Posted by Ben Gardner on January 21, 2009 at 9:34 AM
Hey all, My fiance and I are planning a trip (Honeymoon) to the above titled places sometime in 2010 for about 4 weeks. I am starting the research now on where to go, stay, what to see etc so if anyone has any experience, knowledge on the areas that would be great either posted here or via email.
My fiance is pretty understanding so any photographic locations would be good. Orangutans are a real favourite for both of us and i would love to see/ photograph them so advice on the best places to see them preferably away from toursits would be good.
Both of us are not fans of touristy things so any off the beaten trail destinations/ recommendations are most welcome.
Thanks all and hopefully some of my first images from my new Nikon d300 will appear here soon, well as soon as I get a chance in between sorting my ecology survey season. Still a couple of months away and all I am hearing is bats and Great Crested newts.......
No personal experience, but as they say, I know someone.
A friend of mine has done Orang-utans, exactly where I’m not sure, but she did get some great shots.
She is away in China with her camera(s) at the moment, and won’t be back for another few weeks, so !!!!
Take a note of my e-mail: 2ray@f2s.com and contact me direct, in say four weeks, and I’ll make a few enquiries for you.
Best that way, as this thread will soon disappear into the bowles of NaturePhotographers.net.
Sorry I can’t be of more help.
Posted by Ben Gardner on January 21, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Thanks Julian thats really handy. I will be sure to look into all your suggestions. I have not been diving for over 4 years now so a bit rusty but nothing a few refresher dives in murky english water wont sort out.
You could not pick a better place for your Honeymoon. My wife and I are visiting Sabah again in May for the 6th time and have still got lots of new places to visit and sights to see.
Sepilok is excellent for photographing orangutan which are in the process of being rehabilitated but it can get crowded and you also have to be aware of the charge made for "professional" photography which is based on the focal length of your lenses. More than 200mm and it will cost you a significant amount extra.
Rasa Ria resort outside Kota Kinabalu (Sabah state capital) has its own private reserve taking in over-spill from sepilok and whilst it is very small it does give an intimate view of orangutan which cannot be released back into the wild because of the destruction of their habitat.
Seeing them in the wild is incredibly difficult and the work needed to get good shots would not be appreciated by your new wife, I am sure.
Like Julian I would recommend Kinabatangan, I have found it great for proboscis monkeys, which are fantastically odd and if you are lucky you may even see gibbons- you will certainly hear them in the early morning. Like Danum valley a quick walk in the jungle, particularly at night will see a few hitchhikers join you.
Looking at Julian's gallery there is an image of a sunset at Turtle Island and although the opportunties for photography are limited I would recommend a visit to see the protected laying of turtle eggs and experience the release of the latest hatchlings, because lights are controlled during the hours of darkness the sky on a clear night is spectacular.
Overall you should not be dissappointed. Malaysian Borneo has something to offer everyone, the only downside is seeing the swathes of oil palm plantation which have resulted in so much deforestation.
Borneo Adventure are good but also look at Wildlife Expeditions (http://www.wildlife-expeditions.com/). Any questions then just ask.
Posted by szekiat chan on January 22, 2009 at 2:53 AM
drop me an email and i'll put u in touch with a local guide i used a few years back. he speaks english and his brother in law is an expert spotter. He could spot owls from a speeding boat on the river which impressed me. He is also relatively cheap (when i last went in 2006). U just need to sort out air tickets to sendakan, sabah (fly to KL and then change to an AirAsia domestic)
Discussion
4 repliesMy fiance is pretty understanding so any photographic locations would be good. Orangutans are a real favourite for both of us and i would love to see/ photograph them so advice on the best places to see them preferably away from toursits would be good.
Both of us are not fans of touristy things so any off the beaten trail destinations/ recommendations are most welcome.
Thanks all and hopefully some of my first images from my new Nikon d300 will appear here soon, well as soon as I get a chance in between sorting my ecology survey season. Still a couple of months away and all I am hearing is bats and Great Crested newts.......
Thanks
A friend of mine has done Orang-utans, exactly where I’m not sure, but she did get some great shots.
She is away in China with her camera(s) at the moment, and won’t be back for another few weeks, so !!!!
Take a note of my e-mail: 2ray@f2s.com and contact me direct, in say four weeks, and I’ll make a few enquiries for you.
Best that way, as this thread will soon disappear into the bowles of NaturePhotographers.net.
Sorry I can’t be of more help.
Ray I will email you in a few weeks. Thanks
You could not pick a better place for your Honeymoon. My wife and I are visiting Sabah again in May for the 6th time and have still got lots of new places to visit and sights to see.
Sepilok is excellent for photographing orangutan which are in the process of being rehabilitated but it can get crowded and you also have to be aware of the charge made for "professional" photography which is based on the focal length of your lenses. More than 200mm and it will cost you a significant amount extra.
Rasa Ria resort outside Kota Kinabalu (Sabah state capital) has its own private reserve taking in over-spill from sepilok and whilst it is very small it does give an intimate view of orangutan which cannot be released back into the wild because of the destruction of their habitat.
Seeing them in the wild is incredibly difficult and the work needed to get good shots would not be appreciated by your new wife, I am sure.
Like Julian I would recommend Kinabatangan, I have found it great for proboscis monkeys, which are fantastically odd and if you are lucky you may even see gibbons- you will certainly hear them in the early morning. Like Danum valley a quick walk in the jungle, particularly at night will see a few hitchhikers join you.
Looking at Julian's gallery there is an image of a sunset at Turtle Island and although the opportunties for photography are limited I would recommend a visit to see the protected laying of turtle eggs and experience the release of the latest hatchlings, because lights are controlled during the hours of darkness the sky on a clear night is spectacular.
Overall you should not be dissappointed. Malaysian Borneo has something to offer everyone, the only downside is seeing the swathes of oil palm plantation which have resulted in so much deforestation.
Borneo Adventure are good but also look at Wildlife Expeditions (http://www.wildlife-expeditions.com/). Any questions then just ask.