Orangutan sanctuary, Malaysian Borneo

Here are my impressions of Malaysian Borneo from a 2-week November trip my wife, Carol, and I took there with smarTours (New York, NY; 800/337-7773, www.smartours.net).

It’s hot (of course), bustling, surprisingly clean, inexpensive and, best of all, very friendly. We walked everywhere, on city streets and jungle trails, and took boats and rode public buses, always feeling safe and enjoying friendly receptions. All the roads were in very good condition. Kuala Lumpur is a very big city, but it’s very tourist-friendly and easy to get around in on foot or by transit.  

One of the highlights of the trip (in 2009 priced $2,599 from Los Angeles) was visiting the orangutan sanctuary near Sandakan, a short flight from Kota Kinabalu. We observed the orangutans at their feeding station. — TED MULLETT, Lake Toxaway, NC