In Search of the "Wild Man" of Borneo

It was at the time of the great fires that I ventured into the hinterland of Borneo. I could already smell the smoke in the plane on our descent into Kuala Lumpur. Luckily there was only a short transit time at the airport before I travelled on to Sandakan in the province of Sabah. Here the air was hazy, but odorless.

Sandakan is well known for the Sepilok Sanctuary for Orang-Utans. It was set up to help orphaned or captured Orang-Utans, who had become too dependent on man through captivity, to return to the wild.

This is where the Rehab Center plays such an important role. They encourage the Orang-Utans to climb, build nests and gradually forage for themselves. It can sometimes take up to 5 years for the animals to regain their full independence.

At the Sepilok Rehab Center I was able to watch the animals being fed on bananas and milk from a feeding platform. It's quite touristy, but at least you are guaranteed of seeing these incredible creatures.

The adults are only about 3 feet tall, but can weigh over 200 pounds - and that's pure muscle. Watching these primates eat and play really did make me wonder about my ancestry...

Click here to find out more about the Orang-Utan

Exploring the Rainforest

After a 2 hour bus ride from Sandakan I arrived on the banks of the Kinabatangan River. Then just a short boat ride further was the Sukau Rainforest Lodge, right on this wide, brown river. The Lodge is great - comfortable and homey. The rooms are plain, but functional and have a fan and hot water and the food is simple, but tasty. It was very hot and humid, but the daily afternoon downpour cools things off nicely. The best way to explore the area is by longboat and after the rain stopped we went out on a boat ride and saw lots of wildlife.

The Probiscus Monkey is indigenous to Borneo and shares the river banks with Macaques and Langur Monkeys. We also saw a cat snake, and many species of birds, i.e. Serpent Eagle, Fish Eagle, Brahminy Kite, Purple Heron, Great Egret, Hornbills of the Rhino-, Waxed-, Pied- and white crowned variety, Dollarbirds, Storkbilled- and blue-eared Kingfishers, Bats, Sunbirds, Munia and many more. (As you can see, I'm a bird lover)

Next morning at 6am we were back on the boats again and at this time the mist rises from the river and makes it very eerie and quiet. There are very few other boats on these rivers, and it gives the impression of being alone in the wilderness. I felt very privileged to be able to see this beautiful part of the world - there is nothing quite like being humbled by nature...

Click here to find out more about the Borneo Tropical Rainforest Foundation

Visiting the Local People

I travelled back to Sandakan, a friendly little port-town with a great food, spice & clothes market, and on to the airport. After weighing in my luggage and myself, we departed on a Twin-Otter flight to Kudat. It is just a short drive to Bavanggazo, a village of the Rungus people. They live in Longhouses and have managed to hold on to their traditional way of life.

Longhouses are made of bamboo, tree bark and thatch and every one accommodates up to 10 families in separate sleeping rooms. After I made myself comfortable in one of the rooms, I was invited to join everyone in the communal living area for the evening meal. Then the Rungus people entertained their guests with games and traditional dances. The musical instruments consisted of some gongs, guitars and flutes - played through the nostrils!

The locals were happily sipping on rice-wine and are a friendly folk. It is almost impossible to have a conversation with them as they don't speak much english, but somehow we all had a wonderful evening together. Bedtime, and because there is no electricity I used my flashlight to find my way around. As I reached into my bag, I almost touched the biggest spider I have ever seen. I don't know, who was more frightened - the spider or me. It disappeared in a hurry, and I scrambled under my mosquito net and hoped it also kept spiders at bay...

Click here for your own great discovery of Borneo

To plan your Borneo Adventure e-mail Chris Boecker