Holiday to Borneo
| country: | Malaysia, Borneo |
| location: | Sabah & Sarawak |
| trip type: | High altitude, strenuous trekking holidays |
| departures: | Departs selected Saturdays throughout the year |
| price: | From £770 (22 days) excluding flights. Local payment MYR RM1200 (approx £171). We can arrange flights from the UK. All departure dates are guaranteed |
the amazing things you'll be doing
One of the most adventurous destinations on the planet, come and discover why Borneo is an eternal favourite. Are you ready for it? Starting in Sabah we climb the mighty Mount Kinabalu, are guests in a small Dusun village, seek out the flora and fauna of the jungle, encounter orangutans and sea turtles, soak in hot springs and laze on the beach. Moving onto Sarawak we head into the depths of virgin tropical rainforest by foot and boat. Take the opportunity to climb the spectacular Pinnacles and explore one of the biggest cave systems in the world. We are also guests of a traditional Iban longhouse where we spend time boating, walking and learning about this amazing culture. There is not much we don't do on this trip — it's truly an adventure to remember!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Kota Kinabalu. Nestled next to the South China Sea, Sabah's capital is the gateway to Borneo. |
| Day 2: | Dusun Kampung. Our village homestay gives us an insight into the culture and folklore of the Dusun people. |
| Day 3-4: | Mt Kinabalu. Prepare for our climb of Mt Kinabalu with a nature walk. A two day hike up the mountain culminates with a stunning summit sunrise. |
| Day 5-6: | Poring Hot Springs. Reward yourself with a refreshing interlude at the Poring Hot Springs. |
| Day 7-8: | Kinabatangan. Learn about forest rehabilitation, discover the untamed heart of Borneo on an overnight jungle stay and experience traditional Malay life in our village homestay. |
| Day 9: | Sandakan. This settlement town has a pleasant grassroots appeal, historic temples and harbourside market. |
| Day 10: | Turtle Island. Our island retreat offers great snorkelling opportunities and a chance to see some giant sea turtles. |
| Day 11: | Sepilok Orangutan Reserve. A heart-warming encounter as we learn about efforts to reintroduce orphaned orangutans into the wild. |
| Day 12: | Kota Kinabalu. Explore the surrounding islands or laze by the pool before our journey into Sarawak. |
| Day 13: | Miri. Check out the city's monument to its oil-production heritage, the Grand Old Lady. |
| Day 14-17: | Mulu National Park. Our jungle trek takes us through an Eden-like landscape with spectacular views and remote caves. |
| Day 18-20: | Iban Longhouse. Share in the lives of former Iban headhunters while enjoying warm hospitality and a cup of fiery 'tuak'. |
| Day 21-22: | Kuching. A walk along the waterfront and down to Jalan India covers the city's main sights and is a relaxing end to our adventure. |
small group adventure holiday
This is a 'small group adventure' - on our group trips you'll be with a maximum of 11 like minded travellers and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting people from other parts of the world as well as seeing new places! (more) Because of our small group size, we're able to guarantee departures for all of our trips. Once you have booked and paid your deposit, your trip is guaranteed to go!
highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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This trip includes several special opportunities to view endangered wildlife and learn about the programmes in place for their conservation, in particular Orangutans and giant sea turtles. Though benefiting financially from tourism, the first priority for these centres is for conservation and they have strictly enforced rules for managing our visitation. We visit two World Heritage Sites in Mt Kinabalu National Park and Mulu National Park, both places have spectacular natural beauty and many unique plant species. In both parks we have fantastic local guides who'll share stories and legends of the area from their experiences and their ancestors. They also have a great depth of knowledge of the flora, fauna and geology. For many travellers the greatest highlights of their Borneo experience is the time spent with the local people. In Sabah we stay with Dusun folk in their village in the foothills of Mt Kinabalu. This gives us the opportunity to learn of the Dusun lifestyle and hear stories aboutthe early exploration of the mountain. Our hosts are also our guides for the mountain. Intrepid support for the community has alsoincluded teaching English and helping equip the local school. English language offers more employment opportunities in tourism and empowers the people in fighting inappropriate development within the National Park. In the Kinabatangan River area we support the MESCOT project - a project implementing sustainable rural development with the local communities. MESCOT manage various aspects of our 2 day stay in the area. This includes a night where the group is divided between several host family homes where we can experience local Muslim culture, a boat trip to see the famous Proboscis Monkey (along with other wildlife); and a night at their "forest camp" with it's facilities to maximise the interpretation of the surrounding forest for an extra special experience for the visitor. These management programs will provide a unique key to sustainable forest management in the reserve.
In Sarawak we stay for 2 nights with 14 families at an Iban longhouse. As the only travel company to stay here we feel very privileged to experience their hospitality in a way that is not contrived for mass tourism. Both communities have been great friends of Intrepid since 1991. We do not use tourism operators or other intermediaries so the financial benefits of our visits go directly to the people. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |