Borneo - The Borneo Rainforest Lodge
We arrived in Borneo and were picked up at Lahad Datu Airport ready to be taken into the Borneo Rainforest. We were both very excited but after a two hour journey down the bumpiest of logging tracks, we were glad to arrive. We were greeted with a welcome drink, Benidorm style with a paper umbrella and sparkly things. It was quite bazaar drinking such a cocktail in the middle of the rain forest but the whole place was a little bit of luxury in the jungle! The Lodge was the only visitor accommodation in the Danum Valley so we felt privileged to be part of a small group of people staying in such a wonderful place.
A view of the Lodge from the hillside
Our time at the lodge consisted of a variety of walks - under the excellent supervision of William our personal guide for 3 days - where we encountered lots of weird and wonderful flora and forna. We were kitted out in bright green leech socks, as advised by William and after I was almost eaten alive by leeches in the tea plantations in Sri Lanka, I was taking no chances. There were many tracks and trails and you never knew what you would come across next. The lodge had a canopy walkway which was 31 metres high and 37 metres long. It was a bit rickety and it swayed quite a bit but I was surprisingly confident, I think it was just the excitement of what we would see next.
Holding on tight to the canopy walkway (sporting our leech socks!) and with William our guide
On our first morning, we woke at 5.45am and were greeted by a dawn chorus of birds and animals. The most impressive and my favourite were the gibbons who made a loud call to wake up their mates. They were far away in the distance but they could be heard for miles. We were very excited and got ready for our first walk. The main reason for my visit to Borneo was to hopefully see the orangutans, although after investigation, I realised that the probability of seeing an orangutan in the wild was slim to none. Nonetheless, we were up in the canopy, when one of the guides said that he had seen some movement in the trees ahead. To our surprise and amazement, there were four orangutans having their breakfast in a fig tree. It totally took my breathe away. We were about 200 metres away and although the trees were quite dense we got a good look at them . If I didn't see anything else at my time at the lodge, I would leave happy.
Pregnant Bornean Orangutan in a fig tree
In the afternoon, we went on another walk and were lucky enough to see another three Orangutans - twice in one day! In the evening we were treated to a night drive, so were met by a huge truck, a guide and an enormous search light that lit up the trees. The truck was so large and so noisy that any creature in a three mile radius would run for cover! We were a bit dubious about what we would see but it was good fun and we did spot some eyes in a tree, which was apparently a flying squirrel!
On the second day, we were returning to the lodge for lunch - a culinary delight - when we saw some people peering up into the trees. They we looking at a group of red leaf monkeys that were jumping across an 8 metre gap from from tree to tree, 20m above our heads. Laura got a great photo, which she is very proud of and shows it off on every possible occasion!
Red leaf monkey in mid flight, with a baby attached to the mum's tummy
While staring at the monkeys we met Will and Gill, who were a couple from Texas and almost as enthusiastic and excited to be at the lodge as we were . They spent at least one month a year being guides in Brazil so they were very knowledgeable about the wildlife in the rainforest. Carolyn and Mike were the other couple in our group and they were also absolutely lovely. There was so much going on all the time that we spent a lot of time feeling exhausted, although I found a perfect spot for an afternoon snooze!
Just a quick power nap before dinner!
We were lucky enough to see at least one orangutan every day but the last morning proved to be the best and most memorable. As usual, we were woken by the sound of a gibbon but on this day, the noise was much louder. I stepped out onto our balcony and saw two people scurrying along the path with cameras and binoculars in hand, so we quickly followed. A gibbon treated us to quite a display, as it called out and then swung through the trees right outside our room.
On our final morning walk, William took us to where a orangutans nest had been spotted the previous day - Orangutans make a new nest every day. The nest was empty when we arrived but we were startled by a mother and baby orangutan just off the path. We were obviously too close as the mother made a loud kissing sound to show us her displeasure and warn us off, before climbing up the tree to safety. I have never and may never again get that close to such an amazing wild animal. This sighting was certainly a highlight and I felt incredibly privileged, as the hairs on the back on my neck stood up. Before returning to the lodge for breakfast, we also spotted a group of long tailed macaque monkeys, some red leaf monkeys and an Argus pheasant, which are the largest of all the pheasants and made the 'birders' - as the bird watchers call themselves - very jealous. As a result, they quickly picked up their binoculars, fumbled for their note books, sharpened their pencils and sprinted in the direction of the poor pheasant - it was soon be surrounded by eager twitchers!
What are we looking at??
Unfortunately, our time had to come to an end and we were very sad to be leaving. I have never experienced anything like this and I loved every minute of it. The lodge was lovely, the food was delicious and the people we met, made the trip. It was the whole package and of course the orangutans that made this an unforgettable experience.
Some more photos from the Lodge
Helmeted Hornbill flying overhead
Rhinoceros Beetle that Laura made me put my hand next to.
A Tree Nymph or Paper Butterfly - They were really beautiful and became almost invisible in the sunlight
