Sri Lanka 2026

Headed to breakfast, we'll miss this view and the lovely restaurant Finally managed to spot a pigmy elephant! We left the jungle behind and headed for the city of Sandakan. We'll miss all the little customs, such as leaving shoes outside the dining areas. The nearest that we got to seeing a real pigmy elephant was some elephant poo on the road and this photo at the toilet stop! We re-traced our steps back to the “swish lounge” in Lahad Datu. Where we had coffee/tea and biscuits and waited in the comfortable lounge whist our guide took the unwell guest to the clinic.  Boarded our bus, heading north then east on the main road to Sandakan. it was lined with palm oil plantations, in the usual regimented lines, terraced if the land is hilly. The road was bumpy filled with potholes with houses alongside at various intervals   Our packed lunch from the hotel was pretty disappointing after what we've been eating the last few days, chicken and rice with an apple. Eaten on the bus a...

Up at 6 a.m. this morning for a canopy walk. The sun was just rising up through the trees.  The canopy walkway was a bit more sturdy than the one in Mulu No sign of any orangutan but we saw a few birds and had some lovely scenery  The plan for the day is for 4 different walks. I have rebelled and am not doing the one after breakfast! Breakfast, by the way was excellent. Neil went on the first portion of the walk with half of the group. A real trek through the jungle, including our first sighting of a leach! The swimming pool was lovely but contained some nibbley fish. Seeing another millipede and wild banana on the way back. The remainder of the group walked up to the view point that we can see from the restaurant, they had their swim on their way back. I caught up on the blog, sat on our balcony enjoying the warmth, listening to the birds in the trees and to the insects. Saw some red leaf monkeys in the trees as well.  After lunch and bit of a siesta we went on another g...

We set off after breakfast, our last boat ride across the Kinabatangan River. Heading for the primary rainforest in the Danum Valley. Boarded one of the two mini buses and drove for a couple of hours past the endless palm oil plantations. The fruit is harvested with a long scythe. Past several villages  We arrived at our transport change over point in Lahad Datu to be taken into a very swish “lounge” Where we were given snacks, tea, coffee and had the use of some very swish toilets. Just noticed that p etrol here is 2 ringits (35p) a litre. The 4x4 was equally swish. We began the 2 hour journey on dual carriageway with palm oil plantations flanking the road. The roads become narrower and gravelled as we got nearer. The last 20 km or so we were in primary rainforest. The roads extra  bumpy. Crossed a couple of rivers. Borneo Rainforest Lodge is a wonderful place! I think that we're going to have a great time here. Lunch was amazing, actual salad! Had some pasta too, funnily eno...

After a sound nights sleep we were up at 5.30 a.m for an early morning river cruise. Tea/coffee served at the restaurant and we set off (upstream this time) at 6 a.m. Dawn was breaking, the river still and the air felt cooler after last night's rain and was filled with bird song. Our boat driver and guide is excellent, his first spot of the day was of a young crocodile, which even I could get a photo of as we got so close! Next were the macquacs A troop of 40 ish. Again, near enough for us to see really clearly. Lots of mums with tiny babies. We watched their antics for some minutes, as they squabbled, groomed each other and sunbathed in the early morning sunshine.  We had swallows skimming the water and  flying alongside the boat. Pairs of birds soaring overhead. Neil took lots of great photos, oriental pied hornbills, bee eater, collared kingfisher, herons and crested serpent eagles. The river was steaming in the sunshine as we headed back for breakfast. It was a fabulous ho...