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Borneo
Here are some pictures of my pilot trip
to Sabah, the northernmost, Malaysian province of Borneo,
with 18 readers of Third Way in September 2000.
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In addition to ‘conquering’ Mount Kinabalu,
at 4,095 metres the highest peak in south-east
Asia, watching the prolific wildlife on the river
Kinabatangan and seeing a leatherback laying her
eggs on Selingan Island, the highlights included
a night and a day as guests at a village of former
Murut head-hunters so remote it doesn’t appear
on most maps. Their welcome was quite overwhelming.
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Our guide (in the lead, left) was a delightful
local pastor who had formerly been a national
boxing champion. ‘A superb holiday,’ wrote one traveller;
‘a truly amazing experience,’ wrote
another. ‘It is hard to convey the impact
of all we saw and did,’ said a third.
I’ve also organised four trips to Ecuador
and one to Kazakhstan
and Kyrgyzstan.
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Cruising on the river Kinabatangan, looking
for proboscis
monkeys, crocodiles, elephants and snakes
Looking down from the upper slopes of
Mount Kinabalu
Sunset above the clouds
The beach of Manukan Island, which boasts
white sand and crystal-clear water teeming with life
Back to the top
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A close encounter
with a (rather young) ‘old man of the forest’
Whiling away the time on Selingan Island
while we waited for a turtle to come ashore
An orchid in the
Rafflesia National Park
White-water rafting down
the beautiful Padas gorge
A proboscis monkey trying
to look gainly
The
‘improbably high granite peak’ of Mount Kinabalu
Photographs:
Lesley Bellman
Julie Excell
Huw Spanner
David Sprackling
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