In Kota Kinabalu we had learned the nature of the bus season in Borneo, so we were not expecting much when we made our way five hours out of the city to the small town of Sandakan. Our original plan was to get in on a three day/two night jungle expedition, but the way things were going, that didn’t seem very likely. However, our luck was definitely changing, as that day we received and e-mail reply from Uncle Tan, the number one wilderness adventure company in Sandakan, saying that they had two cancelations, and they were saving the spots for us. This was a major score for us as they had told us earlier that they had no openings for six weeks!\r\nThe next morning we made our way to Sepilok, about 40 minutes out of Sandakan, and entered the operation headquarters of Uncle Tan. We filled out all of the paperwork, and by 2:30 p.m we were on the road, heading towards the Kinabatagan River. By 4:30, we had made it to the river, and from there we boarded a small boat, and set off to see what was lurking along the riverbank. We were lucky enough to spot a ton of wildlife, including macaques, hornbills, eagles, and a schnoze-full of proboscis monkeys (found only on the island of Borneo)!
We arrived at our camp about an hour later, and were thrilled with the accommodation. No, it wasn’t a five star hotel in the jungle, rather, it was open faced huts on stilts, in the heart of the jungle, with only a thin mosquito net protecting us from the creepy critters that lurked in every corner. After setting up, getting a brief briefing on the jungle safaris, and eating a scrumptious dinner, we were once again in our boat and exploring the river. However, this time we were in the dark, literally. We were traversing the river in complete and utter darkness, with only our boatman and guide showing us the way with a car-battery powered spot light. Incredibly, we were able to see quite a lot of wildlife, including kingfishers, owls and even a crocodile (which made us a little more careful as we were hopping in and out of the boat)! The next morning, (day two of our three day adventure), we woke up early… 6am early, and once again made our way to the river to do some more wildlife viewing. We were extremely lucky that morning, as we were able to spot not one, but two orangutans in their natural habitat. We saw other monkeys and birds, but nothing came close to those two orangutans, they were absolutely amazing!
The afternoon was spent in two ways. First, in the jungle, doing a bit of jungle trekking, where we got up close and personal with various insects, plants and trees. the rest of the afternoon was spent in siesta style: relaxing in hammocks, napping, reading, and just enjoying the jungle air. Around 5 p.m we made our way back into our boat, and once again took to the river. This was a great time of day to see wildlife, as it was cooling down and a lot of creatures were making their way to the river before they called it a night. Again, we were able to see a lot of birds and monkeys, but the highlight of this ride was the flying foxes (giant bats!) that swept overhead just as the sun was setting. Our adventure wasn’t over yet, and after yet another delicious dinner, we were back in the jungle, flashlights in hand, trekking in the dark. Our first discovery was a scorpion, which Jono felt the need to befriend, and before long it was crawling all over his arms (he admitted later that, yes, he was indeed a little scared). We were also able to get up-close and personal with some other night critters, including spiders, frogs, beautiful birds and even a civet jungle cat! At the end of the hike we happened upon a snake, and Jono again felt the inclination to “get his Steve Irwin on” and pick it up (luckily it wasn’t poisonous!) The next morning, day three of three, we were up early with a “bonus” morning cruise along the river. The guides at Uncle Tan were not satisfied with the amount of Proboscis monkeys we saw the day before, so they took us out to find some more. And more we found!We returned from the river with many photos and memories, and after eating a hearty breakfast, we were heading back to Sepilok and Uncle Tan’s headquarters. We were thrilled to have had the opportunity to explore the Kinabatagan River with Uncle Tan, and we would highly recommend anyone going to Borneo to take part in this adventure (but remember to book well in advance!). ‘