Čo robiť v Sandakan

Nezabudnuteľný zážitok. Môj sprievodca Fazley prekonal všetky očakávania. Naozaj pozdvihol zážitok na vyššiu úroveň. Bolo to absolútne brilantné. Cítil som sa naozaj vítaný a postarané o mňa, všetko od jedla, ubytovania až po výlety.

Unfortunately, the forest resort was fully booked, so we switched to the Sandakan Hotel, which meant we couldn't experience the jungle atmosphere. The first day of the itinerary started with airport pickup at 7:30 AM, picking up other group members along the way. In the morning, we watched the orangutan feeding show and sun bear feeding within the park, which involved a lot of walking. We had lunch at the Banana Cafe, where we could upgrade our drinks for an additional charge. In the afternoon, we visited the Rainforest Discovery Centre, learning about local bird species, frogs, plants, and their history. The center had many specimens of beetles, butterflies, snakes, and more; it was a small exhibition hall but packed with rich resources. Afterward, we went on a rainforest hike, actually walking through the jungle to look for small creatures. During the hike, the guide asked us which route we preferred and helped us take photos. This part lasted about an hour, and we listened to the guide's explanations along the way. They were enthusiastic in answering any questions we had. We arrived at our accommodation around 3 PM to rest. In the evening, we had dinner at the hotel, and breakfast was provided the next morning. Although there weren't many choices, it saved us the trouble of deciding what to eat. The next day was just the airport drop-off. It's a shame we couldn't spend more time exploring the forest resort, but overall, it was still a good experience.

Z hotela nás vyzdvihol náš vodič, ktorý nás vozil celý deň. Žiaľ, sotva vedel po anglicky, takže 2,5-hodinová jazda prebehla v tichosti. Na otázku, kam nás vezú ako prvé, nám nevedel odpovedať a nechal nás hovoriť cez jeho mobil s (pravdepodobne) cestovnou kanceláriou. Najprv sme išli do miestnej reštaurácie „Simpang Tiga“ priamo pri rieke Kinabatangan, kde nás požiadali, aby sme si dali niečo na pitie a jedlo. Toalety tam boli v miestnych podmienkach (žiadne splachovanie, žiadny papier). Potom sme s naším vodičom pokračovali na mólo Lepit Jetty (Sukau Backpackers), kde nás vybavili a s približne 8 ďalšími ľuďmi sme nastúpili na loď a išli na rieku. V ten deň sme mali veľké šťastie, pretože sme videli orangutany, zoborožce, slony a kahau nosaté. Plavba po rieke bola teda nádherná. Náš sprievodca sa s nami, žiaľ, veľa nerozprával, ale bola to aj jeho prvá túra.