Swiroset.com

I start a jet-lagged journey so hard I could challenge an astronaut. Borneo attracts because I have never been there. Just 5 hours to LAX, 12 to Tokyo, 7 to Singapore and 3 to Kota. Please note this is just one way not including layover times. Sitting in economy class, I expect my body to dehydrate, my muscles atrophy, my pores clogged, and my “black belly” bloated, but that’s okay. The bottom line is that I love airplanes. The almost crazy thing about this is that it’s only a 5 day visit and I’m spending almost as much time on the ground as I am in the air.

The best perk of my job is site inspections, ie witnessing first hand what my groups will experience if a destination is new to me. This is far on my globe. Before leaving, I polled friends and asked them, “Where is Borneo?” Only 10% answered correctly. This time I bring Terry and wonder about his strength on his back. But he proves to be a good aviation warrior.

On our arriving flight, I see gleaming white beaches, turquoise reefs, and coconut palms stretching as far as the eye can see. At the airport, we are met by Martin, who will supervise us and answer the 7,000 questions that I have prepared on this earth. It’s hot sauna. We pass cocoa and tea plantations for our first resort stay at Shangri La Tanjung Aru, an oasis of luxury on the South China Sea. In the distance there are 5 coral islands. A short jetty ride will take you anywhere for sea cave snorkeling and world class scuba diving. Further afield is Pulau Tiga with its mud volcanoes where the first Survivor series was filmed.

Here we are pampered like a pair of potbellied pigs with a suite upgraded with fruit and orchids, as well as a beachside massage. I feel like I’ve arrived at Nirvana with a mantra of “I’m not worth it,” but I revel in all the comforts. It’s pure playtime with the activities provided here. And Malaysia’s spectacular buffet breakfasts should be filmed by the Food Channel.

Kota Kinabalu (also known as “KK”) is the capital of Sabah with 340,000 inhabitants. My expectations from Borneo were 5-foot monitor lizards and head-hunting tribal chiefs, but here I am greeted by Starbucks and mega-malls. The city is worn out and struggles hard to develop. Established by the British in 1881, it also has plenty of WWII history. The city’s backdrop is the impressive 13,600 ft. Mt. Kinabalu, UNESCO World Heritage Site for being the most biodiverse mountain on earth. It has a complete ecosystem and is a botanical paradise. There is a staggering variety of rare flora and fauna, including insect-eating plants, funky fungi, and rafelsia, the world’s largest 3-foot petalled flower. It takes 2 years to sprout and lasts only 7 days. The lush National Park is the size of Singapore. Hillside tribes reside on the hillsides. The mountain is afraid of them because they believe it is the resting place of the departed spirits of their ancestors.

For free time we visit museums, craft markets and a water town. I buy gifts of pearls, organic teas, coffee, batik and baskets. As Americans, we feel like VIP tourists as most of the visitors are from Australia, UK, Japan and Europe. The locals are very respectful and polite. There are 30 ethnic groups speaking 80 different languages ​​living in harmony. Many are animists who worship all living things. The main tribes are the Dusuns with their priestesses, the Bajau known as the “cowboys of the sea” and the Murats who live in typical longhouses. They are descendants of the famous headhunters who once proudly protected their territories and decorated their homes with “trophies” that were the severed heads of their invaders. Many here look Polynesian. Bahasa Malay is the main language, a dialect that sounds to me like they are speaking in tongues. The second language is English.

In August I bring 2 groups here. We’ll head inside to discover the essence of Borneo with its pristine rainforests, lush wetlands, and enough wildlife to feel like you’ve stepped into a living zoo. (See our website to order my itinerary on this eco-adventure.) We will learn about the culture and history, but the most exciting part for me will be seeing the rare species of pygmy elephants, Sumatran rhinos, giant crocodiles, bearded pigs, gibbons. , macaques and the ubiquitous proboscis monkeys (the one with Jimmy Duranti’s nose). The highlight will be Sepilok, the largest orangutan sanctuary where we can get up close and personal with these “wild men of Borneo”.

Evenings by the sea here offer a surreal beauty that envelops one in serenity and is utterly romantic. I hate to leave, but it’s time to visit another resort that I have booked for my groups. The Shangri La Rasa Ria is a little piece of heaven where one can do anything or do everything. There’s morning yoga, Tai Chi, golf, ATVs, horses, paragliding, a great spa, and more. Classes are taught in Malay language, cooking, sarong wrapping, beading, blowguns, and weaving. But what makes this resort ultra-special is its Nature Reserve. The hotel helps fund orphaned orangutans here. If the jungle continues to shrink, these gentle creatures will face extinction in the wild. Dr. Galdikas of OFI (Orangutan Foundation Int.) predicts grimly: “Unless extreme measures are taken soon, these forests could be one in 5 to 7 years and the wild orangutan with them.”

We attended a ranger lecture to learn about the “jungle man”, the second largest ape in the world. They are genetically 96.4% human and are considered the most sentimental creatures on earth. A trail takes us up the mountainsides to see 7 protected baby orangutans, most orphaned due to illegal logging that destroyed their homes. Unlike other primates, they prefer to play than fight. “Lemon” had a difficult early life. His mother was killed and eaten by plantation workers. They kept him as a pet chained to the wall of a wooden box for 4 years until he was rescued by the Forest Police. When he got here, he was a bag of bones and dying. For 10 days he refused to eat until one day, a sweet pineapple changed his life. She devoured it whole and since then, Limón hasn’t stopped eating. Now he is 5 times heavier and fills up with fools. Upon graduation, he will be returned to the forest. It’s moving moments like these that spark my passion for travel.

The small country of Brunei is only a 30 minute flight away and has always been on my ‘dream destination list’. Now so close but no time. I have studied this sultanate where 460,000 residents enjoy the highest per capita income in the world due to offshore oil. Everything is free for them and the Sultan of Brunei is richer than Bill Gates. There is no nightlife and alcohol is prohibited, but I need to get it stamped in my passport because it is there.

I look forward to my return and experience the true mystical Borneo. The best trip is always the one to return home. Stepping on board Singapore Airlines, I feel like I’ve gained 6 kilos from all the seafood I’ve eaten. I sleep like a baby on the long drive home via Taipei. The miracle of it all is that my checked luggage managed to follow me 19,000 miles round trip and the fact that I still love airplanes.