In the jungle, the mighty jungle

 

From KK we headed across to Sandakan where we arrived in time to visit the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary for the morning feeding.  Our visit started with an excellent video about the work that the Sanctuary does in terms of rescue, rehabilitation and where possible, release of orangutans, and then headed to the feeding areas.  As is the case with all wildlife viewing, there is no guarantee that the animals will turn up, and at the morning feeding only two of the younger orangutans were hungry, with more coming along to the afternoon feeding.  Watching them is fascinating – whether it is as they delicately peel a banana with their lips, move so easily through the trees, or just hang around on the many ropes that they can use to get to the feeding platform.

After a very early start to get to Sandakan most of us retired to the pool at the hotel and lounged the rest of the day away, while the tireless Barry and Pauline headed off to explore the walking trails nearby.

The next morning it was time to head for our jungle safari in the Kinabatangan Jungle.  Expectations ranged from excitement (Simon) to terror (Ben) as we boarded the boat that would take us up the river to the camp.  But as the wildlife spotting started, even Ben warmed up to the idea of spending a couple of days here!  We came upon a family of Proboscis monkeys and saw many different species of birds including the distinctive hornbills. 

 

The accommodation at the camp is very basic, but you barely get time to use it anyway as there is a full programme of wildlife viewing opportunities – boat-based and walking safaris are regularly scheduled during your stay, including at night where the walking safari gives you a great chance to get up close to some of the nocturnal or sleeping animals of the jungle. 

It was however on the boat based trips during the day that we saw two things which were highlights for everyone – a wild orangutan feeding on fruits high up in a tree, and a huge salt water crocodile!  Here is a selection of the (many) photos from our time in the jungle:

      

The morning of our departure, after another boat safari, the staff at the jungle camp threw off their hangovers (they had been celebrating a birthday the night before) and challenged the “tourists” to a game of football.  Fortunately we had by now been joined by Taylor who, along with Katie, has just recovered from their ascent of Mt Kinabalu and can now walk up and down stairs!  That certainly had our goalie sorted!  As for the rest of the “tourist” team, it is fair to say that what they lacked in skill, speed and fitness they made up for in enthusiasm.  The staff team had the advantage of deciding when the game was over (ie after they scored another goal), so it was a disappointing end for the tourist team, but a great morning of entertainment for everyone!

From the jungle we headed to Sandakan for a night but more importantly, a shower!  No-one was in a particularly explorative mood, so the delights of Sandakan remain undiscovered!  An early night for everyone as they prepared for an early flight to KK, and of course a final night out to celebrate the end of this epic journey!  23 countries, 29 weeks, amazing.

Hikes, caves, cities and passport stamps

After leaving Kuching and our helpful taxi driver behind, we headed to the town of Bintulu by boat and bus.  Arriving after dark we checked into the hotel and went looking for somewhere to eat which, on this occasion chose us rather than us choosing it, as we walked through a restaurant only to have our way barred by the table they rapidly set up for us!  Fortunately the food was lovely, although the TV in the background was a little disturbing and reminded us how far we are from home!  Dogs popping balloons and kids in suits puckering up to kiss adult presenters – it was all a bit strange.

Bintulu is a fairly unremarkable town in its own right, although it does have an interesting night market and plenty of karaoke opportunities if that floats your boat, but our reason for being there was to visit Similajau National Park which is only a 40 minute drive away.  We set off early in the morning and after a breakfast of omelette (or perhaps more accurately described as fried egg), Sergeant Major Parry rounded up the troops and we marched off into the jungle.  I am pleased to report that everyone survived, with only a few red faces and proclamations that Ben was about to “die from sweat”, oh, and a few aching muscles the next day.  It was a lovely walk, hugging the coast for much of it, and culminating in a deserted beach.  Unfortunately no nice boatman arrived to take us back, so it was another hot and sweaty walk back, or in SM Parry’s case, a run.

The river

Swinging suspension bridge

The happy hikers (early on, before the sweat hit!)

Our own private beach

Ben and Lesley hit the waves

Some of the bridges needed a little bit of work...

Taxi drivers like to demonstrate their, um, personal style...

From Bintulu we headed further east, our next destination was Niah National Park.  Famous for its cave which now houses millions of bats and swiftlets, it is also the place where the oldest human remains in South East Asia were found, over 40,000 years old.  We stayed in a lovely national park cabin with a living area and kitchenette, which was incentive enough to do a bit of cooking, and so we enjoyed a bbq and salad, it was great to have a bit of “truck food” again!

BBQ!  With no BBQ grid available, one had to be fashioned out of sticks.  Ah, we always make a plan.

National park accommodation

Our living room

The cave entrance is magnificent, a huge cavern over 40 metres high and 300 metres wide, with poles precariously hanging from the ceiling where brave souls climb up to harvest the swiftlet nests for the culinary delight of birds nest soup (perhaps unsurprisingly a soup made from bird saliva has not rated as a must-do in terms of food for us!).  Barry and Pauline walked through the cave and reached the Painted Cave on the other side with its ancient rock paintings, and Lesley decided to go for a run up a hill that ended up being slightly more hectic than she had envisaged with ladders, mossy logs as bridges and shoe-consuming mud!  It was a great place to relax as well and indulge in our favourite pastime at the moment, trying to sift through the thousands of photos to put together the highlights for our families and friends!

Ben in the cave

The cave mouth

Exploring the cave

The river at sunset

After three national parks in a row, it was time to head for the cities.  We stopped for one night in Miri, time to stock up on snacks and catch up on internet and laundry.  We managed to sneak in a couple of glasses of wine and a couple of beers at a nearby restaurant, and even some Mexican food.

Leaving Malaysia behind for a couple of days we crossed the border into the tiny Islamic sultanate of Brunei and headed for the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan (fortunately referred to as BSB).  To describe BSB is difficult – there are signs of obvious wealth (historically derived from oil and gas) but it doesn’t have the brashness of Baku.  There are seemingly run-down stilted villages on the water, yet almost every one has a satellite dish.  While drinking alcohol in public is illegal, in other aspects it is a relaxed city where we were never made to feel unwelcome nor out of place.  The best way to view the city is by boat, and the whole group went out on a boat trip on the river which gave us great views of the impressive Omar Ali Saifuddin mosque, the stilted villages on one side of the river and the business district on the other.  It is a fascinating city to wander around, and a visit to the mosque is a must-do.  While being one of the strictest mosques that we visit, the staff were very friendly, even helping the girls get dressed into their robes and scarves.  Inside the mosque contains some fascinating elements, including a rather incongruous looking escalator!

The Omar Ali Saifuddin mosque in the background, stilted houses in the foreground

Chief photographer Barry

Another impressive mosque

Speedboats are the preferred mode of transport zipping constantly from the business district to the stilted villages

A great place to ride your bike

Stilted houses

On our boat trip around the city

A local fisherman

How else would you stop for fuel in a speedboat?

The impressive gold domes of the mosque

At night

Roberta, Lesley and Pauline getting dressed for the mosque

After the chilled atmosphere of BSB we caught the bus to Kota Kinabalu.  8, yes 8, passport stamps later we arrived in late afternoon.  Historical events have led to Brunei being split into two parts, with the Sarawak province of Malaysia in the middle, therefore to travel from BSB to KK the most direct route you need to – exit Brunei, enter Sarawak, exit Sarawak, enter Brunei, exit Brunei, enter Sarawak, exit Sarawak, enter Sabah province – and each of those entries and exits requires a stamp!  It is a great way to fill up a passport, although for those of us with very limited space remaining in our passports it was a bit of a source of consternation!

Kota Kinabalu, again fortunately known by its initials only, is a funky town which has a definite party atmosphere on a Saturday night (and, as it turns out, also on a Sunday morning, right outside the hotel!).  We headed to the waterfront area for drinks overlooking the South China Sea and dinner.  The waterfront caters for a huge range of different cuisines, although many chose to stick to local food anyway!  Lesley and Simon got their long awaited curry, and Ben had, well, another burger!  KK is an interesting town to wander around, and the Sunday market which takes place directly outside the hotel gives us all plenty to look at and listen to!

Party time in KK

From here we head to Sandakan, another fantastic orangutan sanctuary and the jungle again!  Time is just flying and it is hard to believe that we have less than a week to go…

Monkeys, Orangutans and Cats

A short flight from the mainland saw us arrive into Kuching, the capital of the Sarawak province of Malaysian Borneo, and famous for having the world’s first (and perhaps only?) Cat Museum.  But a visit to the Cat Museum (and the fascinating sounding Timber Museum) had to wait as we headed off early the next morning to Bako National Park.

They love their cats in Kuching with cat statues everywhere

Bako is home to Proboscis Monkeys as well as many smaller creatures including the flying lemur.  After a rather exciting boat trip through the breaking waves, we had a day and half in the park to explore its many trails in search of wildlife, beaches and stunning views.  Fortunately the wildlife played along and even sitting at Park HQ there was plenty to see.

Wild seas on our arrival at Bako

Slopping through the mud, lucky Maggs wasn't here!

The boats

Strange looking Proboscis Monkeys

Wow!

Flying lemur hiding during the day

Spectacular scenery

It's not all boardwalks, but there is still plenty to be seen close to Park HQs where the walking is easy

 
The group all headed off on a guided night walk for the chance to see some of the park’s nocturnal creatures.

Returning to Kuching we had the privilege to visit the Semenggoh Orangutan Sanctuary and were treated to a fantastic display of these human-like creatures socialising, feeding and at times, posing!  A very special experience and rated as one of the highlights of the whole expedition.

Ben and Simon (oh, and some Orangutans)

Richie, the alpha male

You wouldn't think a creature of that size could peel a banana so delicately, but he can

120kg of power earns you a bit of respect from the park wardens!

Mother and baby

Just hanging around!

From Kuching we continue further east for some more national parks and hopefully more fantastic wildlife viewing.

Has it been six months already?

With fond farewells, promises to keep in touch, and a million shared memories it was time for the group to go their separate ways after an epic journey which started on the 18th of April this year.  6 months and 23 countries later, the 2010 expedition has drawn to a close.  Thanks to everyone for making it another great expedition!



But the journey isn’t over for everyone just yet.  Kirsten has headed to Borneo and Brunei with Roberta, Lesley, Ben, Simon, Barry and Pauline for three weeks exploring the fascinating Sarawak and Sabah provinces, and the tiny country of Brunei.  Keep watching this blog for amazing photos of the wildlife and cities along their way.

And what about the rest of the group?  Some are starting anew in Australia or NZ, some are returning residents after a long absence.  Some are saving for their next expedition (Africa next year), while others have decided to potter around South East Asia for a bit longer on their own.  Some are visiting friends and relatives in Australia before heading back to the UK, some haven’t quite decided yet what they want to do!  And special mention has to be made of Simon who will be heading to Cape Town straight after Borneo to join Pete and Kirsten on the Cape Town to Cairo expedition which leaves in early November!

PS - If you want to follow the blog for the Africa expedition it is http://odysseyafrica2010.blogspot.com.

National Parks and Beach Heaven

Khao Sok National Park was our next stop after the islands, and a great chance for everyone to catch up on what the others had been up to for the last week.  We stayed at a very nice tree-house resort on the river, a very tranquil spot.  Many took advantage of the river to have a refreshing swim (the sea surrounding the Thai islands is decidedly lukewarm!), and some went tubing down the river.  It was a very different experience from Vang Vieng, involving far less beer and far more wildlife.  Spurred on by our very own snake man, Pete, our guide happily found us several pythons, and even caught one for us to have a close look at.  It was a wonderfully relaxing morning, floating down amongst the stunning limestone cliffs and through the jungle.  Others headed off into the jungle for walks, and some decided to take advantage of their balconies overlooking the river and catch up on a bit of reading.

After two nights at Khao Sok we loaded up into minibuses and headed to our penultimate country, Malaysia.  Another nice easy border crossing and we headed to Pulau Penang, an island off the coast of Malaysia, accessed from the mainland by an impressively long bridge, and to the city of Georgetown.

Nowhere that we visit in Malaysia has a more colonial feel than Georgetown.  With the Barclays Bank sitting on the corner of Downing Street (and of course, with a name like Georgetown), the British influence is still present, but in the mix you also have some stunning Chinese temples and buildings, as well as an Indian and Malaysian feel.  It is a true melting pot of cultures, and a lovely town to spend a day or so wandering around.  Being a regular stop on the cruise ship circuit seems to have had quite a marked effect on the prices of food and drinks everywhere, but if you are willing to be a little more adventurous, the night market has a great selection of food, a very funky atmosphere and more reasonable prices.  While not all of us got into the groove quite as much as Barry and Pauline, who never need much of an excuse to demonstrate their not inconsiderable dancing skills, it was a fun place to spend the evening.

From Georgetown we headed across the Malaysian peninsula, to the stunning Perhentian Islands.  Unspoilt by the mass tourism of the Thai islands (there are no roads on the island, no cars, and no-one trying to get you to buy anything as you lie on the beach), we stay at a very simple “resort” right on the beach.  Monkeys and sugar gliders, monitor lizards and the occasional snake make their way past the cabins.  Behind the cabins there is nothing but jungle which is crossed by walking trails which many of the group took advantage of.  Just around the corner from our accommodation is a wonderful swimming beach with white sand and turquoise water.  For those feeling a bit more active, there is incredible snorkelling just off the beach, with huge Hawksbill turtles, mercifully small sharks, and an incredible array of brightly coloured reef fish (including plenty of Nemos!).  The islands are also a great place for diving, even if the current on the day did make Roberta’s ascent a little more rapid than planned!  It is a beach paradise, and rated by most as a trip highlight which, given everything we have seen in the last five and a half months, is quite an endorsement!

Our Super VIP bus to the Islands

Kylie, Heather and Neill on the speedboat

Stunning beaches

The Petronas Towers a la Ben

Sergeant Major Parry and Maggs out for a jog

After all that beach paradise it was time to get back to the jungle, this time, Taman Negara, “oldest jungle in the world” (although arguably this is not the only jungle that claims this…)  After a convoluted day of travel, we arrived as the sun was setting and everyone headed off to bed for an early night.

After a good night’s rest in airconditioned comfort we set off en mass to the canopy walkway, even Neill and Simon joined us, both of whom prefer to be firmly on land.  A very sweaty walk through the jungle (signposted as a 1.2km walk, until halfway when it was signposted as being 1.5km further!) and we arrived at the start of the canopy walk.  It is the world’s longest hanging bridge canopy walkway, and everyone had a great time swaying through the tree tops, trying to keep their balance and many trying not to look down!

The Odyssey Overland 2010 Group!

Several of the group decided to continue walking through the jungle.  Dennis, Barry and Pauline eventually returned by boat, soaking wet and accompanied by a Malaysian TV crew!  Just another random adventure!

We are now in Kuala Lumpur and being back in the big city is quite a shock after the last couple of weeks of beach and jungle, but I am sure the Petronas Towers, electronics stores and funky vibe will more than make up for it!