Tailor made Borneo holiday with The Red Ape trail trek

country:	Malaysia, Borneo
departures:	This trip can be tailor made all year round and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements
price:	From US $2100 (13 days) excluding flights. Price is for sample itinerary (below) and is based on minimum number of 2 people
vouchers:	Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday

Tailor made wildlife holidays here

Borneo holidays here

Malaysia holidays here

the amazing things you'll be doing

The Red Ape trail is a remote trekking route in one of the few remaining orangutan habitats left in Borneo that has been established in cooperation with the Orangutan Foundation. The trek has helped to raise orangutan conservation and awareness, both locally and internationally, and the money raised has funded community based orangutan projects in Sarawak. Adventurous travelers are encouraged to use the trail, which will also provide a sustainable source of income for the local people.

The Red Ape Trail will take you through one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems; one that is also refuge to some of the world’s most endangered species, including the orangutan. As a participant on the trek, you may have a rare opportunity to see many of these amazing animals (although we can’t guarantee it) and increase your understanding of this incredible environment. Although you will not have direct contact with orangutans, you will search for them during the trek.

You will also be taught basic observational skills and learn how to spot and age orangutan nests. Your Iban guides will also share with you many of their traditional jungle skills. Most importantly you will gain an insight into how modern Iban communities interact with the forest and its wildlife. This, in turn, will help us establish a community based orangutan conservation project, which will ultimately help protect and preserve the orangutan and its fragile rainforest habitat.

The below itinerary is a sample of some of the amazing wildlife and adventure experiences in Sarawak. This tour can be tailor made to suit your needs and interests.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Arrival in Kuching airport. Meet and transfer to your hotel. In the late afternoon, board the MV Equatorial for a sunset river cruise at Sarawak River. This is an excellent way to start your visit in Sarawak and you will have the opportunity to see Kuching city from a different point of view.
Day 2:	Kuching - Bako National Park (B,L,D). From your hotel in Kuching you will drive about 35 minutes to the small Bako Village. From the village, take about a 25-minute boat ride (depending on the tide) to the park situated in a peninsula. Bako is one of the best places in Sarawak to see wildlife in natural surroundings. The various types of animals that are commonly spotted at Bako include the proboscis monkeys, silver leaf monkeys, long tail macaques, wild boars, monitor lizards and numerous species of birds. Tropical rainforest ranges from mangrove to kerangas (heath forest), tropical swamp vegetation, cliff vegetation and beach vegetation. There are several trails inside the park depending on level of fitness and interest. After dinner go for a night walk to spot the nocturnal animals in the jungle. Overnight at the park chalet.
Day 3:	Bako National Park (B,L,D). Spend the morning bird watching and observing proboscis monkeys then hike to the Kerangas plateau. Pitcher plants, orchids, antplants and a variety of unusual and unique forest vegetation can be spotted. There is a possibility to swim in the warm waters of the South China Sea by one of the secluded beaches. This is subject to sea and weather condition. Return for more bird watching and wildlife viewing activities in the afternoon. After dinner go for a night walk. Overnight at the park chalet.
Day 4:	Bako National Park – Kuching (B,L). Following breakfast, depart for a final hike on one of the trails spotting rare migratory birds and searching for the rare and elusive proboscis monkey, a primate to be found only in Borneo. Return to Kuching mid-afternoon (schedule may depend on tide). Overnight at Kuching.
Day 5:	Mangrove Swamp Cruise. (B). The morning is free at your leisure to explore Kuching city on your own. In the mid-afternoon, drive from Kuching for about 45 mins in the direction of Damai beach. Board a small boat and start your cruise to the mouth of the Salak River and later enter in to the Kuching Wetland National Park. You should be able to spot the elusive and rare schools of Irawaddy dolphins which are quite common in this area. As you continue your cruise along the Salak River, experience the lush mangrove forest. And depending on the tide, you should be able to see the mudskippers, blue crabs, kingfishers and other birds and perhaps the odd small crocodiles. Occasionally, macaque and the proboscis monkeys may be seen. Your cruise will take you by Kampong Salak, a small and traditional Malay fishing village build on stilts. End your cruise at Damai beach or Santubong Village where you drive back to your hotel.
Day 6:	Kuching Caving; Big Spaces, Cool Streams (full day). (B,L). We leave Kuching at 09:00 and drive for about 1 hour to a Budayuh village. All equipment is provided. You only need to bring a change of T-shirt and underwear, a towel, insect repellant and sun block. Once the equipment and safety briefings are complete we have a 10 minute walk across some of the areas prettiest farmland to the staircase to the cave entrance. In the cave we will provide a briefing on its history and pre-history as you look at the cave paintings that cover the walls. Then we go deep inside the cave. Ceilings in this cave can be as high as 300’ and there are streams, waterfalls and enormous calcite structures to admire as well as a wide range of cave dwellers. The easy route visits two chambers before leaving through the main exit and going to a second cave for a swim. The intermediate route goes much further into the cave including passing through the birds nesting chamber before we retrace our steps. After we’ve cleaned up we have some food either in the Kampung or at a restaurant on the way back to Kuching. We arrive back sometime between 17:00 and 18:00. Timings may vary. Another option for this day might be a Rainforest Kayak Adventure. See the wildlife of the mangroves from your own kayak. Kayak down small tributaries that boats cannot explore to see what wildlife you may find.
Day 7:	The Red Ape Trail; Kuching - Nanga Jelia. (B,L,D). Pick-up from hotel lobby at 08.30hrs and proceed to Batang Ai reservoir(41/2hrs). Journey through rural Sarawak, passing pepper gardens, cocoa and rubber plantation. En-route, a few stops will be made. Visit the colourful native market in Serian town where a variety of jungle produce such as edible ferns, bamboo shoots and unusual tropical fruit are on display. Visit a pepper garden and stop by to view wild orchids and several species of pitcher plants. Lunch en route. Upon arrival at the Batang Ai reservoir, transfer for 1 hour by longboat to Nanga Jelia, a trekking starting point. Hike about 20 minutes to the jungle lodge. There will be time for relaxing and swimming later in the day. Following dinner, join your guide for a jungle walk. Civet cats can be spotted in these areas. Large toads, frogs and tortoises can also be found in the nearby stream. Overnight at the Borneo Adventure Lodge.
Day 8:	Nanga Jelia – Pantu Mong. (B,L,D). After morning breakfast, trek for about 6 hours to Pantu Mong. Lunchen-route. Set camp and gathering jungle produce like bamboo shoots or edible ferns for the evening meal. Dinner and overnight in Pantu Mong Jungle Camp ridge.
Day 9:	Pantu Mong – Keladan Pengirup Ai – Sg. Mawang. (B,L,D). Hiking from Pantu Mong to Keladan Pengirup Ai. Lunch along the way. Continue journey to Sg. Mawang. Upon arrival, set camp and gathering jungle produce for the evening meal. Dinner and overnight at Sg Mawang Jungle Camp along riverbank
Day 10:	Sg. Mawang – Nanga Sumpa. (B,L,D). Trekking from Sg. Mawang to Nanga Sumpa Longhouse. Trek along Mawang River towards the Delok River. Lunch en route. Settle in at Borneo Adventure’s jungle lodge. After dinner proceed to the longhouse across the river. Overnight Borneo Adventure Lodge
Day 11:	Nanga Sumpa – Kuching. (B,L). Following breakfast, depart down river by longboat, then overland. Lunch en route. Proceed to Kuching and drop-off at your hotel.
Day 12:	Dinner at private home / farewell dinner. The day is leisure in Kuching. We pick you from your hotel at half past six, transfer you to a private home to have a meal with a local family. This will provide you an intimate interaction with your host family while taking in good Kuching food. What better way to experience firsthand genuine Kuching hospitality over local specialties? Discover the customs and ways of your hosts and be surprised by the particular and universal concerns and considerations of the average citizens in Sarawak. Return to the hotel by ten o’clock.
Day 13:	Transfer to Kuching airport for your flight home.

how this holiday makes a difference

In line with our commitment to responsible tourism, all guides and assisting staff on this trip are local people from the Iban tribe. All of our guides and assisting staff on this trek are committed to the conservation of Borneo’s primary rainforest and educate each group about the local wildlife, flora and indigenous populations that live in the Sarawak and the surrounding area.

This trek is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint with the majority of the tours using people power such as walking or kayaking. The tours are designed for small groups to ensure minimal impact to the local environment. We also provide clients with a list of things they can do to reduce their impact on the environment whilst on the trek such as using biodegradable soaps and packaging’s.

The Red Ape Trail segment of this tour is built up around the Nanga Sumpa longhouse and with the help from the local people from this community. Trekking in this region brings an income to a very remote community. A percentage of the money from the trek goes to support the local communities by using local produce and handicrafts.

The accommodation whilst on the Red Ape trail has been chosen for its responsible environmental policies. The accommodation has been designed to fit in with the natural environment by using native building materials and whilst at the Borneo Adventure Lodge the accommodation is keeping with the traditional designs of longhouses. The accommodation has also been chosen for the minimal impact it has on the environment for example the hotels and lodges do not wash linen every day.

Furthermore the Red Ape Trail tour focus on conservation of the orangutans particularly and the wildlife in general. A small portion of the fee paid by each individual tour participant will be given to The Orangutan Foundation (UK). This fund was established in 1990 and it aims to protect the orangutan and to conserve its rainforest habitat. The Foundation also cares for, and repatriates ex-captive orangutans back into the wild. The orangutan foundation is a member of the Great Ape Alliance, a coalition of 40 charities worldwide, working for the great ape conservation.

On all of our tours we employ local staff and are committed to the development and education of our staff providing training sessions, travel opportunities and other opportunities to participate in Community Based Tourism Projects within Cambodia. When clients book a tour with us they are also provided with information about local charities they can support and a guide to local restaurants and crafts.

We have been actively implementing green practices which stretch from our offices to our partners throughout the whole of South East Asia. We have spent 13 years enthusiastically researching socially and environmentally sensitive tourism opportunities in South East Asia.

At a local level we actively participates in reducing its environmental impact by recycling and reducing the amount of paper transactions by providing our information to our clients electronically. We also use fans in the office instead of air conditioning.

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.