The Bornean Orangutan

Borneo my destination

The Bornean Orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus, is a species of orangutan native to the island of Borneo. Together with the slightly smaller Sumatran Orangutan, it belongs to the only genus of great apes native to Asia.

The Bornean Orangutan has a life span of about 35 to 40 years in the wild; in captivity it can live to be 60. A survey of wild orangutans found that males are typically 75 kg (165 lb), ranging from 50–90 kg (110-199 lb), and 1.2-1.4 m (4-4.7 ft) long; females averaging 38.5 kg (82 lb), ranging from 30–50 kg (66-110 lb), and 1-1.2 m (3.3–4 ft) long.

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Ecology

Borneo my destination

Borneo is very rich in biodiversity compared to many other areas (MacKinnon et al. 1998). There are about 15,000 species of flowering plants with 3,000 species of trees (267 species are dipterocarps), 221 species of terrestrial mammals and 420 species of resident birds in Borneo (MacKinnon et al. 1998). It is also the centre of evolution and radiation of many endemic species of plants and animals. The remaining Borneo rainforest is one of the only remaining natural habitat for the endangered Bornean Orangutan. It is also an important refuge for many endemic forest species, as the Asian Elephant, the Sumatran Rhinoceros, the Bornean Clouded Leopard, and the Dayak Fruit Bat. It is one of the most biodiverse places on earth. The World Wildlife Fund has stated that 361 animal and plant species have been discovered in Borneo since 1996, underscoring its unparalleled biodiversity.(11) In the 18 month period from July 2005 until December 2006, another 52 new species were found.

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Geography

Borneo my destination

Borneo is surrounded by the South China Sea to the north and northwest, the Sulu Sea to the northeast, the Celebes Sea and the Makassar Strait to the east and the Java Sea and Karimata Strait to the south. It has an area of 743,330 square kilometres (287,000 sq mi).

To the west of Borneo are the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. To the south is Java. To the east is the island of Sulawesi (Celebes). To the northeast is the Philippines.

Borneo's highest point is Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia, with an elevation of 4,095 m (13,435 ft) above sea level. This makes it the world's third highest island.

The largest river systems are the Kapuas River, with approximately 1,143 km (710 mi) the longest river in Indonesia, the Rajang River in Sarawak with some 562.5 km (349.5 mi) the longest river in Malaysia, the Barito River about 880 km (550 mi) long and the Mahakam River about 980 km (610 mi) long.

Borneo is also known for its extensive cave systems. Clearwater Cave has one of the world's longest underground rivers. Deer Cave, thought to be the largest cave passage in the world, is home to over three million bats and guano accumulated to over 100 metres (330 ft) high.

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About Borneo

Borneo my destination,

Borneo (Indonesian: Kalimantan; Malay: Borneo) is the third largest island in the world, located at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. Politically, the island is divided between three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory; the Indonesian name for the island, Kalimantan, is used in English to refer to the Indonesian-controlled territory. The Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah (East Malaysia), in the north, occupy about 26% of the island. The sovereign state of Brunei, located on the north coast, comprises about 1% of Boreno's land mass.

Rainforest World Music Festival

borneo my destination

Damai beach

The rainforest World Music Festival is a unique festival that brings together on the same stage renowned world musicians from all continents and indigenous musicians from the interiors of the mythical island of Borneo.

The 3 days festival is held at the Sarawak Cultural Village, a living museum where the traditional habitats of Sarawak's major ethnic groups have been lovingly reproduced. Set amid lush rainforest greenery at the foothills of jungle clad Mount Santubong, and a stone's throw away from the beach resorts of the Santubong peninsula, the village provides the ideal venue for this festival that celebrates nature, ethnic music and the indigenous cultures of the world.

Its formula of afternoon interactive workshops, ethno-musical lectures, jamming sessions and mini concerts, followed by evening performances on the main stage has proven to be a hit with the audience, a hodgepodge of locals, expatriates and a growing number of tourists from near and far.

The festival village has a variety of food and drink stalls, an arts and crafts area as well as a counter far festival memorabilia, Sarawak souvenirs and CDs by the performing artists, all this contributing to a fun filled, wholesome festival experience.

This year again, children workshops, dance workshops and story telling are among the many festival activities. And after the live music is over around midnight, the fun will go on with our own World Music Dance Party !

The Rainforest World Music Festival : a not to be missed occasion guaranteeing a smashing time in the heart of the Borneo Jungle

damai beach

Borneo my destination

Take white sand beaches lapped by the South China Sea, add rainforest walks and an imposing jungle -covered mountain and you have Damai. This is Sarawak's main beach resort area.

Once accessible only by river, Damai, on the Santubong Peninsula, is now just a 40 minutes drive from Kuching. And the drive is well worth it.

Damai boasts three international-class resort hotels - the Holiday Inn Resort Damai Beach, Damai Lagoon Resort and Santubong Kuching Resort. Each has its own secluded beach, landscaped, free form swimming pool and offers jet skiing, water-skiing, windsurfing, mountain biking, tennis, squash and fitness centers.