Southeast Asia
Wallacea
In 2017 I travelled to North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Located in the region known as Wallacea which delimits the ecozones of Asia and Australia, it's home to some of the most unique animals on earth. I spent a few days exploring the Tangkoko rainforest, spotting endemic wildlife, and visited the Minahasa Highlands, where I stayed in the "City of Flowers" Tomohon.
Knobbed hornbill in Tangkoko Nature Reserve
Sulawesi dwarf kingfisher
Pair of curious bear cuscus, a marsupial restricted to Sulawesi a few surrounding islands
Spectral tarsier on the hunt
One of the highlights was watching the super chilled and charismatic Sulawesi Black Macaques. A critically endangered species due to habitat loss and because their meat is considered a delicacy.
Java and Bali
Wildlife was more difficult to spot here, especially in Java where there's a lot of collecting for the illegal pet trade. But what the area lacks in pristine environments, it definitely makes up for in rich culture and hospitality.
Rice terraces on the way between Sideman and Amed, Bali
Choir members sitting around the fire during a Kecak dance performance in Ubud, Bali
Walls of Borobudur
The walls of the 9th century Buddhist temple in Central Java are all decorated with narrative and decorative reliefs. Incredible - thousands of square meters of relief surface!
Gliding lizard (Draco volans) displaying its throat flap, Bali
Water monitors are common around here - a good thing because they help keep pests in check, and they're super cool
Javan kingfisher
I'm sitting on the porch of my homestay outside of Yogyakarta, and I say to my host: I think I saw a Javan Kingfisher not far from here, beautiful bird with a big red beak and bright blue plumage. His comment: yes they hang around near the streams, unfortunately there's no prize for them, you get only Rp 10,000 in the market (less than a US dollar). Sad reality here, everything that moves is poached. Lucky for the kingfisher, he doesn't make a "good pet".
Jakarta - stark contrast to the lush Indonesia
Borneo
One of the most biodiverse islands on the planet. Also famous for unsustainable agriculture, illegal logging, and the rapid degradation of its habitats.
The remaining pockets of pristine rainforest are spectacular. With the hope of observing wild Orangutans, I visited the Danum Valley Conservation Area. Although I didn't get to see any, I enjoyed every second exploring the dense dipterocarp forests.
Dipterocarp lowland forest at the Danum Valley Field Centre
Long-tailed macaque running on cable
Red leaf monkeys in the Danum Valley rainforest
Female greater green leafbird hiding in the vegetation
Little spiderhunter
Bornean gibbon (Hylobates muelleri)
Difficult to photograph as they spend most of their time in the dense forest canopy. In four days, I heard the calls of two different groups and had three sightings, out of which this was the best. A neck-breaking view of a group feeding 20 meters high on a fig. Habitat loss and collection for the pet trade are driving them to extinction, and the species is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Harlequin flying frogs (Rhacophorus pardalis) in amplexus
Jasper cat snake (Boiga jaspidea)
The lights outside the dormitory at the Danum Valley Field Centre were left on one night, to prevent a group of elephants in the area from entering the property. That attracted an abundance of interesting insects. Among them this gorgeous moth (Antheraea larrissa).
Bornean pygmy elephants emerging from the vegetation on the side of the road, where they were feeding on wild ginger. A thrilling sight. The subspecies is slightly smaller than mainland Asian elephants and adapted for life in the rainforest. They’re endangered due to habitat loss and fragmentation.
Kota Kinabalu - the gateway to Sabah. I found it a pleasant city to spend a couple of days. I liked its lively and colourful markets in particular. It's also a great place for food.
Thailand
In 2018 I had the opportunity to visit the Kaeng Krachan National Park, and trek at various altitudes looking for birds, gibbons and pit vipers. I stayed at the Phoanoen Thung Campsite, where I had nothing but memorable moments, like a Malayan porcupine passing by just outside my tent, the sight of a leopard cat while herping at night, and waking up to the calls of White-handed gibbons in the early morning.
Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) at forest edge
Morning mist in Kaeng Krachan
Great hornbill (Buceros bicornis)
Dusky leaf monkey (Trachypithecus obscurus) mother and infant
Keyhole-shaped pupil of oriental vine snake (Ahaetulla prasina)
Forest crested lizard (Calotes emma)
Pope's pit viper (Trimeresurus popeiorum) - beauty of the Kaeng Krachan forests
White-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) showing off their amazing acrobatics in Kaeng Krachan National Park. Over two days I wasn’t able to spot them until the very last moments of my last hike. I feel lucky to have got such great views, and to have seen them brachiating, which is always a spectacle. Like most species of gibbon, they’re under pressure from fragmentation and hunting for the pet trade. The white-handed gibbon is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.
