Borneo Bird Festival 2011 Sabah
Sandakan. You can be assured that there will be an exciting lineup of events and activities for everyone.
As I attended last year’s Bird Festival in Sabah, I noticed that the event brought many people from near and far to Sandakan. While the festival was targeted towards promoting birdwatching in general, it was also open to the public, where they could come and experience and participate in some of the activities here.
While for the birdwatchers, many came from across the border and overseas. This fantastic event is co-organized by SabahTourism Board, Sabah Forestry Department and Borneo Bird Club Sabah.
Borneo Bird Festival 2011
A beautifully manicured landscape awaits the curious while a discovery centre housed in a building showcases flora and fauna of Sabah Borneo. Apart from this, there is a lake where one can rent paddle boats, a flora trail and the much talked about steel canopy walk, which is currently the longest in the world.
Nikon has a booth there showcasing some birding equipment like Digi scopes and binoculars. Books and other related items are also being sold there. WWF Malaysia was also seen there last year, creating awareness for the endangered fauna.
There is also the Guided Bird Walk at Dusk, where you see different birds. For the more serious hobbyist, there are several talks held in the main halls where speakers from around the world are invited to share their experiences and knowledge about birding.
This year’s speakers come from the USA, UK, Hong Kong and, of course, Malaysia, who share expertise and knowledge on various topics on birds and migration.
I must have seen about 20-30 kids happily participating in these events. Food and drinks were also available, while a popular ice cream brand was one of the sponsors.
You get one of the best views here, while there is a chance to spot some of the rare Borneon Birds from the balcony. Below the cafe lies an air-conditioned room where known artists display their birds’ art and sell books.
Imagine
bringing the kids for a family getaway to Sandakan; here, you will have
the chance to visit the RDC, Sepilok, Kinabatangan River, Gomantong Caves and Turtle Island, to name a few of the unique places.
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The Borneo Bird Festival 2011 Poster |
Hot to go to RDC Sepilok:
- Located
just out of Sandakan, RDC Sepilok is about 23 kilometres from the city. Getting to RDC Sepilok is pretty simple as it takes about 30-40
minutes by car or van. (Self-drive or tour company) - The public bus service
from Labuk Bus Company departs from the Sandakan Town Council at
RM2.10 (US$0.60) one way, but the bus stops at the junction of the
main road. You then need to walk about 1.5km. - Taxi service from Sandakan is available with a return trip costing about RM100.00 (US$29). Do negotiate with your taxi about the prices.
- Getting to Sepilok from Kota Kinabalu (KK) is also possible. A bus
ride would take about 7-8 hours from KK to Sandakan and cost
around RM30-50 (US$9-$15). - A better option is to fly to Sandakan as there are direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. AirAsia offers some cheap tickets if you book early. Malaysia Airlines also has some reasonable ticket prices if you want to compare.
- I would recommend taking Grab Car to the event.
Getting to the RDC via car or bus:
- Drive along Jalan Labuk from Sandakan Town
- Turn left at the Mile 14 roundabout (with a giant Orangutan statue)
- Drive along until you see the large, pictorial RDC sign and turn right
- Drive for about 500m to the RDC car park
- The public bus service
from Labuk Bus Company departs from the Sandakan Town Council at
RM2.10 (US$0.60) one way, but the bus stops at the junction of the main
road. You then need to walk about 2km or thumb a ride. - You can take Grab from Sandakan.
Opening Hours for the RDC:
- Daily 9am – 6pm
- Birders start as early as 7am
What to bring to RDC;
- You should bring
mosquito or insect repellent, a poncho or an umbrella if it rains as
the walkways are not covered. - Bring some snacks and bottled water as
well. - A pair of binoculars are worth bringing if you want to see birds.
- Wear proper shoes here, as some of the walkways can be slippery.
- You
may want to bring some snacks if you have kids, as there is no food
available except for a kiosk that sells drinks and some local
snacks.
For further details on this event, you can contact:
North Borneo Safari
Lot 4, 1st Floor,
Block 22, Bandar Indah,
Mile 4, 90000 Sandakan,
Sabah, Malaysia.
E-mail: inquiry@northborneosafari.com
Telephone: +6089 235525
Asia. If you are interested in learning about birdwatching or attending
this event, you can contact the relevant people mentioned
above.
For more information, you can also visit the Borneo Bid Festival’s official website, as they update the info just before each event. The complete itinerary of events is also available there.
This is one of the excellent family activities that you can do in
Sabah and a great way to expose your children to nature. This three-day
event will take place from the 14th till the 16th of October and is
the 3rd Borneo Bird Festival 2011 in Sabah.
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