31 January 2014

The Borneo jungle beckoned to us long before we finally reached it and the experience of finally being there was truly spectacular! The wildlife was incredible and the scenery like something out of a dream – it is almost too beautiful to describe!

Our jungle destination was the Bilit Adventure Lodge, which is nestled quietly alongside the great Kinabatangan River.  We did a two night stay here and then, a week later, returned for another three nights in specifically in search of the elusive pygmy elephants who had managed to evade us on the first two nights.

Bilit Adventure Lodge itself is a real slice of heaven in this already dream-like place, with dark wooden cabins and wooden boardwalks blending perfectly in to the surrounding jungle. Monkeys, tortoises, deer and hornbills were regular visitors within the lodge area and the sounds of the jungle gave us both a frog-lined lullaby in the evenings and a refreshing wake up call in the early mornings.

The river cruises are mornings (1 hour) and evenings (2 hours) as this is when the most animals are up and about alongside the river.  Despite being a completely open motorboat (with place for only 8 people), regular rain did not deter us from venturing out in search of the fascinating wildlife of the Kinabatangan jungles.

TIP: We wore clothes that could get wet and that would dry easily.  We left all valuables locked at the lodge and took only cameras (in waterproof bags).  Caps also help to shield eyes from the rain.  No shoes needed in the boat, so leave them at the lodge under the dry cover of the communal dining room.

LAUGH: While preparing for our trip, I came across this hilarious review on TripAdvisor by wiredfrog.  Read this review if you want to have a good laugh; and also to get a sense of what the river cruises can be like if it’s raining heavily.  Please note however, that this was a very over-dramatic rendition of what we actually experienced during our five days (which were still in the Nov-Mar monsoon season) and that the superb wildlife spotting is sure to make up for any discomfort experienced.

The meal times at the lodge were also a real highlight for us, with delicious cuisine inspired by Malay, Indonesian and Western methods.  Tea times were even better, with little cakes, buns or sweet local delicacies that tickled our taste buds and filled the gap for our two hour cruise before dinner.

TIP: Take a pair of (quick dry) long pants and long shirts for evenings to avoid getting attached by mosquitoes.  We didn’t use any repellents (brave or stupid?) but have not picked up any illnesses from the thousands of mosquitoes we donated blood too during our month long stay in Borneo (supremely grateful)!

We did the jungle trek one morning which took us out to one of the ox-bow lakes.  We were relieved to have hired gumboots though as we had mud up to our ankles in so many places. Also, with hungry leeches all around (in trees, plants, mud and grass), we were also so glad to have had long sleeves and long pants (everything tucked in tightly to avoid leech bites) as many of the other tourists got nice fat leech surprises when they checked under their clothes! Lucky for us, the leeches ignored us completely.

At the time (February 2014), the dormitory-style rooms were almost fully completed, but lucky for us, we got to stay in the fancy cabins (air conditioning, double beds, en-suite bathrooms, lounge overlooking the jungle, kettle and shower).  It was far more than we were expecting and made for a rather wonderful few days enjoying the jungle in luxury. We stayed in the cabins that have names such as ‘Proboscis Monkey’ and ‘Western tarsier’ – the one with the best view was Cabin number 3 (the front-facing room) as this is where I watched a comical pair of Oriental Pied Hornbills who danced along the water tower every morning after tea.

Bilit Adventure Lodge also offered us a chance to plant a tree in their property (at MYR 10) to help replenish the loss of vegetation that is caused each year from flooding.  We proudly contributed a small little tree somewhere next to Cabin number 3 and hope to return one day to see if it survives long enough to do its part for the Kinabatangan jungle.

Read more about the tour package here.