I'm glad you had a good time at the BRL. We didn't get nearly the rain you did!

I'll look at your photos when I have a break today.

Thanks for your report. We will be there in late March and I am hoping it won't be as wet as your experience, but realize that anything can happen. What shoes did you wear and do you have any opinion regarding which would work best? Other than leech socks and insect repellent, any tips on things we should have on hand? On my way now to look at your blog.

Ichin- just read you blog and it was very interesting. Some mundane questions, though.
Where was the best place to do your leech hunting...in the shower or out on your balcony, or elsewhere?
I assume with all the rain that your clothes did not dry well. Suggestions for a 3 night stay as to how best to deal with that?
We are planning to go to Mulu and you said it takes more than a day to get there. Can you tell me more?
Thanks.

Loved your blog and your photos! It took me back there.

We were there in November, and only had one real downpour - while we sat in the lodge sipping Laphroig with an English naturalist and an Scottish botanist. We hiked in the mist, but not in real rain.

So sorry about the weather. DH and I had a trip planned to BRL for this past week but had to cancel because of a change in our work schedule. We hope to go some other time (now I'll try to arrange it during the dry season). How was the rest of your trip to Borneo?

Ichin' read your blog and was sp happy that you had that great orangutan sighting as you were leaving. What a nice ending after all that rain. Sorry to hear about the rain. They told us when we were there Jan.20 to 25 that it waa just the beginning of rainy season. We had 2 whole nice days and one with some rain. Felt like we lucked out. But whatever the weather, it's a beautiful place!

Answering some of the questions -
We had backpacking boots and they worked well. We waterproofed them before we went. Hiking socks were good but impossible to dry for the next day; take several pairs in case they get wet. Some people had gym shoes - not good as they got soaked and were slippery in the mud, especially when hiking in the woods through paths with tree branches and rocks. Hiking on the dirt road is not too difficult. The guides had those Malaysian shoes but our guide said they have good traction but your feet get very wet since they are very low cut.

We didn't need our insect repellent though we brought deet. Bring lightweight clothing as I found it the most comfortable to wear wicking short sleeved jogging shirts (bring several as you will sweat and clothes washed don't dry) and carry an umbrella. If it is drier weather, there may be mosquitoes and you might want insect repellent shirts, or long sleeved shirts. Hiking pants worked well for us as they are cool and dry quickly - don't wear jeans! I found the poncho to be too hot. Their umbrellas work well. Bring a pair of flip flops or slippers to wear in the lodge and going to and from the cabins. I think they had laundry service. You have to leave your boots at the door so having something easy to slip on and off is more convenient. Bring binoculars. A headlamp is nice to have.
If you plan to take photos, be prepared for rain, and have a cloth to clean your lens. My lens was constantly fogged up. I never used my tripod as it was too muddy and mucky. Inside the rainforest and when it is raining, there is not much light so it is difficult to take photos with pocket cameras, esp. when the animals are far in the trees. Telephoto lenses work much better.

Our routine when finishing a hike was to stand outside the door and do a cursory check on each other for leeches. Then remove boots and leech socks, checking them inside and out. Then go right inside the door, remove all clothing and check our bodies. We then jumped in the shower and washed body and hair. They provide hair dryers, which are also useful for drying your clothes. Their showers are wonderful by the way! The leech socks get really grubby but they dry quickly when washed. If you are a sewer, you can make your own. Just google leech socks to see what they are like. They are made of a light poly fabric with drawstring tie at the top. The lodge sells them for pretty cheap, around $6 -8 US I think.

The rest of Borneo was interesting. There is not a whole lot to see in Kota Kinabalu or Miri. They are basically stopover places to go elsewhere. Plan 2 days for a trip to Mulu. It is not possible to see it all in one day because you have to fly there, and can only hike the caves with a guide. The flight is not long - an hour or so I believe. We were told there is park transport from the airport. Guided tours run in the afternoon and at 5:30 you can see the bats fly out of the cave. There are flights that leave Miri or KK in the morning and then it is recommended you stay either in the park lodge or the resort overnight - book ahead as they get filled up. You can also book a tour when you arrive in Miri or KK but have to do so through a local travel agent. We did talk to a few private tour operators that the hotel gave us, and could have booked a tour for the following day if we had planned to stay in the area longer. Our hotel did not have a tour desk or tour pamphlets; it did not seem to be as organized as tourist cities in Europe.

Thanks for the reply. Since this is part of a 6 week trip, your packing list will come in handy, when figuring out what I need for each part. Good reminder on the binoculars! Definitely want those. For still photos, I have a plastic underwater housing for my little digital camera, so that should be great in the rain.

Did the rainforest smell come off your hiking boots once home? A poster in the past said the smell lingered a lot, so I am debating whether to drag my boots along or try out the Kampungs the guides wear. Or alternatively, take an old pair of athletic shoes and toss them when done. Only question there is traction. Kathie, if you are out there, what did you wear, as I can't recall.

The kampungs should work if you don't mind your feet getting wet. The guide said the traction is really good. I would go with the kampugs instead of gym shoes. We didn't notice any odor from the rainforest -maybe if you leave your wet boots in a plastic bag. We left them out to dry in hotels after the rainforest.

We wore a lightweight breathable hiking boot. This was before the days of the kampungs.

Thanks both of you. Hmmm.....which to do, which to do?

I don't recall any lingering smell form the rainforest either. The reference might have been to the heavy mineral odor of the water in the showers/outdoor tub. Very noticable.

We didn't have much rain, but I am wondering if polypropolene socks would help with the wet feeling inside the kampungs. Marathon runners use them successfully to prevent blisters. BTW, the rubber shoes have surprising traction, but with the reported weather and to avoid a twisted ankle I would feel more comfortable in hiking boots during this rainy season.

I have posted photos of Borneo and the rainforest

http://lchin.smugmug.com/Traveling

Thanks for the link. Your photos are really nice. They helped to finally make our trip to Borneo this month seem real. The BRL looks great; I just hope the leech encounters will be minimal.

Have a wonderful time!

Thank you for this great, informative post!!!!

We are leaving (two adults, and two children ages SIX and EIGHT) for our trip mid-April and will be visiting the BRL...

My biggest packing concern right now is shoes. I'm letting myself get WAY too stressed about it!

We are all wearing teva-like sandals, which will be useful for many parts of the trip. We are each taking a carry-on and backpack only, so our packing space is limited. I really, really don't want to bring anything I don't have to!! I also don't want to go out and buy expensive hiking shoes/boots that would just get trashed.

This is the debate in my head. Any advice anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated. I've tried asking this so many times, but have never gotten a good, solid reply!

1) Just wear the darn tevas with leech socks. They have good traction, are comfortable, and will dry super fast. Concern: Is the single leech-sock layer enough to keep the leeches out? Are snakes a concern?

2) Wear the tevas, and plan to buy adidas kampung as soon as we arrive in Kota Kinabalu. Concerns: Will they be hard to find? Will my husband (a size 10 - USA) be able to find ones that fit? Will we be able to find ones for our children that fit? If we all find them, will they cause uncomfortably chafing/blistering?

3) Should we just pack old tennis shoes that we can throw out at the end? Concern: They'll get sopping wet and be impossible to dry. They probably won't have the best traction.

4) Should we buy some cheaper ($40 range) water/hiker shoe like the type that you can find from Lands End or something? They have air holes, so the leech situation becomes a concern again.

I really, really don't know what to do and am spending way too much energy worrying about this!!

Thanks for any advice!!

Oh, I also wanted to ask what you wore in the evenings? Was it cool? Did you need warmer clothing?

If I was going back, I'd buy the "kampungs" in KK.

You will not need warmer clothing for the evenings.

Jrn- I know what you mean. I have been having the same debate going on in my head, too. I am planning on going the kampung route and buying them when we hit KK. DH is under the impression that he is going to make his own leech socks, as he is a definite DIYer. Have you found particularly good ones online anywhere or are you going to buy them at BRL? Any input from those who have gotten them?

Great report, love the descriptive photos. I thought I would be ok with leeches (well as ok as one can be), and I've ben pretty lucky in avoiding them, but my heart quails at the thought of going on a hike where I know I WILL encounter them. All part of the adventure I suppose.

We bought leech socks before we went. Paid the about the same as we would have paid at the BRL. So the BRL is not price-gouging on leech socks.

The leech socks at BRL are not $$. Maybe US5$. They are shaped like the outline of a Christmas stocking, no elastic to conform to the shape of your foot. DH and DD wore their leech socks with their kampungs and did not find them uncomfortable and no one got blisters. Our guide wore barefeet, but did pluck out a juicy leech on one occasion.

I wore knee high nylons that had a small amount of lycra so was quite comfortable in my kampungs. I had to be careful with the DEET as it ruins the lycra component in anything.

These rubber shoes provide good traction and are easily rinsed out, which is their best feature, as you can imagine it does get muddy. The downfall of the rubber shoes is that you have to be a bit careful with the shoelaces or just wear them loose and untied , which is fine too, as the rubber is not that strong and tears if you pull too hard.

The Kampungs are available in all sizes. We saw them ALL OVER, really, in KK. Several shops near our hotel ( Hyatt). Go in any cheap looking open air store, little shops. They are not fashionable and are against the walls, though saw some displayed just outside small kiosks. I only saw black, but the guides wear white. We did not bargain on the Kampungs - think they were $US 2. Get them!

We left our leech socks and kampungs at the lodge for them to reuse. The tevas would work for Plan B.

Excellent info. Thanks.

Wow -- thank you guys for SUCH great answers! I feel so relieved!!! I did buy some extra long leech socks for my husband and I from an outdoor store in the UK that ships to the US. They secure both at the knee and the mid-thigh, which will cover gaps in my husband's pants where they zip off to become shorts. They were pricey, though, I must admit. I'm planning to buy the kids the BRL leech socks, which I'm guessing will hit their mid-thighs, too.

. . . And what a great thing to know about the Deet and lycra -- I had no idea! For myself, I am packing my workout/yoga clothing that I already own (and is almost all quick-drying), and I think a lot of it does have at least some lycra in it! I'll have to be careful!

I did run across something today as I was buying a few travel-related items on amazon (power adapters, those little laundry sheets, etc.) -- take a look:
http://www.amazon.com/Coghlans-0563-Youth-Bug-Jacket/dp/B000J0QV36/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1299446777&sr=8-1

I am not packing long-sleeved shirts for all of us to wear because a) they'll be hot, and b) I don't already own any that would be quick drying, and I refuse to go out and spend a ton of money on clothing we won't wear again). But, I saw this "bug jacket" (it comes in adult sizes, too), and wondered if it would provide any kind of barrier against the leeches that fall down on you from the leaves? If so, we could just throw this on over whatever we're wearing, and we'd still stay cool (well, relatively). . . It's cheap, too. Would it work?? What do you think?

Oh No! A sauna, for sure. It is incredibly hot in Borneo - at least it was when we were there in Nov. We wore short sleeves or sleeveless. I think the leeches were mainly on the ground anyway. The quick dry clothing dries quickly and smells quickly. I was truly more comfortable in cotton. The leeches were not worth worrying about. IMO, 100% prevention of a leech episode is rare.

BTW, I thought I might be able to rinse out the clothing in the sink or shower, but tried a few items and they took on a mineral smell and an orange hue. Better to get things laundered on your way out of KK. Kathie and Glover found laundry service near their hotels.

Please be careful with the DEET! It really makes the lycra swell and it will never return to the original shape.

Agree with Rivet, 100% prevention of leeches is probably not possible. We flicked a few off sleeves before they latched on and started "drinking." But we each had one latch on in places not predicted, that is - husband took off his shirt and had one very busy under his arm pit. And I discovered one at work at my hairline just in back. It was just a big ew, nothing more. Now it's true we did suspect that maybe we got them when we were "off trail" for some time (with our guide) checking out an orangutan... but really who knows? We had on our leech socks, hiking shoes, long pants, long sleeve shirts, etc. We all worry too much.

OK! I'll pass on the "bug jacket"!

While you want to do what you can to prevent leeches from latching onto you, don't spend too much time ruminating about it. In preparation for our trip, I spent some time reading about the medical uses of leeches, which I think was helpful in feeling more matter-of-fact about the leeches.