| |
EB-KK19
Klias Fireflies River Cruise (Full Day)
Proboscis Monkey
The only place in the world where proboscis monkeys occur is the island of Borneo
in South-East Asia, and they are not even found throughout all of Borneo. They
are forest-dwellers and are limited mainly to coastal swamp forests and to forests
next to large rivers, again, generally not far inland. Even more limiting, they
are not found in all areas of coastal swamp forest. These swamps mainly comprise
mangrove and pear swamp forests.
Nobody knows why proboscis monkeys have such a very limited distribution, and
why they are not found in the vast tracts of rainforest throughout inland Borneo...
Click here for more info on proboscis monkeys. The first sighting of proboscis
monkeys from Kota Klias is usually about 15 minutes from the jetty and on a good
day you can get up to 5 or 6 good sightings.
Fresh Water Prawns "Udang Gala"
A delicious fresh water prawn, the 'Udang Gala' can be found in abundance during
the dry seasons. When you go on a cruise, please make sure to ask your tour operator
to bring along fishing gear so that you can catch some and take them home, or
ask the locals to cook them for you. On good seasons, you can also ask the locals
for supply. The Klias fishermen catch them and sell them in the city.
River fishing is popular at Klias. You can rent or charter a boat from the Klias
River and enjoy a day of good river fishing. Many city dwellers come to Klias
for fishing during the holiday seasons
Mangrove Trees
The Klias River is one of the cleanest rivers in Sabah, which explains why is
is so rich in vegetation and surrounding wildlife. The river banks are very sparcely
populated. Mangrove trees grow in abundance here, and all the mangrove trees in
Klias are protected by the Forestry Department of Sabah. The felling and export
of these trees is strictly prohibited. It is very important that these trees are
preserved for the river ecosystem, and for the natural wildlife that surrounds
the Klias wetlands.
Fire Flies
Usually regarded as the star attraction of Klias Wetlands, you will be astonished
by the volume of fire flies at the Klias River. On a good day, you will be able
to sight fire flies from 6.30 - 7.00 pm onwards. The best sightings are usually
when it is not full moon.
Imagine that you are on a boat and the sky is full of stars and the trees are
brightly lit like Christmas trees! Strongly recommended that you take the night
cruise which usually starts at 5.00 pm and ends at 7.30 pm, which will give you
a good sighting of monkeys, birds, Borneon bats and fire flies.
Tempurong Resort
If you plan to stay overnight after the Klias trip, you can stay at Tempurong
Resort, which is just 20 minutes' drive from Klias. The resort, in traditional
tropical architecture, has cozy, clean rooms with attached bathrooms and hot water
showers. From the timber deck of the main building you enjoy a majestic view of
the South China Sea. The home cooking of host Frankie is also worth while trying!
- 0000 hrs - Meet at hotel lobby and depart for Kota Klias, located approximately
112 km from Kota Kinabalu.
- The journey will pass small towns, paddy fields and villages.
- 1600 hrs - Arrive at Kota Klias Jetty, local tea/coffee and cakes will be
served.
- 1630 hrs - Board boat for river cruise to search for the odd nosed monkeys
of Borneo - the Proboscis Monkeys.
- On this cruise, an opportunity to learn the traditional method of catching
fish and prawns.
- When darkness sets in, on the return journey to the jetty, witness nature's
display of Christmas lights - the fireflies.
- 1900 hrs - Arrive at the jetty for a hearty dinner overlooking the Klias River.
- 2030 hrs - After dinner, depart for Kota Kinabalu and transfer to your respective
hotels.
- 2230 hrs - End of Tour.
|
