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The same can be said for the lodge itself. It is quite a new resort and is staffed by a lovely team of young people. If their purpose is to make you feel welcome and well looked after, then they are high achievers. Although the majority of them are young and just learning the industry, they are attentive, polite and endlessly smiling. The accommodation is in bungalows running down the hill from the main public areas of reception, bar, restaurant and, of course, the squirrel viewing platform. The bungalows are spacious and well equipped with a lovely en suite shower room, aircon, hairdryer, tea and coffee making facilities and bottles of drinking water. The open air restaurant looks out into the forest and in our experience the food was very good and the service friendly and attentive. Only the fussiest of eaters could find cause for complaint.
The squirrel viewing platform was definitely a ‘6 o’clock’ venue. It became our habit to rise early and take a cup of tea up to the decked viewing platform and watch as the early morning sunlight first created, and then banished, the mist that clung to the forest canopy. By the time our mugs were empty the staff had the tea point uncovered in the bar and we helped ourselves to refills.
At the day’s second 6 o’clock the platform was once again the place to be. As regular as clockwork, this is squirrel viewing time. As the sun fades and the evening gathers, the giant flying squirrels leave their holes in the surrounding trees and come out to hunt. They are fabulous creatures. Quite large (as the name would suggest), they scale the trees and head out towards the end of the branches and on finding themselves an appropriate spot, launch skyward and drift elegantly through the gathering dusk before alighting in a neighbouring tree. We were amazed at the distance they travel.