Most Inspirational Moment
On the river canoe trip, watching the elephants crossing the river and struggling to get up the muddy bank on the far side. This was a rare event and we watched for ages as the baby struggled up the bank with the help of the adult herd. Truly amazing! Spending the night in the jungle camp was an experience. No electricity, and only a roof and a mossie net to protect us from the thunder storm is something I'll never forget. The boat trip back from the island in rough seas, I was dreading, but absolutely loved it...thrilling!!
Thoughts on Group Leader
She was excellent. Very patient and understanding of our needs. She was ready to spring into action at any point and did so with a smile on her face the whole time!
Advice for Potential Travellers
This is an adventurous holiday and can be quite challenging at times.you need to be prepared for basic accommodation, which is described in the brochure and web site as such, but "showers" were often a barrel of rainwater and a scoop, and toileting was somewhat of an adventure..especially when you find a frog in the toilet! It really makes you appreciate the comforts of life, though, like toilet paper and hot running water! There are a lot of "beasties", most of which love to bite or sting so take some antihistemines just in case! I'd advise breaking up the jouney there with a stopover as the time difference can be difficult. We had a great time in out homestay, the house was clean and comfortable and we played with the children for hours ( learn some good hand clapping games!), so not speaking the language wasnt a problem. Other families were not so lucky though, so our group had a mixed response to this aspect of the trip. You just need to go with the flow on this part. We booked the trip so that we could visit Sepilok, but I was disappointed that there were so few orangutans to see and they were quite far away...its so much better to see them in the wild!
Suggestions
If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, then Borneo is for you. I am so pleased we had this adventure, it challenged me several times, but looking back on it now I realise how lucky I am to have been there to experience it.