Best of Borneo

An island of uncharted jungles and tribal culture, Borneo is a destination that exudes adventure! Discover ‘headhunter’ heritage, see a wealth of wildlife, delve deep into nature and meet the beautiful orangutans of Sabah and Sarawak on this incredible itinerary.

What's Included

• International flights and current taxes
• Domestic transportation
• Accommodation
• All meals
• Touring with guides and entrance fees
• Visa fees for UK & EU passport holders

Days 1-2 - Kuching

Fly to to Kuching where you will be met at the airport in the arrival hall by your Local Guide and/or National Escort. Together with all other group members who may be arriving at a similar time, you will transfer 20 minutes to your hotel and check into your room or store any luggage if your room is not ready yet. There is no sightseeing today.

Day 3 - Kuching

Spend the day enjoying the diverse culture of Sarawak with a walking tour, starting at the Chinese History Museum on Kuching’s waterfront. Stroll past the traditional Chinese shop houses of Ewe Hai Street and pay a visit to a ‘sinseh’, a Chinese medicine man and see him practicing his art. Learn about the tin smithing trade at a ‘Pak Tik’ followed by a ‘Hio Chek’, a shop that sells ceremonial items, and a Chinese temple. Next you’ll be introduced to Sarawak’s delicious food, with a food tasting at a local coffee shop and a lesson on local spices on Gambier Street. Continue to the Sarawak Museum to view the natural history collection, before a relaxed sampan ride across Kuching’s river to visit a Malay village. This evening meet your guide in your hotel lobby and drive 5/10 minutes to Top-Spot Food Centre for your seafood welcome dinner.

Day 4 - Bako National Park

Drive around 40 minutes out to the small Malay village of Bako before boarding a boat for 20 minutes to reach the national park. Explore the park on foot with a guide – one of Borneo’s most biodiverse areas, the diversity of flora and fauna here is incredible, and easily accessible. Following trails along streams, past caves and across plateaus, keeping an eye out for wild boar, macaques, monitor lizards and, if you’re lucky, a proboscis monkey! Dinner tonight is at a local restaurant. After dinner, you can take a leisurely stroll along the Kuching Waterfont and make your way back to your hotel.

Day 5 - Kuching - Batang Ai

This morning you have the opportunity to meet Borneo’s most famous native, the orangutan! Semenggoh is a centre dedicated to the rehabilitation of rescued or orphaned young orangutans – here they are taught how to survive in the wild.The area you are visiting is where the orangutans are released after their training, to leave freely in the nature reserve, so please bear in mind that even at the feeding time, it is not guaranteed that you will spot a resident. Drive for approximately 4 hours to Batang Ai, stopping at a local market, a pepper plantation and Chinese village of Lachau en route, where you will be staying on the edge of the glorious Batang Ai National Park. On arrival at Batang Ai Lake, you will take a ferry/boat across to your hotel. After your check-in, you will be at leisure for the rest of the day.

Day 6 - Batang Ai

Today you will discover more about Borneo’s native Iban people, renowned for their practice of headhunting. Head out into the wilderness in a traditional Iban longboat and cruise to a longhouse where you will meet an Iban community. Witness a performance of a traditional war dance, in full regalia, and lunch on Iban cuisine. Return to the hotel where the rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 7 - Batang Ai - Kuching

After breakfast at the resort today, check-out and depart the resort by boat/ferry. Return to Kuching by airconditioned vehicle with an en-route stop for lunch at a local cafe. Transfer to your hotel in Kuching for checkin. This evening, meet your guide in the hotel lobby for your dinner transfer. After dinner, walk back to your hotel.

Day 8 - Kuching - Kota Kinabalu

Transfer to the airport and fly over to Malaysian Borneo’s other state, Sabah, and the vibrant city of Kota Kinabalu. On arrival, the rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 9 - Kota Kinabalu

Today you will meet your guide in your hotel lobby and proceed on your walking city tour. Begin your explorations at the Sabah State Museum where you can learn about the state’s diverse cultural and natural heritage, before exploring some of the city’s beautiful architecture, including the Blue Mosque surrounded by reflecting pools and Chinese Temple with the largest statue of Kwan Yin the goddess of mercy in. Browse the piles of wares at the Handicraft Market and spice bazaar, before strolling through the oldest part of the city. Lunch will be at a local restaurant before returning to the hotel for an afternoon at leisure. Tonight, proceed on foot to the nearby Sri Melaka Restaurant to dine on traditional Malay cuisine.

Day 10 - Kinabalu Park

Depart your hotel in Kota Kinabalu for a 2-hour drive along the ridges of the Crocker range, to arrive at the Kinabalu Park, at the foot of Mt Kinabalu, Borneo’s highest mountain, where you will spend the day exploring Kinabalu Park, Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Join in the guided walk along one of the forest trails to get a first-hand impression of the Park and its unique flora before visiting the Mountain Garden with its collection of orchids and plants that are unique to Kinabalu. Watch a slide show on the natural wonders of the park after lunch. In the afternoon, after the slideshow, explore more of the forest in the park. Depart the park and return to the city and your hotel, where the rest of your day is at leisure.

Day 11 - Kota Kinabalu - Sandakan

Early this morning, before breakfast, you will transfer approx. 15 minutes to the airport for your early flight to Sandakan. Visit the Sandakan Memorial Park, which commemorates British and Australian prisoners of war during World War II. Continue into Sandakan itself and tour the city, passing the William Pryer and Sandakan Liberation monuments, and browsing the displays of the Heritage Museum and the Agnes Keith Museum. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 12 - Speilok and the Bornean Sun Bear Centre

This morning check out of your hotel and drive 40 minutes to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, where you will experience a close encounter with the orangutans, undergoing a rehabilitation program to return to the wild. Pop over the road to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre to visit the world’s smallest bear and learn about the conservation efforts to protect them. Proceed on a 2- hour drive that journeys through palm oil plantations and villages to Bilit and enjoy lunch at your lodge. Later, board a cruise along the Kinabatangan River to spot some of the abundant wildlife. The waterway sustains one of the world’s richest ecosystems, including 10 species of primates.

Day 13 - Kinabatangan River

Embark on an early morning cruise to Oxbow Lake, where you can spot wildlife and soak up the peaceful ambience. Returning to the lodge, the rest of the day is at leisure until the late afternoon, when you will head out for another cruise, searching for wildlife once more. You could spot anything from hornbills to pygmy elephants to orangutans!

Day 14 - Return to Kota Kinabalu

Return to Sandakan for lunch at a local restaurant before transferring to the airport to fly back to Kota Kinabalu. This evening, dine on local flavours and enjoy a cultural dance performance.

Days 15 & 16 - Depart Kota Kinabalu

Today enjoy breakfast at your hotel after which you will drive approximately 15 minutes to the airport for your departure flight, arriving in the UK the following day.