After a long journey from Langkawi to Sandakan because apparently there are no direct flights! sleep deprived, we arrived on the edge of beautiful rainforest. The exhaustion didn’t matter as the humidity and tranquility hit us. Butterflies and birds were every where as we checked in to Sepilok jungle resort.
We arrived at our room and Richard went to the toilet… bit strange I’m telling you that but it caused the first scream I’ve ever heard from him, as a huge spider climbed out of the pan. We quickly learned to flush before and after!
Whilst eating lunch at the resort’s Banana cafe, which is a cool wooden house on stilts upon a massive pond, catfish were bobbing their heads up out of the water.
On the first day, we ventured to the Rainforest Discovery Centre which is a vast amount of virgin rainforest for you to explore. We didn’t spot any orangutans but the jungle sounds and the canopy walks were immense and flying squirrels and spiders were however, easy to spot.
We walked 13km in total on the hunt for wildlife, through undulating forest. Borneo has the highest snake diversity in the world, being home to around 160 species! We didn’t see any though much to Richard’s dismay.
Dinner was gorgeous. It was Malaysian ginger chicken with rice, some of which I gave to a lonely, thin street dog who hid under our table. He enjoyed it too! All you can hear during the evening is nocturnal creatures and insects.
I got to wear my new top which was a great spot from walking past a little shop in Langkawi. The frilly sleeves are divine!
Today we went to the Oranutan rehabilitation centre. It opened in 1964 to rescue orphaned baby orangutans from logging sites, plantations, illegal hunting or kept as pets. We could see from the aeroplane the vast deforestation occurring and it is catastrophic. The centre allows the orangutans to be semi wild. The rangers throw fruits and sugar cane on to a platform twice daily in case they don’t find their own food. We saw a few turn up but it’s better if none come as it means the rehabilitation has been successful and they have become independent.
They are hilarious! Their behaviour keeps you interested. To me, they are very child-like, only lacking in manners, having more hair and a greater ability to move through trees.
The centre also has great veterinary facilities and they teach the youngsters lots of rainforest survival tips ready for the big wide world, including how to build their own nests. You can adopt an orangutan, check out the website.
Next door is the Sunbear rescue centre. These are the smallest bears in the world and on the vulnerable list due to theirs homes being destroyed. They remind me of dogs as they pant and forage. They can transverse really high in search for honey or bugs, and each has a unique marking on their chest, a bit like a finger print.
A bit of fashion to finish or should I say jungle style….Here’s me next to a huge flower wearing my New look head scarf or bandana (ideal for a sweaty jungle humidity head), vintage cream Denim Levi’s, a Topshop T-shirt and my Converse.
Kelly ‘ Hole in my Pocket’
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The Vogue Vet 