Kinabatangan National Park

After three nights in Sandakan and many first impressions in Borneo, we were excited to discover the real jungle. We booked a three-day tour in Kinabatangan National Park at the hostel.

Our small group was picked up on time at the hostel. After a stop at Sepilok Sencutray and a delicious lunch, we headed to the jungle in two minibusses. The group consisted of two Dutch, two Australians, one New Zealander, two Slovenians, and two English. We got along very well with all the participants right from the start and were looking forward to the coming days. The three-hour drive wasn't exactly a highlight in terms of the surroundings. Throughout the entire drive, we crossed palm oil plantations, palm trees as far as the eye could see on both sides of the road. Borneo was once practically completely covered by jungle, but now only 20% of the jungle remains due to deforestation. We were aware of this, but it is always shocking to see it with our own eyes.

Suddenly, the vegetation changed and we reached the edge of the jungle. We got off the minibus and got on a boat, which took us downstream to our accommodation. We reached Bilit Adventure Lodge after a few minutes. Located right by the river and surrounded by dense jungle, the accommodation made a great first impression. The rooms were also impressive. We only had to share our room with an Australian and had plenty of space. After a short break, we started our first river cruise right away. We chugged along the river for about two hours, stopping wherever there was movement. Within a very short time, we were able to admire and photograph various monkey and bird species. We particularly enjoyed the Proboscis Monkeys. The Proboscis Monkeys are only found in Borneo and can be recognized by their unusually large noses, as the name suggests. Especially the male specimens have huge noses. They are quite large and have beautiful multi-colored fur. No one could contain their laughter when we saw the first male specimens. They look quite extraordinary. The first river cruise came to an end, and we were looking forward to dinner. There were various local dishes served buffet-style, and everything tasted excellent.

After dinner, we gathered for the night walk through the jungle. Equipped with flashlights and covered in insect repellent, we set off directly from the accommodation. We were able to spot various animal species, including several night cats, a mousedeer, sleeping birds, frogs, and of course, many insects. After about an hour, we reached our accommodation and finished the night walk. We fell into our beds tired. The next morning, our alarm clock went off at 5:00 a.m. The first river cruise of the day started an hour later. A two-hour hike and an evening river cruise were also on the itinerary. On the third day, we took another river cruise at 6:00 a.m. before it was time to leave the rainforest.

On every excursion, we tried to spot the rare Borneo pygmy elephants and orangutans. Unfortunately, without success. Instead, we discovered other interesting animals: crocodiles, snakes, various monkey species (especially macaques and proboscis monkeys), hornbills, eagles, etc. For us, the excursion was a great experience even without elephants and orangutans, and one that we will not forget so quickly.

The minibus took us to the main road, where we waited for the bus to Semporna. We are heading towards the sea again: diving is on the agenda.