Kota Kinabalu – Sandakan, Malaysia. - August 2010

In Kota Kinabalu we welcomed Dynes and Lyn back on the boat for the third time since we began cruising. It was so great to have time with them again and share their positive energies.
Our time began with a couple of chill out days in the resort marina doing the usual things like sleep ins, pina coladas in the pool, marina café for meals and plenty of time to get addicted to playing cards. Then we stepped it up to include a trip to town to the central markets, the seafood night market and a fabulous day at the Koh Kawi Wildlife Park. Lyn and I have a common interest in photography so the cameras were snapping.


Lorakeets putting on a show


The big nose belongs to the dominant male.....and boy can he eat!!



Gibbon............................................and a sunbear, the smallest in the bear family



Snake and.............................................................at last I get to see a mouse deer



Pretty self explanatory...........great shots Daryl



Rhinoceros Hornbill...............................................an otter, so cute to watch

With provisioning complete we then headed out to explore some of surrounding islands and make our way around to the western side of Borneo. The first few stops were disappointing from a water clarity perspective but overridden by the pleasure of being able to swim and cool off. The first impressive island for snorkelling was an island called Lankayan Island. It was like arriving in paradise after months of muddy water. While I sat on the sideline with a minor ear infection Daryl, Lyn and Dynes spent hour after hour snorkelling the surrounding reefs. The balmy evenings were spent having social games and pot luck dinners with the other yachts at anchor with us. We had a morning at another gorgeous island called Turtle Island where we had a look at the work they were doing to conserve the turtles. After the turtle comes in and lays her eggs they are collected by rangers and reburied in a fenced area. Sixty days later when the baby turtles emerge they are gathered up and released. 3100 were released the night before we were there. Guests stay on the island and watch the laying and releasing. We desperately wanted to be a part of the action but as they won’t allow any boat activity after dark (to give the turtles unobstructed movement) we wouldn’t be able to get back to the yacht, so it was a ‘no go’. Both these islands were close to the Philippine border so there was a naval presence in the area. One cruising yacht accidentally (?) anchored at an island over the border and was given a short shift from an armed, unmarked Philippine patrol boat. Not an experience I want to have so we watch the charts closely.






Lionfish....................................................................Lunch at a deserted island

Next stop Sandakan, a busy fishing port. Fishing port means, yes you guessed yummy seafood. We brows the local market but Dynes and Lyn don’t feel like risking buying seafood in the searing heat of the day although they admit it all looks very fresh. We stick to eating it at local restaurants, with great success. We anchor outside the Sandakan Yacht Club, pay our membership which gives us, apart from the free tee shirt and hat, access to the pool. A welcome relief from the hot days as the harbour looks too polluted to contemplate cooling off in.
We fit in a bit of history by visiting the Agnes Keith Museum and also watch a movie based on a book written by Agnes Keith called ‘Three Come Home’. It was set in WW2 and depicts her experiences in Sandakan during the Japanese invasion. It was interesting and enlightened me as to what atrocities were experiences by the many troops that were here. In Sandakan 2400 soldiers were taken prisoners of war and only 6 escapees survived. The remainder were basically forced into such appalling conditions they died either of disease, exhaustion, starvation or injury, 1800 of these being Australian soldiers.


Fish attraction platforms by the hundred..........View from anchorage in Sandakan


City view...................................................................Pot luck on Cool Bananas

On a lighter note we had lunch at the Agnes Keith Teahouse where they went all out to transport us back in time to how it was for the English in Sandakan the 1930’s.
From Sandakan it is only a two hour motor to the entrance of the Kinabatangan River where our next adventure begins.


Croquet at the teahouse