Saturday, March 7, 2015

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, Island of Borneo

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Sailing overnight, we made the quick trip to Kota Kinabalu arriving at 7AM.

Kota Kinabalu is part of Malaysia, located on the Island of Borneo, but the capital, Kuala Lumpur lies on another island many hundred miles away.

Located in the state of Sabah the area is rich in timber, oil and natural gas.  And, since it fortunately lies south of the typhoon belt, it is known as the "Land Below the Wind", and usually boasts a very pleasant climate.


In the past Borneo had a reputation for being "wild" with tales of headhunters and pirates, but in reality it is a beautiful, lush and tropical rain forest with soaring mountain peaks.  The Marine Turtle Conservancy Park is dedicated to the protection of endangered sea turtles.  Bird's Nest Soup, found in many Chinese restaurants, comes from nests taken from the Gomantong Caves  that shelter over a million swifts.

And we can't forget the Orangutan's!  The city of Sepilok has a sanctuary to take Orangs which have been orphaned in the wild, or were human pets, and prepare them to return to the forest.  They are very shy - and cute!



It's 5PM, lines have been lifted and we are setting sail for the "Fragrant Harbor", officially known as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.