Borneo adventure travel - The charismatic orangutan

Monkey business in the tropical rainforest

Route: Kuala Lumpur - Kuching - Lemanak - Kuching - Bako National Park - Kota Kinabalu - Sandakan - Sepilok - Sukau - Kota Kinabalu - Pulau Tiga - Kuala Lumpur

Alluring cities, tropical rainforests, endearing orangutans and postcard-perfect beaches - these are only a few highlights of this short Borneo itinerar. Discover the jungles of South Borneo and meet the indigenous people of this area as a guest in a traditional longhouse. Then, trek through Bako National Park, where you'll stand face-to-face with rare proboscis monkeys. These monkeys and their funny wobbling noses are a unique inhabitant of Borneo.

From Kota Kinabalu you'll travel north to the world famous orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sepilok. We won't ever forget our encounter with these endearing primates. Then you're off to the heart of the jungle, close to the majestic Kinabantangan River which crosses through the state of Sabah. Finally, you'll fly back to the city to end this unforgettable itinerary on a paradise island right off the coast. If you have any time to spare, then you may want to combine this Borneo adventure travel itinerary with a visit to the Malaysian peninsula.

Duration	13 days / 12 nights	Accommodation	Mid-class hotels, lodges and beach resort. Generally Comfort level 3 (see accommodation)
Price	£1346 per person - based on 2 people sharing	Includes	Transport, accommodation with breakfast, English speaking guide, entrance fees national parks and lunch and dinner on Borneo
Transport	Minibus and domestic flight	Excludes	International Flights, Other meals

Day 1 - Kuala Lumpur - Kuching

On arrival in Kuala Lumpur you'll head straight to your connecting flight to Kuching. When you arrive at the airport, the driver and guide who will be travelling with you for the next few days will be waiting for you. Once you've settled into the car, you'll receive all the necessary travel information you need for your adventure through Borneo. After you've checked into your hotel, you'll have the rest of the afternoon to explore Kuching. We especially enjoyed the waterfront area by the river. This is a meeting place in Kuching, where you can enjoy great tasting food at one of the many food stalls. The typical, advert clad taxi boats will be waiting to take you across the Sarawak River for an excellent view of the city. You can also visit one of the Chinese temples, take in some culture at the famous Sarawak Museum, or perhaps visit adorable orangutans.

Borneo adventure travel - Kuching waterfront

Borneo adventure travel - Lemanak tribesman

Day 2 - Kuching - Lemanak

This morning a guide will be waiting for you at your hotel's reception area. He'll take you on a ride in a mini bus further into the interior of Sarawak. Along the way you'll visit a local market and you'll get to get a whiff of all of the scents of local spices. The mini bus ride should take approximately 4 hours. Your driver will drop you off at the bank of the Lemanak River, where a boat will be waiting to take you deeper into the jungle for some real Borneo adventure travel. After a 1 hour boat ride, you'll reach your destination.

Your accommodation is located near the tribe; you'll spend the night in a rustic jungle lodge. After you've enjoyed your dinner you'll visit the Iban tribe. It's customary to leave behind the small gifts you purchased along the way, or a small amount of money, in the small baskets hanging by the door in order to appease the spirits when you arrive. Usually the chief ('tuai rumah’) will invite you to come in and take a look at his 'ruai'; this 'gallery' is filled with relics from the tribe's past. The local priest will lead an authentic 'Miring Ceremony' during which you'll be graciously welcomed by traditionally dressed women and men with a 'hgajat' (traditional dance) and a glass of 'tuak', local rice wine. At the end of the day, after an evening filled with lasting impressions you'll return to your jungle lodge to sleep.

Day 3 - Lemanak

After breakfast, you and your guide will head out to explore the area surrounding the longhouse. Your guide will give you a glimpse of life in the area and tell you more about it. This was a real highlight for us on the Borneo adventure travel itinerary.

In the afternoon you can either go for a walk through the jungle or perhaps you may even want to try your hand at fishing 'The Iban way' using a fishing net. It may look like a piece of cake; however you'll see that it will take quite some practice to catch more than a few floating branches. Eventually you'll walk back through the rainforest to the jungle lodge. Walking through the humid forest is sure to create an appetite. No worries though, our cooks will prepare a delicious meal for you including all kinds of local delicacies. This meal is sure to please your taste buds... In the evening you'll visit the Iban once again and as always these gracious people will greet you with a smile. You'll spend the night in a jungle lodge.

Borneo adventure travel - Happy children

Borneo adventure travel - Goodbye to the Iban

Day 4 - Lemanak - Kuching

After you wake up to a tasty breakfast, you'll say goodbye to the friendly Iban tribe. A wooden boat will take you on a relaxing trip across the Lemanak River and eventually you'll reach the shore where a (mini) bus will be waiting for you. You'll spend the next four hours or so driving through the green landscape. Along the way you'll take a rest break to freshen up for your return to Kuching.

After you return, you'll have enough time to visit some of the local attractions in Kuching. During your Borneo adventure travel we recommend visiting the Sarawak Museum and the Masjid Bandaraya (Sarawak State Mosque). You'll delight at the meals served at the many food stalls at the Main Bazaar; this is a great place to try local delicacies.

Day 5 - Kuching - Bako National Park

This morning you'll be picked up at your hotel and taken on a 40 minute drive to the small village of Kampung Bako. This small village made up of stilted houses bears the name of your actual destination: Bako National Park. In Kampung Bako, you and your guide will board a boat and embark on a 35 minute boat ride to the hidden Bako National Park.

When you reach the park, you'll find yourself in the middle of the jungle and surrounded by unique tropical plants and trees. In the distance you'll hear monkeys screeching. At 'Park Headquarters' you'll fill out a form requiring personal details and such and then you'll be treated to a cool drink and a short video about the park and its inhabitants: long tail macaques, silver leaf monkeys, bears and small species of deer. The most prominent inhabitant of the park is the world famous proboscis monkey, which can only be found on Borneo. Locals also call this monkey 'Monyet Belanda' or 'Dutch monkey', since they believe it resembles the first Dutch people that once set foot on land here in search of herbs and spices. You and a guide will trek deeper into the jungle for some real Borneo adventure travel. By late afternoon you'll find yourself at a beautiful beach; just in time to watch the golden sun sink into the sea. You'll spend the night in a modest cabin at the edge of the jungle, surrounded by the sounds of the forest.

Borneo adventure travel - The proboscis monkey in it's natural habitat

Borneo adventure travel - Bako National Park

Day 6 - Bako National Park - Kuching - Kota Kinbalu

If you would like to see as many monkeys as possible (as well as other animals), you'll have to get an early start. Before breakfast, you and your guide will head out to the mangrove where Proboscis monkeys feast on mangrove chutes and leaves. After breakfast you and your guide will once again hit the trail. You'll hike straight through the jungle and on to a deserted jungle. After a refreshing dip in the sea, you'll trek deeper into the jungle before returning to park headquarters for lunch. After lunch a boat will take you through the mangrove forest back to the village of Kampung Bako. A bus will be waiting here to take you back to civilisation in Kuching. From here you'll catch a domestic flight to Kota Kinabalu, where you'll arrive in the evening.

Since Kota Kinabalu is quite modern, you won't come across many historic cultural sites. During our Borneo adventure, we travelled by taxi cab to the city centre from our hotel and enjoyed mouth-watering local delicacies. A great place to eat is the Filipino Market; you'll find quite a wide variety of food stalls here. At the end of the day you'll spend the night at your hotel on the edge of Kota Kinbalu.

Day 7 - Kota Kinabalu - Sandakan - Sukau

After an early breakfast, you'll catch cab to the airport for the first flight to Sandakan. A guide will be waiting for you on your arrival and will accompany you through Sukau during the next few days. Right after your arrival a bus will take you on a 30 minute ride to the world famous Sepilok Orangutans Rehabilitation Centre. The centre prepares, mostly young, orangutans that have been orphaned by deforestation for an independent life in the wild. At 10am it's feeding time and you'll be able to see the adorable primates come out of the jungle to eat as much fresh fruit and nuts as they want.

From Sepilok you'll drive to Sandakan Harbour where you'll leave the mainland behind you and you'll board a boat for an incredibly beautiful ride across the Kinabatangan River, Sabah's longest river. This area is teeming with (proboscis) monkeys and you may even see organutans and elephants out and about. On the water's edge you'll see colourful, tropical birds staring endlessly into the water in search of a nice bite to eat. Along the way, you'll have lunch in a small Abai village and then you'll sail to Sukau where you'll check into your charming, wooden jungle lodge. Late in the afternoon you'll go on a relaxing cruise on the Menangul River and you'll be able to watch the animals come to life as the sun goes down. The sunset itself is amazing, and a great end to an exciting day of Borneo adventure travel! You'll return to your lodge in the evening.

Borneo adventure travel - Orangutans on the move

Day 8 - Sukau

This morning you'll probably be awakened by screeching gibbon monkeys and the typical sounds made by hornbills. Early in the morning you'll sail towards nearby lakes where the animals on the shores will slowly come to life. You'll see otters, large lizards, crocodiles and of course very many monkeys. Later on in the morning you'll sail back to your lodge for breakfast. In the afternoon you can for instance go for a walk in the area or maybe sit back and relax with a book on the porch. Late afternoon you'll sail off in search of wild animals. Once the sun begins to set you'll sail back to the lodge for dinner and you'll spend your last night in the jungle lodge.

Day 9 - Sukau - Sandakan - Kota Kinabalu

After a relaxing start of your day and breakfast, you'll sail for about 2.5 hours until you reach Sandakan. If you look up high and the trees, you'll see the monkeys looking down on you as they scurry about. Once you arrive in Sandakan you'll visit a traditional village of houses built on poles where the Kadazan tribe lives. You'll then continue on to the lively Sandakan market where practically every single thing you could ever want is sold. After lunch in a local restaurant you may want to look around before driving on to the elevated Chinese Puu Jih Syh temple. The temple offers an incredible view of Sandakan Bay. Late in the afternoon you'll be taken to the airport for your flight back to Kota Kinabalu.

Once you arrive in Kota Kinabalu you'll check into your hotel and either dine in the hotel or you may want to enjoy a typical Malaysian meal in the city. After all of the impressions of the last few days, you'll surely fall asleep in no time.

Borneo adventure travel - Kinbalu market

Day 10 and 11 - Kota Kinabalu - Kuala Penyu - Pulau Tiga

Today you'll have a somewhat early start; you'll be picked up at your hotel at 7pm. The drive will take you across a winding coastal road with a spectacular view of the mangrove and tropical sandy beaches. After a two hour drive you'll reach the ferry at Penyu River and you'll head out on a 40 minute boat ride to Pulau Tiga. This small island was the tropical setting for the American version of 'Survivors'. Don't worry though, you won't have to build your own hut or search for food to support yourself; you'll spend the next two nights in a cosy chalet by the beach at a charming beach resort and all meals are included during your stay.

After lunch you can take a plunge into the crystal clear sea before heading into the jungle and on to the other side of the island. This is where you'll find warm mud bubbling up to the surface of the earth; this place is ideal for a nice warm, relaxing mud bath. Once you've finished relaxing and feel up to it, you can clean off nearby in the sea. Once you return to the resort you can spend time on the beach or go snorkelling at a nearby reef. Rather go diving? No problem, you can rent diving equipment at the dive shop. As the sun goes down, dinner will be served and you can enjoy the last rays of sun before heading off to bed.

Days 12 and 13 - Pulau Tiga - Kota Kinabalu - Kuala Lumpur - End of trip

After breakfast you'll have a little time left to relax on the beach or go for a swim. The boat back to Kota Kinabalu will set sail mid-morning. Once you reach Kota Kinabalu you'll catch a flight back to Kuala Lumpur.

The flight from Kota Kinabalu is operated by Malaysia Airlines or Air Asia. If you fly with Malaysia Airlines, there will be a short layover in Kuala Lumpur before continuing on to London. If you fly with Air Asia, you'll catch a connecting flight in Kuala Lumpur operated by Malaysia Airlines or KLM.

Borneo adventure travel - Snorkelling in paradise

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