On July 14th Penn's Village was treated to online tour of the land of the orangutan, pygmy elephant, rare orchids, carnivorous plants, and the largest flower in the world.

John Whitenight took us to Borneo, “the land below the wind,” a name given it by mariners due to it never having suffered the ravages of a typhoon. The travelogue will focus on northern Borneo, present day Sabah, which is part of Malaysia. Departing from the largest city in Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, we proceeded to Mt. Kinabalu, the highest point in Malaysia at an elevation of over 13,000 feet. From there we visited a variety of orchid and rare plant preserves. The tour then traveled east to the Kinabatangan River Preserve, which teems with life along its shores. We followed the river north to the coast and out to Turtle Islands Park on Selingan Island in the Sulu Sea, where conservation of the endangered green sea turtle is an ongoing mission. Back on terra firma we arrived in Sandakan, a large city that is also home to the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary. Our tour bus then turned south to our final destination, the Danum Valley Preserve. This area encompasses one of the last remaining pristine ancient rainforests in Borneo.