Into the Heart of Borneo
$7,195 per person, based on double occupancy; single supplement: $1,600
See the brochure (pdf)
Trip Overview
Borneo is a powerhouse of biodiversity. There are thousands of species—conservative estimates, for example, put the number of plants at 15,000 (with 40 percent of them found nowhere else on Earth). This is the only place in the world where tigers, rhinos and elephants coexist. It also hosts lesser-known marvels, from the proboscis monkey and slow loris to the sun bear, clouded leopard, barking deer, pig-tailed macaque and the huge flying fox bat.
And we cannot forget the orangutan. The largest tree-living mammal and the only great ape outside of Africa, the orangutan inhabits Borneo and Sumatra only. A highlight of our tour is a visit to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, where orphaned orangutans are conditioned to return to the wild. WWF supports the center and also works to protect the heart of Borneo from deforestation, preserve endangered species and empower local organizations to manage the region's resources.
Trip Itinerary
Friday - Sunday, May 29 - 31: USA / KOTA KINABALU, BORNEO
Depart the United States Friday evening. You'll cross the International Date Line and “lose” Saturday, arriving Sunday morning in Kota Kinabalu. Check into your resort on the South China Sea. The afternoon is free to relax. Enjoy a welcome dinner Sunday evening. Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort (D)
Monday June 1: KOTA KINABALU
Begin your explorations of Kota Kinabalu with a visit to the Sabah Museum and its ethno-botanical garden, which includes exhibits on ethnography, history and natural history. Then set out for Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park for half-day boating and snorkeling outings. The reef-fringed park is a refuge for pink and green parrotfish, turquoise moon wrasse, butterfly fish, clown fish and other marine species. Casuarina trees sway over the white sand beaches, and the water is crystal clear, making it ideal for snorkeling. Monkeys and squirrels are commonly seen; look for such birds as the white-bellied sea eagle, pied hornbill, green pigeon, and perhaps even the rare megapod —a chicken-sized bird that lay its eggs in mounds of sand. This evening, stroll through the open-air market before dinner. Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort (B,L,D)
Tuesday, June 2: SEPILOK ORANGUTAN SANCTUARY & KINABATANGAN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Rise early for your flight from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan and visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center. Observe orangutans as they interact with one another in their natural habitat, providing unsurpassed photo ops as they gather for feeding times. Other protected animals brought here include Malay sun bears, baby elephants, wild cats and crocodiles. Continue by boat to your lodge in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, which protects the highest concentration of orangutans in Malaysia. It is also home to endangered proboscis monkeys, long-tailed macaques, leaf monkeys
and gibbons. Sukau Rainforest Lodge (B,L,D)
Wednesday, June 3: KINABATANGAN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
This sanctuary is a focus of WWF’s Partners for Wetlands project and the WWF-supported Kinabatangan Orangutan Research project. WWF’s work on Asian elephant and Sumatran rhino conservation also includes the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. Visit Ox-Bow Lake to search for hairy-nosed otters, tortoises and the freshwater terrapin. The sanctuary is also home to wild elephants, proboscis monkeys, pig-tailed macaques, Bornean gibbons, reticulated pythons and many species of butterflies. After dinner, venture out with your guide in search of nocturnal wildlife, including the western tarsier and slow loris. Sukau Rainforest Lodge (B,L,D)
Thursday, June 4: KINABATANGAN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
You will have the opportunity to head upriver in small boats with local guides in search of long-tailed macaques, monitor lizards, crested serpent eagles, blue-eared kingfishers and rare Storm’s storks. Sukau Rainforest Lodge (B,L,D)
Friday, June 5: GOMANTONG CAVES AND DANUM VALLEY
This morning, drive to the Gomantong Caves. These tall caves provide habitat for nesting swiftlets; discarded nests are collected by the Chinese to make traditional bird's nest soup. The surrounding area is a haven for many bird species, including bat hawks and peregrine falcons. Continue by motor coach into the heart of Borneo to your lodge on the shores of the Danum River; we'll stay here for the next four nights. As Sabah’s largest protected lowland forest, the Danum Valley Conservation Area is 108,230 acres of virgin rain forest. It's estimated to be more than 100 million years old and thus is considered the world’s oldest. Designed for wildlife observation, our lodge offers large, open public spaces, well-marked nature trails, a canopy walkway for tree-level viewing and an outstanding team of naturalists and guides. Borneo Rainforest Lodge (B,L,D)
Saturday to Monday, June 6 to 8: DANUM VALLEY CONSERVATION AREA
For the next three days, discover the undisturbed forests of this incredible valley during guided nature walks, evening treks and night drives using spotlights. Around 110 species of mammals—including orangutans, Asian elephants, gibbons, loris, giant flying squirrels, Malayan sun bears, bearded pigs and yellow barking deer—live here. The forest is also home to 275 species of bird, including crested fireback pheasants and rhinoceros hornbills and some of the world’s largest butterflies and moths. This valley supports one of the largest remaining populations of wild orangutans, which expert trackers from our lodge will help us find. Discover the canopy along a walkway suspended 150 feet above the forest floor. Take a short hike to a gorgeous waterfall and swimming hole. Or go on a more challenging trek to the ancient Kadazan-Dusan burial grounds in the cliffs high above the lodge. Borneo Rainforest Lodge (B,L,D)
Tuesday to Thursday, June 9 to 11: MABUL AND SIPIDAN ISLANDS
Travel approximately five hours to Semporna, then board a speedboat for a 30-minute ride to Mabul Island. This is one of the best snorkeling spots in the Indo-Pacific region. Mabul is a coral island surrounded by gently sloping reefs with depths reaching three to 35 meters. A spectacular, colorful wall houses hard corals such as staghorn, plate, boulder and table coral. Among the intriguing species of marine life we'll see are blue-ringed octopus, mimic octopus, bobtail squid, harlequin shrimp, sea stars, boxer crabs and cuttlefish. Neighboring Sipadan Island is only 15 minutes away, but it's a world apart in terms of marine life. Whereas Mabul hosts small species in abundance, Sipidan is home to schools of barracuda that travel in tornado-like formation, greenback and hawksbill turtles, manta rays and harmless whale sharks. The two islands combined provide an unsurpassed snorkeling experience. Enjoy full-day snorkeling excursions from shore and by boat. Mabul Resort (B,L,D)
Friday June 12: KOTA KINABALU
After breakfast, return by boat to Semporna and transfer to Tawau. Fly from Tawau to Kota Kinabalu. The rest of the afternoon is unscheduled, allowing time to relax or explore Kota Kinabalu on your own. Enjoy a delicious farewell dinner tonight at the resort. Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort (B,L,D)
Saturday, June 13 KOTA KINABALU / USA
Drive to the airport. Fly to the United States, re-crossing the International Date Line and “gaining back” the day previously lost Connect with flights home. (B)
Optional Extension
