BORNEO FROM THAILAND 2D/1N

14:00 Meet the guide at Kota Kinabalu Airport. Recommended flights:
– FD 470 Bangkok (Don Mueang) – Kota Kinabalu, 09:30 – 13:35
or
– AK 5104 Kuala Lumpur – Kota Kinabalu, 10:05 – 12:35

15:30 Arrival at the base, where we will be greeted with tea, coffee and fried bananas. Proboscis monkeys and long-nosed macaques can often be seen from the pier.

16:00 After rest, we will go along the river with motorboats to see the animals. Proboscis monkeys are endemic to the island of Borneo, they are old world monkeys, so they can feed on mangrove leaves, the tail is only for balance, unlike the new world monkeys, which have proboscis. Their main food is mangrove leaves. The big bloated bellies contain special digestive bacteria that break down food by fermentation. The digestive system is very specific, so food is very limited. Foods high in sugar, such as ripe fruit, cause bloating and can be fatal. This specialized diet is the main cause of death of monkeys in zoos, so they are difficult to maintain and should not be kept in captivity. They live in 2 groups: a family, where there are up to 20 females and one male, and a bachelor pack, where there are only males. They swim gracefully and are skilled tree-to-tree jumpers. But they are shy.

During the cruise you can also see crocodiles, water buffaloes, silver leaf monkeys, water buffaloes, various birds, bats, monitor lizards, lizards and other animals. And don’t forget to enjoy the beautiful sunset!

18:00 Upon returning to the base, a local style dinner of chicken curry, rice, vegetables and fruits awaits us.

18:30 After dark we will go back down the river to see the speed beetles. 5 species (200 species are found in the world) are found in the state of Sabah: p.tener, p.gelasina, p.similis, p.malaccae, p.valida. They flash at different pulses to communicate with each other. Males flash to attract females of the right species.. Artificial light interferes with communication, so they live far from cities where there is no light pollution. From 19-22:00 the best time to watch speed beetles. The beetle’s light source is “cold” light -2% heat and 98% light, otherwise they would die, they live less than one month. Contains a chemical in the stomach called LUCIFERIN, which makes them unpalatable. When the substance is combined with oxygen and with an enzyme (luciferase), a chemical reaction occurs that causes the belly to glow.

19:00 Return to the hotel.

21:30 Approximate arrival time at the hotel, registration. We recommend going to the night market (17:00-23:00), where fruits, food, seafood are sold. Next door is the Filipino market – a market of local artisans, where you can buy local products and a variety of pearls, ranging in price from 5 EUR for small freshwater pearl bracelets to thousands of EUR for large sea pearls.

08:00 Breakfast at the hotel..

09:30 Meeting at the reception with the guide. The trip to the village takes 40 minutes. Upon entering the village, you will be introduced to the rules of internal order.

10:00 To enter the village, you have to cross the river by crossing a bridge suspended from trees. The village is located in a picturesque place, on the bank of the river, there is a waterfall right there, and you get to the past.

Here you will get to know the 5 ethnic groups of the state of Sabah, 3 of which were head hunters. This tradition was still alive during World War II when the local natives fought against the Japanese. You will learn about the traditions of the natives, enter their house, taste local food and drinks, even rice wine, and learn local dances and pastimes such as archery. If you want, you will get a henna tattoo.

12:00 After getting to know the natives, you will be invited to an entertaining performance. During which, you will be able to learn bamboo dance. After the performance, you will have time to take pictures with the dancers and shop at the souvenir shop. But on the terrace you will have lunch (buffet), where there will be local meat and vegetable dishes, as well as fruits.

13:00 Transfer to the airport. Recommended flights:

– FD 471 Kota Kinabalu – Bangkok (Don Mueang), 15:00 – 17:05
or
– AK 5131 Kota Kinabalu – Kuala Lumpur, 15:40 – 18:10