With my friends Ross and Wendy Dowling we headed out to the airport for our 7.00 am flight for Sandakan on 25th July. (The trip had been planned early 2013). Both of them had just arrived at midnight from Perth after much delay. After a quick breakfast we headed for Sepilok for the feeding of the orang utans at 10.00am before we returned to town to visit the market and lunch. Departure from the jetty by BET Speedboat together with a group of other guests at 1.00pm for the two and half hours journey would take us 40km up the Kinabatangan River from Sandakan. An hour into the journey, our guide Hazwan spotted the first of two groups of elephants – the one out of Borneo’s Big Five that I personally think is most difficult to see in Sukau. We couldn’t believe our luck. Before we reached Sukau, we had already seen several animals and birds including long tailed macaques, Estuarine crocodile, Proboscis monkey and Pied hornbill. We were to see seven of eight species of hornbills over three days – pied, wreathed, wrinkled, bushy crested, black, white crowned and rhinoceros hornbill. Arrival at Sukau Rainforest Lodge was delayed but we were happy to have seen the elephants.

25th Afternoon Cruise:

A welcome drink, briefing, and after our afternoon tea, we were suited up with life jackets on our afternoon cruise ready for more wildlife, perhaps wild orang utan this time, family of long tailed and pig tailed macaques, little green heron, stork billed, blue eared and white collared kingfishers.

26th Morning Cruise:

Monitor lizards, reticulated python, oriental darter, white bellied sea eagles, black and lesser fish eagle, brahminy kite, bat hawk, pygmy squirrel, prevost squirrel.

26th Afternoon Cruise:
After the afternoon rain, more elephants on the cruise, macaques and proboscis monkeys.

27th Afternoon Cruise:

Orang utan on at SRL’s Hornbill Boardwalk, Borneo pygmy elephants, Rhinoceros hornbill, crocodile and proboscis monkey all in one day; witnessed a spectacular sunset in the shape of a ring on the cruise; Rehabilitated buffy fish owl ”stingky” came to visit us during dinner time; also released a slow loris after dinner at the lodge. Altogether the best day so far.

28th Morning:

Overland from Sukau to Gomantong caves (1hour ) – Black, white, glossy, mossy nest swiftlets, cave racers, wrinkled lipped bats. Asian paradise flycatcher at the boardwalk.

28th Afternoon:

Overland from Gomantong Caves to Lahad Datu (1 hour). Lunch at Lahad Datu, and overland to BRL (1.5 hours), saw family of red leaf langur enroute to Borneo Rainforest Lodge at Danum Valley.

29th Morning/ Afternoon:

Saw Argus pheasant on trail, crested fireback at the lodge, and sambar deer, orang utan on one of the trails.

30th Morning Trek:

Saw Argus pheasant on the trail for the second time; returned to the lodge for lunch, check out and transfer back to Lahad Datu for 50 minutes return flight to Kota Kinabalu at 4.30pm.

For more tour information, check out our Borneo Big 5 Wildlife (6 Days 5 Night).