Click on pictures to expand them

Pictures of animals in Sabah, Borneo, part of Malaysia

There is a wealth of wildlife along the Kinabatangan River. Large areas of forest have been designated as nature reserves to protect habitats from the encroachment of agriculture and logging.  We travelled up the river in a small boat with an outboard motor.

We were lucky to catch a glimpse of this rare Borneo Pygmy Elephant browsing on the banks of the river. Although there are called pygmy elephants they are only slightly smaller than the Asian elephants we met throughout India.

It was wonderful to watch Hornbills flying over the river. These birds mate for life so they are usually seen in pairs near the tops of the trees. Occasionally a flash of bright colour would appear near the banks as kingfishers darted past. The one above is a Heron Billed Kingfisher.

The Orang Utans in Sabah are a different species to the Sumatran Orang Utans we saw in Indonesia.

These fascinating animals are always a delight to watch. This female swung through the trees with her infant whilst clutching a bunch of wild bananas with her feet.

Whilst Orang Utans are shy, elusive and endangered the Macaque Monkeys are bold, successful and ubiquitous. They are frequently  seen around human habitation thriving from the food they collect there. Whilst coming close into the bank of the river to see a monitor lizard we looked up and found we had moored under a huge banded mangrove snake coiled in a tree only a couple of metres from our heads. 

It’s difficult to watch Proboscis Monkeys without smiling. The stare very rudely when you drift past. Seeing them in a group they look just like people sitting gossiping.

The male Proboscis Monkeys have big bulbous noses.

These charming Silver Leaf Eating Monkeys were inquisitive, yet shy. They would stare from tree tops but move away quickly if approached.

Inquisitive Otter which darted quickly away

On our last day on the Kinabatanga River this Estuarine Crocodile was basking near the jetty.

Pictures of Bario in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak in Borneo, Malaysia

Click on pictures to open them

De Havilland Twin Otter plane arriving at the airfield at Bario, Kelabit Highlands

Reception line for the opening of the 2010 Bario Food Festival. The whole community turned out to welcome dignitaries and visitors.

Kelabit women regard long extended earlobes and extensive leg tattoos as signs of beauty. These practices however are taken up less enthusiastically by the younger generation.

The rich farmland high on the cool plateau in the Kelabit Highlands in Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia is home to the famous Bario organic rice. The Kelabit people, who were once head hunters still live in modern longhouses. These are wooden link houses built on stilts. Long communal verandas can either be open for meetings and festivals or closed in as cooking areas. 

Margaret chatting to some of the older ladies still living in the longhouses. Their families have graduated from university and lead successful careers in the coastal areas of Sarawak, in other parts of Malaysia or in other parts of the world.

We enjoyed the Food Festival, chatting to the local Kelabit and Penan people, sampling jungle food and admiring the hand crafts. In the evenings we were inpressed by traditional music, singing and dancing.

Catherine a very friendly Penan woman who looked after us at the evning festival meal of wild boar and jungle vegtables. Having fun with visitors from Indonesia, just a few kilometers from Bario, who had been invited to the festival.

We were invited, along with Chris and Sarah, to plant cinnamon trees on the war memorial hill. The Memorial is to a group of British and Australian soldiers who parachuted into central Borneo to set up local resistance fighters to disrupt the Japanese occupation of the island.

Pictures of a Chinese Community Wedding in Penang Malaysia.

Click on pictures to expand them.

Allan and Margaret being introduced to the happy couple by their friends Albert and Faye.

The ten course wedding banquet was superb. Every delicious dish artistically presented. Our friends Albert and Faye.

Mass catering behind the scenes. Cooking whole chickens in a giant wok.

The Bride and Groom took their vows in the family shrine in the Bride’s house.

During the Tea Ceremony, left, the Bride and Group serve tea individually to the oldest and most senior members of the family in order of precedence. On the right Margaret is with the girls.

Bride and Groom with the Bride’s Family at the Brides House.

Bride and Groom and the Groom’s Family home in Penang