Lower Kinabatangan

Serene

Pic: Early morning mist danced gently on the watery surfaced and clung playfully on the trees as if nymphs just awoke to the tune of a slow symphony. The lull will soon be broken when the harsh sun rises and the forest awakens with the chatter of wild things while their nocturnal counterparts put in for the day. Sukau, Sabah, 2003

Located in the District of Sandakan, the lower Kinabatangan, Sabah's longest river is a sight to behold. Large swatches of protected forests still virgin explode with wildlife and flora. The Sukau Forest Lodge is one of two major tourism centers here, the other being the Tabin Wildlife Reserve. The main attraction to be found is a chance encounter with a monkey with the largest nose you'll encounter, proboscis monkeys. Here they are found in large numbers seen swaying in the tree line by the banks, feeding, grooming and sleeping. A boat ride through one of the many tributaries will often give you a clear sighting of one of these critters. Another sight, if you're lucky (we were not), is the rare pygmy elephants that are said to appear at times to forage by the river. But primates are abundant here and the only funny thing to note on my trip there was my friend keeping on insisting that the monkeys we saw did not have a large enough conker to warrant it a proboscis (which it turns out to be). Experience the tranquility here as you'll be miles away from civilization, the resort is reached by a near 2 hour drive through dirt road (be ready for aching butts) and no village appears for miles away. Though that night we were "fortunate" as a staff member was having his wedding and we were serenaded till 4 a.m.! The only respite was when the generator died for half an hour but after that hiatus, they redoubled their effort to catch up! Haha