It’s time for me to blog about my Borneo adventures in Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei so these orangutan are here to announce them: Food, endangered animals, music, orchids and cats, will be the first few topics covered. I will mostly write them in my travel chronological time fame, starting in Kuching and finishing in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah – a trip that took me 8 weeks.
Only about 24 ks from Kuching, Sarawak, the Semenggoh Reserve is a must-visit place. Home to semi-wild orangutans, it was created many years ago for the rehabilitation of orphaned or rescued animals. They no longer do any ‘rehab’ work here but provide food daily for those who want, or need it. I believe they are only given bananas (largely) so they get bored and not rely on the ‘hand-outs’ but learn to eat the food in the forest.
Naturally as with all wild animals, there is no guarantee how many will turn up – on the day I went three turned up – Richie the main man, Annuar with her under-a-week-old baby, and a young male, Saddam.
With more and more fruit trees being planted in the reserve the animals rarely venture out of the area and some have been transferred to national parks – including a male who Richie had ‘beaten up quite badly’.
I loved visiting here and seeing the orang utans – with their human-like expressions – in the ‘wild’ and especially their beautiful, richly coloured, coats.
Kiwi Travel Writer talks food, travel, and tips 
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