Wild Borneo

Sabah, formerly British North Borneo, is an eco-tourism paradise. The wildlife here is truly unique – you’ll find nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world. And it’s here in abundance.
Borneo was a country I read about as a kid as one of the last really wild frontiers. A land of dense jungle, uncharted territory… And head hunters.

It has of course not been known as British North Borneo for a long time. And while heads are still known to adorn the homes of some tribal chiefs, the tradition of head hunting stopped long ago.

Malaysian Sabah is famous now more than anything for its population of orang-utans and proboscis monkeys and an emerging eco and adventure tourism industry. Tourists come here for three reasons: to photograph the wildlife, go wreck diving or climb Sabah’s most famous landmark, Mount Kinabalu.

Sabah is one of three Malaysian states situated on the island of Borneo. Our flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sandakan on the north east coast, takes about four hours.

Sandakan

As we fly in I’m wracking my brain: “why does this name ring a bell?”. It was known in it’s hey day, then capital of a bustling British colony, as “Little Hong Kong”. But that’s not why it rings a bell. It’s World War II that rings a bell. The Death March. 2700 ANZAC and British soldiers died here during Japanese occupation. The airstrip we land on was built by them. I’m not sure this part of WWII history was covered very well in my schooling and I’m rather ashamed of it.

But that was another lifetime. I don’t imagine the POWs thought much about the unique wildlife around them then.

While the town of Sandakan is small and easy to navigate on foot, most of the attractions here are out of town, reached by car, bus or boat. Driving here is a little bit scary and takes some experience, so as we’re only here for a very short time, we opt for a guided tour with Discovery Eco Tours.

We’re greeted at the airport by our gorgeous guide for the week, Jame. Like most of the people we meet here during our stay, he’s cheerful (cheeky even) and very friendly. He immediately makes an effort to engage and interest my daughter Holly, 13 years old and aspiring teenager-with-attitude.

We check in to the Hotel Sandakan, a comfortable three and a half star hotel and our base for the week. After a very welcome shower and change, we meet our guide for our first little foray into town.

Jame takes us to Kampung Sim Sim – the birthplace of this settlement 100s of years ago, a village built on the water by the Bajoi – sea gypsies – before heading for the central markets for a spot of shopping. He’s thoroughly amused by the effect Holly, my daughter, is having on the locals. She’s an attractive girl, but walking through Sydney she doesn’t normally attract declarations of love from total strangers.

This is of course a Muslim state and we’ve arrived smack in the middle of Ramadan – a month of daylight fasting. Every evening the waterfront streets are lined with the hawker stalls of the Ramadan Bazaar and it proves to be the best place to go for dinner. We feast on noodles and satay for as little as four Ringitt (about $1.60).

Sepilok Orang-utan Sanctuary

We’re woken bright and early on Day 2 for our first wildlife encounter, at Sepilok Orang-utan Sanctuary. The sanctuary was opened in 1964 and since then over 400 orang-utans have been rescued and released back into the jungle. The main threat these animals face is loss of habitat. As more and more trees are felled to be replaced by palm oil plantations, hundreds of young orang-utans are orphaned. Some babies are also illegally taken by villagers as pets.

As we wait patiently they come in one by one from the jungle to be fed, show off and pose for photos. They’re completely adorable and you can understand why villagers take them home. I want one!

A visit to Sandakan War Memorial follows. It’s quite a serene place considering the history of this site. Towards the end of the war Japanese forces marched what was left of the 2700 prisoners held here inland to Ranau, though virgin jungle in unbearable heat. Many died on the way and at the end of the war only six prisoners were still alive.

The Turtle Islands

Incredibly, green turtles and hawksbill turtles come to these three islands, 40 kilometres north of Sandakan in the Sulu Sea, every single night. Each night, around 30 turtles come ashore and between them lay several thousand eggs.

We’re allowed to stay only one night here on this picture-book desert island, so we make the most of it. Grabbing snorkel and flippers we head for the beach and bathwater temperature water teaming with colourful Nemos and Dorys.

Our accommodation for the night is in spacious air-conditioned bungalows with wide verandas looking out onto pretty gardens lined with hibiscus and frangipani.

The turtle action starts after dinner as rangers allow us to watch one of these massive beasts lay her eggs. She manages a rather shabby 45 eggs before settling down for a well earned rest. While she’s resting the ranger takes all her eggs and moves them to the hatchery – a patch of fenced-off beach where the eggs are protected from predators such as the many monitors prowling the island.

It seems rather unceremonious but it does increase their chances of survival – even from each other. Because so many turtles visit here each night, they’re likely to dig up and destroy another’s nest and lay eggs on top of it.

The evening finishes with something special – perhaps the highlight of our whole trip – we get to set the little hatchings free. They are gorgeous. About 60 little turtle hatchlings, each less than 7cm long, frantically scrabble for the water as we wave them bon voyage.

Kinabatangan River

After a windswept trip back to the mainland we hop on another boat this time headed up river in search of more wildlife. So far we’ve been pretty lucky spotting wildlife. Either that or its here in such abundance you can’t miss it.

It’s a two hour trip upstream, a silty brown river meandering through dense jungle. There’s birdlife everywhere, most notably the very regal looking white cranes. We also pass a sizable saltwater croc before reaching our destination, the Proboscis Lodge.

Our lodge is located on the river front near the town of Sukau, 42km south east of Sandakan. We’re greeted on a wide open veranda which serves as reception, restaurant and bar, before being shown to our rooms – timber bungalows furnished with dark timber furniture and a balcony overlooking the river.

After a high tea, we head for a more intimate cruise along one of the river’s tributaries in search of our lodge’s namesake. We don’t have to wait long. Holly (to her absolute delight) is the first to spot one of these bizarre looking animals, so called for their long noses (proboscis). Then all of a sudden we seem to be surrounded by them.

To our left, a large family settles down for the evening, young ones squabbling over preferred positions in the tree while their mothers berate them and try to calm them down. To our right there’s a bachelor colony prancing around and showing off.

Further upstream there’s pygmy elephants, orang-utans, gibbons, macacs (monkeys), hornbills and we even spot an owl before heading back to the lodge for the night.

Gomantong Caves

Our next stop the following day is the Temple of Doom. Seriously. Gomantong Caves are famous for the bird nests found here. The nests are a Chinese delicacy and each one will fetch thousands of dollars at market. Because they’re so valuable they are guarded day and night by brave men willing to sleep in a small lean-to inside the cave.

I say brave because the cave is alive. The first thing Holly and I notice as we approach them is the smell. Guana. Bat poo. Above us in this enormous chamber, sparrows and micro bats flitter about as we traverse around the perimeter on a wooden boardwalk.

In the centre of the cave is a huge mound of bat and bird droppings and as we look a little closer we realise its moving. It’s then I realise the boardwalk is also moving. Cockroaches and centipedes scuttle about underfoot, on the handrails and the walls of the cave next to us. It really is like that scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. To be honest I was forewarned by our guide to wear covered shoes but my trainers seem rather inadequate. Heavy duty gumboots may have been a better choice.

Jolly Good, Old Chap

So from the ridiculous to the sublime, our last lunch is Sandakan is at the English Teahouse and Restaurant. It’s a blast from the British colonial past. A traditional bungalow replete with parquet flooring, elegant rattan chairs and wooden ceiling fans on a wide veranda. There’s even a game of croquet set up on the manicured lawn. It’s a peaceful little oasis looking out over the city and a great place to sit and reflect on the past week’s adventures.

Our short time in Sabah has given us a truly unique experience and one that I’m thrilled to have shared with my daughter before she becomes a fully-fledged teenager who no longer wants to holiday with me.

Getting There

Malaysia Airlines has connecting flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur and on to Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. Visit www.malaysiaairlines.com

Where to stay

• Hotel Sandakan – www.hotelsandakan.com
• Proboscis Lodge – www.proboscislodge.com

Where to eat

Enjoy a bite to eat or relaxing cup within the grounds of  The English Tea House.

Its a great place to enjoy enjoy the spectacular views of the town and Sandakan Bay while you relax in the garden, socialise with friends and family under a gazebo or enjoy a wide selection of beverages at the long bar.  They offer  fine teas from around the world, scones & clotted cream, delicious cakes & pastries and a wide a la carte selection of Asian and traditional English Specialties.

A true colonial experience to be enjoyed, The English Teahouse & Restaurant

What to do

• Be Sure to visit the Sepilok Orang-utan Sanctuary
• The Turtle Islands is well worth visiting for its beauty and locals

Agnes Keith’s House

The former British colonial government quarters, now named after its most famous resident, is now a museum and gives a glimpse of life here in a bygone era. Agnes Keith and her family were interned in Sandakan during the war and her books; “Land Below The Wind”, and “Three Came Home” make interesting reading.

Discovery Tours

To explore the best of Sabah  discover tours have been operating for over 20 years and showing tourist the best and hidden secrets of Sabah Visit – Discover Tours online or email distour@po.jaring.my for further information and packages.

Contact

Malaysia Holidays reservations 1300 882 803

For further information

For more information about Sabah as a Family Destination  visit www.sabahtourism.com