Animal antics
If you fancy catching sight of a pygmy elephant or an orangutan in the wild, put Borneo on your bucket list. Here’s Britt Mann’s A-Z to help you plan.
Borneo is a word imbued with mystique, its utterance conjuring scenes of steamy jungles and exotic creatures, even though the average New Zealander seems to have trouble guessing where it actually is.
‘‘Eastern Europe?’’ friends inquired. No, you’re thinking of Bosnia. ‘‘South America?’’ Nope – that’d be Bolivia. ‘‘Africa?’’ Wrong again (though Borneo’s wildlife easily rivals whatever you might spot on a safari).
To clarify, the island of Borneo is situated in the southwest Pacific Ocean, with Malaysia and Singapore to the west, and the Indonesian archipelago tracing its south coast, like a smile.
The island comprises Malaysian and Indonesian territories, as well as the tiny nation state of Brunei.
The Malaysian state of Sabah is your best bet for wildlife encounters on the island.
Animals.
The island is home to myriad primates, among them Asia’s only great ape – the orangutan, and the world’s only venomous primate – the slow loris. Proboscis monkeys, with their handle-like noses, are more common. Borneo is also home to the elusive pygmy elephant, and is one of the Southeast Asian locations where you’ll find the sun bear.
Borneo harbours approximately 6 per cent of the Earth’s biodiversity, with 44 mammal, 37 bird and 19 fish species endemic to the island. News reports trumpeting discoveries of new fauna and flora in Borneo appear every few years.
Sabah’s minister of tourism is also its minister for the environment, reflecting the two spheres’ interdependency.
Biodiversity. Conservation.
Conservation efforts well-worth visiting (and supporting) include the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre next door, and the turtle hatchery on Libaran Island.
Diving.
Sabah is considered one of the world’s top diving spots. The islands of Layang Layang, Lankayan, Mabul, Kapalai, Pom Pom, Mataking, and the ‘‘crown jewel’’ – Sipadan, offer divers unparalleled wreck, wall and muck diving, as well as opportunities to explore coral gardens and undersea caves.
Eco-tourism.
Tourism accounts for 10 per cent of Sabah’s GDP. Last year, Sabah hosted 3.4 million visitors. If you’re planning a trip and hoping to step lightly, tour companies such as G Adventures are committed to responsible tourism.
There’s nothing quite like sampling cuisine at its source. The Kadazan people are known for their fermentation of locally derived ingredients, transforming them into pungent, tangy delicacies to compliment the abundance of fresh fish and, of course, rice.
For an authentic Kadazan/Dusun dining experience, head to D’Place bistro in Sabah’s capital city, Kota Kinabalu. Named among Malaysia’s best, the restaurant encourages
Food.
punters to pile their plates from jewelbright buffets.
While dining, you’ll be treated with dance performances originating from Sabahan tribes, and a blow cart demonstration (brave diners are encouraged to give it a go).
The limestone formations in the Lower Kinabatangan area are an unlikely place to earn a living.
Stretching up to 50 metres high, the main ‘‘Black Cave’’ is carpeted in centuries’ worth of guano from thousands of resident bats, emitting a strong pong you don’t want to become accustomed to.
A boardwalk, slick with fresh droppings, extends around the cave’s perimeter, swarming with cockroaches and the occasional centipede. Visitors are advised not to look down.
It’s the swiftlets, which build nests from their own saliva, that lure locals to set up camp in and outside the cave to harvest the nests, which are used in ‘‘bird’s nest soup’’.
Much the best way to get a sense of village life – not to mention relax off the grid – is a homestay in Tamatuon village. The dormitory-style accommodation (women and men sleep separately) by the Kedamaian River in the foothills of Mt Kinabalu, has limited electricity, and no hot water, wi-fi or cellphone reception.
Gomantong Caves. Homestay.
Splash in the water, wander along the village’s dirt tracks, or peruse traditional handicrafts on offer.
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and the largest in Asia, covering an area slightly larger than Texas. In 2009, it had a population of 18.9 million.
Borneo has one of the world’s most ancient rainforests, estimated at 140 million years old, but a history of logging and conversion to palm tree plantation has left it – and many of its inhabitants – in sharp decline.
In the late 1990s, the government realised logging was an unsustainable foundation for an economy. Since then, Sabah has sought to replant its permanent forests.
The mountain is the highest peak in Malaysia at 4095m. It’s named from the Kadazan word ‘‘Aki Nabalu’’ – ‘‘the revered place of the dead". Climbs generally take two days from base to summit and back again. There are two trails to choose from.
Sabah’s capital city – Kota Kinabalu – is named for the mountain.
Pulau Libaran is about 40 minutes’ boat ride northeast from Sandakan.
On Libaran, Walai Penyu Resort offers glamping-style accommodation.
Minutes’ walk from your tent is a turtle hatchery. Green and hawksbill turtle eggs, laid on the beach, are gathered and placed in nests in the hatchery, to improve the turtles’ chances of hatching by up to 90 per cent.
Hatchery briefings are held in the evening, after which you can accompany freshly hatched turtles to the sea, and observe their release.
There are more than 20
Island. Jungle. Kinabalu. Libaran Island. Monkeys.