Best of Borneo

Day 1-2

Kuching

Borneo is best-known for its orangutans, but Kuching is all about the humble mog. No-one knows how the city got its name (kucing is Malay for cat), but as you explore its backstreets by bike, you’ll see that the locals have enthusiastically embraced the theme! Along the way, learn about the city’s colonial history, dating back to when this was an independent kingdom ruled by the “White Rajahs”. Then, cross the Sarawak River with your bikes and compare city life with the laid-back, rural streets and wooden houses of a traditional Malay Village. Kuching is renowned for is street food, from crimson Sarawak laksa to rainbow-coloured layer cake, so be sure to hit the market before you leave.

Highlights

Cycle through the streets of the “City of Cats” on the lookout for feline murals and statues

Contrast city life with a traditional Malay village on the opposite side of the Sarawak River

Sample a smorgasbord of street food in the culinary capital of Malaysian Borneo

Day 3-4

Batang Ai

There was a time when the name Borneo was synonymous with fearsome headhunting tribes. Those days have passed, but the Iban people have retained many of their (less fearsome) practices. Indeed, their traditional way of life preserves a sense of community that most developed societies lost long ago. Travelling by boat, you’ll head deep into the forest to meet them, joining in with the locals as they feed livestock, weave mats and baskets, or gather food in the jungle. The Iban still live in huge longhouses where up to 30 families sleep under one roof, and spending the night here is one of our absolute highlights of life in Borneo. Just be sure to bring your earplugs!

Highlights

See the rainforest from the river on a boat ride deep into Batang Ai National Park

Spend a night with the Iban tribe in a traditional longhouse

Learn all about life in the jungle, including traditional handicrafts, shooting blowpipe darts, and maybe having a go at Iban dancing

Day 5

Kuching

Set up in 1975, the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre consists of 7.4 square kilometres of protected rainforest that’s home to honey bears, hornbills, porcupines, barking deer, and — of course — orangutans. One of the two best places in Malaysian Borneo to see these red-headed “men of the forest”, Semenggoh works to rescue orangutans from captivity and rehabilitate them so that they can be returned to the wild. As you tour the sanctuary, you’ll get see these intelligent and characterful animals as they learn to fend for themselves. You’ll also learn more about the challenges they face, including deforestation, poaching, and the illegal pet trade, and the amazing work being done to turn the tide.

Highlights

Go orangutan-spotting at one of Borneo’s best wildlife sanctuaries

Day 6-7

Mulu National Park

Your next stop introduces yet another different side of Borneo: the subterranean world of Mulu National Park. Forget dark, damp holes in the ground — here you’ll be exploring a wonderland of vast caverns, towering stalagmites and huge cascades of stalactites — all connected by boardwalks and trails through the rainforest. Though it’s best-known for its caves, Mulu’s attractions aren’t all underground, and you’ll also get to walk through the treetops on an elevated canopy walk, watch the spectacular exodus of bats from the mouth of Deer Cave at sunset, and experience jungle trekking by day and by night — two experiences that couldn’t be more different.

Highlights

Watch as over two million bats swarm out of the mouth of Deer Cave at sunset, one of nature’s great spectacles

Explore part of the largest interconnected cave system in the world

Keep you eyes peeled for tropical birds and monkeys on a canopy walk in the treetops

Day 8

Sepilok

Home to orangutan, sun bear and rainforest protection initiatives, Sepilok is the nerve centre of conservation in Malaysian Borneo, and the very best place to learn about the amazing work being done to save one of the planet’s oldest and most important ecosystems. Arriving in the evening, you’ll start with a guided night walk through the rainforest, where you’ll stand a chance of spotting jungle cats, deer, and all manner of bugs and spiders. The main event comes the next morning, when you’ll get to tour the sun bear and orangutan sanctuaries and see some of these critically endangered animals on the road to recovery.

Sun Bear at Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre - Alastair Donnelly

Highlights

Go in search of nocturnal wildlife on a night hike in the Sepilok rainforest

Visit Borneo’s famous “men of the forest” at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

Learn about the conservation work of Dr Wong at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Orangutan with baby at Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary - Chris Charles

Day 9-10

Kinabatangan River

If you haven’t managed to spot any animals in the wild yet (and we’d be incredibly surprised if you hadn’t!) this is your chance: the Kinabatangan River is among the most diverse habitats on Earth. To maximise your wildlife-watching, you’ll river cruise at different times of day: early morning to see all manner of tropical bird life; daytime to spot monkeys, crocs and elephants; after dark to search for civet cats, wild cattle and deer. Spending the night at a riverside lodge, surrounded by the sounds of the jungle, is an unforgettable experience — and you’ll also get a chance to meet the local indigenous people, the Orang Sungai, who live off what they can fish from the river.

Highlights

Go on a morning birdwatching cruise on the Kinabatangan River

Play “monkey bingo” on a slow boat ride, keeping an eye out for the ten different types of primate that call this area home

Visit a local fishing village to experience life on the river

Go on a nighttime boat safari to see the nocturnal wildlife that comes out after dark

Day 11-14

Gaya Island

It’s a bit of a slog to your final stop, but we promise it’s worth it! After a succession of planes, boats and automobiles, you’ll find yourself on Gaya Island: a bona fide tropical gem with beaches to rival any in Southeast Asia, and coral reefs more dazzlingly diverse than almost anywhere else in the world. Head out with your snorkel or book a scuba diving trip, and enter a neon-coloured world of bright orange clownfish, rippling anemones, acid-bright nudibranchs and blacktipped reef sharks. Then, go hiking into the rainforest or book a kayaking tour of the mangrove swamps. Just be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to relax and enjoy the fabulous beaches of this beautiful tropical gem.