Go Back
Your Best of Borneo Package
Best of Borneo
Borneo is one of the world's greatest natural wonders, with an all encompassing biodiversity. It is a remarkable place where the great outdoors thrive with miracles and spectacles. Encounter a treasure trove of flora, wildlife, landscapes and indigenous customs. Borneo is also the home of the last wild orangutans, sadly under threat from habitat destruction.
Your Holiday Package Includes:
- Economy class flight to Kuching, return from Kota Kinabalu
- 13 night Best of Borneo guided tour with Wendy Wu, Kuching to Kota Kinabalu
Includes:
- 3+ star accommodation & eco-lodge
- 13 breakfasts, 12 lunches, 13 dinners
- Touring with guides & entrance fees
- Authentic experiences & highlights
- Kinabatangan River cruise
- Domestic transportation
- Airline taxes
Pricing is per person twin share and based on travel 31 August - 14 September 2024
Based on departures from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide & Perth. Departures from other cities & flight upgrades available on request
Other departures available, surcharges apply
Itinerary:
Day 1 / Fly to Kuching
Fly overnight to the relaxed and charismatic city of Kuching.
Day 2 / Fly to Kuching
Fly overnight to the relaxed and charismatic city of Kuching.
Day 3 / Explore 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. Next you'll be introduced to Sarawa'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.
Day 4 / Bako National Park
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 bio-diverse 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.
Day 5 / Semenggoh Nature Reserve
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.
Day 6 / Iban Longhouse
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.
Day 7 / Return to Kuching
Journey back to Kuching, stopping en route for lunch at a local café.
Day 8 / Fly to 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 / Explore Kota Kinabalu
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.
Day 10 / Kinabalu Park
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.
Day 11 / Fly to Sandakan
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.
Day 12 / Sepilok Orangutan Centre
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. Head across 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.
Day 13 / Kinabatangan river
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'll head out for another cruise, searching for wildlife once more. You could spot anything from horn-bills to pygmy elephants!
Day 14 / Sandakan 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.
Day 15 / Fly Kota Kinabalu to Australia
Fly to Australia, arriving home the following day.
Day 16 / Fly Kota Kinabalu to Australia
Fly to Australia, arriving home the following day.
* Conditions apply. Offer is limited, subject to availability and change without notice. Promotion is correct and valid at the time of publication. Booking and full supplier terms and conditions apply. Valid for new bookings only and not combinable with any other offer (unless stated).
Prices listed are per person in Australian Dollars, based on twin occupancy, including all discounts unless otherwise stated. The offer is subject to availability at time of booking. Fares are capacity controlled and are subject to change at any time without notice. Prices/Offers are correct as at 28 June 2024 and can be withdrawn without notice. Hotels may charge resort fees not included in this package, payable direct upon check in. Visas are not included. Payments made by credit card will incur a surcharge. Airfares are based on departures from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide & Perth. Departures from other cities & flight upgrades available on request. Customary tipping amount of approximately MYR$560pp (AU$207pp) is paid locally in Borneo.
