: because trip highlights can be subject to change, please contact one of our trip specialists to discuss the specifics as they will pertain to your trip.
DAY 1 | ARRIVAL IN KUCHING
Arrive at Kuching airport for a meet and greet before the city tour. Kuching City is the riverside capital of Sarawak, established by Sir James Brooke, the first White Rajah. Tour buildings dating back to Brooke era whose influence left a distinct architectural mark on Kuching with its fusion of English and Asian style monuments. Colorful markets that give the city its bustle and trading tradition, dot the cityscape. Be sure to visit the Sarawak Museum. The museum holds an extensive collection of indigenous artifacts. Later, check into the Kuching Hilton Hotel.
DAY 2 | TO BAKO NATIONAL PARK
Rise and shine for an early departure to Bako National Park. Take a 35-minute drive to Bako Village, then, a 25-minute boat ride to the park. Bako National Park, Sarawak’s oldest, is one of the best for wildlife viewing. Check in at the park chalets. These are simple accommodations with ensuite bathrooms but no hot water. However, the humid temperatures are eased with cool showers, fans and mosquito netting--making your Bako experience true to tropical form. You’ll have the entire day to enjoy the environs. Take the jungle trails through the forest. Or, take a dip at sunset off one of the secluded beaches. Then, return to the park chalets in the evening. [B,L,D]
DAY 3 | MANGROVES THEN RETURN TO KUCHING
After breakfast, return to the forest. Hike to the mangrove forest for bird watching and to search for proboscis monkeys. Return to Kuching in the early afternoon The schedule may depend on the tide. Return to a shower to cool you off and overnight at Kuching Hilton Hotel. [B,L,D]
DAY 4 | BATANG AI VIA RURAL SARAWAK
Depart by bus or van for Batang Ai Reservoir. The five hour drive passes through rural Sarawak. The countryside is draped in pepper gardens, and cocoa and rubber plantations. En route, have lunch and make a few stops: the market in Serian with its colorful produce of edible ferns, bamboo shoots and unusual tropical fruit, a pepper garden and just plain-old stops to lap up the roadside wild orchids. At Batang Ai Reservoir, take a longboat for an hour’s cruise upriver to Nanga Sumpa. Then, unwind at Borneo Adventure Jungle Lodge with its traditional Malay longhouses. A longhouse is where several families--up to ten or more--live under one roof in separate rooms but with shared living and outdoor areas. The lodge has a similar layout with beds surrounded in mosquito netting. After dinner, head across the river to the longhouse to relax on the ruai--the common verandah. Spend time with the Iban people and learn about their culture and share in some local rice wine, as well. Return to the lodge for the night. [B,L,D]
DAY 5 | TO THE JUNGLE
After breakfast, go deeper into the jungle along the river trails. Today’s destination--the scenic Enseluai Waterfall. There’s time to relax, swim the waterfall’s cool pool and explore the surrounding area. Try your hand at fishing Iban-style--cast a small net with weights on the end and see what you get. Then, return to the lodge for a dinner of local delicacies like chicken cooked in bamboo with fresh herbs, jungle ferns and the fresh catch of the day. Then, return to the lodge. After dinner, visit the people of the longhouse. Ask to see their woven blankets and handicrafts. They may be purchased directly from the longhouse people. [B,L,D]
DAY 6 | BY LONGBOAT - BACK TO KUCHING
Following breakfast, depart by longboat downriver on a small river system to an open lake. The journey is a wash of colors: the blue-green water contrasts with the hovering tan branches of the Bakau tree. Head back to Kuching with lunch along the way. Check into the Kuching Hilton Hotel for the overnight stay. [B,L,D]
DAY 7 | TO KOTA KINABALU, GAYA ISLAND
In the morning fly to Kota Kinabalu. A guide will greet you at the airport. Then, it’s off to Gaya Island, one of the outlying isles of Kota Kinabalu and a part of the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Marine Park. Tunku Park is made up of five islands: Mamukan, Mamutik, Sulug, Sapi and Gaya. There are coral reefs and aquablue waters everywhere, and swimming and diving will fill your days here. Stay in the park at Gayana Island Eco-Resort, an environmentally-friendly place and the only resort on Gaya island. You’ll have private accommodations. Then, take the nearby trails for an evening walk through the rainforest. [B,L,D]
DAY 8 | THE MARINE LIFE
Today, chat with marine biologists at the research center developed by Gayana Island Eco-Resort. The center focuses on the restoration of the coral reef and the giant clam species in Sabah, Malaysia. The center takes great care to educate visitors on the environmental mission to restore the area’s underwater treasures. Next, take a jungle nature walk. Then, take lunch on one of the adjacent islands. Head to the sea for some snorkeling to scout out more marine life. Dry off on the sandy shores of this island park then return to the resort in the evening. [B,L,D]
DAY 9 | CLIMB MT. KINABALU
From under to above, this is the day to reach the sky. Leave Gaya Island in the early morning to go to Kota Kinabalu jetty. Then, there’s a two hour drive to Kinabalu Park. Upon arrival, register with the park office. Travel to the Power Station--which supplies electricity to Laban Rata. Then, take a 15-minute drive farther into the lush, green rainforest. Now, it’s time to climb--a four hour journey. Begin the ascent to Laban Rata Guesthouse--located over 10,000 feet above sea level--and take a breather with lunch enroute. The rest of the day is yours for exploration. Return to the Laban Rata for dinner in the evening. [B,L,D]
DAY 10 | TO THE SUMMIT OF KINABALU
Wake up early. No, really early--2 am or 0200 hours, as they say in Borneo. Take in the most important meal of the day because the energy is needed for the morning summit by flashlight. The climb is three hours and it’s well worth it to take in the glorious sunrise on the horizon. Next, descend to Laban Rata Guesthouse, then to the Power Station. Head to the park headquarters to receive your official certificate for climbing Mt. Kinabalu. Take lunch then return to Kota Kinabalu for the overnight stay in the Magellan Sutera Resort, a five-star resort with a private balcony for each room--complete with a spectacular view of the marina or garden. [B,L,D]
DAY 11 | TO SEPILOK ORANGUTAN SANCTUARY
Take the first morning flight to Sandakan. Then, head to the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary and see the feeding of the orangutans. There will be a video presentation on the rehabilitation of these creatures, sometimes called “the man of the forest.” Take lunch at the Sepilok Nature Resort. Next, head to Sukau--a two-hour journey through an oil palm plantation and local villages. Cruise up the Kinabatangan River to the Menanggul River in search of the proboscis monkey, birds and other tropical wildlife. Stay overnight at the Kinabatangan Rainforest Lodge, near the riverbank. These are simple accommodations with mosquito netting on the windows, ceiling fans to keep you cool and attached bathrooms. [B,L,D]
DAY 12 | ON THE OX BOW LAKE
In the wee hours of the morning, visit the Ox Bow Lake, teeming with birdlife ready to start their day like you. This is a guided boat ride that takes several stops along the way--you can even feed the fish with breadcrumbs. After breakfast, leave Sukau for the drive to Sandakan. Take lunch and a city tour there. Transfer to the airport in the afternoon for the flight back to Kota Kinabalu. Check in at the Magellan Sutera Resort, a hotel designed with the sea in mind. The resort takes its name from Ferdinand Magellan, the first explorer to circle the globe. [B,L,D]
DAY 13 | LEAVE BORNEO OR GO DIVE SIPADAN
Say goodbye to this mesmerizing country. Transfer to the airport, only a ten minute drive away. Or, choose to stay a bit longer and head south—-under the seas--diving at Sipadan Island. [B]
