Chestnut-crested Yuhina
Spotted in Kinabalu Park (montane forest).
Chestnut-hooded Laughing Thrush
Spotted in Kinabalu Park (montane forest).
Chinese Egret
This look like ordinary egrets we see everywhere. But this one is a rare migratory bird and every birders want to see it. Note the green leg, and mandibles in different colors.
Cinnamon Bittern
Very common water bird in paddy field and wetland.
Common Greenshank
Spotted in KK Wetland Centre. This one should be a migratory bird but seem like it decides to settle in Sabah. I see it there most of the time.
Common Iora
Common bird in forested or mangrove area of countryside. Most of the time you hear it but can’t see it. It hides itself in the tree very well.
Common Moorhen
Spotted in paddy field of Penampang.
Common Redshank
Spotted in paddy field of Penampang.
Common Ringed Plover
Spotted in Likas Lagoon (Kota Kinabalu).
Common Sandpiper
Spotted in mudflat next to golf course of Sutera Harbor Resort.
Copper-throated sunbird
Spotted in mangrove of Sepilok Laut.
Bornean Bristlehead
This is the most iconic bird of Borneo. Birders from all over the world always look for this unique bird of Borneo. It is the sole representative of the family Pityriasis. You have a good chance of spotting Bornean Bristlehead from canopy walkway of Rainforest Discovery Center and Danum Valley.
Brahminy Kite
Spotted in hill area near Kota Kinabalu. In late afternoon, you could see a few of them near KK Wetland Centre.
Brown Barbet
Most Barbet are colorful species and some even call them “5-color bird”. But the one I spotted is a boring and plain species. Seen in Tun Fuad Stephens Park of Kota Kinabalu.
Brown-capped Woodpecker
Woodpecker always amuses me. Brown-capped woodpecker is very common in coastal area. This species is very easy to find in Likas Sport Complex (Kota Kinabalu) in afternoon time, when there is nobody jogging.
Brown-throated Sunbird
Spotted in car park garden of Shangrila Tanjung Aru Resort. The second commonest sunbird.
Brown-wood Owl
Spotted in Tawau Hills Park. I was so so so happy to get its shot. The ranger told me that there was always an owl stayed near building light at night, so it could get easy meal, as many beetles gathered at light. At first attempt to photograph it, it saw me and fleed. But came back to same spot after 15 minutes. So I moved very very slowly, and freeze when it looked at me. At last I got its photo.
Buff-necked Woodpecker
Spotted in mangrove of Sepilok Laut.
Buff-rumped Woodpecker
Spotted in Maliau Basin Studies Centre and Crocker Range Park.
Buff-vented Bulbul
Spotted in Poring Hot Spring.
Buffy Fish Owl
Spotted in night safari in Maliau Basin and Kinabatangan (near to river).
Bushy-crested Hornbill
Spotted in Kinabatangan.
Cattle Egret
This egret likes to feed on the parasites on cattle thus getting this name. The feather of its head and neck area will turn yellow during mating period.
Chestnut Munia
Very common in paddy field, a major pest. The farmers hate them very much. This bird can perch on very thin grass, as if they know kung fu or something.
Black-and-red Broadbill
Spotted next to the lake of Tun Fuad Stephens Park (Kota Kinabalu), a pleasure surprise.
Black-and-yellow Broadbill
A cute and colorful bird found in South East Asia. I saw it at Kinabatangan River (Sandakan) and Mt. Silam (Lahad Datu).
Black-Capped White-Eye
Spotted around Liwagu Restaurant of Kinabalu Park. Very cute and cartoon-like small bird.
Black-headed Bulbul
Spotted in butterfly farm of Poring Hot Springs.
Black-Headed Gull
Spotted on the way to Gaya Island.
Black-Nest Swiftlet
These birds are supposed to be cave dwellers. Due to their precious bird nest, many people have started swiftlet farming by playing bird song to attract swiftlets to build nest in vacant shoplot, so they are getting common even in town area. Swiftlets never perch on wire and they have excellent aero-dynamic skill that they can even make love in the air, oh yeah..
Blue-and-white Flycatcher
Spotted in Kinabalu Park (montane forest).
Blue-eared Kingfisher
Spotted in Kinabatangan, Sandakan.
Blue-Naped Parrot
The best place to see this bird is in Tanjung Aru beach of Kota Kinabalu. In fact, this bird is endangered species in Philippines, somehow they establish a small population in Tanjung Aru. They are so noisy that you won’t miss them. They build their nest in the tree holes.
Blue-Throated Bee Eater
Very beautiful and colorful bird. I spotted them in Tun Fuad Stephens Park and KK Wetland Centre. When they catch a bee, they would purposely rub the bee to produce a chemical that attracts more bees to them.
Bornean Whistler
A bird endemic to Borneo and live in montane forest. Very easy to spot in Kinabalu Park.
Borneon Treepie
Spotted in Silau-Silau trail of Kinabalu Park. Endemic to Borneo.
Bird-watching is one of the things I do during travel, so I have more than 150 photos of different birds in Sabah. I was not using a cannon-size 500mm lens, so my bird photos shot with cheap 250mm lens are mostly low-quality and blur. Anyway, this is still a nice guide, because 90% of the Sabah birds normal people see daily are listed here. I organize the list in alphabetic order of their common names. I’m not an expert birders. Please let me know if there is any mistake.
Ashy Bulbul
Spotted in hill area of Rafflesia Information Center (Tambunan).
Ashy Tailorbird
Can be easily seen in coastal garden and mangrove area. Very noisy and active, and fly low in flock. As they are restless and like to hop from branch to branch, this makes them very hard to photograph. Their babies look so much bigger than the parents. As the nest of Ashy Tailorbird is sometimes hosted by cuckoo, these may not be their real babies..
Asian Black Hornbill (top: male, below: female)
Spotted in Maliau Basin. You can see it in Lok Kawi Wildlife Park too.
Asian Fairy Bluebird
Spotted in hill forest of Tawau Hills Park and Poring. Very shy and hard to get close.
Asian Glossy Starling
This bird is everywhere. Black shiny body with red eyes. The juvenile has heavy stripes. Your fruits are finished if they come, and they always know to pick the best ones.
Banded Woodpecker
The commonest mid-sized woodpecker of Borneo. This one is spotted in Rainforest Discovery Center (Sandakan City).
Barn Swallow
A winter migratory birs spotted in Tawau Hills Park.
Black-backed Swamphen
A common bird in Likas Lagoon and swampy area.
Black-Naped Monarch
Spotted in forest of Tawau Hills Park and Gaya Island. Very curious bird. Its “beard” looks funny.
Black-Winged Flycatcher
Spotted in Tun Fuad Stephens Park, Kota Kinabalu.
Black-Winged Stilt (top: male, below: female)
A migratory bird spotted in Penampang paddy field and Likas Lagoon.
Blue-banded Pitta
Pitta is the Jewel of Borneo due to its rareness and colourful feathers. Blue-banded Pitta is endemic to Borneo and always on the must-see list of birders. Too bad this bird is very elusive and sensitive, so you only can find it in undisturbed rainforest such as Danum Valley.
In the movie “Avatar”, we’ve already seen how human greed can put the environment and mankind in threat. Unfortunately, this kind of scenario happens every day in Sabah. I have been introducing the beautiful nature of Sabah. But wherever I go, I always see destruction of environment going on. Frankly, I don’t know if these places will still look the same years later.
You have seen the beauty of Long Pasia in my blog, but I need to tell you that the forest of Long Pasia is not a forest reserve protected by government. Sabah Forest Industries (SFI), a logging company, who runs the pulp & paper mill in Sipitang, have been logging in Sipitang district, and the rampant logging is getting nearer to Long Pasia each year. Just look at the Google map below and that shall give you an idea. Based on the map, you already can tell there are some serious erosion problems in logging area.
SFI
SFI is a controversial company in the eyes of environmentalists. The effluent released by SFI mill into Brunei Bay has polluted the sea and kill the coral reefs. SFI also wants to build a 40MW coal power plant in Sipitang without the participation of the public and other stakeholders. Environmentalists also believe that the logging by SFI in upstream of Padas River has caused serious flood in other places such as Tenom (so don’t take this as the problem of Long Pasia only). But a politician (with the nickname “Vacuum”) promptly stood up and denied such claim. Personally, I don’t understand why government approves logging in sensitive water catchment area and slopes.
SFI is owned by an India company and most of their workers are Indian too. The locals also complain that they are not given much job opportunities that they deserve. That really makes me think if this foreign company loves our land and have the slightest concern for the sustainability of our forest resources. You can see the deforestation by SFI on the way to Long Pasia. But to be fair, they provide the road (logging road) to Long Pasia.
Personally I want to stop using A4 paper produced by SFI, but sadly the paper of SFI dominates 99% of Sabah market. Look at the packing on your paper rim and you will see the name “SFI”. Ourselves should be blamed too. Malaysians have wasteful behaviour. We waste food, water, electricity and PAPER. Please always keep in mind that the paper that we are using is probably coming from the trees of Long Pasia. Do NOT waste. Think before you print. Reduce, Recycle and Reuse the paper.
I really hope the government will gazette the forest of Long Pasia as a forest reserve soon, and such policy is totally in line with the initiatives of the Heart of Borneo.
Photos taken in Long Pasia, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo
Before we leave Long Pasia, we check out the Heath Forest Garden nearby the village, only a 20-minute walk away. Taman Kerangas is a garden (private land) where locals put all the wild orchids they rescued from logged forest. There are over 320 orchid species found in Long Pasia, and the new species is still being discovered.
At first I thought Taman Kerangas was a well-maintained garden with all the blooming flora neatly organised and a place great for leisure walk. I was wrong. Taman Kerangas looks more like a forest, with muddy and steep trail, dense undergrowth vegetation and lurking leeches. I was wearing the last set of clean clothing for the last day and didn’t expect to get dirty. After walking nearly 1KM of dirty trail, and with leech crawling on my jacket, to be honest, I was quite angry.
Anyway, I still got some beautiful flower shots though not many orchids were blooming. Just remember to wear jungle outfit when you come here. Taman Kerangas is so near to the village, so it still worth the time to take a look.
Last Day
I enjoy my last peaceful morning in Long Pasia. Today we are going home, but I don’t really feel happy that it’s over. Instead, I feel a bit sad leaving. As a frequent traveller, I come and go, without leaving my heart behind in other places. I have a special feeling about Long Pasia, and I’ll come back again one day. I feel a connection with this place but not sure what it is.
We have a tea break in the living room before we leave. A black chick comes in, walk around and chirp. Lait says this chick has no mother and always alone. It seems to enjoy being our company and sit quietly on our lap, so Mary decides to take it home and name it “Pasia”. Lat also gives Nova one of his paintings. Seem like everyone got something. I also bag some good photos and sweet memories too.
If you would like to go to Long Pasia, please contact Mr. Eddie at 011-12017897. The attractions that I blog here is only a small part of Long Pasia. Long Pasia has many other attractions such as Tiger Hill, Hidden Lake, Maga Waterfall, Crocodile monument, etc. Since Long Pasia is far away, I strongly recommend tourists to have a longer stay. What’s the point of having a 3-day trip but spending 2 days on the road, right? You don’t need to do hardcore adventure like me, as there are many leisure activities such as river cruise around the village too.
It’s a cold morning in Long Pasia, so cold that all the chicks seek for warmness under the belly of their mother hen. After a heavy breakfast, we got ready for a long trip to Fefukan Waterfall. The journey will start with 3-hour of rapid shooting (river cruise) on Matang River (Sungai Matang) to Lelawid camp, then a 4-5 hours of jungle trekking (about 10 KM).
At 8:30am, we gathered at the riverside next to the village. When I saw our boat transport, I felt apprehensive. It’s a wooden long boat powered by an engine at the rear. To me, it is only a bit better than a bamboo raft and its wobbly body does not instil any confidence at all. For newbie who tries to stand on this boat, there is a 90% chance he will fall into river within 3 minutes. The slightest wrong move seems to be able to capsize this boat.
We loaded our backpacks onto the boats then we departed. To keep the boat balance and stable, everyone must sit still in the center. It sounds easy but my butt hurt in long hours of cruising, and I have to shift my weight occasionally (right and left butt haha).
Besides a boatman who controls the engine at the rear, there is a navigator at the front. He will read the river for a safer route and use his long pole to push the boat away from bumping into boulder or to hold the boat in strong current. Only person with strong muscle and balancing skill can handle such tasks.
It was quite a smooth ride on Matang River. I enjoyed the cool breeze and beautiful riverine forest view along the river. At first I worried that the water would splash my camera, but very soon I took out my camera and started shooting. For birds, I saw egrets, heron and stork-billed kingfisher. The river is a bit murky but cold and clean.
As you can see in the video above, later our wooden boat proved that it’s the best river transport. We got around fallen log, went against stream, moved between rocks, and cutting through numerous rapids. There were a few times we had to get into the water and push the boats over shallow river. After 1.5 hour, we stopped briefly at the monument of Prince Henrik from Denmark, who camped there in year 2002.
At 11am, we stopped by an ancient burial site next to the river. There are more than 10 “coffin” jars scattered inside the forest. We also found fragment of human skulls and bones. It is a traditional practice for our ancestors to bury the dead inside a big jar, and then they will move the bones into smaller jars. And most of these jars are from China hundred years ago. It is not too hard to tell that the jars are “Made in China” coz some have figure of dragon on them. I am not an expert on antique. I only know jars and ceramics of Ming and Qing Dynasties were widely traded in Borneo in the past.
We went on with our rapid shooting. 15 minutes later, a white boulder caught my attention coz its color looked different from other boulders. And I was right. The guide brought us to the opposite side of this boulder and we saw unusual circular carving on the surface.
Lait told me that according to the carbon dating done by a local university, the age of the carving is about 600 years old. The carving is so smooth that they wonder what kind of tool was being used. Based on the legend of Lundayeh, it is a finger-drawing by Upai Semarin, an ancestor giant with super natural power. Another version is – it was carved by a man who missed his deceased wife, so romantic…
This boulder seems to have life (or you may call it my superstitious feeling). I touched it and the surface is a bit soft. Personally, I think it is possible to produce such carving if we use wood with rounded-tip to scratch the rock surface persistently. This historical remnant really needs protection coz the algae is slowing eroding the rock face.
Lunch Break
When we were getting closer, there was a rapid almost every 50 Meters. Oh yes, we reached Lelawid, the starting point of our jungle trekking, at 12pm. It is next to a convergence point of two rivers and they lay a fishing net across the river (you will know what we got later).
Later we will need to walk about 4 to 5 hours in jungle to Fefukan Waterfall, so we have our lunch at the riverside first. It is like a picnic, so fun. We had some Long Pasia rice, with curry and hot dog. What I like the most is the small and salty “Ikan Sawah” fish. It’s so soft that you can eat its bone.
Above: Long Pasia rice with salty Ikan Sawah fishes
At last, the toughest activity of the trip is about to start… We will walk to the Fefukan Waterfall campsite.
I’ll pick Long Pasia as my hometown, if I were to born as an “orang kampong” (villager) in Sabah. More than 250KM away from Kota Kinabalu, Long Pasia is located in south-western corner of Sabah, very near to border of Kalimantan (Indonesia). With an altitude of 1,000 Meters above sea level, cool mist frequents Long Pasia, hiding some least-known natural and historical heritages of the Heart of Borneo.
Since year 2005, I have been thinking of visiting Long Pasia. My father had been there and told me about this beautiful and remote place. Finally I had the chance to join a 4-day-3-night adventure with a group of friends in early Nov. Below is the outline of our Long Pasia trip: Day 1: Depart to Long Pasia homestay Day 2: Rapid shooting & jungle trekking to (and camping at) Fefukan Waterfall Day 3: Back to Long Pasia homestay Day 4: Back to Kota Kinabalu city
You may Click Here to see the detail itinerary.
DAY 1 – GOING TO LONG PASIA
Road Trip to Sipitang
The road trip to Long Pasia took us about 9 hours (8am – 5pm), as we made a few stops. The beginning part is easy; we drove 2.5 hours on a paved road from Kota Kinabalu city to Sipitang town (144KM). At 10:30am, we reached Sipitang, where we had our early lunch and purchased food supplies for camping. Sipitang has undergone some changes and now it has a nice sea-view esplanade.
We also met up with our Long Pasia guide, Lait. At first look, you have no doubt he is a competent “jungle man” coz he is muscular. I’m surprised that he is also a talent artist, and his drawing is so fine and detail, a big contrast to his rugged figure. He always has a mischievous smile on his face, as if he would play a prank on you anytime (and he does!). He is a naughty and playful big boy, this trip would be less fun without this friendly guide as our company.
Above: Lait, our guide
Above: Bestamart Supermarket
After lunch & briefing, we dropped by Bestamart supermarket of Sipitang, to get some stuffs for our camping. We bought biscuit, instant noodle, can food (sardine, curry), 3-in-1 coffee mix, onion, vegetables, water, oat meal, sugar & salt, cooking oil, etc.
Then we loaded our bags and supplies to a 4-wheel drive. Long Pasia is 123 KM away from Sipitang, and it’ll be a 4-5 hours bumpy ride on a hilly gravel road (a logging road in fact). The road was dry and dusty that time. But in rainy season, the road will turn muddy and slippery, only accessible by 4WD. It sounds very isolated, but the most beautiful and pristine places of Sabah are always in remote region.
Iban Longhouse
We visited an Iban longhouse about 15-minutes away from Sipitang. I knew there were some Iban people living in Tawau district (South-east of Sabah), but didn’t know some of them lived in Sipitang too. Though this longhouse is a modern version, it is really long and able to house about 40 families. The veranda is so long and wide that some children have fun racing on it back and forth.
The most distinct feature of this longhouse is the deer skull decors at each door. I saw the skulls of Sambar Deer and Barking Deer (Kijang). We only stopped here for 10 minutes, and then we continued our journey to Long Pasia.
Road Trip to Long Pasia
Very soon we hit the rough gravel road. We passed by small villages, plantation (e.g. rubber, banana, paddy, tapioca, maize) and rivers, most of the time we were surrounded by lush hill forest and saw no other car. Sadly, we also saw logging trucks and deforestation done by SFI (Sabah Forest Industries). You may watch the video below to get an idea of the road trip.
When we were about an hour from Long Pasia, we found that a bridge in front of us collapsed. Luckily a truck and excavator were there to make a new way. Within 30 minutes, we could move on again.
Long Pasia Village
Finally we arrived Long Pasia at 5pm. Long Pasia means “Mouth of the Red River” (though I want to call it “Long….. Passage” due to the long ride). First thing I felt was the fresh and cool air (remind me of Kundasang town decades ago). This highland village is always in dense mist in the morning and late afternoon. Surrounded by mountains, forest and rivers, Long Pasia is the one of the few villages closest to true nature and wilderness. They said an eagle grabbed a chick when we got there.
Above: Long Pasia
Above: Paddy field
Most of the 600 villagers here are Lundayeh people, which means “People of the Interior or Upriver”. In the past, they were headhunters, as well as a strong rival to another headhunting tribe, Murut (means “People of the Hill”). Now most of them are Christians and work as farmers, fishermen and hunters, and they are one of the friendliest people I meet.
Long Pasia is unlike the typical Malay kampong (village) in other parts of Malaysia. Most villagers still converse in Lundayeh, though they speak fluent Malaysia language. Lundayeh is also found in Sarawak (known as Lumbawang instead) and Kalimantan. To see their differences in costumes, you may see my blog on Lundayeh Festival.
We walked around Long Pasia in late afternoon. We were greeted by friendly villagers and felt so welcomed as a guest. Many were playing soccer and volleyball on the field as past-time. I noticed there were so many dogs, probably as many as the human population here. FYI, you will be fined RM500 (USD$150) for killing a dog, coz many of them are trained as a hunting dog, a loyal partner that follows the hunters in and out forest for days.
Another “feature” of Long Pasia is the Solar Panel outside every house. There is no power line here, so they rely on stored solar electricity for basic lighting and TV. This solar panel costs about RM15,000 (it is funded but I don’t know by who)! If they need more power, they will turn on the generator on demand, so I can charge my camera batteries. You can save a lot on electricity bill by living here, coz we don’t need air-conditioner in cool place like Long Pasia.
Above: Street light powered by solar panel
Above: Huge solar panel
My mobile phone got no line coverage here. I was told that they have Internet connection by satellite in the village, so some of them even have Facebook accounts. Not only that, many houses also have Astro channel (satellite TV).
Above: SK Long Pasia, first school in Long Pasia
Long Pasia Homestay
For first day, we stayed with a local family (Dina & Janet) in Long Pasia. The people here realise the importance of eco-tourism and nature. About 15 houses have registered under the Homestay program. Under the education of environmental bodies, the villagers reduce the cutting of forest and hunting of wildlife, especially in tourist areas, though these have been their traditional practices for centuries.
Above: our homestay in Long Pasia
The standard of living here has improved over the years, and most villagers are self-sufficient. You won’t find yourselves staying under the roof of a water-leaking broken hut. In fact, their houses are spacious, comfortable and well-furnished, just as good as the houses in city. As pamper city people, we only had problem to bathe with icy mountain water. We went into the shower room, screamed then stormed out in 2 minutes, probably the shortest shower that we’ve ever taken, lol…
Above: our bed
The evening was getting cold and it was so nice that the family cooked a hot dinner for us. We ate a lot of delicious fresh vegetables that planted and harvested locally. Do you know that Long Pasia produces the best rice in Sabah? It’s so soft and yummy that I had 3 plates.
Long Pasia Homestay has been around for some years, but it is under-promoted. Personally I think Long Pasia is the best homestay in Sabah and many will agree with me. Besides accessibility issue, many tour operators (outsiders) are only interested in earning more $$$ by building luxury chalet there then charging tourists a “5-star” price, just like what happens to Mt. Kinabalu now. I will only opt for homestay coz it benefits the local community, not a few blood-sucking tour players.
Above: homestay with Rose’s family
After a briefing by Lait for the trip next day, we went to bed. Tomorrow we will explore one of the most remote places in Borneo, even to the locals, the Fefukan Waterfall. Long Pasia has many attractions such as Tiger Hill and Maga Waterfall, but Fefukan is totally new and far away.
