Climate and Landscape Change in Borneo's Rainforest 2013

Travel Tips
Suggestions for the Road
Luggage
Lost and delayed luggage: If your luggage goes astray,
have the airline send it to: Danum Valley Field Centre, PO
Box 60282, 91112 Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia.
General considerations: Do not bring more luggage than
you can carry and handle on your own. If traveling by air
and checking your luggage, pack an extra set of field
clothing and personal essentials in your carry-on bag in
case your luggage is lost or delayed. Many airlines have
strict baggage policies; check with your airline on weight
limits, liquid restrictions, fees for checked baggage, etc.
Transferring luggage: If you will be taking an international
flight that has one or more connections within the country
of your destination, you must collect any checked bags at
the airport where you first arrive in the destination country.
After going through customs, you will have to recheck your
luggage before flying to your final destination.
Money Matters
Local currency: Malaysian Ringgit. See www.xe.com/ucc
for currency information and exchange rates.
Personal funds: We suggest that you bring around RM400
in cash, as well as credit cards. You will only need a little
money during the expedition; at the research site there
is almost nothing to spend money on, other than canned
drinks and snacks. There is a small gift shop at the Borneo
Rainforest Lodge. There are ATMs and international banks
in Kota Kinabalu and Lahad Datu, but there are no money
changing facilities at Danum or other research sites.
Getting cash from the airport ATMs can be difficult, but
the Hyatt has a reasonable exchange rate. Don’t bring
travelers’ checks; many banks won’t cash them.
The sum recommended above should cover local taxis.
As mentioned in the Rendezvous section (pg. 16), the fare
from the airport to the Hyatt is RM30 for a four-seat taxi
and RM38 for a six-seat taxi (rates subject to change).
Tipping is not expected, although moderate tips are
appreciated by field assistants, etc.
Departure taxes: Domestic flights: RM6.00; international
flights: RM45.00
The international departure tax is often included in ticket
prices. Taxes are subject to change.
Your Destination
Language: Bahasa Malaysia is the national language
of Sabah, though English is widely spoken and
most of the research assistants and others working with
Earthwatchers have at least conversational-level English
ability. The expedition will be conducted in English.
Cultural considerations: Malaysia is a predominantly
Muslim country. Please dress conservatively and respect
cultural and religious sensitivities. Eating with the left
hand—or offering food to Malaysians with the left hand—
is considered impolite. Malaysians eat with spoons and
forks and seldom use knives. Do not wear shoes inside,
particularly in living areas. Do not eat pork in the presence
of Muslims. There is no problem with the consumption of
alcohol, although alcohol should not be offered to Muslims
unless they are known to drink. Considerable problems
can arise if visitors become overly familiar with Muslims of
the opposite sex. Strictly speaking, same-sex relationships
are illegal under Malaysian law, although in practice many
people are tolerant. Still, discretion is advised, especially
outside larger towns and cities. Malaysians are generally
fastidious about personal hygiene and will often shower
and change clothes two or three times per day. Please
observe at least a reasonable level of personal hygiene
and shower and change after working in the field.
Completely optionally, branded T-shirts or baseball caps
from you make welcome gifts for the field staff.
Time zone: GMT/UTC +8. For time worldwide with GMT/
UTC, see www.worldtimeserver.com.
Telephone dialing codes: When calling Malaysia from
another country, dial the country’s international dialing
code, followed by 60 and the number. When calling within
Malaysia, omit the 60 and dial 0. When calling another
country from Malaysia, dial 0, followed by the other
country’s country code and the number. Note: Check
with your cellphone provider for any carrier-specific
dialing codes you may need; many providers have dialing
procedures that differ from these directions. For additional
information, see www.kropla.com/dialcode.htm.
Climate and Landscape Change in Borneo’s Rainforest 2013
17