Why Tony loves Borneo

My journey into Borneo started many years ago when my mum bought me a book for Xmas called ‘Into the Heart of Borneo’ by Redmond O’Hanlon. It is about an epic adventure made in 1983 by two explorers into the relative unknown, meeting indigenous tribal villagers and the amazing adventures that ensued.

It sparked an interest in this faraway land and was to become the catalyst to discover my own Borneo years later. I can still remember the awe I felt flying over the rainforest into Borneo, looking out at what appeared to be huge florets of broccoli as we came into land in Kota Kinabalu (known as KK), Sabah. Perched on the edge of the South China Sea, the capital of Sabah is an eclectic mix and fusion of different nationalities and cultures. Bahasia Malay is the dominant language in Sabah, although English is widely spoke too. You also have strong Indonesian and Chinese influences in both the population, cooking and wider culture.

I was fortunate enough to be a project manager on a Raleigh International expedition to Borneo where I lived in our own homemade camp in the jungle for 4 months. I remember sleeping in a hammock for weeks at a time, listening to the jungle noises as I lay there whilst glad I was suspended off the ground! I was leading a project aimed at introducing crop rotational farming methods to reduce the annual ‘slash and burn’ farming approach that local people used at the time. This meant that lots of the nutrients in the top layers of the soil were washed away into the local rivers. Working alongside local people and getting an insight into their lives, the challenges they faced and the impact that deforestation was having on their way of life was truly educational. They are a very stoic people, used to adversity and their approach and way in which they welcomed us into their communities was very humbling. That was the seed that germinated the desire to work in international development which I have been doing ever since my first expedition there.

Borneo is also very special for me as it is where I got engaged. Asking my now wife to marry me on a beach by the South China Sea with the backdrop of the magnificent Mount Kinabalu was truly memorable. Thankfully she said yes! We have also taken our 3 children to Borneo for an adventure week which they were enthralled with. Early morning exploration of the Kinbatangan River in dug out canoes, seeing the mist rise above the waters whilst crocodiles sat on the river banks was special, if not a little disconcerting for them. Seeing the incredible plumage of the Hornbills and a myriad of other birds whilst watching a whole variety of monkeys jumping from branch to branch with their distinctive cries will not be forgotten. We even did a night walk through the jungle where we saw all sorts of nocturnal animals, including a tarantula. Borneo is a truly incredible destination that will give you memories to last a lifetime and I cannot wait to go back there again, this time on a Global Action programme.