#SabahOKBah - Borneo Rainforest Lodge, Danum Valley

After a long drive pass Beluran, Kota Kinabatangan and the Kinabatangan river by itself among other districts that we drove pass, we finally reached Lahad Datu at around five in the evening. On the way into own, there was a police road block. We were told by Jay that the road block is set up indefinitely. It is manned by at least ten police personnel carrying automatic rifles. Their presence is reassuring but the police personnel themselves were quite relaxed as far as their facial expressions revealed. Everyone was going about with their business. Later we would drove pass army barracks with armored vehicles parked impressively in their depot. It was reassuring and furthermore, Jay told us that Tanduo is situated about 100 km away from the town. Lahad Datu town is bigger than I expected. It is not some jungle outpost in the far end of Sabah or Malaysia for that matter. It is a modern town with all the trappings of a, well. a modern town! Lahad Datu has its own airport!

The first order of business was to get us registered. Hence, we proceeded to the office of Borneo Nature Tours. We were greeted by friendly staff. 

Providing our personal particulars to the establishment. Questions like any health problem were asked. The office itself is nicely furnished with nature themed decor. It was soothing and welcoming after a long drive.

These steel water bottles were given to each of us. Apparently, visitors used to leave a lot of empty plastic bottles at the lodge. So the management came up with this reusable and durable bottles to discourage littering. They are really serious on conserving mother nature.  

Borneo Rainforest Lodge has won many awards over the years and we could see right away why they earned those distinctions. They pride themselves for service excellence to their guests and their conservancy effort. Later, one of the senior staff said this to us, 'We don't build fences or keep the wild life out from our lodge because this is their habitat. They are the hosts and we are the guests here'. Well put Elizabeth!

After getting the formality attended to, we were all herded back into the van and off we went to Danum Valley! We were told that we would have to endure another two hours drive. Joy! We pitied Jay because he had been driving since early morning. However, he was all smile! Nothing could dampen this fella's spirit it seemed, he even cheered us on! 'Dakat sudah bah!' he said. 

It was still daylight, so we could see all the shops, residential areas, big public halls and the ever prominent army barracks. Lahad Datu is a big town! But we weren't here for the concrete jungles. 

Mount Silam. Another tourist attraction in Lahad Datu. We had to be contented with just being to drive pass its gates. 

but not before we take a group photo at its entrance. BRL is 77 km away. 

Danum Valley Conservation Area was set up by Sabah Foundation. It covers a whopping 43,800 hectares of pristine and undisturbed tropical flora and fauna. It is one of the oldest rainforest in the world and it is also the second most bio-diverse forest after the rainforest in Sumatra, Indonesia. It boasts 340 species of birds (it is accorded international IBA Code :MY 24 status, IBA for Important Bird Area), 124 species of mammals, 72 species of reptiles, 56 species of amphibians and a staggering 200 species of plants per hectare!

There is a research field centre within the conservation area where international scientists are conducting their respective researches. The construction of the lodge began sometime in 1993 and they went into operation in 1994. Over the years, a few renovations and additions were made and we were the lucky few to be among the first to officially patronize their recently renovated lounge cum restaurant. And yes, there are wild pygmy elephants and Orang Utans. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight what is obvious but is lost to some. The staff and guides would probably be too nice and polite to say this but IT IS A CONSERVATION AREA! IT IS NOT A ZOO! There is no way the establishment could guarantee sightings of specific animal species during your stay. The animals are not caged! Our team did not see any elephants or Orang Utans but we did come across plenty of the former's excrement and a whiff of the later's urine, which is very pungent I tell you.

On the way in to Danum Valley.

Around 7:30 pm, after enduring about 77 km of meadering gravel road, we were greeted by the welcoming sight of the lodge. Their yellow hued and warm lights piercing through the darkness in the jungle was like a welcoming beacon to us. We were enthusiastically welcomed by the lodge's staff and offered refreshment and warm towels to freshen us up while Ms Elizabeth Eva, Assistant Manager-Guest Service briefed us on the amenities available. Our luggage were then carried into our chalets as Mr Calixtus Laudi, Manager- Guest Activities, briefed us on our activities during our stay there.

We were assigned to stay in their deluxe chalets. The establishment has only 31 individual Chalets and could accommodate up to only 60 guests on any one time on a Full-Board basis. There are two categories of chalets;

Deluxe Chalet - River View & Jungle View
Standard Chalet - Jungle View

Each Chalet is spacious and has a balcony with deck chairs that opens up to the river or the forest. Deluxe Chalets have outdoor bathtub each!! We were all given our keys and a Samsung smartphones! Oh yes, I must mention this. Only telco Maxis has connection in the area and the signal is not all that stable but hey, you're in the jungle! Relax! There is WiFi in the main building but again, internet signal could be erratic.

Samsung smartphone to keep you in contact with service staff.

 
We all went to our respective chalets to freshen up before converging again at the lobby for dinner where our friend from The Star, Philip Golingai whom had arrived earlier, would be joining us.

Very welcoming. This is the Chalet where Sonny and I were assigned to.

Almost all timber materials. Minimal usage of concrete material.

The Chalet has a rather open concept. Our balcony oversees the river and the forest. 

The bathtub at our balcony. Bathing in the open. 

Complimentary drinks like 100 Plus and Cokes in the mini fridge. You'll have all your basic creature comforts available. 

A Queen size bed and a single bed.

The Chalet was very well maintained. The effort put in to make it a comfortable stay is amazing! You wouldn't know you were staying in the middle of a primeval forest. We all agreed that they are operating on par with a 5 star resort!

Outside of our Chalet, we could hear the river flowing and nature playing its symphony. The sound of insects and nocturnal birds lulling us to sleep. By the way, there are no televisions anywhere at the lodge and no lounge music either. It's just you and mother nature. Anyway, we couldn't sleep just yet eventhough the beds looked welcoming. We had to meet up with Philip and then plan our activities with Calixtus.

We met at the dining area and was served with sumptuous local cuisine. There were other guests there as well. Mostly foreigners. A few Britons and some Americans. I didn't take pictures as I was busy savoring the food. Yup, I was famished.

After dinner, Calixtus said the night was still young. What?? 10:30 pm is still early? He suggested that we go for their Safari Night Drive. All I wanted to do was head back to the Chalet, undress to my underwear and take a dip in the bathtub while drinking the Rum I brought along. That is my idea of relaxing. However, Sonny, Petrus, Risma and Missah wanted to go. Not wanting to be a killjoy, I agreed to go along with them. It was drizzling but we threw caution to the wind and told our guide, the hunky Dean Jais, to bring it on to us. Hey! We're in the middle of a rainforest and you are afraid of a little rain?!

Our rugged and devilishly charming guide, Dean Jais. He guided HRH Prince William & Kate Middleton when they were in Danum.

We sat the back of this lorry for our night drive.

That's Dean sitting on top of the lorry's cabin. 

Unfortunately, that's the only two pictures we took of the ride that night as it was raining and Sonny only realised the next day that his new Samsung Note 4 is water proof (note this is the second time I mentioned his new Samsung Note 4? I'm waiting for Samsung to call me lol). 

It was raining and Dean told us not to get our hopes too high on spotting a lot of wild animals but we did see a pair of Samba deer, a Mouse Deer and some fireflies. And Risma and Missah invented a new product for BRL, star gazing. We all returned to our rooms all fired up that night. Seeing a wild deer in the wild is more exciting than seeing them in the zoo. 

The next morning, we had breakfast next to the Danum River. Yes, the lodge is built along the Danum River that flows through Danum Valley. 

Pics : Risma Robin

I was talking to this lovely couple from Britain. They got to know of BRL through Lonely Planet. 

We ordered Asian and Western breakfast which were promptly brought to us by our server, David. After our heavy breakfast, we converged again at the lobby where Calixtus and Dean were already waiting for us. We were going to do day trekking in the morning within the lodge's 23 km trail network. 

From left - Sonny, myself, Dean, Philip, Petrus, Missah & Risma giving the SabahOkBah thumbs up before we embark on our trekking. Calixtus wasn't in the picture because he was the one taking it.  

The trail started 'innocuous' enough.

I said 'innocuous' enough because the trail started easy in the beginning but was punishing at later stage. Well, maybe it's just me. Few important things I need to point out to city slickers like me:

1. Make sure you are reasonably fit. Some of the climbs could be challenging and some of the descents are no less challenging themselves. In fact, I think the descents were the most challenging. It really put a strain on your thighs and knees. 
2. As advised by our guides, do not wear cotton clothing. It is humid in there. You will perspire and it will get uncomfortable. 
3. Try to travel light. Navigating through the trails could be very tricky. It won't help you if you carry heavy stuff along. 
4. The guides wear anti leaches socks. Trust their wisdom. We bought ours at the lodge for RM20.00 a pair and we soon were thankful for them. 
5. I wore my RM300/- leather safety shoes while Missah, bought an 'Adidas Kampung' for RM12.00 at the lodge. Missah's 'Adidas Kampung' won hands down. I bought a pair for myself later and realised why villagers prefer them. Good traction and they are light! Do not wear sandals or slippers to the trail as Risma had wanted to do initially. 
6. Bring drinking water!

The trails we were told, were not man made per se. When they first started establishing the network of trails, they simply followed trails that wild animals used. Yes, these trails are actually animals' highway. As far as they could, they tried to keep human impact on the surrounding to a minimal. Only in some places, they had intervened by reinforcing the trails with timber for safety reason. 

Calixtus and Dean as expected, are experienced guide and they know their plants and animals. It is amazing to be walking among 400 - 500 years old trees. With all the trees among us, it is easy to not realise that we were actually walking on a cliff along a narrow plateau. Occasionally, I would look down at my left and right and saw the long fall i would have had I slipped but we were in good hands. Dean and Calixtus would take turn to lead but always made certain that one of them was always at the back to watch over any straggler. Leaches were a problem for us lol. Calixtus and Dean would come to our aid and helped get rid of the leaches should anyone of us got latched on and we were all not spared. 

Dean expertly handled a Millipede 

Tiger Leach

After a long trek, we finally reached Coffin Hill. Coffin Hill is a limestone formation. It is an ancient burial site for a tribe called Subpan. Calixtus told us an interesting story about the Subpan. The Subpans were the ancestors of the present day dusunic tribe called Segama. The Subpans were plagued with leprosy and hence, moved into the forest where they exiled themselves. In the jungle, they learned how to survive on whatever the jungle has to offer. They learned survival skills. Calixtus showed many ways a person could survive in the jungle should he lost his way. No doubt, ancient skills and wisdom passed down by the Subpans. So there was a Subpan settlement within the heart of the forest in ancient times and they burried their dead high up on Coffin Hill. It is amazing how these ancient people could climb and deposit their dead in the crevices of the limestone. 

At Coffin Hill. We were heading towards a 400 year old coffin deposited at a ledge. 

 

The above 300 year old coffin is made of 'Bulian' or Hardwood. It is deposited on the edge of the cliff. Overseeing the valley below. A blowpipe is the only thing that is left in the coffin. It is believed the owner of this coffin was an important person, perhaps a village elder. It is the only coffin at the cliff. Experts believe that the deceased was put in a seated position at the ledge, overlooking and guarding a village below the cliff. Overtime, the corpse could have fallen off the ledge to the valley below. Hence, explaining the absence of bones. 

These bones and coffin are left on site as a mark of respect to these ancient burial site. According to Calixtus, there are many other burial sites but they left them alone out of respect. Only this particular site is explored.

What I had in my hand was a fragment of a broken jar. It has been carbon dated and estimated to date back to the Qing Dynasty. It is left on site out of respect. 

We rested our tired legs at the top where we had full view of the valley below and the lodge itself. After which, we made the descent towards the waterfalls that Calixtus and Dean had been telling us about. 

Beyond Pitas cheeky group photo.

Pic : Sonny. Faery Water fall. The contrast between the white water fall and the black granite rock being shined by the afternoon sun was breathtaking. 

We then headed back to where we came from where a smaller water fall named Jacuzzi Pool awaits us. 

The natural Jacuzzi Pool. We took a dip inside and got massaged by the fishes. 

Later in the evening, we went for a Canopy Walk which is another must do activity while at the lodge. 

The Canopy Walk goes as high as 30 metre from the ground. It is about 300 metre long. The planks that we walked on are 'Bulian' trees or Hardwood. Not for the fain hearted. I only saw a flying squirrel but my team mates saw Red Leaf monkeys. 

Red Leaf monkeys

These are some of the pictures some of us managed to take. 

Oh yes, you probably want to see the newly renovated lounge cum restaurant. 

Dining area fronting the Danum River. 

Very clean restrooms. 

All meals served are buffet style. 

BRL staff singing carols for guests.

I will blog more later. For now, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

By the way, please follow Dean's twit on Twitter, @DeanJais . For more pictures, search the following hashtag on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram:

#SabahOkBah
#BRLDanumValley
#DanumValley