ASIA: BORNEO
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My love for
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SIX OF THE BEST
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wildlife
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was only infl amed
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ORANG-UTAN
The literal translation means ‘man of the forest’,
by my visit to
and the orang-utan is the only great ape outside Africa Borneo with Kumuka – it
and the heaviest truly arboreal mammal. Encounters
far surpassed my hopes. In
with rehabilitated animals are all but guaranteed
at Sepilok Sanctuary, but there’s a very good chance
the forests, it seems that
of seeing genuine wild orangs along the lower everywhere you look there’s
Kinabatangan River and especially at Danum Valley.
wildlife of some kind.
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PROBOSCIS MONKEY
However the forests are
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This pot-bellied monkey is endemic to Borneo
under severe threat so we
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must all do what we can to
the world. Impressions of early European travellers
gave rise to its local name ‘Orang Belanda’
help conserve this incredible
(‘white man’ or ‘Dutchman’). Boat trips along the
environmental haven.
Kinabatangan and Menanggol Rivers offer the best
sightings anywhere.
CLAIRE MADDEN
WILDLIFE FILM-MAKER
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BORNEAN HORNED FROG
Although not particularly rare, there’s a huge B
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BORNEO
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frog, so sublime is their forest fl oor camoufl age. Visit this land of mystery
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Their size is surprising too – a large female is as big and natural wonders, taking in its highest
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as a small melon. They’re also often very vocal before mountain down to its ocean depths. Kumuka’s
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and during rain, something that can be helpful when fi ve different tours run from 15 days to just two.
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searching.
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!
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RHINOCEROS HORNBILL BORNEO ENCOMPASSED
Among the island’s largest birds, the rhinoceros 15 DAYS
hornbill is perhaps one of the symbols of Borneo’s £920, €1,380, AU$2,350, NZ$2,715,
remaining wildernesses (it’s also the national bird of US$1,935, CA$2,120, ZAR15,640
Sarawak). Generally seen in pairs or small groups of A taste of virtually everything Borneo
three or four, the loud synchronous calls of courting has to offer from national parks to
birds provides an abiding memory of visits to staying in a longhouse, orang-utans
Sepilok, Kinabatangan and Danum Valley. to bats, Kota Kinabalu to climbing Mt
Kinabalu. The fi nal day is spent chilling
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out on the stunning turtle island of
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RETICULATED PYTHON
Few other animals arouse such confl icting Selingan, surrounded by crystal clear
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emotions as snakes: from fear and loathing to utter water and reefs.
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fascination. I’ve been ensconced in the latter camp
since childhood. Snakes have a compelling grip over
the human subconscious – most would choose to avoid SARAWAK EXPLORED 9 DAYS
encounters but I always opt to go looking. And there KUCHING – KOTA KINABALU
are lots of snakes to be found in Borneo, from brightly £410, €615, AU$1,050, NZ$1,210, US$865, CA$945, ZAR6,970
coloured and venomous Wagler’s pit vipers to innocuous blind snakes. But
the most spectacular is the reticulated python – by reputation the world’s
longest species (individuals have been reckoned to reach 10m). In Sabah MT KINABALU CLIMB 3 DAYS
they don’t grow quite so large – you’re more likely to fi nd smaller (1-3m) KOTA KINABALU
individuals close to water (especially after dark). £175, €265, AU$450, NZ$520, US$370, CA$405, ZAR2,975
6
RAFFLESIA
Personally, I’ve never been all that interested NTURE readers to book one of our
in plants: I studied zoology at university to avoid FREE!
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t
he fi rst fi ve VE
rips to Borneo will receive a FREE COPY of the
botany and I’m guilty of regarding plants as merely fascinating book WILD BORNEO: THE WILDLIFE AND
homes and fodder for more interesting creatures. SCENERY OF SABAH, SARAWAK, BRUNEI, AND KALIMANTAN,
The Raffl esia is a glorious exception. Its reputation by Nick Garbutt and Cede Prudente, with thanks
alone intrigued me, long before I laid eyes on a to our friends at publisher’s New Holland.
bloom. Seeing one glowing on the forest fl oor like Make sure you tell us you saw this offer in Venture!
a mound of red-hot coals simply enhanced its awe. This truly is a
stupendous spellbinding fl ower.
CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE BROCHURES AT WWW.KUMUKA.COM
8

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRAVEL EXPERIENCES. EMAIL VENTUREMAG@KUMUKA.COM
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