"FROM TREETOPS TO TURTLES" State of Sabah by BerniShand

State of Sabah Travel Guide: 2,640 reviews and 6,636 photos

is it time for dinner ? - State of Sabah

You want wildlife ? then this is the place for you...... from the sky to the sea its everywhere, and wonderful too....

Proboscus monkey

It was amazing, every day brought new experiences - the people must be among the friendliest in the world and the scenery and wildlife were incredible.
One morning they made me get up very Very early. It was in the Danum valley and the mist was rising from the rainforest, we were going birdwatching something i am absolute rubbish at, but even I couldn`t miss a hornbill when it flew by, they are HUGE, it flew to a fig tree where, a couple of branches below, a very big, very red orang utan was having his breakfast. It was wonderful to see him there in his natural habitat just doing what orang utans do and completely ignoring us. We all sat in awe for over an hour just watching him as he ate.
Danum valley is an eco site. Its wild natural and had rangers to conserve the area who are all really well informed and helpful. Only a limited number of tourists are allowed in at any given time and fees are quite high . Leeches are a bit of a problem but you can buy leech socks usually in a tasteful vivid green and one size fits all (from pygmy to elephant) they dont protect you from tiger leeches which hurl themselves at you from leaves but if you get one you are awarded a certificate for blood donation and yes out of our party of eleven I was the only one who got one.........they fall off if you spray them with mozzie guard or touch them with a cigarette

A few days later we were at the Kinabatagan river watching proboscus monkeys playing in the trees, they have huge noses and the males are easily distinguishable because of what our guide modestly called their red chilli peppers.The alpha male is the only one supposed to cook with his and the other males spend all their time trying to get friendly with any female the head chef isnt watching.
As evening approached the babies came out to play romping through the trees, they can swim well - useful as there are crocodiles in the river. When the Alpha male wants some peace and quiet he gives out a oh-oh sound (like Dustin Hoffmans character in Rainman) and everyone goes quiet. They managed to pee on me when we got too close. ... they must be friendly with the Danum valley leeches.
At the orang utan sanctuary in Sepilok a young male slid down a tree and accompanied us along the path.......... you are not allowed to touch the animals at Sepilok though they can touch you its definately a must see if you go to Borneo.
Do go, soon, before mass tourism takes over,it was the most physically demanding tour we have done, but the most rewarding

Pros and Cons

Pros:wildlife, people, beaches, jungle, what more do you want ?
Cons:er.......just the humidity
In a nutshell:go there, soon, before the rest of the world finds it

Last visit to State of Sabah: May 2003
Intro Updated May 1, 2004
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Reviews (17)

trekking through the rainforest - State of Sabah

Danum Valley Stay Hotels (3)

This award winning eco-resort is fantastic, accomodation is in wooden cabins, which have verandas out back overlooking... more travel advice

it looks very different at night ! - State of Sabah

NIGHT DRIVE Nightlife (1)

no music, or cabaret...........just a full moon on a hot steamy night we were told not to expect too much, the full moon... more travel advice

INCONVENIENCED Tourist Traps (1)

this tourist trap was an inconvenient public convenience at the `comfort stop` in Nabalu, a little town on the way to Mt... more travel advice

STEAMY Warnings and Dangers (2)

Humidity is very high, forget the old saying that only horses sweat, gentlemen perspire and ladies glow.............you... more travel advice

Shopping (1)
BLOW THE EXPENSE
Off The Beaten Path (1)
KEEP UP THE SUSPENSE
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Comments (40)

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borneodude May 23, 2007 at 6:43 PM

there is a clean toilet in nabalu that u dont give effort to look for it or ask, i bet the one you went into is the local toilet, so why dont you survey the place b4 make a judgement of one toilet becoming the bad image of all the others?
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thedouglas Jul 5, 2006 at 4:10 PM

Looks just beautiful - beaches and jungle - have to put this on our radar! Nice and closeish to home!
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mim95 Dec 1, 2005 at 9:31 AM

I love the photo with the baby turtles! Borneo will be on my to-go list. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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kyoub Nov 21, 2005 at 6:47 AM

Great page and tips. I hope to use some of them when we go back to Sabah. Your comment about the smell being unique brings back memories of many places that I have been.
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bumpychick Oct 17, 2005 at 2:19 PM

we're thinking of going to Borneo at Easter. Your trip sounds great! Do you know if the turtles lay eggs all year round ,or is there a season? Which tour company did you go with?
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sprdak11 Sep 16, 2005 at 10:57 AM

Interesting page! Best wishes!
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Bangkokjoe Aug 17, 2005 at 1:19 AM

Thinking about nipping over (!) to Borneo next time I am doing my nut in the KLIA Smokers Lounge. Turtle time sounds best... I'll be back for more advice.
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Naomi7777777 Apr 26, 2005 at 11:06 PM

thank you for stopping by! Your site reminds me the wonderful experience in sanah. Do you have a plan to visit again? Thank you for showing your wonderful site. Naomi
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rosie235 Apr 20, 2005 at 4:35 AM

great tips Bernie, Thanks for visiting my pages too. Sabah is one of the most beautiful places we have visited so far.
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FletteMette Apr 17, 2005 at 12:07 AM

Great page!! Borneo is very much on my wishlist...Malaysia is one the countries I've enjoyed the most. ~Mette~