Borneo Beach and Wildlife Safari

Borneo Beach and Wildlife Safari Overview

Experience the best wildlife in Borneo on this trip as you go exploring for wildlife by river boat or overland. This tour combines the best of Borneo adventure, nature, river cruising, abundant wildlife and more. Stay at the award winning Sukau Rainforest Lodge and immerse yourself in a cultural experience with the Ibans at Batang Ai.

Day 1: London to Kuching

Depart London Heathrow to Kuching via Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.

Day 2: Arrival - Bako National Park

On arrival you will be met and transfer to Bako Fishing Village. Continue by boat for a 30 minute cruise along the coast to reach Bako National Park. Upon arrival at the park, registered names and check into basic accommodations. Visit the Park’s information centre and trek through mangrove forest to observe the mud skippers and blue – fiddler crabs. Follow the trails to look for proboscis monkeys, bearded pigs, silver leaf monkeys and various species of carnivorous pitcher plants and wild orchids. Dinner and overnight at Park guesthouse.

Day 3: Bako National Park

Early morning, proceed for bird watching and to spot other wildlife such as monitor lizards, squirrels and other animals around the park area. Return to guesthouse for breakfast. Proceed for a walk around the park HQ area in search of wildlife. Depart the National Park and return to Kuching. Transfer to your hotel for overnight.

Day 4: Kuching to Batang Ai

Depart for a four hour drive through the scenic rainforest, fields of pepper and rubber. Visit the local market at Serian. Stopover for lunch at Lachau. Drive to Batang Ai where a traditional longboat takes you upriver under the rainforest canopy to the longhouse. Tour the longhouse and observe the Ibans on their daily chores. In the evening a traditional style dinner will be served followed by a night of ceremonial dances and merry making. Overnight at Iban longhouse. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner.

Day 5: Batang Ai

After breakfast, participate in the blowpipe demonstration. Depart by boat and continue on a trek. After the trek, stop along the riverbank for a backwoods style picnic lunch with our foods cooked in bamboo. Have some time to swim in the clear water before returning to longhouse. Dinner & overnight at longhouse.

Day 6: Batang Ai to Miri

Depart by longtail boat to the jetty. Continue by vehicle to Kuching airport for a flight to Miri. On arrival, you will be met for a transfer to your hotel for overnight.

Day 7: Mulu

Depart in the morning for a scenic 35 minutes flight to Mulu. At Mulu Airport, you will be met for a transfer by longtail boat to Park Headquarters. Trek 3 km on plank-walk through rain-forest to Deer and Lang Caves. After lunch explore Deer Cave, clamber over rocks to visit the Garden of Eden. Await at the Observatory station for the exit of hundreds of thousands of bats leaving the cave at dusk. Overnight.

Day 8: Mulu to Kota Kinabalu

After breakfast, proceed to Clearwater and Wind Caves by boat. Observe the spectacular stalactite and stalagmite formations. Brief stop at the Penan Settlement at Batu Bungan before a transfer to the airport for your flight to Kota Kinabalu. On arrival at Kota Kinabalu airport, you will be met for a transfer to your hotel for overnight.

Day 9: Kota Kinabalu

At leisure.

Day 10: Kota Kinabalu to Selingan Island

You will be picked up up from your hotel for a transfer to Kota Kinabalu airport for a flight to Sandakan. At Sandakan Airport you will be met for a transfer to the jetty for a one-hour boat ride to Selingan Island for overnight.

After dinner, wait for a signal from the Park Ranger before proceeding to watch the Green Turtles lay their eggs on the beach, the transplanting of eggs to hatchery and the release of baby turtles to the sea. Overnight.

Day 11: Selingan Island to Sukau Rainforest Lodge

Return to Sandakan by boat. Transfer to Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. Walk ten minutes through the rainforest on wooden boardwalks to witness the feeding of the orang utans.

After lunch, transfer to Sandakan jetty for 2½ hours boat journey to the multi award winning Sukau Rainforest Lodge along Sabah's longest river, Kinabatangan with opportunity to view birds and wildlife. Take a river cruise using electric motor in search of wildlife and birds. Enjoy a candle light dinner overlooking the riverbank.

Day 12: Sukau Rainforest Lodge

Take a morning river cruise up the Kinabatangan River to Kelenanap oxbow lake to view more birds and wildlife. After breakfast, proceed for an educational tour along the Hornbill Boardwalk located behind the lodge with an in-house naturalist. In the afternoon, we proceed for another river cruise for more wildlife. Stay overnight at the Sukau Rainforest Lodge.

Day 13-17: Sukau Rainforest Lodge to Kota Kinabalu

Proceed 27 km overland to Gomantong Caves. Trek 20 minutes through the rainforest to the cave entrance to learn about the cave faunas including bats, swiftlets and crabs among others. When in season, witness the collecting of birds' nests by the local people.

Proceed for 2 hours overland to Sandakan airport for flight to Kota Kinabalu. On arrival at Kota Kinabalu airport, you will be met for a transfer to your beach resort for 5 nights.

Day 18: Departure