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kittykat23uk

@@laurab where can we find your photos? I'd love to see them as thinking of going to Borneo next year.

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Hello@@kittykat23uk

I put them in my gallery. Is that the right thing? Not sure as this is the first time I've done this. I made them public. Let me know and thanks for taking the interest

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kittykat23uk

ah yes, lovely shots :D

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Had the opportunity to travel to Sabah in February 2010. Spent a week on Lankayan Island and then carried on to Danum Valley, which was really fascinating. Definitely will be back there on my next Southeas Asia trip and I will make a point of going to Tabin and the lower Kinabatangan river.

 

Some photos from this trip are here.

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Hi John

I am so sorry about my very late response. I am not naturally a techy and often tend to avoid my computer after work which doesn't help. I have, however, just taken the time to upload my very first album on Borneo 2013, the trip I took with @@Safari Cal which was amazing. He did a great job of reviewing our trip and the contact he suggested i.e. Luca at Naturalis is excellent. I may have been a little tongue in cheek about my introductory comment on HK wildlife. It's not Borneo or Kenya that is for sure!!! I do try and do a few things though such as plan my trips elsewhere (joke!), go to the Geographical Society lectures, get into macro (an ongoing challenge) and try and find a few activities e.g. the night walks being offered at Mai Po marshes by WWF is next on the agenda. It would be great to meet up with you, your wife and @@Anita at some point soon so we can compare notes. @@Safari Cal wishes he could come too as he is a great photographer and I am sure the pair of you would have a lot to discuss. Luckily, he will be moving here next year so there will be another addition to the HK party. While I am on here and having finally upoaded my album, I am also going to get on with writing a small review of the Richard Knocker lecture I went to see at the end of last month.

Hope to hear from you soon

Best wishes

Laura

Thanks for responding. Will try and set something up.
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@@pme. The photos of your trip are beautiful. I'm particularly fond of the whip snake although they are all great. I will definitely go back to the area again as each trip offers something completely different and unexpected. If you go to Tabin, I think that you will very likely see a leopard cat as they seem to favour the dreaded palm plantations in that area. We were only there for three days and saw three!

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Safari Cal

@@johnkok Hi John Hopefully we can also meet up the next time i'm in HK.

 

Whilst trekking I changed it around a little for each place we visited. I carried my 7D with 100-400mm attached and 1D with macro lens. I also had my 400mm +1.4x attached for around the lodge and 10-20mm sigma for landscapes. Thats about it, 400mm f2.8 would be good on the Kinabatangan, but weight may be an issue whilst trekking through the rainforest, although if you targeted certain animals and reacted to radio reports rather than trekking on the off chance of finding something, you could certainly use it mounted to a tripod.

 

My ideal lenses for the rainforest would be 100-400mm to give flexibility, 100mm macro L f2.8 and ring flash for the amazing forest floor shots (bugs, ants, snakes etc) and 300mm f2.8 as a compromise between weight and picture quality (this is on my wish list). Add a monopod or a tripod to this and that's it for me.

 

Funny you should mention the Orangutan rehabilitation Centre at Sepilok, it was my first real experience of the humidity of Borneo on my first visit and boy did I sweat!!! Gomantong Caves beat it hands down though, I left there with a new found respect for the BBC camera crews that filmed there, I don't know how they coped wearing coveralls and masks. As I was drinking water it felt like it was coming straight out of my pores!!! But what an experience :D

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On 5/7/2013 at 9:01 AM, Safari Cal said:

@@johnkok Hi John. Hopefully we can also meet up the next time i'm in HK.

 

400mm f2.8 would be good on the Kinabatangan, but weight may be an issue whilst trekking through the rainforest, although if you targeted certain animals and reacted to radio reports rather than trekking on the off chance of finding something, you could certainly use it mounted to a tripod.

 

My ideal lenses for the rainforest would be 100-400mm to give flexibility, 100mm macro L f2.8 and ring flash for the amazing forest floor shots (bugs, ants, snakes etc) and 300mm f2.8 as a compromise between weight and picture quality (this is on my wish list). Add a monopod or a tripod to this and that's it for me.

Cal,

 

We're meeting 12/5/13 morning after I return from my business trip. I hear you're coming out to HK in the not too distant future so there might well be chances to meet up.

 

I have the old Nikkor 80-400 but it's not the greatest lens, although it's not bad. The range is fantastic of course. Nikon has a new one out but I have not heard anything about it yet. Based on what you're saying, and if 400mm was not the thing, I would probably go with the 70-200/2.8 or 300/2.8 on a trek and perhaps use a mirrorless for the macros.

 

The 400/2.8 was great on the Kinabatangan as it was on a tripod on a boat. Wouldn't it be quite a handful on a tripod even if it's a direct there and back based on other's reccce and radio reports? I have lugged the 400/2.8 on a monopod with its foot in a pouch attached to a waist belt on several occasions. The longest was for a couple of hours out on foot on one of the islands in the Okavango Delta. I have never even dared consider it in a rainforest setting. The closest I came to was the 200-400/f4 on a tripod in HK in the humid months out to one of the parks. (All I got were monkeys. There was not a bird in sight that day).

 

I usually do not change lenses out in the field. I fear my fumbling fingers will result in disaster. Also, the lens not in place will be the lens I need. And the moment I am changing lenses will be the one that the animal will present a once in lifetime photo op. Once the lens gets back on the camera, that moment will be gone. I just know it :-D So I don't change lenses in the field unless in desperate straits. Which means I always agonise over lens choices, and carry "too many cameras".

 

Cheers,

John

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Safari Cal

@@johnkok I agree John, the 300/2.8 is probably sufficient in the forest as it can be hand held and isn't too heavy. But you can never have enough reach on the river ;) I love my 100-400mm lens, it's a great compromise between weight, flexibility and results. But I wouldn't say no to a 300/2.8, in fact I'd say yes please :D

 

I don't like changing lenses in the field either, but sometimes there isn't an option as you say. Having a definite plan on what you're looking for helps and having the zoom and macro gives the best of both worlds. But not the quality of a prime! I attached my 400/5.6 and 1.4x converter for tripod shots in good light around the lodge. My camera bag weighed almost as much as my hold baggage!!!

 

The Danum Valley Rainforest Lodge photographer, Calvin Ng, had a 400/2.8 attached to his D4 and he carried it out on a Sirui tripod in search of elephants on a few occasions with no problem, but he did wait for the reports and then went straight there and straight back. It depends on the shots you want.

 

Great stuff that you're all meeting up next Sunday, shame I can't join you, but I'll probably be nursing a hangover in any case, as it's my Birthday that day and I definitely expect to be out celebrating the night before.

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A magical trip @@Safari Cal and thank you for sharing. I love the leopard cat and the viper photos. Seeing the pygmy elephants must have been something special.

I was wondering why you should tuck your top in but you have answered my question already :)

Very colourful birdlife as well. Well worth going but like you say how do you make time to do all these trips. I need another lifetime :D

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Safari Cal

I need another lifetime :D

Ditto :D

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  • 2 weeks later...
Atravelynn

Even if it was getting dark that mother and baby orangutan is a fantastic shot. What made you choose Sabah rather than Kalimantan or Sarawak? Your monkey and bird shots and leopard cat are wonderful. Since you have been before, do you think you were exceptionally lucky this trip or are these kinds of sightings typical? Drinking Proboscis Monkeys is certainly a rarity. When you asked to go back for shots of the pit viper the next morning, did it have a territory where you'd likely see it? Your close up of the viper's face made the extra trip worth it!

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SafariChick

 

I need another lifetime :D

Ditto :D

 

I need that AND another bank account :P

 

Speaking of which, I haven't looked into it at all but would love to do a trip to this area as well. And my husband, the surfer, wants to head to this part of the world for surfing some day. @@Safari Cal How do the costs of a trip like this compare to safari in Africa? Thanks.

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Safari Cal

@@SafariChick Totally agree about the bank account ;)

 

Excluding international flights, but including internal flights and all transfers, my last trip to Borneo with @@laurab cost around US$6,000 for us both.

 

The main cost was US$3,000 for the 3 nights in Danum Valley which is a stunning location and well worth it. The Kinabatangan River is fantastic and very good value at around US$400 per night. Tabin costs around US$ 550 per night and at the start and end of your trip the Kota Kinabalu hotels are around US$74 -110 per night for a standard room.

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SafariChick

@@Safari Cal Thanks for the cost info - if I understand you correctly that the total for the two of you was $6,000 that sounds quite reasonable!

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Safari Cal

That's right, $6,000 for us both, but international flights have to be added to this :D

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@@SafariChick

Excluding international flights, but including internal flights and all transfers, my last trip to Borneo with @@laurab cost around US$6,000 for us both.

 

The main cost was US$3,000 for the 3 nights in Danum Valley which is a stunning location and well worth it. The Kinabatangan River is fantastic and very good value at around US$400 per night. Tabin costs around US$ 550 per night and at the start and end of your trip the Kota Kinabalu hotels are around US$74 -110 per night for a standard room.

@@Safari Cal

As it turns out Cal, @@laurab totally sold us and I'm asking your Luca for a quote for a trip to Sukau (my second to the Kinabatangan River) and to Danum Valley (my first). I'm looking at the end of this month and early June for this.

 

@@Safari Cal Thanks for the cost info - if I understand you correctly that the total for the two of you was $6,000 that sounds quite reasonable!

@@SafariChick

I've been to safari lodges in Africa many times but only been to Sukau once (stayed at the Borneo Nature Lodge). This was very inexpensive but the lodgings and meals were also very basic when compared to Africa. We had a great time on the boat (which could accommodate several tripods). On one of the days there we went out three times - morning from before 6am to around 10:30am, afternoon from around 3:30pm until after sunset at around 6:30pm and evening from sometime after 8pm until after 10pm.

 

And as you know, unlike Africa, there are fewer varieties of large mammals. But we really enjoyed the proboscis monkeys (especially good if you get to watch a whole troop of them jump into the river to swim across it)

7213901108_8d436ed18f_n.jpg

Well groomed by John Kok, on Flickr

 

and chasing after all those many types of colourful birds with our cameras. This Stork-billed Kingfisher being a prime example

7002041236_a243255689_n.jpg

Catch me if you can by John Kok, on Flickr

 

One other thing to bear in mind is the long road transfers. For example, from Sandakan airport to Sukau is some two hours more or less, but along public roads with lots of inter-town traffic. I am told the drive from Sukau to Danum Valley is about 5 hours. These are not drives I would look forward to :-)

 

As for surfing - I'm not a surfer but I'd look further south - way further south. The south-sea Islands and Australia I reckon.

 

Rgds,

John

Edited by johnkok
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SafariChick

@@Safari Cal thanks for the clarification - love your photos and report and am going to go back and read more thoroughly now!

 

@@johnkok those pictures are fabulous, love that monkey! No, actually that area is primo surfing and husband has been wanting to go to that area to surf for years. The Mentawi islands and other spots in that area are famous. Check out this description in Lonely Planet - actually now reading it, I realize there are primates there too and we might both enjoy going there!

 

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia/sumatra/mentawai-islands

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Safari Cal

I am told the drive from Sukau to Danum Valley is about 5 hours. These are not drives I would look forward to :-)

 

@@SafariChick & @@johnkok The trip will take around 2 hours from Danum to Lahad Datu and then another 2 hours from Lahad Datu to Sukau, we did it at Easter :D

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@@johnkokNo, actually that area is primo surfing and husband has been wanting to go to that area to surf for years. The Mentawi islands and other spots in that area are famous. Check out this description in Lonely Planet - actually now reading it, I realize there are primates there too and we might both enjoy going there!

 

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia/sumatra/mentawai-islands

Whoda thunk? But of course - it's the ring of fire. I was thinking South China Sea off the top of Borneo island. The Mentawai islands are totally exposed - being to the west of the big island of Sumatra, right in the Indian Ocean. That's where the giant 2004 earthquake started, and it's just to the north of that other infamous one - Krakatoa. I can see it now - Indian Ocean waves. Nothing in the way between Mentawai all across to Kenya/Tanzania.

I saw in a documentary that Sumatra itself still has a small population of wild tigers, mainly in their national parks. Being on an island, these tigers evolved separately from their mainland cousins. Hmmm - tiger safari anyone? :-)

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SafariChick

oh great @@johnkok now you have me googling Sumatran tigers. I wonder if there is any kind of safari for them? Hmmm ... back to googling! John, you are planning a last minute trip, good for you! Can't wait to hear about it!

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Safari Cal

 

@@Safari Cal

As it turns out Cal, @@laurab totally sold us and I'm asking your Luca for a quote for a trip to Sukau (my second to the Kinabatangan River) and to Danum Valley (my first). I'm looking at the end of this month and early June for this.

 

@@johnkok Possibly think about flying to Sandakan and heading up the Kinabatangan by boat staying at Abai and then Sukau before over landing to Lahad Datu for your transfer to Danum. We've had some great sightings at Abai :D

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Safari Cal

Even if it was getting dark that mother and baby orangutan is a fantastic shot. What made you choose Sabah rather than Kalimantan or Sarawak? Your monkey and bird shots and leopard cat are wonderful. Since you have been before, do you think you were exceptionally lucky this trip or are these kinds of sightings typical? Drinking Proboscis Monkeys is certainly a rarity. When you asked to go back for shots of the pit viper the next morning, did it have a territory where you'd likely see it? Your close up of the viper's face made the extra trip worth it!

@@Atravelynn Sorry for not replying! I chose Sabah because my girlfriend knew the area and Danum has been on her wish list for many years; as this was my second trip I also knew the types of shots I wanted, but didn't get, after my first visit in 2012. There was nothing surprising in the animal sightings, they're what you'd expect to see on any trip, the quality of each sighting varies though! But I would add that elephant sightings can't be guaranteed, as well as which Orangutans can be hard to spot.

 

The Pit Viper had eaten recently and as such was guaranteed to be in the same location early the next morning, it was a lucky spot by our guide the previous evening, I would say that I've seen a Pit Viper on both trips to Borneo, as well as Mangrove snakes, Reticulated Pythons and Sumatran Cobra, but they were all sightings made by our guide scanning the river bank, rather than looking within a territory. Every trip will be different but I'm sure that each one will be amazing as there is just so much to see from the forest floor to the top of the highest dipterocarp.

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@@SafariChick I think you would need to be very lucky to see a wild Sumatran tiger. But this trip mentions it as a possibility..

 

http://www.steppesdiscovery.co.uk/media/documents/PDF/8/Indonesia Big 5.pdf

While dreaming of the Sumatran tiger, might as well also dream of sighting a Clouded Leopard eh?
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