My 12-Hour Day At Datai Rainforest

My Chinese New Year break away from the hell resort has finally arrived! Yeah!

The first day of my holiday today was waking up early and driving myself to Jalan Datai Resort to have close-ups of any wildlife. 

Dusky Langurs or Dusky Leaf Monkeys (Trachypithecus obscurus spp.) arrived shortly to greet us and then followed by two male Oriental Pied Hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris). 

A lively morning for us from the wildlife with the Giant Squirrels (Ratufa bicolor) feeding; a Crested Goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) perched high up on a strangling fig tree waiting patiently for its next victim; a pair of Black Baza (Aviceda leuphotes) and a Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) hovering; Flameback woodpeckers family doing vertical climb, the ever busy Orange-Bellied Flowerpecker (Dicaeum trigonostigma); 

a pair of majestic White-Bellied Sea Eagles (Haliaeetus leucogaster) guarding their nest and much more. Our walk ended with a male Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) attending to the nest cavity and regurgitating its food. 

After a quick breakfast, I went exploring the area and a trail. As the day grew hotter, the birds disappeared. Aha! a wildlife observation hut was found on one of the trails.

Another clearly marked trail in the lowland rainforest was an easy walk and allowed me to photograph some of the flora and fauna. The dry season now has made the forest floor comfortable to walk on. 

Looking up to a strangling fig tree or two?

The strangling fig trees at the bottom

A stream, Datai River that is almost drying up. I am so looking forward to the wet season to have lots of water and camping time!

Can someone please help to ID this spider?

Help needed to ID this flower?

Help needed to ID this ochid?

Ixora family (Thanks Aida for the ID).

Ixora and its fruits. Ants just love this plant that provides the nectar.  

Time sure flies like a rocket when one is immersed in the tranquility of the rainforest. By the time I was out of the trail, it was way past my lunch time.

Stopping by Tiga cafe was indeed my plan since last night. Tiga cafe is located opposite of Temurun Waterfall along Jalan Datai . Run by Nas and Jeff, Tiga is a roadside cafe at the edge of the rainforest that provides a relaxing atmosphere for lunch or just simply to have an ice-cream. Their ice-cream stock and fridge just arrived today! Now you can have banana split!

The interior of this cafe was designed and set up by the boys themselves. They actually went into the jungle to collect materials, just like the Orang Asli. I know this picture is not up to standard. I was too lazy to move around and my bum was glued to the comfortable chair.

Jeff was surely good at making customers linger on at the cafe. He kept serving me drink after drink until the kitchen was closed. Nas, the cook, relaxed with his big serving of ice-cream. Once the cafe is closed at the end of the day, their dogs will be freed. Taking their dogs for a walk on the pebble beach behind the cafe was a great idea. It made me stay longer still.

Adek climbing up the rocky cliff

Adek looking at the beach from the top of the cliff

A view from the top of Pebble Beach. I think those boys named the beach.

Woody relaxing with a dip in the sea to cool off

Woody up close and personal

A long day that seemed so short. What a day to kick start my holiday!