Kinabatangan river - Semporna

(Harriet) Well! The last few days have been some of the best yet. Borneo is surprising us every day with weird and wonderful creatures and scenery. We took the bus from Sepilok to the river and checked in at a lovely little resort where we had our own little hut (next to a champion snorer) and there was a pretty stream flowing through the camp. We went on a river cruise straight away and quickly a mangrove snake was spotted curled up on a branch. As their colouring suggests they are poisonous and apparently good swimmers, I wasn't too keen on the boat lingering directly below it! 

We also saw a few monitor lizards, birds, monkeys and a 'small' crocodile!! Apparently they can grow to 6m! 

It was great to see the monkeys in their natural habitat however I was glad we'd also seen them up close as the promiscuous monkey nose is really something and you just can't do it justice from a distance. The river was busy but not crowded and the Japanese cameras were out in full force, always entertaining, although a shame as they spend more time adjusting their zoom than they do actually watching the animals! 

After returning to camp we had a lovely dinner with the rest of our boat, after which it started to rain. And rain. It was soo loud I thought the roof might fall in. Our evening cruise was cancelled (thankfully) ! and so we ended up playing cards all evening with 2 guys who were also staying the night, which was nice. 

We awoke early and got back on the boat for 6am. There was really thick fog and we wondered how anyone would be able to spot anything in this weather, however we were not disappointed- the guides are very good at their jobs! The river was beautiful as the mist lifted, it felt very eerie and calm. 

We again saw lots of little things like lizards and birds but the climax was when we pulled up to the banks and saw, just above us,  two orangutans, one with a baby! They were having their breakfast and the baby was hanging upside down, with binoculars I was able to get a glimpse of his face, he was gorgeous. It was such a special moment, we were so happy to have seen them! 

After breakfast we slept and then went for a walk in the jungle. Our guide pointed out many trees and insects which you really didn't want to touch and i found it interesting to learn about the habitat of the animals, GCSE geography came flooding back to me as we saw the process of succession demonstrated in the canopy above. At one point the guide stopped suddenly, hearing rustling. We all crouched down just in time to see a young grey gibbon flying past through the trees! They are so fast so it is rare to see them, we couldn't believe our luck! 

In the afternoon we went back to the river where the animals were all out again. It was monkey mania, I think I counted about 20 in one tree! 

As we were heading back the sun was setting, and the colours were stunning and kept changing.It looked as if the clouds were on fire. 

The final trip to the river was possibly my favourite. The sky was completely clear and it was almost a black moon so you wer able to see thousands of stars. Cruising along the river we saw numerous crocodile eyes reflecting back at us, before they sunk below the water... Below the boat!? We saw a tiny croc having his dinner and I couldn't believe how much growing he has to do! Kingfishers were spotted as well as 3 magnificent owls whose eyes were so striking you couldn't look away. The boat stopped just below one of them and I could see the trees and then the stars beyond, it was an unforgettable image. 

I didn't want it to end but sadly it was time to say goodbye to the amazing river and head south to Semporna. The only thing that escaped us was the elephants, but you can't have everything! 

The bus was local but fine and when we arrived at the station we hopped into one of the most beaten up cars I have ever seen to take us to the town. To be honest, Semporna is a bit of a dump, it smells and has a number of creepy men hanging around. However, our hostel was cool and we booked on a dive/snorkel tour for the next day. Yet again, we were wowed by what we saw. 

We stopped at 3 sites on Mataking island and at each one I saw tons and tons of fish in the coral, in fact I think I saw the entire cast of finding nemo! But I also saw over 30 green sea TURTLES! I've never been close to turtles before and I was able to swim right above them, I had to resist reaching out and touching them! I was so close to one I could see every wrinkle in his neck- it was truly one of the best experiences I've had! We also saw a barracuda and Amy saw a tiny seahorse and an octopus! Borneo is clearly full of life above and below land! 

We weren't able to take any photos under water but as you can see the beach was also beaut. 

Altogether it's been an incredible past few days, and we are now back in KK counting down to our climb! We've met a few people now who've done it and we are expecting sore legs for days afterwards!!