Some pictures from my phone

View from Gaya Island Down Below dive shop

Down Below pier

View from flight from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu

Entering Sandakan

Sunset on Kinabatangan River

Sunrise on Kinabatangan River

Breakfast at the Pacific Club

We have returned to Kota Kinabalu and are staying at the Pacific Sutera Hotel.

The last day of our Borneo Adventures itinerary

Because we did the orangutan and sun bear centers yesterday, we had a free morning. Which was great because we got to enjoy our wonderful deck and look out at some great birds as they started their day. I got some great pics from the deck! If only all the wildlife came to me on the deck.

After breakfast, we took a walk around the boardwalk at the resort. It wasn't as extensive as the one in Abai Jungle Lodge but we were able to see a pair of Borneo gibbons as they bounded out of a tree across maybe 5 trees and got to a noisy start to their day. It was a fantastic sight.

After lunch we went to a palm plantation where they feed the proboscis monkeys that live nearby twice daily with cucumbers and bread. We got some great shots and got to see a little confrontation between a couple males. Apparently if they fight, they slap each other but I didn't come up violence.

This concluded our jungle adventures. Off to the airport to head back to Kota Kinabalu for the diving portion of our trip.

MY nature resort

After a speedy boat trip to Sandakan, we visited a market in town. We saw so many freshly caught yummy looking fish. If only we could take them home and cook them! Next we went to our next hotel for lunch. After 2 days of slumming it in the bare bones, no AC Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge and Abai Jungle Lodge, we were glad to be back in "civilization" at MY nature resort with AC, a huge picture window looking at the forest, all in a wooden chalet. There's even a fan in the covered deck that allows for comfortable lounging and a swimming pool.

After lunch we visited the sun bear conservation area and the orangutan rehabilitation area. The sun bears are the smallest type of bears and they gave a unique pattern on their necks. We saw 4 of them which is pretty good because there's 43 at the center. The orangutans in the rehabilitation center found their way there because they were either rescued from captivity as pets or abandoned babies. They try to teach them how to climb and make a sleeping spot in the trees and forage for food so they can be released back into the jungle when they are old enough. However, they only have a 66% success rate of successful release :(
Nothing can compare to seeing them in the wild but seeing them in the center definitely allowed me to take fantastic photos. At one point, I was only 3 feet away from one!