Local Culture

For millennia the indigenous ”Sungai” people of the Lower Kinabatangan had lived off the rainforest for food, medicine, household commodities and products of trade.   When the British arrived they named the people “Orang Sungai” meaning “People of the River”, and this is the name by which they now call themselves.  Islam came to Borneo around 16th century and so the community here is Muslim.  The world of the Orang Sungai changed dramatically in the 1960's , with the advent of mechanised extraction of the forest’s timber resources. Even though they were forced into the modern world and away from their ancestral activities, they have kept some of their culture intact.  The community likes to share some of this culture with you and you are likely to see a demonstration of their dancing and martial arts which is lively and colourful. Traditional musical instruments accompany the dancing (tarian kebudayaan) and the martial arts (silat) segments and you may be given the chance to try out your dancing and musical skills, on the gongs (agup tungal), kuling tangan, drum (tambur), bandil and the xylophone (gabang). 

The people are very friendly and eager to meet you and improve their language skills but please be aware that there are certain behaviours that can cause offence – women need to keep their shoulders and knees covered at all times and only use your right hand for  eating. Women must also sit in certain ways on the floor when in the company of men;  please ask your homestay hostess to guide you.  Alcohol is totally forbidden.  

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River Cruise

What an incredible way of getting close to some of the endemic species like Proboscis monkeys, Gibbons, Silver Leaf monkeys as well as crocodiles, Bearded Pigs, otters and if you are very lucky, Pygmy Elephant.  The variety of birds is wonderful – birding alone can keep you busy the whole trip.  Make sure you bring your binoculars.  The boats will take you either up or down river in the mornings and evenings and the adventure normally last about  2 hours.  A qualified guide will be with you to make the experience worthwhile;  our guides are bursting with knowledge on the people and flora and fauna of the area.  The experience of travelling down the river, with a cool evening breeze, the ripples on the water and the sounds of the monkeys settling in the trees for the night will stay with you forever.

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Jungle Treeking

Walking through the jungle, amongst the tall trees, listening to the sounds and watching the most beautiful butterflies float past is an experience many people long for.  We offer two walks, one at night, to see the animals that come out when the sun goes down, and one in the early morning when the many species of birds are most active.  These walks are around the lake or along the paths through the magnificent trees stretching to the sky.  Most walks last about an hour but will naturally last longer if you have good sightings. The peace is profound, occasionally broken by leaves falling or the call of a bird or the chatter of the monkeys, a world away from our normal lifestyles back home.

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Wildlife

When people think about Borneo, the first animal that normally springs to mind is the Orang-utan but this species is only one of hundreds that can be found in this region.  Maybe during your night walk you will be lucky enough to see a Clouded Leopard, or the rare Sun Bear which is active periodically during the night and sometimes during the day.  The rarely-seen Western Tarsier is active to a height of about 7 m in the trees, leaping from one to another in search of its insect meal and don’t forget to keep a look-out for the Slow Loris, or Flying Foxes silhouetted against the dusk sky, or the many species of flying squirrels, and Gibbons calling during the first hours of daylight, and Proboscis Monkeys with their big noses and fat stomachs, and Macaques – one species with a tail and one without - and crocodiles, and otters (3 species) and the Pygmy Elephant and the list goes on and on.  Borneo has 8 families of Bats each with many species so if you are here for the flora and fauna of the area, you won’t be disappointed. If you love birds there are 10 species of Hornbills, Brahminy Kite Eagles, Kingfishers, Sea and Fish Eagles, Bee Eaters, egrets, storm storks, herons, swifts and swallows, including the species that provide the nests for birds’ nest soup!  

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Hammock Camping

info still in construction

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Supu Camp

 info still in costruction

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Tungog Rainforest Eco Camp (TREC)

Tungog Rainforest Eco Camp (TREC)Kinabatangan, Sabah, Malaysian BorneoHidden in meander-belt forest on the fringe of the pristine Tungog Lake, the Tungog Rainforest Eco Camp (or TREC for short) offers a unique insight into the secretive life of a Borneo Rainforest. There are ten live- in observation platforms called “camp-platforms” or “jungle-platforms” with limited accommodation for only 20 eco visitors.  TREC has numerous eco design features built in to ensure zero waste, zero chemicals, a zero energy spreadsheet and maximum water conservation. Staying at the camp supports the lake restoration (Salvinia  removal) and orang-utan habitat restoration projects (Tree planting) through the MESCOT Initiative.  TREC is a birdwatchers paradise. Wild fruit trees surround the eco camp and daily attract up to five species of hornbill, orang-utan, macaques, and a host of other rainforest birds. With a local nature- guide there are more than 18km of forest trails to explore through meander-belt, limestone or fresh-water swamp forests.  Stay at the Tungog Rainforest Eco Camp for your next conservation retreat, research trip or educational project; or simply sit-back on a “camp platform” and absorb the smells, sights, and sounds of the Borneon Rainforest. For more information contact KOPEL Office.

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Misowalai Homestay

 Miso Walai Homestay program has been operating since the year 2000 and offers an award winning and organised community-based cultural tourism experience in the Lower Kinabatangan, Sabah.  With more than 3 language groups and over 20 dialects the local indigenous “Orang Sungai” have a unique and diverse story to tell of their past and changing future alongside the Kinabatangan River.  There are more than 35 family households participating in the Miso Walai Homestay. Each village home is unique. Some homes are large and modern by rural village standards, other homes are rustic and traditional. All homes today have internal bathrooms and separate rooms for guests. Traditional local food is provided, household activities such as learning to cook, village sports and farm activities are part of the experience, as are wildlife encounters in the surrounding forests. We specialise in cultural programs for students, families, groups, and volunteers. We ask visitors to respect our code of cultural conduct to help us preserve our culture and continue to offer authentic insight into our way of life into the future (see responsible tourism link below).  * For more information or to arrange a stay contact KOPEL Office * For information regarding rat

Toilet

Bed Room

                                                  Activity 

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Our Product and Activity

• Homestay
• Tungog Rainforest Eco Camp
• Supu Camp
• Hammock Camping
• Trekking
• Explore Caving
• River Cruising
• Cultural Show

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About Us

With the final conversion of large tracts of lowland forests of the Lower Kinabatangan throughout the 1980s into permanent agricultural crops, many local people were forced to poach timber and other forest products to eke out an existence.  The MESCOT Initiative was started in 1996 by a group of about 30 visionary and dedicated individuals from the different villages of Batu Puteh to create an alternative source of income-generation for the people of the area, while simultaneously  protecting the last remaining vestiges of rainforest and traditional indigenous cultural heritage.  We chose, as our core activity, Eco-Tourism. It was hoped that this activity would be the key to raising income in this poor and remote rural community, increase the economic value of a depleted forest resource, and, in the process, raise funds to support the protection and restoration of the last remaining wetland forests and wildlife of the area.  MESCOT’s scope was broadened in 1998 when drought induced forest fires ravaged parts of the remaining natural forests surrounding the village. The MESCOT group voluntarily engaged in fighting these fires and in the aftermath decided it was critical to rehabilitate the degraded wetland forests and wildlife habitats and corridors. At the time, these steps were ground-breaking as previously little was known about the complex floodplain forest tapestry and the different rainforest types of the area. With the support of kind global citizens the forest restoration work has since developed to be a core activity of MESCOT driving the future of the village-run co-operative set up to manage these activities. So far we have set up:

The Batu Puteh Community Eco-Tourism Cooperative (KOPEL Bhd.) which combines the village ecotourism associations such as:

The Miso Walai Homestay Program

The Wayon Tokou Nature Guide Association

The Mayo do Talud Boat Service

Tulun Tokou Handicrafts

The MESCOT Culture Group

Alongside the Conservation Interventions of:

The Wetland Forest Rehabilitation, and Wetland Lake Rehabilitation activities.

The Lower Kinabatangan  fascinating part of Borneo and Asia, the massive Kinabatangan River flows
swiftly for 560km out of the rugged mountainous interior of the Island to the north-east coast in the Malaysian State of Sabah. Most of its upper reaches are steaming uninhabited jungles. The Lower Kinabatangan slows immensely to meander through an endless floodplain.  Constantly inundated this area today forms the agricultural heartland of Sabah.  What remains of the native rainforests along the floodplain is both unique and amazing, for its geography, rainforest biodiversity, and the astounding array of wildlife species still able to survival in the ever changing landscape. Take a walk through out website, or better still come at visit us, to learn about Borneo’s tropical rainforests, our diverse cultures, and help us save this remarkable part of our planet....

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