(^86) The Kinabatangan River Trip
A boat trip up the Kinabatangan River was a novel way to see the famous rainforest.
The Kinabatangan River was the longest in Sabah, starting high up in the Crocker
Range and flowing five hundred and sixty kilometres to the Sulu Sea, along the east
coast of Sabah. First, the trip involved a mini-bus ride to the river, and then an hour
by boat to our jungle camp.
By late afternoon, a boat outing took us in search of wildlife and we saw plenty of
monkeys as they settled upon treetops for the night. Crocodiles and monitor lizards
were plentiful. The area was teeming with birdlife, including eagles, owls, hornbills,
kingfishers, and many others I didn't know the names of.
The jungle camp was different in that it consisted of half-open structures with
mattresses on the floor and much-needed mosquito nets. The night was noisy with
monkeys, frogs and stacks of other unidentifiable sounds. Toilets were miles away
and not a place I wanted to visit in the dark.
Early morning, we were at it again, searching for the elusive orangutans. Still, we
didn't find any but saw numerous birds, a few crocodiles and plenty of monkeys.
Upon returning to camp, breakfast was ready, followed by a hike in the jungle.
Again, we located teeny insects and unusual plants. By evening, we returned to the
river in search of wildlife. Even though not a significant amount was spotted, it
remained a pleasant trip. Later, all donned wellies, and we set off into the swampy
wetlands and uncovered many intriguing insects and birds (the birds were primarily
fast asleep).
Our final day came with one more boat trip and this time we spotted the orangutans
calmly going about their business while we stared in awe. Then, sadly, the time
came to return to civilisation.
I stayed one more night at Uncle Tan's, as the place was highly convenient and very
much a swing-another-day-in-a-hammock kind of place.
leana
(Leana)
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