March trip to North Sulawesi started with meeting my girlfriend Neja who was volunteering at Tasikoki Animal Rescue Centre. She could only get a few days off so we decided to visit a nearby Tangkoko nature reserve.

Since the distance was small we hired two ojek taxis (motorcycles) which turned to be a memorable drive through numerous coconut plantations and small villages. We decided to stay at Mama Roos homestay which is a friendly place located just opposite of the entrance to Tangkoko reserve.

It is not allowed to walk around the reserve by yourself. It is therefore obligatory to arrange a licenced guide which is a good idea cause they know where are the best chances to spot wildlife. Tangkoko is fairly small place and the animals are used of human presence and there close encounters are almost guaranteed.

The endangered Black Crested Macaque or Celebes Crested Macaque (Macaca nigra) and the nocturnal Spectral Tarsier Monkey (Tarsius tarsier) are the highlights of the reserve but the other wildlife is plenty and sightings of Hornbills, Kingfishers, Tarantulas and Cuscuses are often and rewarding.

A good idea is to make at least two walks. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. You should start the morning one well before sunrise in order to get to a place where the Black Macaques overnight. Soon after the sun is up they will start to make noise and come down the trees slowly one after another. Its a wonderful experience to be so close to them and watch how they interact between themselves. A knowledgeable guide can explain their behaviour and habits so talk to a guide before you make a commitment.

In the afternoon you can also track some Macaques but the main objective should be the Tarsiers. Local guides know exactly where they sleep and there is a reasonable chance to see this tiny primate when they wake up and start their night crusade. Seeing Tarsiers was awesome! They are even small than I imagined and their funny big eyes and funny fingers…

Run for your life – a Tsunami wave is coming!

Also the tiny fishing village close to the reserve was a nice experience. We went for an evening walk there and I ended up photographing local children who were competing who will entertain us better.

A female Black Crested Macaque.

Grooming time.

Tangkoko beach with distinctive volcanic black sands. A wonderful place for a swim. Too bad it is littered with plastic bottles and bags.

Inquisitive juvenile Macaque.

Bad hair day – every day

Each Macaque family is carefully studied by a scientist who research their behaviour. We spoke with this young French scientist who explained us a lot of interesting facts about the monkeys and the forest.

Hmmm, this doesn’t taste like I expected…

There was a heavy rain at night and Macaques headed to the beach to dry and to find some seafood delights.

Spectral Tarsier just after the nightfall.

Tarsiers are funny but cute creatures. Nothing on them seems to fit – their huge eyes, extra long tail, frog-like legs or Gecko-like fingertips.

On the way back to our homestay we found this giant Tarantula spider. Surprisingly shy and gentle creature!

We spent Three nights at Tangkoko Nature Reserve and it was well worth it. most of the visitors make a half day trip from Manado – usually enough to see the animals, but not enough to experience the forest and its life! So take my advice and spend at least one night there – you won’t regret it!

Update: Almost forgot to say something about photography… The forest itself is pretty much dark so you will need to use high ISO setting most of the time. The Macaques and the Tarsiers will let you get close and sometimes Macaques will approach you themselves. Do not make any sudden moves. I used 70-200 and 17-55 lenses and a macro lens for a Tarantula shot. Since there is frequent rain and the humidity is around 100% you should take a good care of your equipment. It happened to me that my 70-200 lens got foggy from the inside! I had to take it of and put to the sun to dry for half an hour.

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A port at Tanjung Selor. It pays to get early on the boat as it fills quickly.

Here is the proof for that But still comfortable – for Indonesian standards…

Tarakan is known for its Mangrove reforestation project. When you disembark at the port you can already see the saplings planted around the main pier. The place is a bit chaotic though. My advice – stay calm, do not listen to the touts and head for the main road to catch an angkot (a type of shared minivan), the cheapest way to get around.

We needed to stay one night at Tarakan before we continued our trip across the border to Malaysia. I was glad we did it, because when we got there I noticed that there are thousands of Mudskippers all around the coast.

Bastards were smarter than me! No matter what I did and how long I waited that mudskippers would get out of their hiding holes, they knew I was there! These little crabs were far more easier target.

But finally I got a decent shot – with a help of the local harbour workers. They showed me a half sunken ship where I could hide and wait for them. Well I had a great fun stocking these charming creatures. And so did the locals – they gathered in a big number, observing a silly tourist sneaking around the mud with his camera. They even offered me a bucket of water to wash my muddy feet!

This photo is the last one I took on Indonesian side of Borneo. Small boy is selling fuel which is stored in glass bottles on the left.

Tarakan was fun. We got a luxury room without any windows, rather dampish and mouldy. And we disturbed a colony of cockroaches – poor animals!

And here is some literature we read during our trip:

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Kakaban island is really special. In the middle of it there is a salt water lake where live different species of Jellyfish.

On thing all the species have in common is that they lost their sting. It is totally safe to swim among them and you can also touch them (carefully, they are fragile creatures). Amazing experience! This is the first time I wished for waterproof body for my camera. Well, firstly I need to learn diving…

Mangrove forest surrounds the lake and it is quite interesting to see their roots from under the water.

Vegetation of Kakaban island is lush indeed. The forest gives a pleasant shade and there are numerous plants I’ve never seen before.

Kakaban island from the pier.

When we were leaving it was a low tide. We needed to walk to the boats.

The highlight of the trip is the waters of Sangalaki island. There is a strong current and this is the place where Manta rays feed regularly. While snorkeling we spotted more than thirty(!) Mantas. Incredible creatures! The best thing you can do is just stay at one place and wait for them to show up. They will come. When saw the first one I was shocked – it was huge and it was swimming directly towards me! But at the last moment it just circled around me elegantly and glided further. If you stay still you can notice they are quite inquisitive creatures. They were checking me up the same way I did them. One of them even let me touch it!

Besides Kakaban island and the mantas we went to the Coral reef for snorkeling and we spotted two Dolphin families. When we returned to Derawan I was dead tired and we both got sunburns. Take my advice – wear T-shirt while snorkeling – sunscreen doesn’t help against strong sun and you will stay in the water longer than you planned. And take some food with you and plenty of water!

We spent five days on Derawan island, but we could easily stay longer. But Borneo was inviting to move on – we were heading north to Tarakan island and then on to Malaysian side of the island. Stay tuned and check out previous posts on Borneo!

And here is some literature we read during our trip:

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Storm approaching. The weather is really unpredictable on the East of Borneo. There are regular showers but fortunately they last for an hour or so and then again the sun is shinning and the light is even more beautiful.

Sandy beach. A great place for a pleasant walk.

There are millions of sea shells that we never saw before.

At our homestay it was a jetty that was popular with children. Every afternoon whey were jumping to the sea and they were a great fun to photograph.

Children were not the only frequent visitors to our jetty. Sea turtles were swimming in a shallow waters looking for some leftovers from the restaurant.

Just a few hundred metres away there is a lone beach where sea turtles lay their eggs. They come to the shore at dark nights when they feel safer. They are easily scared away so I urge you not to disturb them too much. Do not use your flash and stay quiet as possible. Stay there for a short time only. I didn’t listen to these warnings and I scared away this poor turtle with my flash. Even now i feel bad about it and I will never do it again.

Derawan village from the jetty.

A future mechanic.

Children at Derawan island are pure fun! They are always keen models for a photographer and sometimes you just cannot get rid of them:)

Next time i will post some photos from an amazing trip to Sangalaki and Kakaban islands where we went for a day trip. Stay tuned;)

And do not forget to check my other posts on Borneo!

And here is some literature we read during our trip:

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Take my advice; bring Dollars, but the banknotes should be newer than 3 years! Older ones will not be accepted by banks.

Next day we wanted to fly to Berau, but unfortunately the flight was full. Reading Lonely Planet Borneowe decided to take a bus instead. According to LP it is a 16-hours hell ride. The distance between the two cities is around 400km, which doesn’t sound too much, but the condition of the road is a problem.

When we got to the bus station they told us, that the bus is not going either that day. There was only Kijang (minivan) service available. Kijang means a deer in Bahasa Indonesia and it is usually a Toyota or Nissan Minivan which operates like shared taxi. After four hours waiting that the Kijang was full, we departed. The car was registered for seven passengers, but we were nine – with all the luggage! Imagine yourself being 20cm taller than most of Indonesians and you can understand I wasn’t really feeling comfortable:)

First couple of hours were quite encouraging and by myself I was hoping we could really make it in 16 hours or less.

Then it started to rain…

A car in front of us was stuck, we were stuck and so was everybody else! As soon as I stepped out of the car I was soaked wet, muddy and it was damn cold…

Wearing the shoes was not an option…

We were pushing the cars all night and the whole next day, a car in front of us, our car, the car(s) behind us.. Every hundred metres the same old story. As nobody spoke English, hands and a few words in Bahasa were the only way to communicate. But people were nice. Everybody was smiling, relaxed. This was already a routine for them…

Surprisingly big trucks were able to get further than most of the cars. But even for the big guys mud was a challenge.

We met a wonderful guy Arif, who was managing one of the numerous logging camps. He told us, that his workers found an Orangutan orphan and that we could see it at their camp which was in the vicinity.

We visited their camp and spent there a whole day. They were really hospitable; we could use their facilities and they invited us for a lunch and dinner. We even played badminton with them!

Neja’s heart was broken when she saw the orphan – she spent the whole day with this lovely baby and we promised that we will do all we can to save it. Right now, we are cooperating with Centre for Orangutan Protection to get Peter (Orangutan’s name) to rehabilitation centre.

During our stay I had mixed feelings. We met wonderful people, friendly, generous, hospitable but on the other hand they are cutting rainforest. I understand the local people why are they doing this – it is the only source of income that is available to them. But this is day to day living. In a long term the forest will be gone and their quality of life will be even worse than it is now.

Instead of 16 hours as it was advised by LP we needed almost 65 hours to get from Samarinda to Berau. Although it was very rough ride it was a wonderful experience where we got to know Borneo from a total different perspective. Now I know how difficult is for the people to live in this part of the world, that there is no easy solution to stop deforestation and that people who try to save wild animals do a terrific job which is usually ignored.

And here is some literature we read during our trip:

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But there is also a bright side – there are numerous organisations that are trying to save Orangutans from extinction. One of them is Orangutan Outreach, which is a part of bigger organisation, BOS International. Neja and I just donated a small amount to Orangutan Outreach and with their help we are trying to save a baby Orangutan that we found in a logging camp in the middle of Borneo jungle.

Huh, it is feeding time already! Let’s get some bananas!

I was late and all I found are these leftovers…

I love sugar cane!

Big Tom. Alpha male of Camp Leakey Orangutan population. He is trully majestic! Almost two times bigger than the other males.

Siswi. She is one of the smartest orangutans at Camp Leakey. She was playing around with these leaves and she made a hat out of it.

Sneaky orangutan.

Inquisitive baby Orangutan. His name is Percy, one of the most intelligent individuals at Camp Leaky.

Percy, begging for some more sugar cane.

Rules of the Camp Leakey rehabilitation centre. Some of the rules are constantly broken by visitors AND guides. Remember, these rules are here for our own and orangutan safety.

Tanjung Puting is undoubtedly a great place to see Orangutans. Sightings at feeding stations are almost guaranteed and there are reasonable chances to see them in the wild too. We were lucky and we spotted two wild orangutans while cruising the rivers of Tanjung Puting. We spent three days in the park and when I look back I wish we  would stay there longer. Anyway, I can say this was the most amazing experience of all our Borneo adventures!

Do not forget to check the other posts on Borneo!

And here is some literature we read during our trip:

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Interior of a Klotok. Although the klotoks only have basic equipment they are quite comfortable. Especially if you have the whole boat for yourself and there is a crew of four that takes care of everything you need.

The guys on our boat prepared us lovely meals and I can easily say that was the best food in Kalimatan!

From the boat it is nice to watch Proboscis monkeys, that hang around the river in late afternoons.

Confluence of Sungai Sekonyer and Camp Leakey River. Note the almost black colour of the Camp Leakey river.

Cruising the rivers of Tanjung Puting national park offers amazing views. Especially late afternoon or early morning when the light is beautiful and there are better chances of spotting wildlife.

Rainy day. It does rain a lot, but usually only for a short time in the afternoon and it brings more tolerable temperatures.

Most of the rain forest in Tanjung Puting is the so-called Swamp-forest and most of it is flooded during the wet season. Note the colour of the water – it is like a black tea, as our guide Rudy said.

Gibbon eating bananas. It is forbidden to feed animals in the park, but some gibbons take their chance at the Orangutan feeding stations. I just love the sounds of Gibbons howling in the early morning!

Klotok detail.

As I said, the main reason to visit Tanjung Puting were orangutans. And we had an amazing experience with this incredible apes! Come back later this week to see the photos of our red-haired cousins!

And don’t forget to check other posts on Borneo!

And here is some literature we read during our trip:

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With Tailah, our guide (I mentioned him in previous post on Canal cruise), we visited floating market on Barito river. We started early in the morning when the market is at busiest. Unfortunately the sky was overcast so there was no nice light and I had to use fill-in flash.

Buying Rambutan.

Rich lady going for shopping.

A coconut for refreshment.

Sellers with their boats.

Banjarmasin is famous for its delicious cakes (Kueh).  They make them with bananas, coconuts, chillies, rice… We decided to have our breakfast on the river.

While our host was making the tea for us…

…Neja was picking the cakes wit a stick that had a spike at the other end.

Floating market at Banjarmasin on the Barito river was a great experience. We were the only foreigners there and local people were very friendly. If you are visiting Banjarmasin it is definitely worth getting up early and visiting the market! You can arrange a boat a day before, the boatmen know when and where to go.

And here is some literature we read during our trip:

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Luckily we met a very special guy who happens to be a tourist guide as well. His name is Tailah (on the photo above) . After a short chat we agreed that he would take us to the canal trip and to the floating market on Barito river.

We took a longboat and cruised along the numerous canals. It was late afternoon and people were already home. Afternoon is a time to get together, to wash the clothes, take a bath…

Children were thrilled to see foreigners and they started to jump into the water as soon as they’ve seen us.

The river is the life – literally. Locals use it for everything, even brushing their teeth. You can only imagine what else they do into the river!

Trading hi-fives with children is a highlight of the canal tour.

The children are lovely, I still wonder who was a bigger attraction – us or them? It doesn’t matter anyway – we all had a great time!

Some of them got carried away – this boy climbed a boat at full speed!

Tailah, our guide was acting like a child too:) It is obvious that he loves his job and the people. I can only recommend him as a guide. He is honest, resourceful and friendly. He is also recommended by a Lonely Planet. Here is his mobile number (085821035791), in case if you want to contact him. If you are already in Banjarmasin, he will probably find you first:)

The canal trip was a great experience and from a boat you can see Banjarmasin from a totally different perspective – a better one!

And here is some literature we read during our trip:

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After seven weeks of travelling to Egypt and Borneo I am finally back home to Slovenia. Home sweet home! Borneo is an island full of surprises and extremes and travelling there was not an easy time! It is a special place that makes you cry in one moment and jump for joy in the next.

More photos will follow shortly, but for now just this baby Orangutan. His name is Peter and he is an orphan at a logging camp in Kalimatan (Indonesian Borneo). With my girlfriend we are trying to get him to a rehabilitation centre that he would get a proper care and attention. Not an easy thing to do!

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