NikonGear'23
Travelogues => Travel Diaries => Topic started by: Olivier on October 22, 2017, 10:41:24
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Following Ann's brave lead, I visited Borneo with my family for a week. While Ann (queen of Sabah!) went to the north of the island, we explored Sarawak on the western side. Our plan was to get at taste of the jungle in Mulu national park and to see animals near Kuching, especially at Bako National Park.
I am definitely not equipped for safari and was not ready to invest in a long lens that I would not use otherwise, so I had to do with what was available:
- Fuji X-T1
- Samyang 12mm f/2
- Fuji XF 18-55 f2.8-4
- Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 for really low light situations and portrait
- Nikkor 75-150 f/3.5 Series E: my safari lens!
- A small Jobo flexible tripod that proved useful in many situations
We were actually lucky enough to see a lot a wildlife from really close and while a longer lens (Fuji 100-400?) would have been nice in some situations, my macro lens (Tamron 90mm) would have been even better as we saw a lot of facinating small wildlife such as stick insects. Fortunately the Fuji kit lens has some OK close-up capabilities.
I have no complaints about the X-T1 as ISO 6400 is still very decent and proved enough in most cases, except in caves where my small tripod saved the day.
We landed in Miri, coming from Singapore. Miri was completely destroyed during WW2 and rebuilt in a functional and cheap, tasteless manner that makes the city look quite unattrative. Fortunately people of Borneo easily make up with a warm and welcoming smile. Anyway miri was just a one night stop, with great seafood, before catching a morning flight to Mulu National park, just behind Brunei. Mulu is accessible by air or with a 3 days longboat trip on many curving rivers. While this sounds really attractive we did not have enough time for such an adventure and picked the quick option... 30 minutes in the air over what is left of the coastal jungle and what replaced most of it (huge palm trees plantations) and you are in another world (picture 1). Mulu is mostly renowned for its magnificent caves hosting millions of bats, for spectacular rocks shaped as needles (the Pinnacles) and for its botanic diversity.
We spent two days there and opted out the Pinnacles as it takes three days in the jungle to go there and come back.
The jungle is full of wildlife but it is actually very hard to see any without the help of a knowledgeable guide. Fortunately Mulu's rangers and guides were hired from the local village made of sedenterized Bantan people. They have spent thousands of years in the jungle and know everything about it, and have developed admirable social skills: there is no history of conflict, they share everything they have with the group, there is no private property, and they never predate on other human groups. The worse insult in this civilization is to be accused of not sharing...
Our first guide took us to Deer and Lang caves, about 4 km away from the headquarters. The man knows everything about plants and their ability to heal, kill or feed you. We walked on a wooden path (Picture 2) and actually saw a lot from there (pictures 3 to 5).
Pictures of the caves are in the next post.
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Deer cave is the largest cave in the world accessible to tourists. you could easily park the Queen Mary 2 in its main room. It is also home to 7 millions of small black bats that hang on the ceiling, more than 100m above our heads. we did not see many individuals during the day, but black patches made of hundred of thousands of them.
What you can't miss is the ammonia smell of their dejections. In some places the floor is really soft, I wonder why!
It is hard to stay dry in this cave as water is dripping from everywhere. At some places, it really looks like a shower.
The last picture shows the entrance of the cave, from which the bats exit in huge clouds at sunset. We were there of course but they decided to stay at home for the night. The guide said the temperature was too low (only 28°C!).
I have added a video (not mine!) found on Youtube that shows the almost daily exodus. They can go as far as 60km from the cave and come back with 30 tons of insects...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgz-CBTh7VM
Pictures 6 to 11
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Olivier, I'm enjoying your viewpoint that is, as easily predictable, very different from Ann's.
You captured a very unique cicada. Borneo is full of wonder...
You have more to share, right? :D
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Hi Akira, I have more indeed, I just need more time!
A cicada? I am so disappointed, I was hoping it was a unicorn!
Thanks for your nice words
Olivier
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Hi Akira, I have more indeed, I just need more time!
A cicada? I am so disappointed, I was hoping it was a unicorn!
Thanks for your nice words
Olivier
Absolutely no need to be disappointed. You are witnessing wonder of the nature!
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Thanks Oliver for letting us take the trip with you.
Images are sensitive an interesting, as you do. Love that little creature -I´m sure is an unicorn posing as a cicada- and the images of the cave, specially the one with pouring water. What a place!
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Lovely photos, another interesting aspect of Borneo.
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That's a great unicorn, Olivier.
Thanks for posting. Your pictures, and Ann's, are showing us a great side of our planet.
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I am enjoying these beautiful photographs enormously.
There are bat caves in Sabah too but I simply did not have time to visit them and your dramatic photographs make me wish I had been able to fit in a visit to them.
I see that you also found one of those curious "Lantern Moths" (although they are not actually a moth). Their lantern lights-up at night with a bright blue light.
I am longing to see more of your pictures from the trip . . .
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I see that you also found one of those curious "Lantern Moths" (although they are not actually a moth). Their lantern lights-up at night with a bright blue light.
Oh, I thought that was of Membracidae genus. :-[
Thank you for the correction!
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great proof of the old wisdom that it is the photographer who makes the picture not tje equipment. We know you as an exceptionally skilled pixel composer in real light and infrared and it shows. wonderful perspectives, sensitive design, great feel for the space you explore.
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Beautiful set of images. Sorry you didn't saw the bats flying out.
I especially like the cave-images. :)
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Very interesting series with some beautiful images - thank you.
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Thanks everyone, you all are too kind!
On our way back to the lodge we found a good looking scorpion on a tree just next to the path. My son lit it with his phone (it was really dark by then) while I too the picture.
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The day after we traveled by boat up the river to visit another cave. The trip itself was really interesting as it let us visit a Bantan village, and it is also a good opportunity to see birds and the jungle itself.
The cave looked like the endless stomach of a whale, and looking from the entrance it evoked the open mouth that just swallowed us...
Pictures 13 to 18.
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Olivier, wonderful series, thanks for taking us to see your adventures
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Some great photographs which evoke the unique atmosphere of that island so very effectively.
It's quite wonderful that one can now photograph in total darkness with the light from a pocket torch or an iPhone.
Your Scorpion friend wouldn't have caused too much pain (Big Pincers and a small Tail and Stinger!).
The opposite combination is the one to watch out for!
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a very different world. Thanks for taking us there!
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Many thanks to all. I have currently no access to my computer as I have been travelling and now we have visitors at home but I expect to post more pictures within a week.
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I missed this post so far, it is so full of goodies!
I especially like the cave shots, and particularly the very last one. Cave shots are not easy...
Also the weird insect in the first batch is something...
Also great to see that the Fuji served you well.
I share your point of view on long lenses and although I now have the 55-200, for a long time I have been very happy with the Nikkor Micro AIS 200/4. It works well for a number of applications, being obviously excellent in macro where it is my lens of choice (but I still use it also for ladscapes, etc). Worth trying to get one, they can be found inexpensively on eBay but make sure the excellent tripod collar is included.
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Thank you Simone. The 55-200 has good press and is on my radar...
Back to this thread with a few more pictures.
Pictures 19 and 20: the art of camouflage. Some have it, some don't...
I was really impressed by the stick insect. We have seen quite a few of those, thanks to the guides and rangers.
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We left Mulu National Parl and flew to Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. The city is quite lively and nice to stay in, we especially liked the atmosphere on the river front and in the old Chinese quarter. Kuching is the starting point to visit many spots. Our main target was Bako National Park, where we hoped to see more wildlife than in Mulu. It is home to a few hundred of proboscis monkeys, to macaques and silver leaf monkeys. Luckily we say many of each, as well as other smaller and more threatening animals.
The park can be reached by boat and offers beautiful beaches. It is best to stay one night in order to do a night visit, and to be there early in the morning in order to look for monkey's morning activities. Accommodations in the park are cheap but definitely not worth what you pay for. The lodges are old, dirty and smelly, but in the end we did not regret our stay.
21: arrival
22: macaque carrying a baby (barely visible here). The little one was deeply asleep and she handled it like a soft doll.
21 and 22: silver leaf monkeys
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Wonderful series Olivier
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Wonderful series, specially the first of the monkey, worth in a Borneo book. Beautiful family, congrats!
About camouflage: stick insect as a stick, ok; stick insect as four people is the real deal. ;D
Thanks for sharing them
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Wonderful portraits of the Silver Leaf Monkeys.
Although I met their Red Leaf cousins, I wasn't lucky enough to meet any Silvers but perhaps they are native to Kuching and are not found in Sabah?
The huge triangular rootstocks which support those giant trees are very spectacular and your family shot emphasizes the dimensions of that enormous tree trunk most effectively.
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Thanks again!
A few more, including night shots taken during a great outing with a ranger
23: the dangers of asymmetric body building
24: dinosaur
25: the storm is coming
26: big stick at night
27: it looks unassuming but I hear it is venimous
28: Trash collector
29: Hakuna matata is what my daughter sang for an hour after we saw this...
30: green encounter
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To almost finish this thread, here are a few pictures of proboscis monkeys. We met several of those climbing in trees, eating around, playing with their mates... They don't seem to be bothered by human viscinity.
The magical moment was when we say one proboscis sitting on the handrail, looking calmly around and letting us come very close to him. I could have shaked his hand... He let me shoot portraits for about 10 minutes, more than I could dream of from my kids!
Pic 31 to 35: Proboscis monkeys
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and to really finish this thread, the kids of Kuching greet you from their fun pool!
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More fascinating photographs of some special creatures which are only found in Borneo!
The tree frogs, with their little padded toes, are so endearing but are the dinner-of-choice for the Green Kuchin Pit Viper in your last shot which is indeed highly venomous so photographing him from a respectful distance was a good decision.
The single-clawed Fiddler Crabs are endemic to Borneo; as are the wonderful Proboscis Monkeys which are now so highly endangered because of the oil palms that have replaced large areas of the indigenous forest but which provide no food for the fruit- and leaf-eating monkeys and the Orang Utans.
You obviously all had a marvellous trip and I suspect that this won't be your last visit to Borneo?!
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Very nice pictures ! 😊
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The portraits are really great.
First Ann, now you. Borneo is climbing on my list. :)
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Thank you, Olivier, for these fabulous images! The encounters with unique animals and insects should be endlessly inspiring.
By the way, I wonder where the image #29 under the title "Hakuna matata is what my daughter sang for an hour after we saw this..."?
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Thanks everyone for the nice words. You are all too kind!
Ann: it is great that you can add name tags to all the creatures I don't know. I certainly hope to go back to Borneo, and most likely to Sabah. Not in the near future as there are so many options from Singapore. The next trip (besides France for Christmas) is most likely probably north Vietnam in March. We are starting to work on that now. We also start talking about New Zealand in a foreseeable future.
Chris: I was not prepared to shoot close portraits in the jungle, fortunately the Nikon 75-150E is a very good performer for that as well.
Akira: you are right, I did not attach the image! Silly me. Here it is now.
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Akira: you are right, I did not attach the image! Silly me. Here it is now.
Thanks for the image, Olivier! That makes sense! Silly you? Hakuna matata! :D
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You found a Bearded Pig!
I heard that there was one digging around behind the kitchens in Danum Valley but, by the time I got my shoes on again, the Pig had disappeared.
(By custom you remove your outdoor shoes when entering a Bornean house or Lodge.)
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a chance to catch up with this thread. phantastic seeings and great depictions of Borneo wildlife. I am blessed by your generosity to share these
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A •wonderful• series, doubly interesting to me because I have never experienced the tropical jungle. The cave pictures are really special, as well as many others.
Thank you, Olivier, for this rare treat.
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Thanks again!
Ann: the bearded pigs were everywhere in Bako. It was hard to find a place were they weren't working the ground. I believe the "no shoes in the house" rule is pretty much applied all over Asia.
Dave: the jungle is fascinating indeed, although i have seen it mostly from easy and safe places. I am pretty sure I could not survive one day on my own... And we have pythons even here, in Singapore. The other day my young neighbor spotted one playing with a cat. The cat is still alive it seems.