A WILD adventure in the Borneo jungle!

Under normal circumstances I would write this Flitch Travel article from one of our travel shops in Ongar (aka Chipping Ongar) or Great Dunmow, but as I type these are very much NOT normal circumstances!

Picture the scene

It is 34 degrees outside, the humidity is suffocating, and I can hear croaking, howling and humming. I have been warned about the huntsman spiders - they have three types here - the common, the hairy and the sports! The sports huntsman spider is not the official term but is a local name due to the way they travel; sprinting, cartwheeling and handspringing. Gulp!

I can’t even shout “I’m a celebrity get me out of here” because one; I am not a celebrity and two; I chose to be here. I booked this trip well over a year ago of my own free will.

I am on a two-week adventure in Borneo & Singapore, and the main focus on this trip is wildlife. I am here to see the Orangutans, both in the wild and in the Rehabilitation Center, along with Sun bears and all the natural wonders of the jungle, including Proboscis Monkeys (the ones with the big noses, as a male the bigger the nose the better), Red Leaf Monkeys, Hornbills, Crocodiles and Flying Lemurs.

From Great Dunmow to Malaysia

I am now sat in my lodge at the Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort, following an epic journey to get here. I travelled with Singapore Airlines across to Singapore with an immediate connection onto Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. From here a further 40-minute flight into Sandakan - a one-night stay in this area helped break the travelling and was a logistical success as I was right next door to the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (ORC).

The Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (ORC)

It is important to get to the ORC early, 8.30am is ideal, as it gets busy, particularly with large groups. Getting here early allows time to wander around the resort, which is an open jungle, meaning any animal can come and go as they please.

I thoroughly enjoyed walking the boardwalk underneath the jungle canopy. There are two areas you must make sure you allow time for: the nursery and the feeding platform. Feeding happens every day at 10am, and there is no guarantee any Orangutans will partake in feeding.

It’s a double-edged sword for the Center - if no Orangutans surface it means the rehabilitation is working, the primates are finding food themselves out in the wild and not dependent on human intervention. Equally, with so many people here every day to support their work, it really helps if at least one Orangutan shows up to feed.

I was so lucky!

During my time there, one big, bold and beautiful Orangutan came swinging in through branches and enjoyed a sack full of fruits all to himself. A couple of Long Tailed Macaques joined and put on a circus show, trying their best to swipe fruit whilst the Orangutan looked the other way.

The Sun Bear Conservation Centre

This is next door, much smaller, but really quite touching yet thought-provoking. There is a lot of collateral to read, describing some very sad stories about how Sun Bears are kept as pets or killed for unverified medicinal purposes. The work they do here is wonderful, the Bears have huge areas of Jungle to roam and are treated as “wild” as possible.

Into the Jungle!

It was after this very educational and slightly emotional day that I boarded a speed boat and embarked on a two-hour journey into the very remote wetlands of Borneo, where I find myself right now.

There are no roads to the resort, the only access is by boat. I am deep in the jungle with no access to mainland, supplies are limited, power is hit and miss, tap water is warm due to the year-round hot temperatures, and the wildlife is abundant - and I mean REALLY WILD life! But my goodness, this is an incredible experience.

Despite the daunting prospect of staying here, my guide, Omar, has me reassured and feeling 100% safe. Omar is an ecologist, naturalist and wildlife enthusiast, and he can recognise every sound and footprint across the dense foliage.

Right Place, Right Time

Our days are planned out by Omar making sure we are in the right place at the right time to see all the wonders of the jungle, and it is full on with some early and late starts. After our first night we had a 5.30am sunrise river safari. It might not sound appealing but this is the golden hour to catch animals and birds as they wake from their slumber.

The early alarm clock paid off. We spotted Orangutan in the wild, swaying through the palms, sitting by the river nibbling on fresh coconuts. A spectacular sight to behold.

Comfort Zone, well challenged

The walking night safari really tested my strength - not physical strength but mental strength. To be surrounded by my fears, in the dark, in the heat and constantly being reminded to watch where I step. Yet again Omar to the rescue! I was in the best hands and lucky enough to be just two feet away from crocodile, kingfishers, scorpions, huntsman spiders, insect eating plants, bats, owls and mouse deer – quite literally mouse sized deer.

All good things…

My time here in the Malaysian Borneo jungle is coming to an end but my trip isn’t. My bags are packed and I’m awaiting a call from Omar to board my boat back to the mainland, where I have a few days of luxury at the iconic Shangri la Rasa Ria Resort & Spa, before making my way home with a few nights in Singapore.

A Singapore Sling in the historic Long Bar at Raffles Singapore is calling!

If you are interested in experiencing this very same trip, please do give myself or Amie at our Ongar branch a call, 01277 886968. We have both experienced this diverse corner of the planet and would be delighted to tell you more.

Yours truly,

Rebbeca