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Published: March 9th 2007
Orang-utan Sanctuary
entrance to the sanctuary at Sepilok Borneo, the worlds 4th largest island… more precise, we are in Sabah, a district within Malaysia. Most of the island is in Indonesia, apart from Brunei. As a kid I collected stamps, British Colonials in particular and Borneo was on of those places of the ‘empire’ where ‘the sun never set’. Never guessed I would actually visit the place! But here we are, Kota Kinabalu. We have taken our anti-malaria pills and arrive late afternoon. Hot and sticky, it’s 40degrees and 98% humidity! Again the setting sun is spectacular. Our room is not ready so we are treated to drinks and cakes. When we eventually get the key and find the room… the key is not programmed and we are locked out! The staff are most apologetic and we are impressed by their efforts to put it right! The hotel itself is stunning, a large mostly timber building with a jungle ambience and excellent air conditioning while open to the outside. A small beach (beware jelly fish with big appetites!) and very attractive gardens. No wonder this location is becoming popular on the tourist map.
Tomorrow’s itinerary includes a short flight over the mountain (Kinabolu) to Sepilok (the orang-utan sanctuary)
Orang-utan posing
we have come a long way to see you and the town of Sandakan. Should be interesting to experience a tropical rainforest first hand, and not inside a bio-dome à la Eden!
And so it was. The sanctuary was started by an English woman and is now highly regarded for its conservation and the Malays are most pleased to receive visitors from the UK. So much so that the tour group were given a police VIP escort from Sepilok to Sandakan, sirens sounding and jumping red lights!
Next a visit to a village ‘on the water’ (or sea actually). A native group have traditionally lived ‘on the water’ for many years and have now settled semi permanently in stilted ‘house’s all well furnished (satellite TV..) and well kept. A visit to a Buddhist temple followed by a trip to the Market in Sandakan, an opportunity for some amusing photos of life in Malaysia. Back to he hotel for room service and pack for an early start. Tomorrow, Beijing, China and another new experience. All in all, we find this part of Malaysia well worth visit, most accommodating, very friendly and keen to welcome visitors.
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