Borneo little adventure...

[armando_m]

Olivier, wonderful series, thanks for taking us to see your adventures

[Ann]

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!

[Thomas G]

a very different world. Thanks for taking us there!

[Olivier]

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.

[simato73]

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.

[Olivier]

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.

[Olivier]

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

[Fons Baerken]

Wonderful series Olivier

[golunvolo]

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.

    Thanks for sharing them

[Ann]

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.

[Olivier]

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

[Olivier]

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

[Olivier]

and to really finish this thread, the kids of Kuching greet you from their fun pool!

[Ann]

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?!

[MFloyd]

Very nice pictures ! 😊