Journeys: Best of Borneo
12 days, Kuching to Kota Kinabalu
Itinerary
Day 1Kuching
Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer included.
Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting
The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your CEO will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Day 2Kuching
Enjoy a full-day excursion to the Bidayuh tribal village, a thriving rural community which is home to one of the few remaining traditional Bidayuh longhouses in Sarawak. The Bidayuh (or Land Dayak) are the second largest indigenous tribe in Sarawak and we spend the day learning about their culture, history, and contemporary life. With our local guide, explore the old longhouse and village, walk through the farmlands, and enjoy a traditional lunch. Return to Kuching in the evening.
This village is located near the Sarawak-Kalimantan border. Along the way stop at the colourful local market in the small town of Serian, which features a variety of jungle produce such as edible ferns, bamboo shoots, tropical fruits and more.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle on the drive to the village and back.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Visit Mongkos Village
Enjoy a full day excursion to Mongkos village of the Bidayuh tribe, a thriving rural community which is home to one of the few remaining traditional Bidayuh longhouses in Sarawak. The Bidayuh (or Land Dayak) are the second largest indigenous tribe in Sarawak and we spend the day learning about their culture, history, and contemporary life. Upon arrival the community will welcome us with a traditional dance performance, then visit the 24-doors traditional longhouse, which was made out of wood and bamboo in the 1950s. After enjoy a walk through the farmlands to see the rice fields (seasonal), pepper farm, rubber plantation, and tropical fruit orchards. You will also experience how the Bidayuh prepare a traditional lunch, cooked with simple natural “pots,” leaves and ingredients. Enjoy your local lunch of delicious and fresh dishes.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 3Kuching
In the morning, embark on a cruise down the Santubong River. Take in the mangrove scenery and keep an eye out for rare Irrawaddy dolphins. After a free afternoon, join an amphibian expert for an evening nature walk in Kubah National Park. Enjoy the beautiful sounds of the jungle at nightfall and search out a wide variety of frog species, including the newly discovered Kubah narrow-mouthed frog — one of the smallest frogs in the world.
Santubong River Wildlife and Dolphin Cruise
Visit Santubong peninsula this morning, and embark on a river cruise. Explore the mouth of the Santubong river and mangrove forest of Kuching Wetlands National Park. Enjoy the stunning scenery of the mangrove swamp and learn how the various animals, like the proboscis monkeys, and the uniquely adapted mangrove trees develop a complex symbiotic eco-system. The rare Irrawaddy Dolphins are often seen here. While most commonly associated with the Mekong river delta and the Irrawaddy river (Myanmar), this dolphin is also found in coastal areas of the island of Borneo in estuaries close to mangrove forests. This slate gray dolphin species features a bulging forehead and short beak and only a very small dorsal fin. Increasing levels of bycatch and habitat degradation in recent years have led to decreasing numbers of this elusive animal and have driven it almost into extinction in some areas of its habitats in Southeast Asia.
Free Time
Enjoy an afternoon at leisure to further explore your surroundings.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Nature Walk in Kubah National Park
Visit Kubah national park for an evening nature walk with an amphibian expert. View rare ferns and orchids, as well as a wide variety of palm species. The recent discovery of a new tiny frog species at the park has made this place famous for frogging. Commonly referred to as the Kubah Narrow-mouthed Frog, this newly discovered species is one of the smallest frogs in the world at the size of a pencil’s tip. This frog is often found living in insect-eating pitcher plants and while these carnivorous plants kill insects, there is no harm to the frogs and their tadpoles grow in the liquid inside of pitcher plants. With our expert, we will search for this famous little creature as well as other popular amphibians such as the Bornean Horned Toad, several species of Sticky Frogs, White-eared Tree Frog, Wallace’s Flying Frog, Harlequin Tree Frogs and many more. While on the look-out for frogs and other amphibians, enjoy the stunning jungle orchestra during night fall, which made Kubah National Park the winner of the ‘Most Beautiful Sound in the World’ contest. The recording ‘Dusk by the Frog Pond’ by an Australian professional in photography and bioacoustics beat out hundreds of entries, standing out among the 11 other finalists that also featured nature recordings.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 4Kuching/Gunung Mulu National Park
Catch a flight and transfer to our hotel near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mulu National Park, known for its lush rainforest and impressive cave systems. Take a night walk with our local guide to search out nocturnal wildlife; watch for blinking fireflies and luminescent fungi.
Enjoy this stunning National Park and UNESCO World Heritage, home to the world-famous Mulu Caves. The caves hold many world records in terms of size, height and length including the Sarawak Chamber; thought to be the largest known natural underground chamber. As well, considered the largest known cave passage in the world, the Deer Cave is home to a phenominal 2-3 million bats. Finally, the Clearwater Cave boasts an extensive system of passages, currently known to be the longest in South-East Asia. To date approximately 100 km of the system has been explore, and much still remains a mystery.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Mulu Night Walk
Venture out into the lush Sarawak rainforest with a guide and flashlight to check out the wild jungle inhabitants at night, when they really come alive. Keep your eyes peeled and watch your step!
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 5Gunung Mulu National Park
Board a longboat and travel along the Melinau River to a Penan Village for a short visit. Continue our exploration, to the Wind Cave, noting the rock calcite formations and cool breeze of the Kings Chamber. After, climb up the steps to reach the stunning underground river in Clearwater Cave. Take a dip in the cool waters and enjoy a picnic lunch in the rainforest at Clearwater Springs. This afternoon, enjoy a walk through the rainforest to the Lang and Deer Caves. Marvel at Lang's stunning stalagmites and stalactites, and be awed by Deer Cave — the largest cave passage in the world and home to an estimated 2 to 3 million bats.
Wind and Clearwater Caves Exploration
Visit Wind Cave, named for the breezes that blow through it, and the vast Clearwater Cave, home to a subterranean river. After checking out the caves, enjoy a refreshing swim and a picnic amongst the beautiful scenery of the rainforest.
Deer and Lang Caves Exploration
Walk along a series of planks through the rainforest to reach Deer and Lang caves. Explore these impressive caverns (Deer cave is never less than 90 metres high or wide!), home to more than two million bats.
Bat Exodus Observation
Head to the cave entrance or the bat observatory to watch as millions of bats exit the Deer Cave to hunt insects.
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 6Gunung Mulu National Park/Kota Kinabalu
Enjoy the morning at leisure to explore the rainforest and opt to take a canopy walk. This afternoon, catch a flight to Kota Kinabalu and enjoy the evening at leisure.
Free Time
Enjoy you morning free, take some time to explore the rainforest.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Optional Activities - Day 6 HideShow
Canopy Walk
480m the canopy walk is the longest in the world.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 7Kota Kinabalu/Sungai Kinabatangan
Catch an early morning flight to Sandakan and visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Continue to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and enjoy a talk on the bears and the conservation efforts to protect them. After, transfer by private vehicle to our lodge and enjoy a wildlife cruise and night walk.
This activity might see you in relatively close proximity to the orang utan but you cannot touch or directly interact with them. Most primate care centres, especially those attempting rehabilitation and release in accordance with the IUCN guidelines, prohibit tourist and volunteer contact with any and all animals for two main reasons: risk of zoonosis (the risk of us passing diseases to our primate cousins) and habituation & behavioural implications (detrimental impact of having a large, ever-changing human presence around apes which might lead to a reluctance to return to their natural habitat).
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre Visit
Visit the conservation centre and see the world’s smallest bear. Learn more about the sun bears and the conservation efforts being made to protect them.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Kinabatangan River Evening Cruise
Cruise through the crocodile-infested waters with an expert boatman. While wildlife-spotting can't be guaranteed there's a good chance you will spot some monkeys, birds and the occasional saltwater crocodiles.
Jungle Night Walk
Take a night walk on the trails near the Jungle Lodge and look for the unique creatures that are active at night.
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre Visit
The orangutans at the centre were either rescued as orphans or from illegal domestication. Once rehabilitated, they are set free to live in the wild. Watch these creatures being fed or roaming the grounds along with other animals such as macaque monkeys.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 8Kampung Bilit
Enjoy wildlife excursions on foot and by boat with local guides and naturalists into the jungle. Cruise the Kinabatangan River in search of birds and wildlife, keeping your eyes open for one of Borneo's seven primate species, including the proboscis monkey and orangutan, as well pygmy elephants. Also enjoy a hike to an oxbow lake.
Kinabatangan River Wildlife Cruise
Jump into a boat and explore the muddy river; keep your eyes peeled for monkeys, birds, and crocodiles.
Guided Oxbow Lake Walk and Wildlife Spotting
Enjoy a guided trek along the lake and seek out proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, macaques, and gibbons.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 9Kampung Bilit/Tabin Wildlife Reserve
Drive to Tabin Wildlife Reserve and check into our rainforest lodge. Then enjoy a hike along an elephant trail to the active Lipad mud volcano which provides a mineral salt lick for wildlife. After dinner, enjoy a night safari and look out for nocturnal wildlife.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Hike to Lipad Mud Volcano
Hike from the Elephant trail to the active Lipad mud volcano, which provides a mineral salt lick for wildlife. Climb the observation tower and admire the contrasting landscape of the bare mud volcano to the surrounding lush forest, where birds are commonly seen. Try to identify the multitude of animal footprints here. The adventurous can try the effects of the volcanic mud, said to be beneficial for a glowing complexion.
Night Safari
A night safari is an excellent way to see wildlife that’s nocturnal, such as the Western Tarsier, the Slow Loris, the Clouded Leopard, Leopard Cat, Palm Civet, Mousedeer, flying lemur and Colugo. Care is taken not to disturb them with high-powered lighting.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 10Tabin Wildlife Reserve
Spend the day exploring the Tabin Wildlife Reserve with local guides. Enjoy an early morning bird walk, searching out some of the 300 species of birds in the area. After breakfast, drive to the main wildlife-spotting area. Later, trek through the lush green rainforest, known for its rich diversity of plants and animal species, to the Lipad Waterfall. Relax and take a dip in the natural pool and enjoy a refreshing shower under the waterfall. In the late afternoon, take a wildlife drive and if we're lucky, catch a glimpse of one of the two largest mammals of Sabah — the Borneo Pygmy Elephant and the Tembadau. Nine species of primate are present in the park, as well as three species of cats, all of which are on the protected wildlife list. This evening, take a night walk in search of sleeping birds, frogs, and insects.
Morning Bird Walk
Tabin is a bird-watcher's paradise as the forest here attracts an amazingly rich diversity of birds, including rare and endemic species. The relatively low canopy with sufficient natural light makes birding and photography here a delightful experience.
Lipad Waterfall Visit
Trek through the lush green rainforest known for its rich diversity of plants and animal species to visit Lipad Waterfall. Take a dip in the natural pool and enjoy a refreshing shower under the waterfall. Alternatively, explore the surrounding vegetation or just relax.
Dusk Wildlife Drive
Set off on a dusk drive to look out for nocturnal wildlife and birds that come out to look for food during this time of the day.
Jungle Night Walk
Go for a night walk along the trail close to the resort in search of sleeping birds, frogs, and nocturnal wildlife.
Optional Activities - Day 10 HideShow
Tabin Rainforest Foot Soak
Try out the Tabin Rainforest Foot Soak, made with a natural blend of herbs to relax tired muscles after long jungle treks.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 11Tabin Wildlife Reserve/Kota Kinabalu
Spend the morning at leisure before catching a flight back to Kota Kinabalu. Enjoy some free time to explore.
With free time opt to watch a video about the Tabin Wildlife Reserve or make a keepsake using mud from the Lipad Mud Volcano.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 12Kota Kinabalu
Depart at any time.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.