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Monica Filkova June 2009

Hi All,
The past two weeks or so I've spent in Sabah, the Land Below the Wind as it's also known. It was a former British colony so helpfully enough lots of people speak English and they also drive on the same side of the road as the British. But it was most definitely a Borneo experience otherwise.

 

When I joined my fellow volunteers and our guide we started off on the tourist trail, visiting Mount Kinabalu nature park with the botanical garden and Sepilok Orang Utan rehabilitation centre for a feeding. We were quite lucky as the welcoming committee including a couple of young orangutans hanging around the walkway to the feeding platform.

But that's all that was truly touristy. Our nine days at Kinabatangan River were spent collecting wildlife data (species, count, GPS coordinates), planting trees (rewarding, but hard work in the heat of the equatorial sun), helping out on a community project and teaching a class on recycling at the school in Sukau. It has definitely been quite an experience!

 

I believe we observed 60 species, about 2/3 birds. Feel free to envy me (lots!) for seeing all of the following in the wild (ie the rainforest around the river bank):- mother & baby orangutans, dominant orangutan settling into his nest for the night,- five pygmy elephants with a baby feeding on the grass on the river bank,- numerous boisterous families of long-tail and pig-tail macaques,- curious proboscis monkeys eyeing us from above,- a gibbon perched high up a tree at sunrise and calling a mate (or should I say singing as the call is more like a bird call than what you'd expect from an ape)- baby croc and a 4m crocodile sliding into the waters and heading towards us,- 6 of the 8 species of hornbill, including the rare helmeted hornbill who's call starts with whooping and ends in a ha-ha-ha sort of laugh- all sorts of colourful birds such as kingfishers and trogons, and a few strange ones like the oriental darter which has a neck very much like a snake ... especially when it's the only thing you can see poking out of the water when it's fishing... and water monitors, kites, eagles, pygmy and black squirrels, bats, mangrove snakes, etc, etc, etc. I'm sure I've forgotten a few! And actually you didn't really need to go far from the lodge - we had a resident macaque family who occasionally woke us up by going on the roof or making noise from the trees just outside the windows. Most of the time though, we did need to get on our trusty green boat to go a bit further afield to see wildlife.

 

So data collection was definitely rewarding. Amazingly we only got caught up in one rain storm but what a storm that was. The sky went black as we turned around a bend and the wall of rain enveloped us. Wall is probably not the right word: the rain was driving at us, feeling very much like pins and needles being stuck in your face. We were soaked through but I managed to keep my camera dry.

The hard work was planting trees. But it was certainly gratifying to see the neat piles of freshly laid leaves around saplings, the rows in the weeds cleared with a machete and ready for planting, and finally the newly planted saplings in a new patch of land given to WOX to improve. It's part of a bigger WWF project to create safe corridors along the river so animals can move to the safety of the primary rainforest. The issue is that there are lots of palm oil plantations in the north of Sabah and around Sandakan (ie along the Kinabatangan River) and the early logging has destroyed some of the connections between safe environments, so various organisations - and fortunately, some palm oil owners - are now replanting stretches of land to address this problem.

Given that a lot of the products we use palm oil - soap, toothpaste, foodstuffs - you can see why there's an economic benefit to the local communities to invest in plantations. But the great thing is that there's now recognition that this needs to be balanced with the needs of the wild animal populations and conservation of the rainforest.

What I perhaps enjoyed the most was the class we did at the school. Groups of volunteers teach the children about protecting the environment and our module was on recycling. We made up three games and a song and it was such a fantastic feeling when the children didn't want to stop playing and when the staff at the lodge sang the refrain of the song! You really feel like you've done good.
I was expecting just a visit to the school, but it was so much better that the visit was more meaningful than just getting to know a few children. I was amazed at how good their English was and am so happy that I got them books for the library because they're so bright and willing to learn.
If you ever want to see Borneo, I would definitely recommend combining it with something like my project. You see and experience so much more!

Family from Sweden : January 7-17, 2010

 

Our 10 day stay in Sukau is coming to an end and it has been a truly amazing experience for the entire family, a memory for life.
We are the first family to join this volunteer program and we enjoyed it tremendously. It has been a great way for our family to share new experiences, learn and work together. The boys really do not want to leave.

Time passed so quickly and we have enjoyed every bit of it. High points include: tree planting, river cruises, school visit as well as all the good food served by the friendly Home Stay families in Sukau.
It is truly rewarding to have participated in the reforestation of the Corridor Of Life. We all loved the tree planting. We built a simple nursery in the backyard of Greenview B&B and filled it with saplings of different species. Working with the clearing, digging, collecting leaf-litter and water hyacinths was sweaty but great to do together with the boys. The heat forced us to work in rather a slow tempo, which suited the kids fine. Of course planting the saplings was the best part and we took many photos of our lot. Hopefully the boys will be able to come back here in the future to see the grown up trees.

River cruises in sunrises and sunsets were beautiful and we got to see so much wildlife. We saw many Orangutans, Proboscis, Red and Silver Leaf Monkeys, a Gibbon and of course the cute and lively Macaques. The Crocs, Lizards and Snakes were favorites for the boys and we were bewildered by the flock of Pygmy Elephants eating elephant grass so close to the river.

Daniel was fascinated by all the birds; Hornbills, Eagles, Hawks, Darters and Haerons but also the nighttime Owls of different species. Data collection and recording became a bit tiresome since we were just two persons doing the job, but it felt rewarding to do this work for the good of the animal life. Also we learned so much from really studying the behavior of the animals, instead of just watching them. We will always remember the sight and the smell of the trees and greens in the forest surrounding us on the cruises and the trekking.

Visiting the school was a lot of fun. The kids and the teacher were very welcoming; so friendly and attentive. After class our boys stayed to play in the schoolyard having a great time with newfound friends.

 

Eating and meeting with the Home Stay families was also very nice and added another dimension to our stay. We were served so much good food, delicious tiger prawns in many versions, curry’s and lots of veggies we never tasted before (jack fruits, wild ferns, water spinach and more). We emptied the plates every lunch and dinner, the boys eating most of all. And all the fruits, so full of flavor!

No summary of this week would be complete without our sincere expression of gratitude to Mark, who’s enthusiasm, friendliness, dedication and knowledge is outstanding and kept the pace and mood on top even in the worst of the monsoon rains. Much thanks to Mark’s guidance and good planning as well as his great people skills, both parents and kids found every part of the program interesting and enjoyable. Thanks to Mark we have also learned so much about the culture and history of Sabah.

Our stay in Sukau has been a complete success from beginning to end. Many thanks and all the best from "All of Us".

 

Accommodation and Packages to North Sabah ~ Sandakan, Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Gomantong Cave, Selingan Turtle Island , Lankayan Island , Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Sukau Area , Danum Valley , Tabin Wildlife Reserve & Lahad Datu

Trips & Packages :
Day Trips	Sepilok OrangUtan Rehabilitation Centre | 1/2 Day Sepilok OrangUtan Rehabilitation Centre Tour | Full Day Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre & Safari River Cruise Trip | Guomantong Cave Bilit Rainforest Lodge ~ | Full Day to Gomantong Cave & Bilit River Cruise | Tabin Wildlife Reserve Tabin Wildlife Resort ~ | Tabin Wildlife Mud Volcano |
Overnight Trips	Kinabatangan / Sukau Wildlife Sanctuary Bilit Rainforest Lodge ~ | 2 Days 1 Night Sepilok Orang Utan / Bilit / Gomantong Cave / City Trip | 2 Days 1 Night Oxbow lake / Bilit / Gomantong Cave / City Tour | Bukit Malapi Lodge ~ | 2 days 1 night Sepilok , Sukau, Gomantong, Sandakan City Package Tour | 2 days 1 night Sepilok / Sukau / Oxbow lake / Sandakan City Package Tour | Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge ~ | 2 Days 1 Night Sandakan Safari Trip | Kinabatangan Jungle Camp ~ | 1 day 1 night Package Tour | Myne Resort ~ | 2 Days 1 Night Gomantong / Bilit / Sepilok / City Tour | Sri Menanggol Cabins ~ | 2 Days 1 Night Sepilok / Sukau (SMC) / Gomantong/ City Tour | Sukau Rainforest Lodge ~ | 2 Days 1 Night Kinabatangan Wildlife Safari Trip | Sukau River Lodge ~ | 2 days 1 night Sukau / Kinabatangan River / Sepilok Tour | Selingan Turtle Island Selingan Island Chalets ~ | 1 Day 1 Night Selingan Island Tour | 2 Days 1 Night Selingan Island And Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Tour | Tabin Wildlife Reserve Tabin Wildlife Resort ~ | 2 Days 1 Night Tabin Wildlife Encounter |
3 Days 2 Nights Packages	Kinabatangan / Sukau Wildlife Sanctuary Bilit Rainforest Lodge ~ | 3 Days 2 Nights Gomantong Cave / Bilit / Ox-bow lake / Bilit / City tour | 3 Days 2 Nights Sepilok Orang Utan Centre/Bilit/Oxbow lake/Gomantong cave/City Tour | 3 Days 2 Nights Turtle Island/Sepilok Orang Utan Centre/Bilit/Gomantong cave/City Tour | Bukit Malapi Lodge ~ | 3 Days 2 Nights Selingan / Sepilok / Sukau / Gomantong cave / Sandakan City tour | 3 Days 2 Nights Gomantong cave / Sukau / Oxbow lake / Sepilok Orang utan / Sepilok Night walk | 3 Days 2 Nights Sepilok / Sukau / Oxbow lake / Gomantong cave / City tour | Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge ~ | Sandakan Safari Extravaganza Package | Sukau Wildlife Safari Package | Myne Resort ~ | 3 Days 2 Nights Safari Adventure | 3 Days 2 Nights Venture Bilit Trip | Sri Menanggol Cabins ~ | 3 Days 2 Nights Sepilok / Sukau (SMC) / Oxbow lake / Gomantong cave / City tour | Sukau Rainforest Lodge ~ | Kinabatangan Wildlife Safari Package | Sukau River Lodge ~ | 3 days 2 nights Sukau / Kinabatangan River / Sepilok Tour | 3 days 2 nights Selingan / Kinabatangan River / Sepilok Tour | 3 days 2 nights Selingan / Libaran / Sepilok Tour | Abai Village / Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary Abai Jungle Lodge ~ | Abai & Sukau Trip | Abai with a Local Touch Package | Abai Jungle Lodge Package | 3 Days 2 Nights Selingan Island & Abai Trip | Danum Valley Borneo Rainforest Lodge ~ | 3 days 2 nights Borneo Rainforest Explorer | Tabin Wildlife Reserve Tabin Wildlife Resort ~ | 3 Days 2 Nights - Tabin Wildlife Observation and Nature |
4 Days 3 Nights Packages	Kinabatangan / Sukau Wildlife Sanctuary Bilit Rainforest Lodge ~ | 4 Days 3 Nights Sepilok Orang Utan Centre/Bilit/Oxbow lake/Gomantong cave/City Tour/Sabah Hotel | 4 Days 3 Nights Turtle Island/Sepilok Orang Utan Centre/Bilit/Oxbow Lake/Gomantong Cave/City Tour | Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge ~ | 4 Days 3 Nights Sandakan Safari Adventure | 4 Days 3 Nights Sukau & Abai Package | 4 Days 3 Nights Selingan Island, Sukau & Abai Package | 4 Days 3 Nights Abai & Sukau Package | Abai Jungle Lodge ~ | 4 Days 3 Nights Selingan Island & Abai | Myne Resort ~ | 4 Days 3 Nights Borneo Extravaganza | Sukau Rainforest Lodge ~ 4 Days 3 Nights Selingan Turtle Island, Sepilok OrangUtan & Kinabatangan River Safari | 4 Days 3 Nights Orang Utan Search | Sukau River Lodge ~ | 4 Days 3 Nights Selingan Turtle Island/ Sukau/Kinabatangan River/ Sepilok Orang Utan Centre Tour | 4 Days 3 Nights Selingan / Libaran / Gomantong / Sukau / Sepilok Tour | Danum Valley Borneo Rainforest Lodge ~ | 4 days 3 nights Borneo Rainforest Package | Tabin Wildlife Reserve Tabin Wildlife Resort ~ | 4 Days 3 Nights Birding at Tabin Package | 4 Days 3 Nights Overnight at Mud Volcano Package |
5 Days 4 Nights Packages	Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary Bilit Rainforest Lodge ~ | 5 Days 4 Nights Turtle Island / Sepilok Orang Utan / Bilit / Ox-bow / Gomantong / City Tour / Sabah Hotel Package | Sukau River Lodge ~ | 5 Days 4 Nights Wildlife of Borneo | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary & Danum Valley Sukau Rainforest Lodge & Borneo Rainforest Lodge ~ | Kinabatangan Safari, Gomantong Cave & Danum Valley Rainforest Package | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary & Abai Village Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge ~ | 5 Days / 4 Nights Bird Watching at Sukau & Abai | 5 Days 4 Nights Sandakan Borneo's Wildlife Package | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary & Tabin Wildlife Reserve Sukau Rainforest Lodge & Borneo Rainforest Lodge ~ | 5 Days 4 Nights Sukau -Tabin Wildlife Experience Package |
6 Days 5 Nights Packages	Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary & Abai Village Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge & Abai Jungle Lodge ~ | 6 Days 5 Nights Sandakan Discovery Package |
Around Sabah Tour	| Drive Around Borneo in 10 Days | Borneo's Big 5 in 10 Days | Journey through Borneo Rainforests |
Bird Watching Tours	| 14 days 13 nights Birding in Borneo | 5 Days / 4 Nights Bird Watching at Sukau & Abai |
Volunteer / Student Programmes	| 4 Days Borneo Orangutan and Wildlife Volunteer Experience | 5 Days Borneo Orangutan and Pygmy Elephant Volunteer Experience | 5 Day Wild@Heart Conservation Student Programme | 7 Days 6 Nights Borneo Orangutan and Pygmy Elephant Experience for Families | 12 Days Orangutan & Pygmy Elephant Volunteer Adventure | 26 Days Zoo, Orangutan & Pygmy Elephant Volunteer Adventure | Borneo Teach English Volunteer Program |
Dive Trips	| Lankayan Dive Packages |
Combination Trips	| 10 Days 9 Nights Sabah Nature & Sipadan Dive Trip | 10 Days 9 Nights Kinabalu, Sandakan Wildlife & Kapalai Dive Trip | 9 Days 8 Nights Mount Kinabalu Climb and Sukau Wildlife Adventure | 7 Days 6 Nights Kota Kinabalu & Sandakan Wildlife Adventure | 6 Days 5 Nights Sandakan Wildlife Adventure & Lankayan Island Trip |
Accommodation :
Sandakan Town	| Nak Hotel | Hsiang Garden Hotel | Hotel Sandakan | Sanbay Hotel | Sabah Hotel | Hotel Tyng Garden | Swiss Inn Waterfront |
Sepilok Nature Reserve area	| Paganakan Dii Tropical Retreat | Sepilok Nature Resort | Sepilok Forest Edge Resort |
Lahad Datu	| Asia Hotel | De Leon Hotel | Executive Hotel | Grace Hotel |
Accommodation in other areas of Sabah:
Tawau	| Heritage Hotel | Belmont Marco Polo | Promenade Hotel
Semporna	| Seafest Hotel | Singamata Adventure Semporna |
Mabul	| Sipadan Water Village Resort | Sipadan Mabul Resort | Borneo Divers Mabul Island Resort | Seaventure Platform | Mabul Water Bungalows |
Kapalai	| Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort |
Mataking	| Reef Dive Resort |
Kota Kinabalu	5 Star Hotels | Hyatt Regency | Le Meridien Hotel | Novotel 1 Borneo | 4 Star Hotels | Beverly Hotel | Jesselton Hotel | Grand Borneo Kota Kinabalu | Promenade Hotel | 3 Star Hotels | Celyn Hotel City Mall | Kinabalu Daya Hotel | Imperial Boutec | Imperial International Hotel | Hotel Shangri-La | Tang Dynasty | Boutique Hotels | Myne Hotel | Motels | D'Borneo Hotel | First Century Hotel | Crown Borneo Hotel | Budget Inns & Homestays | Akinabalu Youth Hostel | Borneo Adventure Centre & Lodge | Borneo Backpackers | Borneo Global Backpackers | Buddy Backpackers Home | Lucy's Homestay | Lyn's Lodge Bed and Breakfast | North Borneo Cabin | Planet Kinabalu | Trekker's Lodge | Xplorer's Backpackers | Beach Resorts | Tanjung Aru ~ Megah D'Aru Hotel | Shangri La's Tanjung Aru Resort | Tuaran ~ Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort | Tuaran Beach Resort | Kinarut, Papar ~ Beringgis Beach Resort | Langkah Syabas Beach Resort | Kota Kinabalu ~ Nexus Karambunai Resort | Sutera Harbour Resort - Magellan Sutera | Sutera Harbour Resort - Pacific Sutera | Service Apartments | Colonnades Condominium | Likas Square Condotel | Marina Court Resort Condominium | Promenade Apartments | Sabah Apartment | Island Resorts | Gaya ~| Bunga Raya Island Resort | Gayana Eco Resort | Mantanani Besar ~ Mari Mari Backpackers Lodge | Pulau Tiga ~ Pulau Tiga Resort (Survivor Island) | Kinabalu Park | Lodges at Kinabalu Park | Cabins at Laban Rata | Lodges at Mesilau Nature Resort | Kinabalu Park & Poring Hotsprings Package | Kinabalu Park & Surrounding Day Tours | Outside Kinabalu Park | Celyn Resort Kinabalu | D'villa Rina Ria Lodge | Kinabalu Pines Resort | Mount Kinabalu Heritage Resort & Spa | Zen Garden Resort |
Trips & Packages in other areas of Sabah :
Kota Kinabalu & Outskirts Day And Overnight Trips	Day Trips | Kota Kinabalu City Tour | Kinabalu City By Night | Monsopiad Cultural Village | Kota Belud Sunday Market | Kudat Rungus Longhouse | Manukan & Sapi Island Hopping | Kinabalu National Park | Poring Hot Spring | Kinabalu National Park & Poring Hot Spring | Overnight Trips | Kinabalu National Park & Poring Hot Spring (2 days 1 night) | Rungus Longhouse Cultural Trip (2 days 1 night)|
Outdoor Sporting & Nature Activities	| Garama Wetland Cruise | White Water Rafting Day Trips at Padas or Kiulu | Tambunan Rafflesia Rainforest Tour |
Mountain Climbing	| Mount Kinabalu/Kinabalu Park Packages | Mount Kinabalu Via Ferrata | Mount Kinabalu Climb and Walk The Torq Via Ferrata | Mount Kinabalu Climb and Low's Peak Circuit Tour | Mount Trusmadi Climb |
Combination Trips	| 10 Days 9 Nights Sabah Nature & Sipadan Dive Trip | 10 Days 9 Nights Kinabalu , Sandakan Wildlife & Kapalai Dive Trip | 9 Days 8 Nights Mount Kinabalu Climb and Sukau Wildlife Adventure | 7 Days 6 Nights Kota Kinabalu & Sandakan Trip, Sabah | 7 Days 6 Nights Kota Kinabalu & Sandakan Wildlife Adventure | 6 Days 5 Nights Sandakan Wildlife Adventure & Lankayan Island Trip |

 

Malaysia Rainforests, Sanctuaries and Parks

Peninsula Malaysia - Rainforests, Sanctuaries and Parks
Perak	| Bota Kanan River Terrapin Wildlife Conservation Centre | Royal Belum State Park | Sungkai Sambar Deer and Pheasant Wildlife Reserve | Temenggor Forest Reserve |
Johor	| Endau-Rompin National Park |
Pahang	| Taman Negara - Kuala Tahan | Jenderak Seladang Sanctuary | Kenong Rimba Reserve | Kuala Gandah Elephant Centre | Taman Negara - Merapoh | Tasik Chini Trek |
Selangor	| Kuala Selangor Fireflies | Kuala Selangor Nature Park | Sungai Dusun Rhino Sanctuary |
Kedah	| Langkawi Mangrove Swamps | The Datai, Langkawi | Ulu Muda Reserve |
Negri Sembilan	| Ulu Bendol Reserve | Berembun Forest Reserve |
Sabah and Sarawak - Borneo Rainforest, Sanctuaries and Parks
Sarawak	| Semengoh Wildlife/Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre | Bako National Park | Niah National Park | Kayakking in Kuching | Kayakking with Dolphins | Borneo Highlands Kayaking and Semengoh Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre Adventure Trip | Mulu National Park | Tenyok Rimba |
Sabah	| Tabin Wildlife Reserve | Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary & Sukau | Gomantong Cave |

 

Short Adventure & Nature Trips

Peninsular Malaysia
Water Activities
Perak	| White Water Rafting at Gopeng and Caving at Gua Tempurung |
Selangor	| White Water Rafting at Sungai Selangor | Abseiling and Tubing at Sungai Selangor |
Camping Trips
Pahang	| Taman Negara Inner Jungle Trip (Trekking) | Kenong Rimba Camping |
Johor	| Endau National Park Camping |
Perak	| Trans Gopeng - Cameron Highlands Camping & Trekking | Ulu Geroh Rafflesia Trek & Rafting Trip |
Trekking Trips
Kedah	| Jungle Trekking in Langkawi's Treasured Rainforest | Trekking For Families with Kids in Langkawi |
Nature & Countryside Trips
Selangor	| Kuala Selangor Fireflies | Kuala Gandah Elephant Centre |
Birdwatching Trips
Kedah	| Birdwatching in Langkawi |
Nature Photography Trips
Kedah	| Escorted Nature & Wildlife Photography Trip in Langkawi |
River Kayakking Courses
Selangor	| River Kayakking Basic Course at Sungai Selangor |
Combination Trips
Nature/ Highland/ Island	| 7 Days 6 Nights Malaysia Nature & Island Trip | 9 Days 8 Nights Malaysia Highland, Nature & Island Trip |
Borneo ~ Sabah & Sarawak
Water Activities
Sabah	| White Water Rafting Day Trips |
Sarawak	| Kayakking in Kuching | River Cruise with Dolphins | Borneo Highlands Kayaking and Semengoh Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre Adventure Trip | Kuching Caving Adventure | The Kuching Tringgus Trail (Landrover Adventure) | The Bau Gold Mining History Trail |
Mountain Climbing
Sabah	| Mount Kinabalu Climb |
Sarawak	| Mulu Pinnacles Climb | Mount Trusmadi Climb |
Birdwatching Trips
Sabah	| Birding in Sabah,Borneo |
Nature & Countryside Trips
Sabah	| Garama Wetland Cruise |