Every night after dinner, our experienced guides take you out to explore the trails around the lodge on the lookout for Borneo’s nocturnal wildlife.
Why the forest changes at night
The animals you spend all day looking for in the canopy go to sleep, and an entirely different cast comes out. Nothing is moving fast, which is the point: a slow loris creeping along a branch or a tarsier seemingly frozen in the bushes gives you far longer to look than any daytime sighting. Sound does most of the work, so your guide will stop, kill the lights and simply listen. Do the same.
What to keep your eyes peeled for
- Slow lorises and wide-eyed tarsiers, the two everyone hopes for
- Civets scurrying along branches and across the trail
- Sleeping kingfishers, roosting low enough to see clearly
- Unusual stick insects, mantises, spiders and frogs
- Leopard cats, which turn up near the lodge more often than you would think
The hill next to the lodge has produced sun bears, clouded leopards and binturongs for very lucky guests. We will not pretend that is normal, but it is why the guides keep looking.
What to bring
Closed shoes or the lodge’s free rubber boots, long trousers and long sleeves, and insect repellent. A headtorch leaves your hands free, which matters more than you would expect when you are trying to work a camera. Red light disturbs wildlife less than white. Bring rain protection, since a shower after dark is common, and a dry bag for anything electronic.
Good to know
Walks last around an hour to ninety minutes and leave from the restaurant after dinner. Follow your guide’s lead on how close to get and stay quiet, and you will see considerably more.
Night walks are included in every package at Hornbill Lodge.
