Day 397: Sepilok - Sukau

May 5 - Slow morning as I work and we pack up for our next transport. Our tranquil B&B has been invaded by a horde of international high school students on a trip to the parks. The chaperones look tired.

Eat lunch at the B&B restaurant and a van shows up to take us to Sukau (the place we are staying there offered transport, as the route is not serviced well by bus). Our route follows the main road to Lahad Datu, then turns east toward the Kinabatangan River and similarly named wildlife sanctuary. The road is not in a great state, as we’ve found elsewhere in Sabah. Arrive unscathed.

The Sukau Backpackers Hostel is a quiet place with separate cabins in an oil palm forest. Everything is nicely organized here, with a nearby dock where we can quickly load onto boats for the river excursions and three meals a day at set times. The property has the mandatory population of mangy dogs and cats that plead for food at the tables.

Today’s route: (A) Sepilok, (B) Sukau.

An hour after arriving we are off on our first boat trip, going upstream on the Kinabatangan River. This is the second largest river in Malaysia, and at the moment it is a light brown color with muddy sediment.

Right away see a crocodile. All the crocs we see on this river are small, maximum 50 cm long.

See many birds, either flying overhead or perched in the trees on the side. Two large ones we see are the lesser adjutant and storm stork. The former look a lot like marabou storks. Also a few oriental darters, fishing birds that look a bit like cormorants.

And three types of hornbills! The oriental pied hornbill, black hornbill, and wrinkled hornbill. Sadly, no photos are possible of any of these, at least today.

A lot of monkeys around. Mostly long-tailed macaques, but also proboscis and few silvery langurs (they have a tuft of hair like a mohawk on their heads).

And old male proboscis monkey, getting ready to bed down for the night. These monkeys are so different from the macaques, being quiet and docile with each other, like orangutans. Their fat paunches are due to having two stomachs, necessary to fully process the tough leaves they eat.

At the farthest we go upriver, there are two elephants at the riverbank, thinking of getting in the water. However, there are also about ten other boats there, and the poor elephants are endlessly hesitating under all the unwanted attention.

The red on their back is mud.

Too many people around.

Forgo the night cruise tonight, for fear of rain. Will do that tomorrow insha allah.

Back to the B&B for dinner, and a quiet night of insect sounds.

Malaysia (Sabah)