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An island of unchartered jungles and tribal culture, a Borneo holiday 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.
Our Best of Borneo tour will see you exploring the most iconic sites, delving into deep-rooted culture and dining on delicious cuisine.
Cruise the Kinabatangan River, spotting wildlife as you go
Experience traditional life in a tribal longhouse
Spot magnificent Orangutans in Semenggoh Nature Reserve
Stand in the shadow of the majestic Mount Kinabalu
Our Best of Borneo Tour has been thoughtfully designed and thoroughly researched to bring you a range of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, many of which are entirely exclusive to us.
Be guests at a traditional Iban longhouse, where the tribespeople will perform a traditional war dance in full regalia and serve a traditionally prepared lunch.
Visit Borneo's best-known residents at Semenggoh Nature Reserve, a centre for rescued orangutans who, in the process of being rehabilitated, roam freely through the reserve's lush forest.
The Kinabatangan River offers some of Southeast Asia's best wildlife viewing. You'll have many opportunities to float down its tranquil waters, keeping an eye on the jungle-swathed riverbanks for a chance to spot hornbills, pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys and much more.
Fly overnight to the relaxed and charismatic city of Kuching, Borneo's largest city.
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 old shop houses of Ewe Hai Street and pay visits to traditional businesses, including a 'sinseh', a Chinese medicine man. Next you'll be introduced to Sarawak's delicious food, with a tasting at a local coffee shop. Continue to the Sarawak Museum, before a sampan ride across Kuching's river to visit a Malay village.
Travel out to Bako before boarding a boat 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.
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. Visit the orangutan release area, where they live freely, in search of these beautiful but elusive creatures. After lunch, drive for approximately 4 hours to Sri Aman, where you will be checked into your hotel on arrival.
Today you will discover more about Borneo's native Iban people, renowned for their former practice of headhunting. After breakfast, drive approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to the jetty, where you will board a traditional Iban longboat for a 45-minute river journey to a tribal longhouse. On arrival, enjoy a tour of the longhouse, meeting the tribe's families. Witness a performance of a traditional dance, in full regalia, and lunch on Iban cuisine.
Journey back to Kuching, stopping en route for lunch at a local café.
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.
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 and Chinese Temple. 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, dine on traditional Malay cuisine.
Head out of the city to 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. Embark on a guided walk along one of the many forest trails to discover some of the unique flora and fauna that calls the area home.
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Sandakan. Visit the Sandakan Memorial Park, which commemorates the suffering of British and Australian POWs held here during the WWII Japanese occupation. Continue into Sandakan itself, passing the William Pryer and Sandakan Liberation Monuments before a relaxing lunch at English Tea House. Later stop by the Agnes Keith Museum to learn about colonial life here during the pre-WWII British Administration. Head inland and check in to your hotel in Sepilok - an eco resort at the edge of the rainforest.
Sepilok offers another chance to see orangutans in their natural habitat – like Semenggoh, this is a centre for the rehabilitation of former captive and orphaned orangutans. Around 60 to 80 orangutans live free within the centre's forest, and there may be young orangutans to visit in the nursery. 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. Journey to Bilit and enjoy lunch at your lodge. Later, board a cruise along the Kinabatangan River to spot some of the abundant wildlife.
Embark on an early morning cruise to the 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!
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.
Fly to the UK, arriving home the following day.
We draw from a wide range of hotels on our holidays, each one is chosen to suit the tour you are travelling on meaning your accommodation can range from a smart business hotel in one city to a family run guesthouse in a smaller town. Here are some examples of the type of hotel you can expect to find on this tour.
Places Visited: Kuching (4N) - Sri Aman (2N) - Kota Kinabalu (4N) - Sepilok (1N) - Kinabatangan River (2N)
All of our tour departures include international flights and taxes in the price. If your tour departs in less than 30 days, please call our travel experts to book.
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Departures for Solo travellers only are available for this tour on selected
dates.
In addition to being for solos only these departures feature smaller group sizes, free
airport lounge access and complimentary cocktails on arrival.
There are no dedicated Solo departures for this year. You can enjoy any of our tours with no Single Supplement on our Happy to Share option or explore the solo departures in other years.
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