Borneo's Wild Pitcher Plants trip

[David]

Ch'ien Lee is organising a trip thoughout Borneo from 1-14 May 2009 to see Nepenthes in the wild. Below is are some information from his website. You can read more here or log in to his website at http://www.wildborneo.com.my/ for full details and to register.

This tour will be led by naturalist and wildlife photographer Ch’ien Lee, co-author of A Pocket Guide to the Pitcher Plants of Sarawak and Pitcher Plants of Borneo, 2nd edition. With over 13 years of experience in the jungles of Borneo and veteran of over 80 tropical mountain expeditions, he has extensive knowledge of Borneo's wild Nepenthes.

BORNEO WILD PICTHER PLANTS

The island of Borneo harbors some of the richest ecosystems in the world, and it is also the famed home of some of the world’s most incredible carnivorous plants,

Nepenthes, with 36 recognized species. Among these include many rare endemics such as the famous giant pitcher plant, N. rajah, which has traps so enormous it occasionally feeds on prey as large as rats. This guided trip has been custom tailored to provide an unparalleled opportunity to visit these Nepenthes pitcher plants in their natural habitats. The tour will take the adventurous on an exploration of some of Borneo’s most outstanding wilderness areas in northern Borneo within the east Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah.

Destinations include:
- Bako National Park
- Gunung Mulu National Park
- Pulong Tau National Park
- Gunung Kinabalu National Park

Itinerary

Day 0: Friday, 1 May
Arrival
We will meet at the hotel lobby at 6 PM and proceed for a welcoming dinner where we will discuss the details of our upcoming trip.
Lodging: Harbour View Hotel. Meals: D.

Day 1: Saturday, 2 May
Bako National Park
Departing our hotel after breakfast, we will proceed by bus and then boat to the nearby Bako National Park, located on a rugged sandstone Peninsula. This park is renowned for its abundant wildlife, including the endemic Proboscis Monkey, and unique floral habitats which abound in Nepenthes and other carnivorous plants. A day hike will take us through the park's various environs. We will enjoy a seafood dinner at Buntal Village before returning to Kuching.
Lodging: Harbour View Hotel. Meals: B, L (pack), D.

Day 2: Sunday, 3 May
Bau Limestone Hills
Our day's excursion by bus will take us to the town of Bau which is located amidst spectacular scenery of karst limestone hills which are riddled with caves. Here we will explore habitats for the endemic Nepenthes northiana, as well as other lowland pitcher plants, numerous natural hybrids, and plentiful orchids including the rare and endemic Paphiopdilum stonei.
Lodging: Harbour View Hotel. Meals: B, L, D.

Day 3: Monday, 4 May
Mulu National Park
After breakfast at our hotel we will proceed to Kuching International Airport for our flights to Miri and then to Mulu National Park. Once we have checked in at the park headquarters and had lunch we will take a short afternoon hike through beautiful lowland rainforest to a nearby site
where we can view the rare Nepenthes campanulata growing high on the limestone cliffs. Later we will visit the entrance to the famous Deer Cave, where at dusk we will witness the enormous swarms of bats emerging for their nightly forays.
Lodging: Mulu Park HQ chalets. Meals: B, L, D.


Day 4: Tuesday, 5 May
Trek to Melinau Gorge
We will begin our trek to Gunung Api by first heading up the Melanau river by canoe. An easy 2-hour hike will then take us to the rest house at Camp 5, our lodging for the next 2 days, located in a pristine river valley surrounded by towering limestone cliffs. In the afternoon we will hike to a
nearby kerangas forest habitat where several lowland Nepenthes can be observed including the Bornean endemic N. bicalcarata.
Lodging: Camp 5. Meals: B, L (pack), D.

Day 5: Wednesday, 6 May
The Pinnacles
After spending the night at Camp 5 our trek up Gunung Api will begin early in the morning. This is a steep and difficult trail, but most hikers are able to reach the Pinnacles in about 3-4 hours. En route we will observe numerous montane Nepenthes species including the Sarawak endemic N. faizaliana as well as abundant orchids and other fascinating plants. The Pinnacles are located at the top of the trail and we will have a short while to take in the superb view before beginning our descent back to camp.
Lodging: Camp 5. Meals: B, L (pack), D.

Day 6: Thursday, 7 May
Return to Mulu Headquarters
After a leisurely morning around camp we will retrace our steps to the Melinau river and then board our canoes back to park headquarters. En route we will stop for a brief guided tour of the spectacular Clearwater and Wind Caves which are located along the river.
Lodging: Mulu Park HQ chalets. Meals: B, L, D.

Day 7: Friday, 8 May
Lawas
Today we will bid farewell to Mulu, board a morning flight back to Miri, and then transfer to another plane to the northern town of Lawas. Our 3-hour journey will then take us by 4 wheeldrive vehicle up dirt roads to a small rainforest lodge located by a river and a natural hot spring.
Lodging: Merarap Hot Spring. Meals: B, L, D.

Day 8: Saturday, 9 May
Gunung Murud Climb
Our climb up Gunung Murud will be a fairly strenuous 3-hour hike, followed by a rather pleasant stroll along the summit ridge. Here we will pass through beautiful moss forest, offering excellent photo opportunities of many Nepenthes including N. tentaculata, N. muluensis, N. lowii, N. hurrelliana, and the endemic N. murudensis, as well as countless rhododendrons, gesneriads, and orchids (including such beauties as Corybas muluensis). We will take shelter at the Church Camp houses (2100 meters) where food and lodging will be provided.
Lodging: Church Camp. Meals: B, L (pack), D.

Day 9: Sunday, 10 May
Murud Summit
We will spend the entire day exploring the summit plateau (which is a short hike from camp) and investigating the amazing terrain of the ‘rock garden’ which, at 2400 meters in elevation, has some of the most spectacular and unique vegetation in Sarawak. Here in the open habitat, we can observe thousands of Nepenthes growing in pristine abundance along with numerous orchids and rhododendrons.
Lodging: Church Camp. Meals: B, L (pack), D.

Day 10: Monday, 11 May
Return to Hot Spring
We will depart camp early and begin our descent from Gunung Murud, returning to our lodge by 4 wheel-drive. En route we will visit newly discovered sites for various Nepenthes including N. reinwardtiana, N. fusca, and the recently described N. vogelii. In the evening we will enjoy a soak in the wonderfully relaxing natural hot spring.
Lodging: Merarap Hot Spring. Meals: B, L (pack), D.

Day 11: Tuesday, 12 May
Transit to Mount Kinabalu
We will travel by 4 wheel-drive vehicle back to Lawas, cross the border into the state of Sabah, and then transfer via a shuttle to Mount Kinabalu. Our destination will be the Mesilau Valley, high on the southeastern side of the mountain and location for a small but cozy resort. After our arrival we will take a short walk across the Mesilau River to a nearby outcrop of ultramafic soil upon which grows a large population of famous Nepenthes rajah.
Lodging: Mesilau Nature Resort Hostel. Meals: B, L, D.

Day 12: Wednesday, 13 May
Mount Kinabalu
Setting our goals of exploring the upper montane vegetation of this spectacular mountain, we will depart the Resort early in the morning for a long day hike, following the summit trail. Our climb will take us up nearly 1000 vertical meters of elevation (reaching over 3000 meters in altitude) and into unusual montane habitats rich with orchids, rhododendrons, and
Nepenthes. Here we will find the beautiful endemic Nepenthes villosa.
Lodging: Mesilau Nature Resort Hostel. Meals: B, L (pack), D.

Day 13: Thursday, 14 May
Return to Kota Kinabalu
Our morning will be spent enjoying the montane forest around the vicinity of the Resort, as well as making another short hike back to explore the nearby Nepenthes rajah habitat to take additional photos of this remarkable plant. We will also have time to view other unusual species including N. burbidgeae and Paphiopedilum javanicum. After lunch we will return by shuttle to Kota Kinabalu where we will enjoy an evening farewell dinner by the waterfront.
Lodging: Kinabalu Daya Hotel. Meals: B, L, D.

Day 14: Friday, 15 May
Departure
Participants may be interested to extend their visit in Sabah, which hosts an impressive assortment of parks and nature reserves for wildlife viewing and scuba diving. Multiple daily flights are available for return to Kuching, Sarawak.