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Wild Borneo
$6,995 per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement: $1,150.
Trip Details
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Trip Overview
From the hot, humid lowlands to the cool, misty uplands, the rain forests of Borneo teem with extraordinary life. The cries of gibbons can be heard through the early morning mist. Orangutans dwell in trees; elephants, tigers and rhinos roam freely over the dense forest floor; and hornbills soar through the skies.
Trip Itinerary
Friday, June 4 through Sunday, June 6: U.S. / Kota Kinabalu, Borneo
Depart the United States Friday evening. You'll cross the International Date Line and “lose” a day, arriving Sunday morning in Kota Kinabalu. Check into your resort on the South China Sea. In the afternoon, explore the city bird sanctuary, where WWF helps oversee the development of the Likas Wetlands Nature Education Center. A mangrove ecosystem supports a colony of purple herons here. Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening. Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort (D)
Monday, June 7 & Tuesday, June 8: Gunung Mulu National Park
On Monday morning, fly to Gunung Mulu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for deep caves, including one of the world’s largest underground chambers. The park is home to at least 60 mammal and 262 bird species. There are also an estimated 1,500 species of flowering plants, including 170 types of orchids and 10 species of carnivorous pitcher plants. Look for the stunning Rajah Brooke’s birdwing butterflies, swiftlets and their coveted nests and catfish in the pools. During our visit through the park, take a boat up the Melinau River and visit a small Penan settlement, where some of the last nomadic peoples of Borneo live. Explore a network of underground passages, including one of the world’s largest cave chambers, Deer Cave. Wind Cave is another notable one, known for its impressive stalactites, stalagmites and flow rocks. As you exit the caves at dusk, watch as one million free-tailed bats emerge for a night’s hunting and listen to the chorus of frogs chirping in the forest. Rhiga Royal Mulu Resort (B,L,D daily)
Wednesday, June 9: Gunung Mulu & Sandakan
Spend the morning exploring the subterranean river that flows through Clearwater Cave. After lunch, fly to Sandakan via Kota Kinabalu. Sabah Hotel (B,L,D)
Thursday, June 10: Selingan "Turtle" Island
Take a morning speedboat ride to Selingan Island, watching for pods of dolphins along the way. Selingan Island, one of three islands that make up Turtle Island National Park, is a nesting ground for endangered green turtles and critically endangered hawksbill turtles. Spend the afternoon exploring the island, swimming and snorkeling in warm clear waters over dazzling coral reefs. After dinner, park rangers will take you to see green turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on the beach. Selingan Chalet (B,L,D)
Friday, June 11: Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary
This morning, take a boat back to the mainland and visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center. Founded in 1964, the center was established to help orphaned orangutans learn how to live in the wild. Young ones are housed in the nurseries, and dozens of others live free in the protected forests surrounding the center. Other animals brought here include Malayan sun bears, baby elephants, wild cats and crocodiles. Spend time exploring the center and its museum and Rainforest Discovery Center. Also enjoy a canopy walk. Later, go on a nighttime boardwalk safari to look for nocturnal tarsiers and flying lemurs. Sepilok Nature Resort (B,L,D)
Saturday, June 12 through Monday, June 14: Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary
On Saturday morning, go by riverboat to the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, where you’ll stay for three nights. The sanctuary is home to the highest concentration of orangutans in Malaysia. Several WWF-supported studies have taken place in the sanctuary including the Kinabatangan Orangutan Research project and several conservation efforts protecting Asian elephants and Sumatran rhinos. During forest outings, look for proboscis monkeys, leaf monkeys, gibbons and pig-tailed macaques. Visit Ox-Bow Lake to search for hairy-nosed otters, tortoises and freshwater terrapins. 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. Venture out at night with your guide in search of the western tarsier and slow loris. Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge (B,L,D daily)
Tuesday, June 15: Gomantong Caves & Danum Valley
Drive in the morning to the Gomantong Caves. These tall caves provide habitat for nesting swiftlets, and 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. 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)
Wednesday, June 16 through Friday, June 18: 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. At least 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 birds, including crested fireback pheasants and rhinoceros hornbills, and some of the world’s biggest butterflies and moths. The 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 daily)
Saturday, June 19: Lahad Datu & Kota Kinabalu
After breakfast, drive to Lahad Datu for your flight to Kota Kinabalu. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore the city or relax at the resort. Enjoy a farewell dinner tonight. Shangri La Tanjung Aru Resort (B,L,D)
Sunday, June 20: U.S.
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)
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