Borneo - Sandakan Wildlife SearchWritten by Walter Rajah
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In their natural settings, Orang Utan babies stay with their mothers for a period of six years while they are taught skills needed to survive in wild, with climbing as most important skill. At this centre, these babies are paired up with older Orang Utans to learn these essential skills. Meal times are highlights to both Orang Utans and visitors to centre. There are two feeding times each day. This is when about 60 semi-wild Orang Utans swing from their jungle habitat on to feeding platforms for their daily meals of milk and bananas. Once there is no food left, these animals zip back into jungle but occasionally some will come back to pose for last remaining visitors. There is an Information Nature Education Centre and a mini-theatre within sanctuary where you can watch a documentary video on work of Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary The Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary lies within massive floodplain of lower Kinabatangan River. The sanctuary covers an area of 27,000 hectares and is one of 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 as river meets lowland. Common features of floodplain forests are ox-bow lakes, freshwater swamp rainforests and limestone hills. These wetlands around lower Kinabatangan link aquatic and terrestrial habitats and help regulate water quality and quantity, as well as maintain ecosystem's ecological functions, forming a sanctuary for a rich and diverse fauna and flora. It has highest density and diversity of wildlife in Malaysia. It is also one of only two known places on Earth where ten primate species, including endangered proboscis monkeys (endemic to Borneo Island), orang utans and Sumatran Rhino. In addition, rich sanctuary is also home to 200 species of bird as well as 50 mammal species. The best way for you to view wildlife and tropical wilderness of this area is by taking an early morning or an evening river cruise along Kinabatangan River and also a cruise to ox-bow lakes. See also colourful local villagers living along river on stilt houses. You can stay at 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 around lower Kinabatangan River, have been popular for their edible birds' nests for centuries. These nests are known for their medicinal values amongst local Chinese community and are collected by using local materials of rattans and bamboo to make ladders that hang over 100 feet above cave floor. Once these nests are collected, they are soaked in water where all mud and feathers are removed leaving clear birds nest which can be sold to local Chinese community or exported around world. The collectors of these nests can earn a very high amount of money and consequently, 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
| | A 7 day vaction in KodaikanalWritten by Vijay Chidambaram
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By time we finished our horse-ride, night had come on and we went to Hotel Austoria (which was recommended to us by horse trainer) had our dinner there. The food was superb and I enjoyed my meal. The idlis and dosas were just like mother made! After we finished our dinner, we walked home. There were no autos and very few taxis in Kodaikanal. So we decided to walk home. However, Kodaikanal’s roads were sloping, uphill and difficult to climb. So, after a strenuous bit of walking, we arrived at hotel and retired for night. Thus ended our first day at Kodaikanal. On following days, we visited a great deal of places and ate at a variety of hotels. We visited Tibetan shops where Tibetans were selling Mats, sweaters and bags at fixed prices. Along Kodai lake, men were renting out cycles at 10 rupees an hour. I, my brother and my father rented three cycles. My brother and I rode alone, while mother sat on cycle with father. We coasted along lake’s circumference, enjoying breeze and scenery. It was fun. However, second time, we rented cycles at time when Sai baba came out of temple and so roads were congested with people and cars. To escape crowd, we got down from our cycles and rode on pavement! We visited Kodai Astro-Physics Observatory and nature museum in Sacred Heart College. When we visited Observatory, it was cloudy and therefore, we could not see anything with telescope. We only visited museum inside Observatory grounds, which had pictures of stars and comets. Personally, I found astro-Physics museum a bore. The Sacred heart museum was much more interesting. It had preserved butterflies, insects, stones and a numismatic collection. There was also skeletal frame of a number of animals. We visited Silver cascade falls and Liril Falls. The Silver Cascade was a beautiful falls, with mountain water falling down mountain from a great height. The Liril Falls faded in comparison with Silver Cascade. There was very little water and waterfall more like small rapids! Our driver explained that original name of falls was Pambar Falls and that since an ad for Liril(a soap) had been shot there, it had been renamed Liril Falls! We visited Moir Point, The Upper lake view and Palani view. We also visited Berijam Lake. It is a beautiful lake. In order to view this lake, one has to get special permission from forest authorities. We also visited Neptune-Cool Rapids. In order to see Neptune –Cool Rapids, one has to trek into forest. It had been my first trekking experience and I enjoyed it immensely. The rapids themselves were unimpressive, but trek was very nice and enjoyable. We also visited many villages on outskirts on Kodaikanal, like Manampahur. In Manampahur, we visited Sheep and Rabbit Farm and saw Sheep grazing grass on hills. It was a beautiful sight. We also watched Rabbits. The rabbits grown there were of German Angora variety and were huge. It was very nice, to touch fluffy coat of these rabbits. We went to Kurinji Andavar Temple and Chettiar Park. Both were nice places. There were many varieties of roses in Chettiar Park. We also visited Pine forests. There were pine trees everywhere. As we started entering Pine forests, a man who was selling carrots warned us, “You won’t get anything to eat there for hours. Come on and buy my Carrots!” Every night, there was a campfire in hotel park. We would go there and sit near fire and warm ourselves. It was a treat to watch campfire. Every couple of minutes, it would send up in air, fresh sparks! Thus we spent every night and soon it was 18th.On morning of 18th, we packed our bags and checked out of Kodai Resort Hotel. It had been a delightful vacation for us. All of us felt like staying on at Kodaikanal for a few more days. However, as saying goes, all good things must come to an end. We traveled in a taxi to Madurai and from there, caught Pandyan Express that night and on next morning on 19th, we were back in hot, polluted ChennaiYou can find many more travelogues like these at http:vijay_chennai.tripdo.com
The author is a student in Vana Vani Mat.Higher Secondary School, Chennai. He is 15 years old.He can be contacted at vijay03@hotpop.com
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