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Published: September 18th 2007
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Well a big Crocodile Smile from my return trip to Sungai Kinbatagan, there was a Frog Chorus but sadly no Nelly the Elephants.
Whilst at Semporna several people arrived that had just spent several days at Uncle Tan's Jungle Camp and seen elephants so I decided a return trip was probably worth it and as it would break up my journey back to KK which was 10 hours by bus.
So after a early start and 5 hours bouncing in a bus, me and a couple of fellow travelers from Semporna arrived at the meet up point for Uncle Tan's, where we then transferred to the camp firstly by mini bus and then by boat (this formed one of several boat safari's).
We were greeted by the staff and shown to our accommodation for the next 2 nights. We had been warned several times that this is a camp and not a hotel so were well prepared to find home for was more a wooden shack on stilts, with mattresses on the floor and chicken wire folding doors. Oh and a family of wild pigs causing a raucous underneath our hut. Talk about the jungle on your doorstep!
And another frog!
But no princes!!!! As we sat and enjoyed a welcome meal a monitor lizard wandered across the volley ball court out front and a wild pigs wallowed underneath one of the kitchen - so we were not the only ones pigging out in the jungle. This is what we all came for but none of us had expected find it wandering across our paths as we walked around the camp or ate.
After a welcome talk it was time for the first safari - boat night safari along the river where we were shown crocodiles, frogs, kingfishers, owls and some sleepy Macaques and Proboscis monkeys.
Tired from our journey and knowing very well at 6am we were to be awakened for a morning boat safari most headed straight for bed. Most also smelling slightly ripe as none pf us had been brave enough to face the murky rainwater bucket showers.
The second day was pretty packed with a morning boat safari, a morning jungle trek and then some chill out time leisuring in hammocks before afternoon boat safari and finally a late night jungle walk.
Morning safari yielded plenty of bird life but sadly no elephants and which
Civet
Waited up until 2am to see this creature continued to remain elusive for the remaining safaris - all those corny Christmas cracker jokes about elephants hiding came back to me as I wished for a glimpse in custard or not! But we saw plenty of other life including Orangutans in the wild - one a mother and baby had set up nest in a tree on the route between camp and the jetty.
I personally enjoyed the night jungle walk - half expecting it to be similar to those I have already experienced I was surprised to find myself clambering over and under trees and roots and not on well trodden trails. Here we meet the
Frog Chorus with various specious of tree frogs. Not so delightful were the various spiders and tarantulas but in the end the thing that gave the biggest adrenaline rush was when our guide removed a black scorpion from its hole and promptly let it wander over him before offering us the opportunity to hold it too. Tempted until it ran quickly up his arm and I caught a good look at its rather villainous looking sting then I did the girlie thing of running away. Slight regret missing the opportunity but
Early Morning Mists at the Camp
Not so good for seeing wildlife if you exclude the stork here but very picturesque there again glad for once the loose screw in my head this time stayed firmly in place!
With only one night left in camp me and Silke decided to stay up and see if the
wild civet (small Borneo cat) would make its appearance in camp. As midnight came and went we started to think we were fated not to see some of the rarer things that the river had to offer but at 12:30am a shadowy shape was seen and suddenly and silently it appeared in the dinning area right in front of us. It stayed for a few photos before disappearing but having been assured it would reappear by our ranger guide I decided to wait up to glimpse it a few more times until tiredness overcame at 2am and aware that only 4 hours remained until the second early morning safari. But I went to sleep happy at my first sighting of a civet.
We woke to a misty morning on the river and though picturesque it was not favorable to wildlife sightings. The wildlife unlike us mad humans remained in their beds and enjoyed a leisurely lie in. But the morning had a relaxed
and tranquil air and was very scenic as the mist lifted and the sun made its appearance.
Having my this time not showered for a couple of days and knowing that I was to appear in public and be sharing a bus with strangers felt it was time to brave the
rainwater showers which turned to be a thoroughly enjoyable and quite liberating experience. Why do I discover these things too late? There is nothing quite like throwing a bucket of rainwater over self with the jungle all around.
Afterwards it was time have one final boat ride down river and return to civilization and to spend another 5.5 hours been thrown around in a bus on mountain roads on the way to Kota Kinabalu and hopefully to hot clean showers. But I will miss the sounds of the jungle.
Definitely a tantastic time and made some new friends who I will be traveling with to KK.
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