World Wildlife Fund

Into the Heart of Borneo

$7,995 per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement: $1,250

Trip Overview

A frog with no lungs, a “ninja” slug that fires love darts at its mate and the world’s longest insect are among new species discovered in the past three years alone on the island of Borneo.

In fact, more than 120 new species have been discovered since February 2007, when Borneo’s three governments – Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia – agreed to conserve 85,000 square miles of irreplaceable tropical rain forest, designated the Heart of Borneo.

It’s astounding to think that scientists, including WWF researchers, are unearthing such a treasure trove of amazing species – something you’ll discover when you travel to Borneo with WWF in 2011. Our popular journey takes us into the rain forest to look for such animals as the proboscis monkey, slow loris, barking deer, pig-tailed macaque and the huge flying fox bat.

Trip Itinerary

Friday – Sunday, June 24 – 26, 2011: USA / 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, including a mangrove ecosystem supporting a colony of purple herons here. Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening. Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort (D)

Monday & Tuesday, June 27 & 28: Gunung Mulu Natio nal Park
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.

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. Royal Mulu Resort (B,L,D daily)

Wednesday, June 29: Gunung Mulu / Sepilok
Spend the morning exploring the subterranean river that flows through Clearwater Cave. Later, fly to Sandakan via Kota Kinabalu. Sepilok Nature Resort (B,L,D

Thursday, June 30: Sepilok
This morning, visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center. During their daily feeding, observe orangutans as they interact in their natural habitat, providing unsurpassed photographic opportunities. 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 protected animals brought here include Malay sun bears, baby elephants, wild cats, and even crocodiles.

Have some time to relax and enjoy lunch before observing the afternoon feeding. Afterwards, tour the Rainforest Discovery Center and enjoy a canopy walk. This evening go for a night time boardwalk safari. Sepilok Nature Resort (B,L,D)

Friday, July 1: 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)

Saturday – Monday, July 2 – 4: Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary
Travel 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, July 5: 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 into the heart of Borneo to your lodge on the Danum River, where you’ll stay for 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, the 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 – Friday, July 6 – 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. 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, July 9: Lahad Datu / Kota Kinabalu
After breakfast drive to Lahad Datu for your flight to Kota Kinabalu. The rest of the afternoon and evening are unscheduled to allow your time to explore Kota Kinabalu on your own.  Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening. Shangri La Tanjung Aru Resort (B,L,D)

Sunday, July 10: Depart
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flights home. (B)