The full moon setting from the porch of our cottage.
Before beginning our drive back along the Great Ocean Road, we watched the full moon set from our little cottage just outside of Port Campbell. We enjoyed our stay at Daysy Hill Country Cottages. It was the perfect location for our sightseeing and we loved how quiet and peaceful it was.
It was 8 am as we headed east and we took the opportunity for one last stop at the Twelve Apostles viewing site. Today we had clear skies and fewer people.
Our destination today was a rental cottage in Rye, a small town on the Mornington Peninsula. The plan was to once again drive the Great Ocean Road, and then take the ferry from Queenscliff to Sorrento, a short drive from Rye.
A portion of the Great Ocean Road between Princetown and Lavers Hill.
The lookout point at Castle Cove.
It’s a great road, fun to drive and scenic. We stopped at the lookout at Castle Cove. There we saw a marker for the Great Ocean Walk, a 100 km hike that follows the coastline from Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles.
We stopped in again at the Koala Cafe in Kennett River. There is a known colony of wild Koala bears here, but it isn’t an official preserve. You park in the cafe lot and walk up a gravel road and maybe see a Koala in the trees. This time we saw one, but there were two small tour buses stopped as well. So one small Koala had a hoard of about thirty people jostling for position at the base of the tree. I had flashbacks to when we saw one leopard surrounded by twenty safari jeeps in Botswana. It makes me feel sad, and I don’t like feeling like a gawker.
Inside the Koala Cafe.
We continued our drive with a planned lunch stop in Lorne. After the quiet and peaceful countryside, Lorne felt crowded and busy. Cockatoos were as common as pigeons in NYC as they stole food from the lunch crowds. This kind of food is very bad for the birds. A woman in one of the shops told us that the birds lose their feathers and get sick when they eat food meant for humans.
We made it a quick lunch stop and continued up the road.
More of the Great Ocean Road.
It was Sunday and a warm sunny day, so we had to deal with more traffic, and saw many motorcyclists and bicyclists. We eventually left the Great Ocean Road and turned towards Queenscliff.
In Queenscliff we caught the 4 PM ferry to Sorrento, on the Mornington Peninsula. This area is best known for its beaches and vineyards, and is just an hour outside of Melbourne.
Saturday was our day to explore the Port Campbell National Park. The park includes the iconic 12 Apostles, as well as several other rock formations and beaches.
The 12 Apostles are stunning. The photographs do not do it justice. We were awed by the beauty and wildness of the area. The park has boardwalks and viewing platforms, but the area has been mostly kept pristine. There is only one beach you can access.
We started at the Twelve Apostles, which has a car park and visitor center. From the same car park we walked a trail to the Gibson Steps, the only access to the beach.
Gibson Steps.
Me with my ever present Nikon.
From the Gibson Steps we drove the Great Ocean Road to Loch Ard Gorge. This was the site of a shipwreck in 1878. There were only two survivors out of the 54 on board.
Loch Ard Gorge.
The entire coastline is made up of stunning landscapes.
The Razorback.
We thought we’d head inland from the coast for lunch. In our cabin there was a brochure for Keayang Maar Vineyard. It is located north of the small town of Timboon. The drive was on small country roads through tree lined alleys, dairy farms, and fields. It was very pleasant and mostly devoid of tourists. We did not see one motor coach or camper. Those are all on the Great Ocean Road.
A road near Timboon.
We tasted three reds and one white at Keayang Maar Vineyard while we chatted with the owner Bernice. It’s a family business on the land they previously had a dairy farm. It was a beautiful spot. We enjoyed the wine and the homemade pizza, and left with a bottle of Shiraz.
The tasting room at Keayang Maar Vineyards.
These vines were planted in 2008 as a hobby. The very time consuming hobby became Keayang Maar Vineyard.
From the vineyard we drove back through Timboon and made two stops. The first was at Berry World to pick up a pint of fresh strawberries. The second stop was at Timboon Fine Ice Cream, for some of the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted. They were both well worth the stop.
The strawberries were delicious. They tasted just like Oregon hoods, small and sweet.
On the country road just before Schulz Organic Creamery & Cafe.
Driving through the fields of dairy farms we saw a sign for Schulz Organic Creamery & Cafe. We pulled in and purchased fresh cheese and pastries. All these stops are included in the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail. We ate and drank locally sourced and created food and wine all day.
We went down to the London Bridge platforms to watch the sunset and hopefully see fairy penguins returning to their burrows for the night. Two locals told us this was the place to see them. They come out of the water in a group and walk up the beach and into the burrows after sunset and before fully dark. Tonight was a full moon and we gave it a shot. Unfortunately we did not see the penguins. We watched the sunset and stayed a full 45 minutes past sunset, but no penguins.
Sunset at London Bridge in the Port Campbell National Park.
Before heading out of Melbourne we walked along the river, strolled through the Queen Victoria Gardens, and gazed in awe at the Shrine of Remembrance. The early morning dog walkers and joggers were out, as well as rowing teams in sculls on the river.
The Shrine of Remembrance is a memorial dedicated to the men and women of Victoria who served in WW I.
Shrine of Remembrance.
It is always a challenge to head out on the road in a right hand drive car after decades of driving from the left. It takes a bit of getting used to, and can be daunting pulling into heavy traffic for the first time. We survived the transition period using the mantra “keep left, keep left”, and departed Melbourne in the direction of Geelong, heading southwest along the coast.
Our goal for the day was to make it to Port Campbell and the cabin we had reserved for two nights near the Port Campbell National Park, best known for the Twelve Apostles limestone formations just offshore.
The Great Ocean Road officially begins in Torquay, just south of Geelong. It travels through a few small towns, along some very winding two lane coastal roads and through farmland and forest.
It is very scenic, and is a perfect motorcycle road.
The coastline along the Great Ocean Road.
The Split Point Lighthouse.
We stopped to stretch our legs at the Split Point Lighthouse. It was quite windy and rather cool compared to the previous day. They have some nice overlooks.
Lorne was probably the largest town along the road. The campgrounds were full and it had the feeling of a busy little seaside vacation spot.
The Great Coastal Road.
Continuing southbound along the twisting two lane road, we pulled into an easily missed wide spot where it was reported that wild koala bears could be seen. We were not disappointed. We saw two. It pays to read the travel guide books. There is no sign and we had only read about this wild koala area the day before.
In Apollo Bay we stopped for fresh off the boat seafood at the Fishermens’ Co-op and took the opportunity to pick up a few items at the IGA grocery.
Seafood platter for two at the Apollo Bay Fishermen’s Co-op.
A kangaroo sits in the middle of the road.
We pulled into our cabin at 7 pm. It took us just under seven hours to travel from the Melbourne airport to Port Campbell along the Great Ocean Road. We stopped a few times for pictures, and twice for food.
A local Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley. Again, it was lighter than the heavier Pinots of the Willamette Valley, and we enjoyed it immensely.
Getting to Melbourne from the US is a long trek. From Florida it’s 5-6 hours to LAX, then 15 hours to Sydney followed by 1 more hour to Melbourne.
After this long haul travel odyssey, my sister and I walked the downtown area, trying to stay awake and acclimate to the new time zone.
Our first impression is that Melbourne is very livable, with a lot of green spaces, trees, water, and a free tram service within the downtown city block area.
There are a lot of parks, trees, and green spaces in the city.
Flinders Street Station
There is a mix of architectural styles from Victorian, to Art Nouveau, to Art Deco and contemporary. The streets are pretty clean and there are a lot of food options.
Our first meal was at a place called Taxi Kitchen, recommended by Fodor’s. We were not disappointed.
Scallops at Taxi Kitchen
Swordfish skewers.
I had read somewhere that the best views of the city are from the ladies room on the 35th floor of the Sofitel. So we had a look. Not bad.
The ladies room on the 35th floor of the Sofitel.
Cooks Cottage in the Fitzroy Gardens, one of many parks in Melbourne.
On the morning of our first day, we hopped the free tram and headed 7 stops up to the Queen Victoria Market. Partly open air, partly covered, it had seafood, meats, veggies, eggs, and clothing items. It reminded me of the markets in Barcelona and Helsinki.
We had lunch at Mabu Mabu, a restaurant in Federation Square serving indigenous food with a contemporary twist. It was very fresh and tasty.
Mabu Mabu and the Koorie Heritage Trust.
Charred papaya, bunya nuts, pineapple, curry leaf and blood lime.
Bam bam beans, lemon aspen, sunrise lime and damper dukkah.
Right next door to Mabu Mabu we toured a Koorie art exhibit.
The best croissants in the city are reported to be at Lune, just one block from our hotel. The line was so long in the morning that we skipped it. In the afternoon the line was shorter, so we stopped in for coffee and a pastry. It was very good.
White coffee and a lemon curd pastry at Lune.
After a short rest in our room, we ventured out in the afternoon to the Fitzroy Gardens. The temperature today reached 36 c, (97 F) with high winds in the afternoon.
Walking towards the park, we passed a few lanes (also called lane ways – alleys) where we saw some street art. Some was good, some just looked like graffiti.
We walked through the park and toured the conservatory.
Inside the conservatory in the Fitzroy Gardens.
The fairy tree in the Fitzroy Gardens.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral sits on the NW corner of Fitzroy Gardens.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne.
Detail of the exterior of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Sculpture of the Great Petition, celebrating the fight for equal voting rights for women.
Walking back from the park to our hotel we passed Bijou, a bottle store & bar. A small place, we ducked in to try a local wine. We enjoyed a Pinot Noir from Moorooduc Estate in Moorooduc, Victoria. We were offered tastes of a few other local wines, but liked the Pinot Noir the best.
Moorooduc is just 30 miles from Melbourne on the Mornington peninsula. The Pinot we tasted was lighter than what I usually have from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, without the earthiness I usually like. It was good. We will be spending a few days in that a
In a recent post I said that I’d stayed at a beach resort that I didn’t care for. I searched my memory, and then photos, for what I thought were the best beaches and beach resorts where I had stayed. So here is a brief list of what I consider good beach resorts.
The Maldives
There are possibly hundreds of choices of resorts in The Maldives. I stayed at Angsana Velavaru (turtle island) in 2010. It had all the things I like, including seclusion, unspoiled views, clean water, good food, and lovely accommodations. My sister and I took a flight from London to the Male airport in the Maldives, Velana International Airport (about 10 to 11 hours). From there it is another 45 minute seaplane flight to the island. The snorkeling if the Maldives was the best snorkeling of my life.
Angsana.com
Angsana Velavaru, the MaldivesThe Maldives
Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef
Heron Island, in the southern Great Barrier Reef, is 50 miles north-east of Gladstone, Queensland, Australia. We flew from San Francisco to Sydney, about 14 to 15 hours, and Sydney to Gladstone, another 3 hours. From Gladstone a two hour boat ride takes you out to Heron Island. You can walk around the entire island in about 30 minutes. The accommodations were basic, but the views were unspoiled, the snorkeling was good, and best of all, we witnessed sea turtle nests hatching daily. Twice we saw the large turtles either laying their eggs in the sand or retreating back to the sea after laying their eggs.
Heronisland.com
Heron Island, 2009.
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Bora Bora was a true paradise. Beautiful beaches, beautiful people, snorkeling and stellar accommodations. From San Francisco we flew Air Tahiti Nui to Papeete, about 9 hours. It’s just under one hour on a smaller plane to Bora Bora. The resorts send boats over to the dock to pick up their guests. We stayed at two different resorts, Le Meridien and Hotel Bora Bora. We loved it. We snorkeled with turtles and ate at Bloody Mary’s Bora Bora. Le Meridien is still in business. I am sad to say that the Hotel Bora Bora, opened in 1961 and our favorite place, closed in 2008 for renovations and has not reopened. My brother visited years after my sister and I stayed there, and reported to us that it was abandoned and empty when he walked through the area.
The beach at Hotel Bora BoraDinner at Bloody Mary’s Bora BoraBora Bora
Mozambique
I celebrated my 50th birthday at a resort on the coast of Mozambique. We had already been to South Africa, and ended our safari trip with a beach stay. From South Africa we had a private car transfer to the capital of Mozambique on fairly good roads. The trek from the capital to the White Pearl Resort was on very rough roads for about three hours. It was difficult to get to, but the resort was worth it. The resort was on the beach, had beautiful views and good food. My dear friend Augie was surprised and delighted to find a baby grand piano, which he played to entertain all the guests. Mozambique is one of the few countries that allow swimming with wild dolphins, under strict regulation. We did this for my 50th birthday.
Mozambique Unobstructed views from the White Pearl Resort, Mozambique
Mnemba Island, Tanzania
In 2007, during my first trip to Africa, my sister and I spent three nights on Mnemba Island. It’s a private island off the tip of Zanzibar. I celebrated a birthday there. It is one of the most expensive and most exclusive places I have ever stayed. It was difficult to get to as well. From Stone Town, Zanzibar we drove to the northern tip of the island, where we were met by the resorts boat. I loved the open air huts and the hospitality was wonderful. They really knew how to celebrate a birthday. The snorkeling was memorable in that I was “inked” by a very small squid. You could easily walk around the island and we found very nice shells.
All these places were not easy to get to. I am aware of the environmental toll it takes to get to remote destinations. There is nothing eco-tourism about flying in a jet for 25 hours to get somewhere. More and more I believe tourism ruins the places we want to visit. Unless you travel by sailboat or foot or bicycle, you may have a huge carbon footprint. I have enjoyed my travel, but I’m feeling more and more concern (guilt) over the impact to the environment and the local people and wildlife.
We can try to minimize the damage we do during our travels. You can stay at accommodations that give back to the community, or volunteer with a conservation program, or donate to local causes.
Another small thing you can do is to use a sunscreen that does not harm the coral and sea life. I was just reading an article about this and went to my own bathroom cabinet and found sunscreens containing harmful chemicals. Oxybenzone, octocrylene, and homosalate, all on the harmful list, were in the products in my house. (I also have Neutrogena mineral sunscreen, which is ok). There are alternatives. The website haereticus-lab.org has a list of products that don’t contain harmful chemicals. From now on I will be using Badger, or Tropic, or Odacite. In Hawaii, SB2571 Hawaii Act 104, was implemented in 2021. It bans the sale of all sunscreen products containing oxybenzone and octinoxate.
Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit corporation, publishes an annual guide to sunscreen. Check it out.
We spent our last three nights in Borneo at the Gaya Island Resort. We wanted to end with a beach resort, but it wasn’t really the kind of beach resort I prefer.
The view from our room at Gaya Island Resort.
We landed at the airport in Kota Kinabalu a short 45 minutes after takeoff from Lahad Datu. Another short trip in a taxi had us at the pier. A boat from the resort picked us up and we were at the resort in less than fifteen minutes. And that is what I didn’t like about it. When I go to a beach resort, I want to be further out, and harder to get to. And I really don’t want to see the mainland and the port from my room. But that is how it was.
The room was nice. The pool was nice. But it just didn’t really feel very beachy to me. We checked out the turtle rescue program, and saw the sun rise from our deck. The best part about the resort was the spa.
The dock at sunset.
There wasn’t much beach, and there was quite a bit of floating debris (plastic) and warnings of jelly fish. We spent our days relaxing and saving up energy for the long trip home. I did swim in the South China Sea, something I’d not done before.
Sunrise from our deck at Gaya Island Resort.
I can’t say I’d recommend this resort, unless eating and swimming in a pool is your idea of a beach resort. My sister and I both had a very good massage though. Our favorite part of the trip was the Borneo Rainforest Lodge and seeing the orangutans in the wild, being very far into the forest. And that was what I didn’t like about the beach resort. It was too close in. But this trip was mainly about seeing the wildlife, so that was great. The Malaysian people were all very nice. We saw quite a few cats, and it seems to be a cat culture. We saw a few skinny dogs, but not that many. I would do things a bit differently if I had to do it over again, but that is the case on almost every trip.
Leaving the resort for the long trip home. We had to fly from Borneo to Kuala Lumpur, then Hong Kong, then Los Angeles. It was a long way to go, and air travel is not fun.
We started our day with a two hour drive from the Kinabatangan River to the town of Lahad Datu. Here we are taken to the office of the Borneo Rainforest Lodge. The Lodge is an additional three hour drive up into the rainforest. Guests are put into a pickup or a Toyota Landcruiser and we begin the journey. The paved road ends about 1/4 of the way into the drive. The remainder of the road looks and feels a lot like the logging roads at home in Oregon.
We even cross a few creeks on our way to the Lodge.
Buffet style eating at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge.
Once at the Lodge, we have lunch and are shown our room. This lodge has been described by the Lonely Planet Borneo guidebook as for “Indiana Jones types with healthy wallets.” Pretty accurate. The rooms are beautiful, the food is good, and the guides are knowledgeable. They also have a proper wine list and real coffee to my delight. No Indiana Jones movie would be complete without a suspension bridge, and there is even one of those.
We relax in our room, and watch a torrent of rain as a thunderstorm moves overhead. Our first hike is a short afternoon orientation walk. Leech socks are essential. Leeches sit on the leaves and reach out as you pass, trying to attach themselves as we walk by. Every now and then we stop for a leech check. The socks are pulled over your pant leg, and if a leech climbs up your shoe and lower leg, they can’t penetrate the sock. I picked up a leech on the first walk, but did not get bitten. By the end of our three day stay, both my sister and I were bitten by at least one leech, and we did wear leech socks.
Our first evening at the lodge we walked the short distance to a frog pond looking for frogs. We found some. Maybe not as exciting as an orangutan, but it was fun.
On our second day at the BRL we started out at 8 am to walk up to the overlook. It is a four hour round trip hike. It was not a flat walk, and it was warm and humid. We crossed several suspension bridges, and saw at least three wild orangutans in the tree tops.
The trail at times was steep and muddy.
A view of the lodge below, from the top of the trail.
From the viewpoint, you can either return back down the same trail, or continue a bit further, on even steeper terrain, to Fairy Falls. We opted to continue. It was worth it.
Fairy Falls, a little walk past the viewpoint.
We were told to bring our swim suits along on the hike, and there would be a natural pool for swimming. As promised, hot and tired on our return hike to the lodge, we plunged into the cool natural pool. It was heaven.
We were back down to the lodge by 12:30. It was a good walk despite the heat, humidity and leeches, and I had a massage scheduled for 3 pm.
There is wildlife in the area surrounding the lodge, you really don’t have to go far. We saw a Malay Civet not far from the lodge entrance. The photo below is not good, but the best I could get, as it was at night, zoomed in with an iPhone. The civet cat was under a landscape light eating bugs.
The next morning, before breakfast, we headed to the canopy walk. The mist hangs in the tree tops most mornings. We left the lodge near sunrise, and watched as the shadows faded and the colors turned from dark to green.
Sunrise on the canopy walk.
In the morning, as mist hangs over the tree tops. As the sun rises the colors change from grey and dark to a vibrant green.
In the afternoon of the same day, we got a very close look at a rather large orangutan. He had been in a tree close to the lodge and decided it was time to climb down. We watched as he made his way under the boardwalks that connect the rooms. Suddenly he grabbed a small tree and easily swung up onto the boardwalk. A guide called out “Back, back”, to us, not the great ape. The orangutan slipped between the rails and then down over the other side. It was wonderful to see him so close.
That afternoon, my sister and I joined the guide for a walk in search of the Red Leaf Langur. We set out to see that specific monkey, and darned if we didn’t. We found three, playing in the trees and watched them for a while. If was just the two of us and the guides, so we were able to be quietly watch them for as long as we wished.
Red Leaf Langur
On our last evening at the lodge, we did a night walk, hoping to see deer. We didn’t see the deer (we did see their tracks) but we did see a Tarsier, also called a ghost monkey. They are very small, about 4 to 5 inches tall, nocturnal creatures. We saw it hanging onto a reed stem. My photo was so blurry as to be unusable, so I am using a photo from the book in our room. I don’t like to use photos other than my own, but it was a relatively rare sighting and I don’t think many people would be able to picture what a Tarsier looks like, so I am using this. I am sorry that I didn’t take notes to be able to site the name of the book or the photographer.
We saw a Tarsier like this one on our night walk. This is a photo from a book in the room.
We also saw this Lantern Fly on our night walk.
Lantern Fly
On the morning of our departure, from our deck we saw eight otters scamper along the river. This was the second morning we saw them, playing and catching fish. They are Small Clawed Otters. I did one last nature walk in the morning and was rewarded with Gibbons. I saw two, high in a tree. It was the first sighting of Gibbons for us.
Our list of sightings here was pretty good. There were many more birds than I can name, but here is a short list of what we saw:
Malay Civet
Orangutan
Small Clawed Otter
Blue-throated Bee-eater
Rhinoceros Hornbill
Monitor Lizard
Tarsier, “ghost monkey”
Red Leaf Langur
Frogs
Gibbons
We did not see any elephants at the RFL, but a few guests saw them on the drive up. Our return drive to the airport in Lahad Datu was much faster than the drive up. It felt like we were participating in the East African Safari Classic. The driver took 30 minutes off the trip, but probably 3 years off my life. We staggered out of the vehicle at the airport, glad to be getting into a turboprop. The 45 minute ATR flight to Kota Kinabalu was much smoother.
A three hour Boeing 737 Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur had us to our final destination of Borneo.
MY Nature Resort.
The island of Borneo (the world’s third largest) is shared with three countries; Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. We are staying in the Malaysian portion. Our itinerary includes two nights at a lodge near the Orangutan Rehabilitation Center in Sepilok, two nights on the Kinabantangan River, and three nights at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge in the Danum Valley.
We are met at the Sandakan airport in the Sabah region on the northern tip of Borneo and driven to MY Nature Resort. It is, naturally, oppressively hot. They have a very nice pool and that is where we spend the afternoon. The rooms are nice, but the attraction here is the very close proximity to the Orangutan Sanctuary. At dinner they served a very tasty ginger fish and mango pudding for which I’d love the recipe.
On our first full day in Borneo we luckily are able to modify our original itinerary, and we hopped on an early morning visit to the Sepilok Orang-utan Sanctuary. These Wild Men of Borneo (Orang-utan translates to man of the wild) are what we traveled so far to see in their own habitat. The entrance fee is inexpensive, 30 Malaysian Ringgit, or about $7 US, and an additional 10 MYR for my camera ($2.50). Masks are required. A boardwalk winds through the tropical jungle of the rehabilitation center, which occupies 17 square miles. We began our Orangutan encounter with a stop at the outdoor nursery. The center takes in orphaned and injured animals, and eventually releases them to the wild. The area around the sanctuary is open, unfenced, and the great apes can come and go. They come back to the center at feeding times, if they wish. Today we are lucky. One of the largest male Orangutans has come back to the center. Sometimes they do not see him for months at a time. We see him at the nursery and again at the feeding station. They are fun to watch, and the morning visit is fairly crowded. Tour buses line the curb outside.
In the outdoor nursery
Right next door to the Orangutan center is the Sun Bear Conservation Center. These smallest of all bears are also fun to watch. All the bears at the center have been rescued. The aim is to release them back into the wild. Unfortunately for them, they are small and cute, which is why they are kept as pets. They are also kept in small cages and used for bile production, used in “traditional medicine”. It is horrible. Many have been rehabilitated and released. Our morning excursion lasted between 9 am and 11 am.
Sun bear.The outdoor feeding platform.
We returned to the resort in time for a quick plunge in the pool and lunch. We decided to tag along again on the afternoon tour. We returned at 2 pm to the same centers, using the same ticket. It was a different experience, and much less crowded. Our afternoon visit rewarded us with a private viewing of sun bears in the trees, as we were the only visitors. It was unbelievably hot and humid, and it was taking its toll. Our afternoon visit was shorter, 1 ½ hours.
Back at the resort we had just enough time to change and meet our guide for a 4 pm guided tour of the Rainforest Discovery Centre. This one guided tour was our only original tour scheduled for today. The RDC is just .6 km from the resort and has an incredible tree top canopy trail, but 4 pm is just about peak heat and humidity, and we had been going since early in the morning.
Canopy walk at the Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok, Borneo.
We enjoyed the canopy walk 100 feet in the air, but were seriously dragging. We had a good sighting of a giant red flying tree squirrel gliding between trees, two rhino hornbills, and a raptor. We also saw many of the black squirrels. Being near the tree tops afforded a small breeze at times, and a few towers reached even higher than the canopy trail, but it was all we could do to walk the hour and a half and then return to the lodge. Even a ten minute plunge in the pool was a welcome respite from the heat.
That night we got a good long soaking rain, and woke to rain the next day. Thank the gods, because it cooled everything down. We packed our bags and headed back to the Orangutan Center and Sun Bear Center, before our transfer to the next lodge. It was much cooler. Our guide today told us that the temperature yesterday had reached over 40 degrees C, and was unusually high for this area. So it was not our imagination and even the local people are saying it is very hot. I think it was the hottest temperatures I have ever experienced. Once again we watched the center staff bring out food to the platforms and saw the shaggy orange little men and women eat their snack. We were glad to have had the ability to visit the centers three times. At each visit we saw something a little different.
Our transfer to the Kinabatangan River lasted about two hours. Almost the entire time we were driving on roads flanked by palm oil plantations. Some of the plantations had taller, older trees, some were newly planted, and some areas were being cleared for new trees. These two titans of industry and economy, palm oil vs. tourism, seem to be on a collision course. But the palm oil people got here first. As that industry grows, it pushes the wildlife out. Tourists come to this part of Borneo to see the wildlife along the river. The palm plantations are supposed to leave a buffer zone along the river, but there too we saw plantations right up the river’s edge.
Upon arrival at the Kinabatnangan Riverside Lodge, we kicked off our shoes (required in all common areas) and had lunch. The common areas here are wide and open with hard wood floors throughout. They have a beautiful deck along the river with hammocks and tables. Our first wildlife boat safari began at 4 pm. Our fears of even hotter and more humid conditions dissipated as we climbed into our open boat. A cloud cover provided some relief and we found it pleasant. We checked off three big ticket sightings; pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, and a small crocodile. Traveling up and down the river we watched for wildlife, but for me the best part was sitting on the river and listening to elephants communicate with each other.
A Proboscis Monkey on our first river safari.
Back at the lodge we were instructed how to wear the sarongs provided in the rooms. It was, of course, our choice, and we wore them to dinner. We had musicians playing traditional music with drums and gongs during dinner. Being a majority Muslim country, alcohol is not widely consumed. At the last two lodges, the choice has been between a chardonnay or a merlot, neither one of which I am a fan. So this has been a good time to “cleanse.” We are eating steamed rice with fish and vegetables, and water.
Rocking the sarong for dinner.Dinner entertainment at the river lodge.
After dinner we walked onto the deck by the river, under what looked to be a full moon, or nearly full. The un-retouched photo below was taken on my iPhone 13 Pro. The iPhone takes better low light pictures than my Nikon, and is easier to use.
Full moon over the Kinabatangan River. Taken with an iPhone 13 Pro.
It is all about the river here, so at 0630 we had our second wildlife boat safari. We had a better sighting of the pygmy elephants and quite a few proboscis monkeys.
A tributary off the Kinabatangan River.
Pygmy elephants along the Kinabatangan River
We saw quite a few Proboscis Monkey’s along the river.
We spent the midday in hammocks, and enjoyed slightly cooler temps. Everywhere you go, there seem to be hundreds of macaque monkeys. We saw a lot at the organgutan center and they run all over the resort. Many of the plants here I recognize and are used in Florida landscaping. I have seen giant elephant ears, hibiscus, alamanda, spider lilies, caladiums, and ixora.
Hammock duty.The Kinabatangan River.
Giant elephant ears are everywhere.
Our third wildlife boat safari started at 4 pm. We had our first sighting of a wild orangutan in the trees along the river. We also saw the elephants again, but this time we had flashbacks of a leopard sighting in Botswana, where two dozen jeeps crowded around one leopard. There were 17 boats idling, watching the elephants feed along the edge of the river. It felt hypocritical to be on an “eco tourism” boat trip with engines idling. We are hoping that our tourist dollars will help conservation and have a positive effect on the preservation of the wildlife and wild areas. We can only hope.
Another dinner of steamed rice and vegetables, and water. Tomorrow we are up early for a transfer to the Borneo Rainforest Lodge.
The entrance to the original old Hotel Majestic, built in 1932. We are staying in the newer part. The older section has beautiful tile floors and interiors. The original 1932 portion of the Hotel Majestic.
On our second full day in Kuala Lumpur we were on our own. After the two guided tours and a lot of activity, we wanted some time in a more peaceful setting. The KL Bird Park, the world’s largest free-flight walk-in aviary, was within walking distance of our hotel.
We wandered through the bird park for about two hours. Despite the early hour, it was quite hot and humid.
The walk-in aviary.
Our plan after the aviary was to walk to the orchid garden. Stepping into a gift shop to find temporary relief from the heat and humidity, the sales person told us the orchid garden was closed. He saved us a bit of walking. He asked where we were from. When we said the United States, he said “I’m sorry to say but your last president made America look stupid.” We agreed with him and it led to more discussion.
A butterfly in the Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park.
A short walk from the Bird Park we found the Butterfly Park. It was a truly peaceful place. Walking through the darting butterflies, around ponds and fountains, it was so hot and humid it felt like we were being misted. But the many butterflies were so beautiful we stayed about an hour.
The butterflies even land on your shoes. Already drenched by noon, we decided the hot afternoon was best spent in the hotel pool. So we headed back to the Hotel Majestic.
A butterfly on my shoe.
By 3 pm we had cooled sufficiently and were ready to try the hotel’s afternoon tea. It runs from 3 to 6 pm and is quite popular. They had a pianist at the piano.
A Traveler's Photo Journal 