The "Proboscis Monkey River Cruise and Fireflies Tour Itinerary"
1330 hrs: Depart From Kota Kinabalu for Beaufort, two hours overland to the Southern part of Sabah. (It was a scenic route of mountains, towns and rice fields.)
Garama Camp
Boat ride
Only in Borneo
Proboscis Monkey
Alpha-male & Harem
Monkeys at play
Water buffaloes and friends
1830 hrs: After dinner, a short walk to the viewing deck to catch the glimpse of fireflies decorating the mangrove trees like a Christmas tree. After 10-15 minutes of firefly watching, it’s time to head back to Kota Kinabalu.
2100 hrs: Estimated time of arrival in Kota Kinabalu.
Jesselton Point is the main port to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TAR). Expect to pay for additional fees. Speed boat operators show 16 Ringgit for a ride to the island and back, but are kind enough to let you know that you must add 6 Ringgit for tax and another 10 Ringgit for admission fee before entering each island.
Pulau Sapi: is said to be the best island for snorkeling when in TAR. Although it does have a coral garden of some sort, the claim is only being said probably because it needs its marketing banner for tourists.
The 28RM (+/-) buffet by the restaurant offers a more humble but competitively appealing layout of food playing on Malaysian-Southeast Asian-Indian cuisines while the a la carte menu, from which we chose from, allows you to customize your own meal with the variety of offerings while allowing you to still keep in mind your budget and appetite. Lunch had us some divine chicken satay served with savory rice cakes and refreshing zucchinis bites, a few tasty vegetable samosas and some squid and prawn fritters. A satisfying and filling lunch, which could only lead to the inevitable -- a nice short nap on the next island on our itinerary.
Pulau Mamutik: is probably the best island in TAR. Snorkeling is great even with exciting currents to make skin diving a great exercise. It is the least populated yet is developed enough, accommodating a food stall and scuba center. In addition camping is allowed in this Pulau. Trees along the stretch of fine sand provide shade for an intoxicating afternoon nap. After lunch, there is nothing but whispers from the wind, hypnotic buzzes from insects and a calm crash of waves on the distance. Spending an entire day is highly recommended.
There are many other eco-adventure activities to do in Borneo, Mt. Kinabalu alone takes 3-days off the itinerary. Other attractions include Orangutans over at Sepilok, dips in the Poring Hot Springs, a scenic old-school train ride, white water rafting, diving in Sipadan, and the list goes on.
Borneo surely is a haven for nature-lovers and nature freaks -- from newbies to hobbyists to extreme seasoned challengers. With all that Borneo offers, almost everyone can find any eco-activity suited to one's liking and fancies, and KK is definitely the city you'd want to jump off from and end with your Borneo Adventure.