23rd – Myne Resort

We were a couple that stayed up last night talking so it got late enough that our pre-breakfast morning cruise started with 4½ hours of sleep. But there is nothing like potential wildlife sightings that wake you up! It also helped a bit that from the main building of the resort a gibbon could be spotted far away in the top of a tree.

Gibbon far away.

We sailed around for a bit more than 2 hours and sow more kingfishers, birds in general a more monkeys (though no orangutans).

Monitor lizard.

Storm's stork.

Stork billed kingfisher.

Macaque.

Blue-eared kingfisher.

Pied hornbill.

Storm's stork.

Female and male rhino hornbills.

On return we had breakfast and at 1030 we went out for a 2-hour walk in the area. Nothing really sighted except for an orangutan which was first missed by half the group which was then called back when the back half spotted it. It had apparently been sitting 4 meters above the path and just observing when we had walked underneath it, but as we had been busy keeping an eye on where we put our feet looking up was not a priority (which it should always be when wildlife watching!). It was a male estimated at around 30 years and even when getting away it did it very elegant and gracefully, it never felt like it was in a hurry.

Orangutan.

Lunch was had at 1300 and then we had some downtime until 1600. Some of us talked about wanting to have another walk around but the idea was quickly shot down as we were informed that there easily could be elephants in the area. Nobody felt it worth the risk of standing face to face with an elephant just to get a potential extra sighting of something. So relaxing was had until we went back out on the river. The sightings were the same mix as we were getting use to by now.

Return for dinner at 1900 and at 2000 we went out a final time for a night cruise, the final activity when here. We ended up seeing a few crocodiles, a couple of birds, a few swimming elephants in the distance and that was mostly it. But with total darkness except from what the moon on a clear sky gave us it was limited how much could be seen with a single spotlight. It has to be said, though, that the driver/spotter was quite good at locating what was out and put the light on them. Everything considered it was a nice trip though it would have been luxurious to spot pythons and cats of various kinds. But alas, there is a limit to our luck.

Borneo crocodile.

Black crowned night heron.

The 4½ hours of sleep was felt on the way back on the afternoon cruise but a couple of cans of coke during dinner ensured keeping me awake during the night cruise. But I expect that the moment I lie down on the bed I’ll crash immediately.

We are leaving tomorrow at 0730 to make it to the 1000 feeding of the orangutans at the rehabilitation center we are visiting, and spending the night close by enables us to also see the feeding in the afternoon at 1500. I think it’ll be great.