'tans getting fed at 10am. There are loads of little cheeky macaques, long tailed monkeys everywhere, but not many o'tans. When the wardens come onto the feeding platform a couple of o'tans come out to play. They are so cute....but I wouldn't want to get too close to one, because I am sure they could get quite vicious.
I have a few hours to kill before my lift turns up, so i settle into the cafe, read my book and wait for my lift. I get a text message around 12,45pm, saying Choy cannot make it, but Zim will come to collect me in 45mins. Zim arrives, and takes me to Greenview B&B in Kinabatangan, in just under 2 hours ! The B&B is very basic, but clean and the staff are very friendly. The B&B runs river cruises 3 times a day, so i book to go at 4pm on a 2 hour cruise. We see loads of macaques long tailed monkeys and lots of probiscus monkeys. These are the ones with the funny large noses and big fat bellies, reminds me of one of my ex's but not naming names!! teeheee. When we return from the cruise, we are served dinner and I fall into my bed. It's been a very long day.
Tuesday, 9th March
Early rise for the 6am sunset cruise. We see lots of animals and it is a much more pleasant temperature than the 4pm cruise yesterday. We see monkeys, kingfishers, hornbills and loads of other, wonderful birds. We return to breakfast and a few of us sit around chatting for a bit. I chat with a lovely Dutch couple, Yvette and Sander. They are on holiday in Borneo for 4 weeks. We share some travelling tales and then I head to my room to lie down. It is so warm here in Kinabatangan, but I think my room is even warmer than the outside. After a few hours, I return to the decked restaurant area by the river and have lunch. I Chat with a French guy from Perpignan in the SW France. He tells me he travels 6mths of the year and picks fruit for the other 6mths. He tells me he is 44years old and have travelled with his 'friend' every 6mths for the past 20 years. His 'friend' is an elderly Frenchlady....who emerges from their cottage, later in the afternoon. Toy boy...or travel companion, who knows...they have certainly visited some very interesting places over the years.
Some new guests arrive and a few of us head out on the 4pm river cruise. We see o'tans in the wild !! yipeeee. This was just wonderful. The first one we saw was sitting on a branch, high up in a palm tree. We climbed onto the bank for a closer look. Declan, a lad in his 30s from Hertfordshire, stood right under the o'tan to get a good photograph. The o'tan didn't like this. He started throwing branches down at Declan. We stood at a safe distance, then retreated to the boat. Declan followed us, but then realised he has lost his sunglasses, so headed back to where he had stood. The o'tan wasn't in the mood for company, he was eating fruit and throwing it down at Declan...it was very funny from the safety of the boat, but I am sure it wasn't that amusing for Declan. He decided the o'tan could have the sunglasses and jumped back in the boat. We were all thrilled to have seen our big orange friend...and couldn't believe it when our guide spotted another one, a little bit further down the river. She was a large female, just hanging out in the jungle. How cool is that??? The rest of the trip we saw monkeys, birds and some wild pigs, but the highlight was definitely the orang-utans !! We return full of our stories, and brag to the other guests. They too had seen one o'tan and some monitor lizards, so they also had a successful trip. We all sat down to a hearty meal of rice, curry and vegetables. It wasn't long before we were all heading out on the night cruise at 8pm. Cruising along the river in the dark was a whole new experience. It was very spookey. We saw a viper, a python, a couple of owls and loads of colourful kingfishers. After one of the snakes fell off a branch and nearly landed in the boat, I was quite glad when the night cruise was over !!! Passing under lots of branches, I was terrified that some more snakes might be lurking around.
We returned safely to Greenview and all headed to bed.
Wednesday, 10th March
I am heading to Sempourna on the east coast of Borneo. This is home to Sipadan, which is a world famous dive area. Accordingly to Jacques Cousteau, this is one of the most gorgeous places in the world for diving. Diving...errrmmm ! I ain't gonna risk it. My ear is still not right from last time, so although I am probably gonna miss out on loads of wonderful diving, it is wiser not to dive.
The Greenview B&B have ordered a taxi to take me to the 'junction' where I can catch the main bus from Sandakan to Sempourna. I get dropped off at 9.50am, and was told the bus is at 9.30am, so I am a bit concerned I have missed my connection. Turns out the bus isn't due until 10am...phew ! I sat by the side of the road, and had feeling of deja vu, like when I was in 4,000 islands, Vietnam !! Sitting by a main road, waiting for a bus that should turn up, but I don't know what it looks like, and whether or not it will stop for me. Fear not....10.10am a bus arrives and stops by the roadside and welcomes me onboard !! The trip takes 4 hours to Sempourna. I check into Sipadan Inn which is my home for the next 2 nights.
I head to Scuba Junkie, one of the local dive shops, to book some snorkelling for tomorrow. I book a trip and head to the bus station to arrange a transfer to the airport for Friday. I find a taxi man who is willing to take me for MYR 30, for a 60min trip to the airport. I book him for 7am on Friday, take his mobile number and head to the pharmacist. My ear hurts a little, so I take another course of antibiotics and some ear drops...hope this course does the trick. I fly to Singapore on Friday, then to Australia on Monday...so I don't want painful ears when i am flying.
Thursday, 11th March
I check in at 8am at Scuba Junkie for my snorkelling trip. I meet 2 Dutch girls who were staying at Greenview, the first night I was there. They are doing an Open Water Dive course. We all go out in the same boat, joined by a young German couple, on a fun dive. They are very experienced divers, having 30 years experience between them. We head to a beautiful island, white sands, aqua marine sea and a few palm trees dotted around. This is real picture postcard Eden !! There are a few boats housing some sea gypies. Apparently the gypsies are from Indonesia and the Phillipines. They cannot afford to live on the land, so they live on their boats...and what a lovely location they have ! I walk around the island to a snorkelling spot recommended by Debbie, our divemaster.
The local kids are playing in the water, on the sand and swimming on a home made swing, a log, tied at both ends, attached to a tree. There is a small army camp on the island....it would appear that all the islands in the area have a military presence because of the threat from pirates. Thankfully we don't have to deal with any pirates, just some colourful fish and stunning coral. The others enjoy their diving, and I feel a little jealous that I am not diving too. I kill some time swimming around the island, lying in the sun, and finding shade under the canopy on the boat ! Phew...what a hard life !!
We return to the mainland around 4.30pm and I return to my hotel. I collect my laundry, then head for dinner before returning to Sipadan Inn to pack for my flight to Singapore. Another new country....a new city, new currency and I hope, no need for a new visa, because I haven't got one !!! oops !!
Malaysia has been a lovely country. It has been really varied. Langkawi, Penang and Parhentian Islands a few weeks ago, feel like a totally different country to the Cameron Highlands and Taman Negara. They are all feel really different to Borneo....to Baco and Mulu National Parks and to Kinabatangan River. It is certainly a diverse country with some beautiful areas and tonnes of fabulous activities including trekking, diving, canopy walks and ofcourse, just chillin' too ! Another country that is worth revisiting.
Hope your ears clear up.