Bako National Park

The animals and plants of Bako.



October 31st (Monday)

Early in the morning, after a nice breakfast, I head off for the trails.



The Linbang trail supposedly runs through six different forest types, though I could only identify four of them. After a not-so-quick detour to Paku to see the probiscus monkeys (they were far overhead) and the hordes of tourists boating there to chatter away in the woods, I continue on the loop. Then, another not-so-quick detour to the Besar and Kecil Pendan beaches, which I saw from above the cliffs. The whole loop took me from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon, and I ran out of water (and food) along the way. However, it was definitely worth the mosquito bites, the sunburn, the parched throat, and the sore legs. . . why? I'm not sure.

I fall asleep by about nine in the evening.

Happy Halloween!

November 1st (Tuesday)

I wake up ultra early today. It's time to hunt some monkeys. So, off I go. I find a group of grey monkeys at Paku, though the alpha is a bit angry with me and gives me a chase--that's scary. I find a trio of probiscus monkeys way up high in the trees. I started another group of a dozen or so probiscus monkeys and get screeched at--that's scary. Then, I end up almost in between a group of grey monkeys heading into the forests and a group of probiscus monkeys coming down to the mangroves. An amazing sight despite the hooting and screeching--that's scary. I sit and watch the probiscus monkeys dine on the leaves until they saunter off again. Then, thinking I was all done with monkeys, I almost get attacked right outside my room. Damn, that's scary. OK. Enough with the monkeys! Time to go.