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Limited Edition EssexONE word sums up
Borneo 8211 awesome.Not
only in its modern usage,
as in brilliant or amazing,but also
in the literal sense of inspiring
awe.
As this was our belated
honeymoon,my husband Simon
and I were very careful to choose
a perfect destination.
We were after more than just
beautiful beaches 8211 somewhere
with lots of culture and history,
and to experience new things.
Borneo certainly did not
disappoint.
We stayed at the Shangri-La Rasa
Ria resort near the Sabah capital
of Kota Kinabalu and had a truly
fantastic fortnight.
It8217s a beautiful hotel right on the
shore of the South China Sea,
where the staff are honestly the
nicest I have ever come across.
Each time they greet you,they
place a hand over their heart,and
make sure you feel really welcome
throughout your stay.
It8217s a good job that all tips are
included in Borneo,as I would
have probably spent all our money
on service charges otherwise!
Our first priority once we had
settled in was seeing Borneo8217s
most famous son,the orang-utan.
The resort includes a sanctuary,
with seven of these 8220men of the
forest8221 being rehabilitated after
traumatic starts in life.
It was amazing to see them in
their natural habitat,and very hard
not to smuggle one home in our
suitcase when we saw how
adorable they were.
Next stop was a boat trip along
the Garama River,where we saw
another breed of monkey native
to Borneo 8211 the proboscis.
These can only be found on the
island and we were thrilled to
spot them nestling in the trees,
albeit through binoculars.
But that8217s the great thing about
Borneo 8211 these kinds of trips
don8217t pander to the tourist and no
guarantees are made that you will
actually come across what8217s been
advertised.
The cruise ended in the evening
with a lovely Malaysian dinner and
a chance to see fireflies flickering
in the darkness.Claire Owen
goes in search
of culture,
history and
beaches,and
finds them all
on the shores
of the South
China Sea.LE
travelAbove:A
warrior at the
Monsopiad
village.
Right:the beach
at Mamutik.
Left:Sunset
scene from
across the pool.
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