Brilliantly Borneo

Itinerary

Itinerary:
Kuching - Bako NP - Batang Ai - Santubong / Damai Peninsula - Mulu NP - Kota Kinabalu - Mount Kinabalu - Tabin NP - Sandakan - Sepilok - Kinabatangan River - Lankayan Island
Duration:
24 days / 23 nights (flexible)
Price:
From £ 5,499.- per person (excluding flights)
Highlights:
✓ Discover Borneo’s unique wildlife in the rainforest
✓ Relax on white sandy beaches
✓ Experience authentic life with a local tribe

This is the itinerary for those of you who wish to see everything Borneo has to offer. Discover buzzing cities, rugged mountain peaks, winding rivers, pristine forest and golden beaches. Spend your days wildlife spotting, hanging out with the Iban tribe, exploring hidden caves and snorkelling crystal clear seas. This Borneo trip has it all!

Day 1 – Arrival in Kuching

Your Borneo adventure begins in Kuching (a.k.a Cat City). This compact, welcoming city is a mix of old and new, a melting pot of cultures and cuisines. It’s a great place to spend a few days. Your driver will be waiting for you at the airport for your short drive to your centrally located hotel. From here, it’s an easy walk to explore the city’s highlights. Why not walk along the lively riverfront, relax in one of the many cafes or try a famous Sarawak Laksa for an authentic experience.

Day 2 – Explore Kuching by bike & boat

This morning you’ll head out on a cycling tour of Kuching. You’ll cycle past temples and monuments, and even get to stop in the heritage area, where you’ll fill your stomach with some tasty authentic street food. Swap bike for boat and take a relaxing cruise along the Sarawak River on a traditional Sampan boat, watching local life along the riverbanks. Disembark and continue exploring with your guide, passing through small villages and local open air markets selling tropical fresh fruits and vegetables and local handicrafts. Return to the city centre around midday

It’s time for your first Borneo wildlife experience as you head to your next destination: Bako National Park. You’ll be transferred to the nearby village of Kampung Bako. Here you’ll board a boat for the 30 minute journey to Bako National Park. One of the first things you’ll notice are the imposing rock formations jutting up from the water.

After you’ve checked into your basic national park accommodation you’ll explore your surroundings with your guide and hopefully spot some of the jungle’s wildlife. Long tail macaques, silver leaf monkeys, bears and deer all call this place home along with the famous Proboscis monkey, which can only be found on Borneo.

The following morning you’ll have time to explore independently. After lunch at the park HQ you’ll return to Kuching for the night.

This morning you’ll depart the city again for one of the more remote areas of Sarawak: the Batang Ai National Park. The region is home to one of the oldest Iban settlements in Sarawak. The Iban tribe were once feared due to their practice of ‘headhunting’. These days they are peaceful people who live off the land but their other traditions are still carried out today. They live in longhouses built on poles high above the banks of the river.

After 4 hours drive you’ll switch to a motorised wooden boat to go deep into the jungle. You’ll stay with the tribe in one of these traditional longhouses, with a mattress on the floor and a mosquito net. On entering it is customary to leave a small gift in the baskets hanging by the door in order to appease the spirits. You must always wait to be invited into a longhouse by the chief. You may experience an authentic ‘Miring Ceremony’ lead by a priest where you’ll be welcomed with a glass of local rice wine.

On your second day your guide will cook you a hearty breakfast in preparation for the day ahead. You will set off to explore the area surrounding the longhouse, where wild orangutans are occasionally spotted. Depending on the water levels, you may also travel by longtail boat. After a couple of hours of moderate trekking, you will reach a jungle camp where your hosts will cook you a tasty lunch inside bamboo!

After breakfast, bid farewell to your Iban hosts and transfer to the Santubong Peninsula and your home for the next couple of nights, a real-life tree-house! You’ll be staying in a jungle resort located in the heart of the rainforest, and right next to the beach. This eco-resort is a great place to laze around, with a good restaurant on-site, but you can also organise kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and nature tours if you’re feeling a little more active.

Your morning is free to relax. In the afternoon you’ll travel to the Santubong River where you’ll board a boat for a wildlife spotting cruise. As you float along the mangrove-lined river and its estuaries you can keep an eye out for the area’s abundant wildlife, including the unusual looking Proboscis monkeys, crocodiles, and even the occasional Irrawaddy Dolphin. As the light fades, you’ll also get to admire the sight of the fireflies lighting up the sky, before being transferred back to your eco-resort for the evening.

It’s a short journey to the golden beaches of Damai where you’ll spend the next two nights. Time to relax…

Next you’ll be collected and taken to the airport for your short flight to Mulu. When you land, your guide will be waiting to take you to your wooden jungle lodge. This national park accommodation is built on 3m high poles and resembles the longhouses found in this area. You will head out into the park on a 3km hike along a wooden walkway surrounded by an abundance of plants, birds and insects to visit some of the impressive caves.

The first one you’ll reach is Lang Cave, an enormous chamber filled with stalagmites and stalactites. After exploring with your guide you’ll head to Deer Cave which is home to many species of bats and has the largest cave entrance in the world. As the sun begins to set, you’ll witness an extraordinary sight as thousands of bats leave the cave in a whirlwind of fluttering – a real highlight of your trip through Sarawak.

Today you’ll explore more of the park with your knowledgable guide, this time by boat. You’ll pass tribal villages and visit Wind Cave, an enormous cave filled with rock pillars and Clearwater Cave, which was created by an enormous network of underground rivers. A long staircase connects this fascinating cave network. Afterwards, you can hop into the emerald waters to cool off with a refreshing swim. Later your boat will take you back to your lodge where you’ll have the evening to relax.

It’s time to head back to civilisation and today you’ll take the short flight to Kota Kinabalu. This bustling, coastal city is the starting point for your trip through the state of Sabah. After a quick transfer from the airport to your central hotel, you can settle in and start exploring. Head down to the waterfront for dinner with a view as the sun sets across the bay.

If you would like to extend your time in Mulu we can arrange a climb up to the Pinnacles. These are one of Mulu National Park’s most distinguishing features with 45m high limestone spikes jutting up from the forest. Speak to your Travel Specialist if you would like to include this.

Days 14 & 15 – Overnight in Kinabalu National Park

The next two days you’ll explore Kinabalu National Park – Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to Mount Kinabalu, Southeast Asia’s highest peak. The park is a haven for nature and outdoor lovers. Over 5,000 plant species can be found here and it’s a birdwatcher’s paradise, with colourful hornbills and mountain species you won’t see elsewhere.

Brave the heights of the rainforest canopy walkway 100 feet above the forest floor, wander through the colourful butterfly garden and take a dip in one of the hot mineral springs. You’ll stay in one of the basic national park cottages surrounded by the jungle. The following day you’ll hike on Mount Kinabalu at an altitude of approximately 1500m for the most spectacular views, before returning to Kota Kinabalu for the night.

Optional: Climb Mount Kinabalu

Do you fancy climbing the highest peak in South East Asia? Mount Kinabalu soars high above the jungle – 4,095 metres to be precise – and is usually surrounded by a veil of clouds. We can arrange a two-day trek that takes you from lush rainforest through mossy cloud forest to the summit, where you’ll watch the sunrise. You don’t need to be a hardcore mountaineer for this trek, but a reasonable level of fitness is required. For more information check our our bite-sized trip and let your Travel Specialist know if you would like to include this in your trip.

The next stop on your Borneo adventure is Tabin National Park – one of Sabah’s best places to spot wildlife, thanks to its mix of rainforest, mud volcanoes, and salt licks that attract animals. The park is home to orangutans, Borneo pygmy elephants, (elusive) clouded leopards, and a diversity of birdlife.

Take a short flight to Lahad Datu, where you’ll be picked up by a local guide in a 4×4. Say goodbye to civilization as you travel deep into the wilderness, along uneven, gravelly jungle roads. You’ll be staying in a remote lodge, with your own air-conditioned bungalow, and all of your meals are included – cooked by a good quality on-site restaurant.

In the afternoon, you’ll head out on a jeep safari through the jungle and discover the wonders of volcanic mud. After dinner at the lodge you’ll take a guided night walk to spot nocturnal creatures.

This morning you’ll wake up to the sound of monkeys and birds. If you’re an early riser you can join a morning hike. After breakfast you’ll head out on a jungle trek. Before long you’ll hear the sound of gushing water getting closer, and before you know it you’ll find yourself at a jungle oasis. Time for a welcome, refreshing dip in the waterfall pool. Trek back to the lodge in time for lunch. The rest of the afternoon will be free to spend as you wish.

It’s time for another, quite different wildlife spotting experience as you head to the Kinabatangan River – Sabah’s longest river. No other spot in Borneo features such a wide variety of wild animals: monkeys, monitor lizards, crocodiles, sunbears, hundreds of species of tropical birds, and if you’re lucky you may even see wild pygmy elephants!

Your base for the next two nights is a charming, wooden lodge on the banks of the river. You’ll have some time to relax before your first wildlife cruise in the late afternoon, where you’ll watch the animals come to life as the sun goes down. In the evening you’ll have dinner back at your lodge, and fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle.

You’ll probably wake up when the gibbon monkeys and hornbills do…they’ll make sure of that! It’ll be an early start anyway as you set out on your first cruise of the day – heading to a nearby lake as the animals begin to wake up around its shores. After breakfast back at the lodge, you can choose to relax for a while on the porch or head out on a nature walk to some nearby caves. As the sun begins to set, the final jungle cruise of your trip will head out, and you can take one more chance at spotting the unique Borneo wildlife. You’ll return to the lodge for another night in this unique setting.

Leave the river behind today and travel to Sandakan. On your way you’ll stop at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. This centre is involved in sun bear conservation, welfare rehabilitation and education. You’ll also visit the famous Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre where you’ll come face-to-face with these lovable primates. The centre takes in young orangutans who have been orphaned by deforestation and prepares them for an independent life in the wild. Your visit will be timed to coincide with feeding time. A guide will answer any questions you may have about the centre’s hairy inhabitants. Then you’ll be transferred to your overnight accommodation near Sepilok.

Today you will be transferred to the jetty for your boat transfer to Lankayan Island. The crossing takes around 90 minutes and will usually leave around 10am. Lankayan Island is a secluded paradise hidden away in the tropical Sulu Sea just north of Sandakan, and the perfect place to rest up after your travels through Borneo. Spend your days relaxing on the white sandy beaches or swimming and snorkelling in the crystal clear sea. Lankayan is a breeding ground for sea turtles and if you’re lucky, you can witness a nest of baby turtles being released into the sea. You will be staying in a seafront bungalow right on the beach. All your meals are included and are served at the restaurant, which boasts an amazingly beautiful open-air wooden terrace.

It’s the last day of your incredible Borneo adventure. On your last day on the island you will leave at 7am and head back to Sandakan, you’ll then hop in a taxi to the airport for your flight back home.