Saturday, January 24, 2015

Honeymoon In Borneo: Lush Rainforests, Stunning Sunsets and Orangutans!


Last November, I (Elizabeth) took a trip to Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo.

Well, having spent seven glorious days exploring Sabah’s white sand beaches, turquoise waters, luxurious beachfront resorts and lush rainforests, I can confirm that it would make an awesome honeymoon destination!

Today I’m sharing a few of my personal highlights and photos from my time in Sabah in the hopes that they’ll inspire you to consider a honeymoon in Sabah, Borneo too.

Orangutans

Truth be told, before I boarded Royal Brunei’s aptly named Dreamliner flight en route to Sabah, I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect – other than orangutans. I mean, when you think of Borneo you can’t help but think of those playful, bright orange, fluffy and flexible apes, right?

And, as it turned out, high up on my trip highlights was seeing these cheeky little fellas hanging out (quite literally) in their natural habitat.

I saw them at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, in Sandakan, where the staff there are doing all they can to protect and nurture this endangered species (there are only approximately 50,000 left in Borneo). I got another glimpse of these fascinating creatures at the nature reserve at The Shangri-la's Rasa Ria Resort, who care for a small number of orangutans as part of their conservation efforts in collaboration with the Sabah Wildlife Department.

An Abundance Of Exotic Wildlife

Sabah is a nature lover’s dream.

The tropical rainforests, seas and freshwater ecosystems of Malaysia support a rich and diverse array of flora and fauna. There are species in Borneo that you might not even know existed (I certainly didn’t) from the critically endangered Pygmy Elephants (which were upstream when we there!) to the Proboscis monkeys with their abnormally large noses. And from the smallest bears in the world, Sun Bears, to the world’s largest flower, Rafflesia (which wouldn’t look out of place in the Little Shop Of Horrors!)

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