Tekemistä paikassa Sandakan

I was a little worried about the accommodation being either a resort or a homestay, but I was relieved to find it was a resort with air conditioning, hot water, and a refrigerator. The evening cruise was fantastic; we saw orangutans, proboscis monkeys, crocodiles, and Borneo elephants. During the night walk, we saw sleeping birds and slow lorises. On the morning cruise, we spotted a large crocodile. I know seeing animals depends on luck, but I was very satisfied with all the different creatures we encountered!

Valitettavasti metsälomakeskus oli täynnä, joten majoitus vaihtui Sandakan Hoteliin, emmekä päässeet kokemaan viidakon tunnelmaa. Matka alkoi ensimmäisenä päivänä klo 7:30 lentokenttäkuljetuksella, jonka aikana noudimme muita ryhmän jäseniä. Aamulla näimme orankien ruokintaesityksen ja aurinkokarhun ruokinnan puistossa, jossa liikuimme kävellen. Lounastimme Banana Café -ravintolassa, ja juomia pystyi vaihtamaan lisämaksusta. Iltapäivällä tutustuimme sademetsän tutkimuskeskukseen, jossa opimme paikallisista lintu-, sammakko- ja kasvilajeista sekä niiden historiasta. Siellä oli paljon kovakuoriaisten, perhosten ja käärmeiden näytteitä; pieni näyttelyhalli kätki sisäänsä runsaasti tietoa. Sen jälkeen teimme sademetsävaelluksen, etsien pieniä olentoja viidakosta. Opas kysyi, minkä reitin halusimme valita, ja auttoi myös valokuvien ottamisessa. Tämä osuus kesti noin tunnin, ja kuuntelimme oppaan esittelyä matkan varrella. Hän vastasi innokkaasti kysymyksiimme. Noin kello kolmelta saavuimme majoituspaikkaan lepäämään. Illalla oli hotellin illallinen ja seuraavan päivän aamiainen. Vaikka valikoima ei ollut laaja, se säästi meidät miettimästä, mitä söisimme. Seuraavana päivänä oli enää vain lentokenttäkuljetus. Harmi, ettemme päässeet viettämään enemmän aikaa metsälomakeskuksessa, mutta kokonaisuutena matka oli silti hyvä.

It was absolutely fantastic! A must-do in my opinion! We had two exceptional guides! We saw everything possible (orangutans, sun bears) and had a super beautiful hike!

We had the most amazing and fun time on this tour. We loved our time on Kinabatang River where we saw macaque and proboscis monkeys, a Pygmy elephant, crocodiles and birdlife. Our guides Robert and Jeanette were very friendly and knowledgeable. The Bilit Lodge is simple but very clean and satisfactory. The food was also very enjoyable and tasty. Our only downside was that we booked late and couldn't secure accommodation in Sepilok so missed the opportunity to spend some additional time there. The tour company arranged alternative accommodation back in Sandakan but this meant we spent more time travelling on the first two days. Overall I thought this was very well organised and we loved the opportunity to get close up with the variety of animals. The people we met on the tour were all very lovely and safety protocols are followed on the river rides.

We were picked up from our hotel by our driver, who drove only us throughout the day. Unfortunately, he spoke very little English, so the 2.5-hour drive was quiet. When asked where we would be taken first, he couldn't answer and had us speak to the (presumably) tour guide via his phone. Our first stop was a local restaurant called "Restaurant Simpang Tiga" directly on the Kinabatangan River, where we were asked to have drinks and food. The restrooms there were in local conditions (no flush, no paper). Afterward, our driver took us to Lepit Jetty (Sukau Backpackers), where we were equipped and boarded a boat with about 8 other people to go out on the river. We were very lucky that day, as we saw orangutans, hornbills, elephants, and proboscis monkeys. The river cruise was therefore beautiful. Our guide unfortunately didn't talk much with us, but it was also his first tour.