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.

Related posts

• Tanjung Puting National Park (2)
• Our red-haired cousins (8)
• Back from Borneo! (11)
• Yala national park safari (8)
• Mudskippers at Tarakan island (1)

Safari shots continuing. This is the second post on wildlife watching in East Africa. If you’ve missed the first one – here is the link.

The photo of the Flamingos was taken at Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya. This is probably the most convenient place to see these incredible birds in huge numbers. When I first saw them I was surprised. I expected elegant, gentle birds in a tranquil environment, but  came across noisy, clumsy, smelly and funny looking fellows instead. The biggest fun was to watch them chase each other around the shores of the lake. They looked like a children at play. No sign of elegance that I expected.

Another scenery from Maasai Mara NP. An idealistic image of Impalas, Zebras and a Giraffe grazing together in savanna.

Two juvenile Vervet monkeys at play. They have blue butts:) Sometimes a nuisance, but always fun to watch!

A Spotted Hyena – a rare sight at day-time. Besides Wild dogs, Hyenas are my favourite African beasts. (I prefer dogs to cats, he he…)

Common Bulbuls couple. As their name suggests they are one of the most common birds to spot around camps and lodges in East Africa.

Gnu or Wildebeest. Known as the ugliest and dumbest antelope of savanna. Don’t know about their intelligence but certainly not ugly. Funny yes, ugly no…

Classic view of the NgoroNgoro landscape. Zebras and Gnus grazing together.

A donkey in pajamas.

Elephant family marching through Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

Baby Baboon taking the “mama” taxi.

One of my favourite wildlife shots in Africa is this one. A female Impala gazelle bitting off a young branch.

Two young elephants at play. That was an incredible sight. We were watching them for almost an hour in complete silence. Despite their size, they are incredibly gentle and caring animals.

Stripped Mongooses are always seen in big numbers. They are scouting the area for food and they rarely stop. This was one of the moments they stopped for a second when they noticed us.

Grey Crowned Crane. This one was captive at one of the lodges we stayed in Tanzania. A good opportunity for a photograph.

Saddle-billed Stork. The biggest of all storks and also one of the most beautiful ones.

And for the end an unknown animal that I’ve seen only once in East Africa. Very rare animal, probably on the verge of extinction!

More photos from East Africa are coming so get back in a week or so.

Related posts

• On the Safari in East Africa – part I? (7)
• African safari photo tips (11)
• Yala national park safari (8)
• Stripes in Etosha (5)
• Baboons, baboons, baboons! (4)

East Africa is one of my favourite places I’ve ever been. Its wildlife, landscapes, people and pure wilderness itself gets under your skin and you can never forget this unique place on Earth. I’ve been there many times guiding safari expeditions and vacations on Zanzibar island.

Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru Mount Kenya, Aberdares, Arusha, Ngoro Ngoro, Tarangire – these are just a few places I travelled and loved! It is hard to decide which place I liked the most, each one has its unique charms that make it worth to visit.

Kongoni (Hartebeest). Funny looking animal, they are many at Maasai Mara National Park. Actually I like their stupid look and crooked horns

Waterbuck is an antelope with style. A majestic animal, especially adult males with huge horns. Their flesh has unpleasant smell so that carnivores wouldn’t hunt them and their hair is “waterproof”.

Newborn zebra and its mother. A lovely, intimate moment. Lake Nakuru National Park – at the back you can notice the flamingos in the lake.

A Pelican, elegantly gliding among Flamingos at Lake Nakuru. Pelicans are not native to this alkaline lake – the arrived when humans introduced fish into the lake.

Chameleon. Funny little fellow! Once one almost fell on my head from the tree branch. I just love their rotating eyes and their Disco moves!

Sinister look. A young adult lion is having a snack – poor little Thompson’s gazelle. Not much was left for the scavengers – only a part of the scull and the horns.

A special sight – the endangered White Rhinos grazing at the shores of Lake Nakuru. There are Yellow Accacia trees at the back. Lake Nakuru is the best place to see these gentle giants, once we counted them 12 in one day!

Vultures fighting over carcass. There are at least three different species on the photo plus a Marabou Stork (the tall one to the right).

Lilac-breasted Roller. One of the most common and one of the most beautiful birds of African savannah. They are an easy subject to photograph as they are not shy and they like to rest on branches.

This was an unforgettable encounter – a huge lion pride! And although most of them were resting motionless in the bushes, these two charming cubs were playing with each.

Elegant Grant’s Gazelles. The photo was taken just after the rain – you can see they are still wet all over.

In the next few posts I am gonna present wildlife, people and places of East Africa, so stay tuned! You can follow my blog via RSS feeds or via Email subscription (FeedBurner).

Related posts

• African safari photo tips (11)
• On the Safari in East Africa – part II (11)
• Yala national park safari (8)
• Baboons, baboons, baboons! (4)
• Walvis bay – Mola Mola safari (3)

It was damn hot and humid, but we liked the place from the beginning. The first creature we met was this young Proboscis monkey male which was climbing the trees just nearby the park HQ.

There are many beautiful beaches in the park and if you go to more remote ones you will probably have one just for yourself.

Mudskippers are common coast dwellers in Bako. The ones at Tarakan island were much bigger than these here.

Close to park headquarters there is a beautiful Mangrove forest. This is how it looks at low tide. A lovely place to observe Proboscis monkeys and shore birds.

Mangroves at golden hour.

The soil in Bako park is not very rich and this is why there are so many Pitcher plants around. We especially liked the small ones.

Beautiful caterpillar. Imagine how beautiful must the butterfly be?

This mustached pig is a celebrity at Bako. Usually he is hanging around the restaurant waiting for some leftovers.

Macaque monkey. These charming creatures can be a real pest! They are used to people and they are always around, waiting for the right opportunity to steal some food. We saw them come in big number and they just scared away all the tourists at the restaurant eating everything that was left on the tables. Be sure to hide your food in the backpack and to lock your room and close windows tight!

Mangrove forest at high tide.

Pit Viper. This beautiful snake was hiding in a bush just behind the restaurant. It was at the same place at least for the last two months. Our new friends from Montenegro and Canada both told us for it when we met them at Gunung Mulu NP. When we arrived to Bako this was one of the first things to check out – and yes – it was still there! Amazing.

Bako was one of the most amazing places we visited in Borneo. Although it is a small park it is packed with wildlife and it has a great variety of habitats. It is best explored on your own and all you need is a map of the trails and plenty of water. It was very hot and humid while we were there and because of that it was extremely hard to hike around the park. But it was definitely worth the effort. A perfect conclusion of out trip to this fascinating island, Borneo.

Related posts

• Tanjung Puting National Park (2)
• Our red-haired cousins (8)
• Mount Kinabalu National Park (5)
• Gunung Mulu National Park (5)
• Back from Borneo! (11)

The most convenient way to get there is by plane. The flight is not too expensive, but you should book your ticket in advance as it is often fully booked. We were flying with Air Malaysia and we booked online. The flight to Mulu is wonderful. It is short and it offers scenic views of the park. But unfortunately the primary rain forest is being cut day by day and you can watch the palm oil plantations in development as you fly from Miri to Mulu. Shocking.

Canopy walk of the Mulu NP is said to be one of the best in SE Asia. We were really looking forward to experience it! I disliked the idea that the only way to walk is in a guided group. But anyway, we booked the early tour, just when the sun rises in order to see more animals. The walk itself is amazing! You can actually see how does rain forest look like from the top of the trees in an easy and safe way. But the canopy walk is too busy with visitors and therefore it is very hard to spot any animals. We only saw a tree squirrel and a couple of bugs.

For most of the people the caves are the biggest draw in Mulu NP. The caves are magnificent indeed, but again, I was disappointed because the only way to visit the caves is with a guided tour. No tripods allowed – damn! Two reasons why we decided to visit the Niah caves NP later on – so stay tuned:)

Not allowed to photograph inside the caves I focused on details outside. This is a kind of one-leaf plant that grows in front of the caves at Mulu park.

The most popular trek at Mulu is to the pinnacles. It is a three day adventure that includes a visit to a local village, an exciting boat ride up the river, an easy walk to the camp, demanding climb to the pinnacles and on a third day the way back.

The boat ride was great! We spotted a few beautiful birds (including Hornbills) and magnificent Raja Brooke’s Birdwings (Trogonoptera brookiana). Not to mention a pleasant breeze in a hot tropical forest!

After a boat ride there is about 8 km walk through an interesting forest. Not demanding and there is a couple of suspension bridges to cross – always a big fun!

There were no other animals so I photographed this little fellow.

A tree detail.This is a kind of Ficus tree (yellow bark) that uses another tree for a support. Gradually it surrounds its supporter and it suffocates it. A slow but certain death!

On the day two we started to ascend to the pinnacles. The trail is only 2,4km short but the altitude difference is 1200m which makes it very demanding. At some places you have to climb and use ropes to get through! I wanted to catch a morning light so I started to walk much earlier than the others. On the top I was soaked with sweat and I drank almost three litres of water. The humidity makes climbing much harder than in more temperate places. It took me a bit more than two hours and I spotted two small Vipers and a squirrel.

This wonderful view was a proper reward for the hard climb! I enjoyed a silence for more than two hours until the others joined me. There was no nice morning light though. The pinnacles lay on a shady side of the mountain and the sun reached them later when the light was already too harsh. And there was no beautiful mists neither…

But still, the pinnacles are magnificient and it is definitelly worth to climb the mountain!

On the way back to the HQ we finally found a nice example of the Pitcher Plants. I have to thank Paul for this – he is one of the most interesting guys I met during my trip to Borneo! He is a biologist and he specialises in entomology – a true bug hunter – check out his galleries at Flickr!

Gunung Mulu offers some of the most fantastic natural wonders of Borneo, primary rain forest, mysterious caves, limestone pinnacles and rich plant life. Do not expect to see much wildlife though – the place is too busy with visitors and animals prefer to stay away from people. Neja and I had a great time during our visit, also because we met great people and with some of them we are still in touch even now when we are already back home.

And here is some literature we had during our trip:

Related posts

• Mount Kinabalu National Park (5)
• Tanjung Puting National Park (2)
• Our red-haired cousins (8)
• Niah Caves national Park (4)
• Bako National Park (5)

The Kosuta range. On the left (North) there is Austria, on the right – Slovenia. The entire range (about 10-11km) represents the border between these two countries.

Alpine flowers. A kind of Carnation, I guess.

Pure joy 1.

Pure joy 2.

Pure joy 3.

Cheeky jackdaw. These funny birds were flying along the ridge in huge flocks. They are quite tame and some of them came very close to me. In exchange for some breadcrumbs of course.

Last sun rays on the ridge. The colours changed dramatically and the wind started to blow strongly.

It was damn cold, but I waited a bit longer. To get this photo…

Related posts

• Pericnik Waterfall in Winter (5)
• Magnificent views from Mt. Krn (9)
• Julian Alps – a beautiful day. (3)
• Autumn in Bohinj (7)
• Alpine fairytale (5)

As soon as the sun touched the forest, lovely mists started to rise out of the canopies.

There are numerous streams with clear water – ideal for long exposure photography.

The highlight of the park (second only to the mountain itself) is definitely its vegetation. For a moment i thought we were in the Jurassic Park movie when we saw ten metres high jungle fern.

Detail. This is a kind of a palm tree.

Pitcher plants. These amazing plants are subject of every book on Borneo, many postcards and documentaries, but in reality they are quite hard to find. We were lucky and we met an American volunteer who was stationed at the park for several months already and he told us where to find these beauties on the photo above.

Well camouflaged frog. I think its eyes were glowing?!?

Grasshopper. Do not expect to see big animals here at the park. Some squirrels and birds yes, but not bigger and “furry” animals.

Carson fall. It is just after the first checkpoint at summit trail.

When you start ascending the mountain, the vegetation changes dramatically every few hundred metres. We climbed up to approximately 2200m above sea level and it was already totally different world.

The views are fantastic! It pays to get up early in the morning, even if you do not climb the mountain, because the clouds gather quickly after the sunrise.

And the mighty mountain itself! Mt Kinabalu with its 4069 metres is truly magnificent view.

Althought we didn’t have oportunity to climb the mountain we really enjoyed its forest. We spent there two days and we walked more than 30km around its trails. We were dead tired, but the climate is pleasant and the nature so beautifully unfamiliar that we just walked, and walked…

Read the previous posts on Borneo and come back, I am not finished yet!

And here is some literature we had during our trip:

Related posts

• Gunung Mulu National Park (5)
• Tanjung Puting National Park (2)
• Our red-haired cousins (8)
• Bako National Park (5)
• Back from Borneo! (11)

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:

Related posts

• Tanjung Puting National Park (2)
• Our red-haired cousins (8)
• Back from Borneo! (11)
• Samarinda to Berau (3)
• Mudskippers at Tarakan island (1)

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:

Related posts

• Tanjung Puting National Park (2)
• Back from Borneo! (11)
• Yala national park safari (8)
• Tangkoko Nature Reserve – North Sulawesi (4)
• Mudskippers at Tarakan island (1)

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:

Related posts

• Our red-haired cousins (8)
• Back from Borneo! (11)
• Yala national park safari (8)
• Tangkoko Nature Reserve – North Sulawesi (4)
• Mudskippers at Tarakan island (1)