Borneo--Batang Ai question among others
 

We are strongly considering a Borneo trip and have been pouring over the wealth of information found on this board. Kathie, your report, of course, has amazing detail, not only about the locations you visited but also about your and Cheryl's personal reactions as the trip unfolded. (And BTW, your post led to the Borneo photos which were amazing, especially the flowers, but more than that, I kept going back to Cheryl's Home Page, and spent a good long time enjoying the photos from your past trips. Very, very nice; completely absorbing, and many of them wonderful reminders of some of the places we ourselves have been).
I do have some questions. Like Laurieco, I first became intrigued with the idea of Borneo because of the SmarTours brochure. We sometimes travel with groups and could sign on with them, but I'd first like to explore the possibility of doing this trip on our own since, as Laurieco pointed out, their independent travel allowed for nicer lodging for less money, and of course, more control over their time, including the fact that with our own air arrangements, as long as we would be in that part of the world, we could visit Hong Kong to see our friends there. The first question has to do with Batang Ai, Laurieco, if you're out there....you say you hated it and felt you squandered precious time with the visit though the guidebooks rave about it. Was there just nothing there to hold one's interes? Does anyone else feel the same? Like everybody else, we want our itinerary to be as rich and meaningful as possible.
Second question. Regarding the Borneo Rainforest Lodge--a look at the website indicates that a visit there would run a bit more than it did for Kathie and Cheryl--somewhere around $1200 including airfare from KK for 2 persons. Big decision--see orangs in the rainforest or see them at the sanctuary. Perhaps something to factor into the decision is the air transport. What is the company or airline? There have been some serious safety problems with low cost carriers in that part of the world....
And a third, but probably not the last question ever.... Regarding Kathie's Hornbill. We understand that she is probably a personal friend who led whose knowledge of the area led to rich experiences, so we're not asking about her specifically, but are there any city guides that any of you know of, or agencies, whose services could be obtained for a day (or two) to lead us through the main areas of our visit (itinerary yet to be determined). We'd hate to miss out on special experiences that locals might direct us to.
Many thanks in advance.
Barbara in Los Angeles

Just re-read my post. Sorry that some of these sentences are so badly constructed. Got distracted by my two energetic grandsons--ages 4 and 6--needing my attention.

I'm so glad you enjoyed my report and Cheryl's photos!

I only have a moment now, but will try to respond to a couple of questions.

The airline from KK to Lahad Datu is Malaysian Air. It's reliable and safe (the airlines that have been having safety problems are the Indonesian airlines). We didn't buy our time at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge as a package, but booked the air and the Lodge separatly. Take a look at that option and see which is less expensive.

As far as whether to see the orang in the wild vs. at a rehab center... these are entirely different expereinces, as you can imagine. For me one of the highlights of the trip was being in a primary forest. Just being there was such an incredible experience, I wouldn't have been too disappointed had we not seen orangs!

more later...

Ok, I have a few more minutes.

There are wonderful experiences to be had in Sarawak. It is easy to arrange at stay at one of the long houses (not Batang Ai which I've heard lots of negative feedback about). When we return to Sarawak, we will hire a driver/guide to take us to have some genuine experience of the longhouses. It is easy to do so - it can be arranged after you arrive. There are, of course tours, but I would do it by hiring a an individual guide. A great many people who live in Kuching are related by blood or by marriage to these traditional villages.

Hornbill is a poster here on Fodors. We met her through this board and corresponded with her, then met her in person when we were in Kuching.

Kuching is small and manageable, and it would be easy to arrange anything you wanted once you arrived. We loved just wandering around the city - it's a great walking city! We didn't have time to do all we wanted, but next time we'd also spend a day or two at some of the nearby parks and reserves.

What other info can I offer?

Thank you, Kathie, for your answers to my questions and for your offer to answer still more. The info you've posted and also that of other contributors is helping me get a handle on what this trip could really be about. As possibilities take shape, I find that re-reading the posts here is a must. I miss so much on the first run-though. Right now I've been spending time going over Gil and Tony's report for the second time and am finding that to be extremely informative. I see that you and Gil were in contact as they were planning their trip.

One recommendation you continually make to those just beginning to plan is to get a good guidebook. I agree that this is among the first necessary steps in putting together a trip. There are 2 B&Ns near my home, but neither has anything on Borneo at this time, so I'll go online to B&N or Amazon and order a guidebook for one of them. I appreciate, too, the titles of the many books you and others read in preparation for your own trips. So there's another project to plan for.

Right now, my good travel partner, Jeri, and I are looking ahead to our second trip to Africa. The first one was two years ago to Tanzania and Kenya, and this time it'll be to Botswana, Zimbabwe (provided the country hasn't disintegrated by the time we leave) and Namibia. We leave September 12, returning on October 4. After that, we'll begin planning for our next trip in earnest, and Borneo is high on the list of possibilities.

So you can be certain that as time goes on I will take you up on your offer to answer more questions. I hope that you will continue to monitor this board. Also, thank you to all the others who've contributed information. Fodor forums have been an invaluable help to me over the years, and I would be grateful for any and all input any of you might have to offer.

We are not high end but, rather, mid-budget travelers. When it's available, though, we don't sneeze at hints of luxury. Some of the hotels mentioned on this forum look great at wonderfully affordable prices. Something to look forward to. Our main interest in travel, though, is to learn more about our world--to gain appreciation for the physical environment of the area we're visiting, to enjoy the plant and wildlife, and, most especially, to come away with some understanding of the people--their history and their culture.

I'm just throwing in this bit of personal information because it's been stated on these boards many times over that in order for contributors to give good responses to questions, they need to know about budget and preferences. So for what it's worth.... Again, thanks.

Barbara

Happy planning, Barbara! It does take time for a trip like this to take shape.

I'm a regular on the Asia board as I'm addicted to Asian travel (yes, I enjoy other parts of the world, but Asia is "home"). So ask your questions as you are ready. I'm glad to share the benefit of my experiences with you.