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Giant Nepenthes Tour - Borneo Part 1, Mesilau Nature Reserve


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Hi guys

A few weeks ago I returned from Borneo after going there for 11 days on the Giant Nepenthes Tour that Stewart McPherson and Alastair Robinson, our guide for the trip organised.

Unfortunately due to work commitments I wasn't able to attend the first part of the tour in the Philippines, but was still able to full fill a couple of my dreams in being able to climb Mt Tambuyukon and Mt Trusmadi, to see a few of the most beautiful and amazing Nepenthes species in the world.

Our group consisted of 8 people including Alastair, a few who I'd previously met before on other CP trips and conferences and a few who I met for the first time on the trip.

The itinerary for our expedition included meeting at Kota Kinabalu and spending the night there then heading out to Mt Kinabalu the next day to visit the Mesilau Nature Resort first to see N. rajah and N. burbidgeae.

Then a quick stop at Ranau the next morning to see N. stenophylla, N. fusca, N. macrovulgaris and N. reinwardtiana, followed by one of the most difficult climbs in Borneo in the afternoon at Mt Tambuyukon where we saw N. edwardsiana, N. burbidgeae, N. tentacular, N. fusca, N. villosa and N. rajah near the summit, which we did over a 4 day period.

After the descent of Mt Tambuyukon was then had lunch at Poring to see N. mirabillis, N. gracilis and Rafflesia keithii in flower. Followed by a long drive to the base of Mt Trusmadi where we spent a further 3 days climbing up to the summit along the old trail to see N. lowii and N. macrophylla, N. tentaculata and N. fusca the infamous N. x Trusmadiensis (N. lowii x N. macrophylla).

After spending the night at Keningau we then headed back through the Crocker Range, stopping at the Tambunan Rafflesia Reserve to see R. pricei in flower and then finally visit Mt Alab, the Type location of N. chanianah to see that species, N. fusca and N. tentaculata, before heading back to Kota Kinabalu where we spent our final night and feasted at the water front Market.

Due to the amount of images that I took, I'll break this trip up into several posts to help the photos load.

Giant Nepenthes tour - Borneo

Part 1a - Mesilau Nature Reserve

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The view of the stunning Mt Kinabalu from a lookout tower not far from the entrance to the National Park.

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Our first point of call was to head to the Mesilau Nature Resort that contains a few species of Nepenthes and is a natural location for the ever impressive N. rajah.

This photo shows the steep hillside habitat where the plants grow.

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Looking back down the trail, gives a real sense of how steep part of it really is.

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A nice big 15-20cm lower pitcher of Nepenthes burbidgeae

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A juvenile lower pitcher of Nepenthes burbidgeae

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A upper pitcher of Nepenthes burbidgeae

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A nice red variant of Nepenthes burbidgeae

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A stunning dark variant upper pitcher of N. tentaculata

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A dark variant lower pitcher of N. tentaculata

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A juvenile lower pitcher of N. fusca.

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A N. fusca hybrid, none of us had any idea of what the other parent was though.

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At the reserve we also managed to see a N. villosa that had been planted there too and seemed to be doing quite well at the lower altitude.

Part 1b to come:

N. rajah at Mesilau.

Cheers

Steve

Edited by Fredders
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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks guys

Yep, quite a few people have confirmed that it's a N. burbidgea x fusca hybrid.

I also saw it there back in 2007 when I first visited the site except it had no descent pitchers on it yet.

Cheers

Steve

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