It is no surprise lately I am interested more and more in wildlife adventures. It is not just a cliche but a genuine interest to see endemic species in the wild wherever I go. I love living my Animal Planet moment again and again.

Before my usual research, I wasn´t so conscious where Borneo was, but I have watched many documentaries. It sounded like an exotic, very far away place on earth. When investigating recommended itineraries in Malasyia, only then I realized “East Borneo” wildlife tours were available. This immediately caught my attention and I wanted to learn more about it

Borneo is the third-largest island in the world, and the only one shared by 3 nations: Malasya, Indonesia and Brunei. It’s known for unique wildlife, diverse cultures, and dramatic landscapes.

Proboscis Monkeys

These incredible animals are so iconic with those big nose in males, that I really wanted to see them.

There are effectively 2 options to see them: choosing acruise safari in the Kinabatang river to see them truly in the wild , or visiting them in a sanctuary nearby Sepilok. – I did both 😉 (surprise!) –

Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary

This place divides opinions in terms of how ethical it is. It tortured me for a while as Intrepid Travel does not recommend going there, but my local guide who really cares about nature and his natural heritage told me he did not see the problem.

In all honesty, same feeling as in Madagascar, after seeing them far in trees and FULLY in the wild, the experience does feel a bit different. You see them just standing and eating which is GREAT for photography. You see them super close and definitely worth it, but there is something about it that feels different. On the other hand, you can hear their very distinctive noises!

They are not caged or mistreated, I learned the ethical dilemma here relates to the fact that the owners are the same responsible for the palm oil industry. My thinking is always the same, I am already there and still animals are free and well fed. I always like to say it´s nothing like a zoo when applicable. They just go to the feeding platforms but otherwise have an enormous natural habitat to live in.

Male proboscis monkeys develop massive, drooping noses that act as resonating chambers, amplifying their loud calls to attract females and warn rivals; bigger noses signal better mates.

There are different feeding times and 2 platforms. It can be visited anytime but it´s better to plan ahead and be there at the feeding time to see them closer. The food is given by the personnel only and you cannot interact with them, again it´s not a zoo. It takes about 30 minute drive from Sepilok.

Video at the sanctuary

Another video, this shows better the group and surroundings. The sound they make is quite peculiar!

Kinabatang river cruise wildlife

As I anticipated, the second and most authentic way to see Bornean wildlife is via a River Cruise. One of the best places is located in East Borneo, in the Kinabatang River.

Looking at different companies, the standard itinerary typically includes 2 nights at a riverside lodge with 3 opportunities for river safaris. The day you arrive you take an afternoon cruise, and 2 more on the next full day. Early morning and afternoon, when wildlife is more active and the heat is less intense.

More Proboscis Monkeys

The following pictures are taken from the river boat. We saw a couple of small families along the river

Found only in Borneo’s mangrove forests, they stay close to rivers, often sleeping in trees along the banks. They live in groups (harems) of a dominant male, females, and offspring

Grey Monkeys / macaques

Other monkeys call this place home. These grey monkeys are easy to see by the river, but also nearby the lodges since they are immersed in the rainforest.

I loved seeing them play and interact, many times just grooming and jumping all over the place from one tree to another. I know I sound repetitive, but nothing beats seeing animals behave in the wild!

Compared to the probosic monkeys, these are super cute to see but it feels like you can see them elsewhere in Asia 😉

Still, it is a different vibe when these are not monkeys “used” to the cities but you can see them in the most natural way (so no trying to steal anything from tourists 😉 for example) We are in their world, not the other way around.

Hornbills

You can find these amazing birds in warm, wet rainforest up to 1,400 meters high. They live in places like Borneo, Sumatra, Java, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore and southern Thailand.

The Rhinoceros Hornbill is a large South East Asia rainforest bird known for its banana-shaped casque. It has black/white plumage, red/blue eyes (male/female). Their casque is so bright that it allowed me to identify them in contrast of the green foliage. They are a lot bigger than it looks in photos!

Bonus: Pygmy elephants and crocodiles

Other inhabitants of the area include river crocodiles. We saw a couple of them, from tiny crocodiles on the river bank to much bigger ones. Also, one the “big 5” in this area is the pygmy elephant: the smallest elephant species in the world. On our last safari, we covered a good distance to try to find them.

Unfortunately for us, they did not come all the way by the river but we saw them briefly when they got close. The rainforest scenery is always special but it means they are more difficult to spot in such terrain. I am happy I got to see a couple, but I also have to admit I was all over the orangutans and proboscis monkeys on this trip 😉

Video

Some clips from the river cruise. Certainly wildlife here can be very far so zoom is needed and the small boat is moving (me justifying the excessive movement 😉), but you need to understand the context. This is more than expected when realizing most of these are arboreal animals and that´s the beauty of it.

This covers to a good extend the wildlife we saw in the river cruises.

What about orangutans?

You must know a big expectation of this area (if you are lucky) is to see orangutans in Borneo. This is true, but I didn´t get to see them at least in these 2 days in the river cruise. Thankfully, I did see them in Sepilok and I have dedicated own blog for that.

Wildlife in the resort

Monitor lizards

The wildlife part is not over 😉 In my free time and keeping my resting time to minimum as always, I kept walking around to explore the location from top to bottom. My curiosity paid off and I saw several monitor lizards!

Monitor lizards are the second biggest lizards in the world, after the Komodo dragon! Considering I have not seen yet Komodo dragons (in my list though 😉), this really shocked me because I have never seen such a giant lizard! They can reach up to 2 meters

Monkeys… again

I had a lof of fun wacthing a big group of monkeys in the lodge. I was the only one walking around near the pond. (I mentioned already who needs rest?)

I got closer, but fun fact is as soon as I stood still mosquitoes were on a mission! 😉 They were jumping from one cottage to another, it was a like a big monkey party.

Night jungle trek

On my last rain forest / wildlife adventures, there has been this concept of night trek. You go with a guide, a lamp and look for wildlife that is active during the night.

We saw sticky insects, some birds (one of them sleeping, pretty color!), scorpions and frogs!

River lodge experience

The actual time in the lodge was a very nice experience. Lovely wooden cabins by the river in the middle of the rainforest. Very spacey and comfortable so I can totally recommend Borneo Natural Sukau Bilit Resort.

There are some bread and breakfast and more budget friendly places to do the safaris, but ours was incredible. (Normally G Adventures chooses high quality accomodations)

Our boat was small and perfect for our small G tour group. One fun fact is we wore neutral / military color live vests, and the reason for this is to disturb nature the least. I saw some other tours with bright orange jackets (more “my style 😉), but that´s how I learned we were doing the more responsible thing.

Some 360 were shot as well to remember the tiny planet we discovered during these 2 days

Finally, some panoramic views. We had good weather when it mattered, only in the second day and already on our way back we had a huge storm. For photography, clouds in the landscape are always better 😉

Panoramic views

Until next time! Cheers, Nat