INSIDER TIP
Jolanda Odermatt, Flight Centre Lynn Mall
I’ve often found that it’s in places of true wildness that human warmth and kindness is most immediate. Nowhere is that more true than in Borneo. A place as rich in culture as biodiversity, there’s a certain magic to this relatively undiscovered part of the world.
One the most incredible experiences I shared was with an orangutan when I was staying at the Rasa Shangri-La hotel. Standing on the jungle viewing-platform, I blew a kiss skyward towards one of the orange-hair primates high in the trees. The orangutan joined me on the platform, did a little dance, blew a raspberry and then left – straight up another tree. The Jungle Walk allows them to get close to you, should they choose. It’s an easy five-minute walk from the hotel, completely safe and something I highly recommend.
The hotel’s Teppanyaki restaurant, Kozan, was also an experience. Watching the chef at work was mesmerising. His hands chopped and tossed at lightning speed. One dish followed another in rapid-fire succession, flames were flying high off the teppan (iron griddle) and eventually eggs come into the show. The Kozan menu I chose was king prawns, beef and halibut. Yummy!