A present from mother nature

It wasn’t until the very end of my stay in Borneo that I finally got to know the monkeys of the island. As soon as our boat arrived at the Bako national park, we diverted our route and got dropped off on the beach instead of the jetty. There was activity in the trees and we all got excited. Even before the tour of the park had officially started, we had seen the probiscus monkey.

Excited, we walked around the trees, staring up and following the monkeys. In my enthusiasm I even forget about my shoes and backpack and just left it on the beach. Luckily there were no cheeky monkeys or people and it was right where I’d left it. Looking at the trees it’s just like a man with a really big nose is sitting in the trees. The evolution theory has never made so much sense.

My trip to this park was already amazing and all my expectations were met. But it got even better. The beaches are like a paradise, with yellow rocks and the lush forest close by. And in this forest crawl and play lots of creatures. On a nature walk with a guide I saw a flying lemur sleeping in a tree and a viper snake all curled up in a bush. It’s the same type of bush that I’ve been brushing past unsuspectingly for the last hour…

I saw so many animals and it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. The path through the jungle went up and down over steps of rocks and tree roots. You had to stay focused so you didn’t trip. I learned about the power plants of the jungle and edible plants that I’d had on my plate at dinner time. Jungle ferns and other weeds are surprisingly tasty.

The walk led us to a gorgeous beach, where I had a picnic on the rocks. It was surreal. It was ridiculously hot and I was glad we took a flatter route back to the main building. Along the way we saw many naughty macaques. They are not shy at all and are only too eager to take off with your belongings.

At the very end a big surprise was waiting for us. There was a big group of silverleaf monkeys and this turned out to be a rare happening. The monkeys came so close and just carried on eating leaves. Only a mum stayed well away from us. On her belly hung a bright orange baby, whom she protected carefully. Unlike the other monkeys, the silverleaf is super elegant and looks like it’s dressed up for a ball. They hopped through the trees not bothered by the clicks of the cameras.

After over two weeks in Borneo I finally saw my monkeys and I saw three different kinds. I couldn’t believe my luck. What a beautiful piece of the world this is!