Borneo - Exotic Island Paradise

Written by Walter Rajah


Continued from page 1

When you think you have enough of sightseeing and you want to take a day's break idling around to charge your energy, then I suggest you take a 30-minute boat trip to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. The park is made up of five beautiful islands and is a well-known sanctuary where peace and tranquility prevails. The tropical white sandy beaches are ideal for relaxing and tanning. The crystal clear water is fantastic if you fancy snorkeling or watchingrepparttar sea lives and corals. The park is also a great spot for a BBQ picnic underrepparttar 134201 long hours of golden sunshine. Other activities include windsurfing, fishing, parasailing, kayaking and bird watching.

Golfing Holidays

If golf is your sport, then tryrepparttar 134202 numerous high quality golf courses in Sabah. One ofrepparttar 134203 courses as described by its designer - "I had to create a masterpiece by combiningrepparttar 134204 natural splendor ofrepparttar 134205 mountains andrepparttar 134206 seas, with ingenious architecture, and create a first class championship course to provide an enjoyable, yet challenging game for top professional golfers and amateurs alike" - Graham Marsh. Enough words said forrepparttar 134207 quality of golf courses here.

White-Water Rafting

Forrepparttar 134208 true adventure seeker looking for an adrenaline-pumping activity, Sabah offers some ofrepparttar 134209 most exhilarating thrills inrepparttar 134210 world. My scariest experience, only because I am not a good swimmer, is white-water rafting downrepparttar 134211 Padas River (a grade-3 river). Whilst trying to negotiaterepparttar 134212 rapids along this raging river for a distance of about 5 kilometers, do enjoyrepparttar 134213 breathtaking view thatrepparttar 134214 surrounding rain forest does offer. However, be warned, don't take your eyes offrepparttar 134215 rapids and waves too long!

Scuba Diving

Offrepparttar 134216 North Eastern coast of Borneo lies a tiny jewel of an island, Sipadan, with a marine ecosystem so perfect and unique that it is world renowned as one ofrepparttar 134217 best dive spots inrepparttar 134218 world. Sipadan Island rises as a pristine Coral Sea mount, 650 meters fromrepparttar 134219 floor ofrepparttar 134220 Sulawesi Sea. This pinnacle offrepparttar 134221 eastern coast of Borneo is an oceanic magnet for marine life. As soon as you enterrepparttar 134222 crystal clear waters of Sipadan Island, you'll understand why you have endured a journey that has taken you halfway aroundrepparttar 134223 world. As you begin to descend into this tropical water, you'll also understand whyrepparttar 134224 World Wildlife Fund says, "No other spot onrepparttar 134225 planet has more marine life than this island."

Walter Rajah is owner of Exploration Borneo Tours. Visit his site at http://www.explorationborneo.com for more information and images of Borneo - The Exotic Island Paradise. Check out all the travel packages to Borneo and subscribe to EBT Travel Newsletter for the latest events, travel news, Borneo articles and cheap deals!


Borneo - Sandakan Wildlife Search

Written by Walter Rajah


Continued from page 1

In their natural settings, Orang Utan babies stay with their mothers for a period of six years while they are taughtrepparttar skills needed to survive inrepparttar 134200 wild, with climbing asrepparttar 134201 most important skill. At this centre, these babies are paired up with older Orang Utans to learn these essential skills. Meal times arerepparttar 134202 highlights to bothrepparttar 134203 Orang Utans and visitors torepparttar 134204 centre. There are two feeding times each day. This is when about 60 semi-wild Orang Utans swing from their jungle habitat on torepparttar 134205 feeding platforms for their daily meals of milk and bananas. Once there is no food left, these animals zip back intorepparttar 134206 jungle but occasionally some will come back to pose forrepparttar 134207 last remaining visitors.

There is an Information Nature Education Centre and a mini-theatre withinrepparttar 134208 sanctuary where you can watch a documentary video onrepparttar 134209 work ofrepparttar 134210 Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre.

Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary The Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary lies withinrepparttar 134211 massive floodplain ofrepparttar 134212 lower Kinabatangan River. The sanctuary covers an area of 27,000 hectares and is one ofrepparttar 134213 richest eco-systems on earth. This area is a must visit for any nature lover wanting a taste of an incredible nature experience. These floodplain forests develop asrepparttar 134214 river meetsrepparttar 134215 lowland. Common features ofrepparttar 134216 floodplain forests are ox-bow lakes, freshwater swamp rainforests and limestone hills.

These wetlands aroundrepparttar 134217 lower Kinabatangan link aquatic and terrestrial habitats and help regulate water quality and quantity, as well as maintainrepparttar 134218 ecosystem's ecological functions, forming a sanctuary for a rich and diverse fauna and flora. It hasrepparttar 134219 highest density and diversity of wildlife in Malaysia. It is also one of only two known places on Earth where ten primate species, includingrepparttar 134220 endangered proboscis monkeys (endemic to Borneo Island), orang utans and Sumatran Rhino. In addition,repparttar 134221 rich sanctuary is also home to 200 species of bird as well as 50 mammal species.

The best way for you to viewrepparttar 134222 wildlife and tropical wilderness of this area is by taking an early morning or an evening river cruise alongrepparttar 134223 Kinabatangan River and also a cruise torepparttar 134224 ox-bow lakes. See alsorepparttar 134225 colourful local villagers living alongrepparttar 134226 river on stilt houses. You can stay atrepparttar 134227 excellent Sukau River Lodge, which is erected from local materials consisting of wooden huts built on stilts.

Gomantong Caves The Gomantong Caves, located in limestone hills aroundrepparttar 134228 lower Kinabatangan River, have been popular for their edible birds' nests for centuries. These nests are known for their medicinal values amongstrepparttar 134229 local Chinese community and are collected by using local materials of rattans and bamboo to make ladders that hang over 100 feet aboverepparttar 134230 cave floor.

Once these nests are collected, they are soaked in water where allrepparttar 134231 mud and feathers are removed leaving clear birds nest which can be sold torepparttar 134232 local Chinese community or exported aroundrepparttar 134233 world. The collectors of these nests can earn a very high amount of money and consequently,repparttar 134234 collecting of nests is tightly controlled by a licensing system.

Walter Rajah is owner of Exploration Borneo Tours. Visit his site at http://www.explorationborneo.com for more information and images of Borneo - The Exotic Island Paradise. Check out all the travel packages to Borneo and subscribe to EBT Travel Newsletter for the latest events, travel news, Borneo articles and cheap deals


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