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The oldest and tallest tropical forests in the world
Dates: Ask us about available dates
Minimum suggested length: one week
Where: Sabah-Borneo in Malaysia
Arrive: Sandakan or Lahad Datu
Price: From 3500 USD
Minimum suggested length: one week
Where: Sabah-Borneo in Malaysia
Arrive: Sandakan or Lahad Datu
Price: From 3500 USD
Why Borneo?
Borneo is home to ancient rainforests and an incredible variety of wildlife, it is one of the places with the highest biodiversity in the whole world. Being an island means it has many endemic species or subspecies and some real iconic ones like the orangutans, pygmy elephants and the proboscis monkey.
Borneo has something for every nature lover. It has amazing forests, rivers and caves. Also has big mammals (elephants and the rare Sumatran rhinos), primates (orangutans, gibbons and more), cats (clouded leopard). But also has an incredible variety of reptiles, snakes, frogs, huge insects you will not find anywhere else in the world. Oh and of course we should not forget that Borneo is also a bird lovers paradise.
For Barna, founder of Encounters, Borneo is for sure one of the top ten wildlife destinations to visit. Also it is not an easy task to put together a top ten list...
Borneo has something for every nature lover. It has amazing forests, rivers and caves. Also has big mammals (elephants and the rare Sumatran rhinos), primates (orangutans, gibbons and more), cats (clouded leopard). But also has an incredible variety of reptiles, snakes, frogs, huge insects you will not find anywhere else in the world. Oh and of course we should not forget that Borneo is also a bird lovers paradise.
For Barna, founder of Encounters, Borneo is for sure one of the top ten wildlife destinations to visit. Also it is not an easy task to put together a top ten list...
Places we like to visit
- Sepilok
We come to Sepilok for two reasons. The first is that it is the logical start of a tour, which will head to Kinabatangan River area, the second is to visit the two famous rehabilitation centers in the area.
Encounters is a tour operator which takes you to the wild, to observe wildlife in their natural habitat. This is the mission and lifelong dream of Barna, the founder and main guide of Encounters. But in some cases animals in “captivity” are worth a visit, even when these places can be touristy sometimes.
The Orangutan Rehabilitation Center and the Sun Bear Center are of this type of places. They do a tremendous work to save and rehabilitate these highly endangered species and their work could not be done without all the visitors who are supporting their work by the entry fees paid every day.
I was still tempted to skip these places until my good friend and famous conservationist/biologist Simon Pierce told me that he starts every single trip to Borneo in these places. Also Tracie would kill me probably if I am planning this trip without these visits :) - Kinabatangan River
This is the perfect place to spot wildlife, and it is also not hard to access. Which means this place is often visited by tours. No wonder, you can see most of the iconic species of Borneo on the boat tours and jungle walks here: orangutans, proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, a huge variety bird life among others. The boat safaris on the river give you a great chance to observe the wildlife day and night.
This is the place where you have to go, even if you have only a few days, it is like going to the Vatican in Rome, or see the Eiffel Tower in Paris. - Gomantong Cave
The cave with easiest access in this intricate cave system has a height of 90 meters, impressive on its own. It also gives home to a huge population of bats (over 250 thousands of them to be more preciseJ).
The cave is pretty cool yes, but the forest around might even be cooler with consistent wild orangutan sightings. The area is heavily protected and has a healthy population of our closest relatives. - Danum Valley Conservation Area
This is the crown jewel of the trip no doubt. A place where the European royalty (that’s true, although they are staying in the only other place which is a bit more upscale goes when wants to stay in the jungle a bit.
This is the most untouched piece of lowland rainforest in Borneo. It is unique, because even before the area became protected, there were no humans living in the area, which means there is no history of hunting or other activities inside the area.
It is hard to access and not cheap to visit, which means it is off the usual tourist routes. Only people, who are serious about the jungle will come this far. This forest is home of all the species you can think of when talking about Borneo. Rhinos, orangutans, leopards, gibbons, hornbills, reptiles, snakes and insects the size of your arm... Sorry that is true, hahaha!
So you already saw the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Vatican in Rome. Now you should look for the small hidden little cafes to get to know the real city! Now that is Danum Valley when you want to get to know the real Borneo.
Sample Itinerary
Day 1.
Pickup from Sandakan airport and transfer to the resort. Arrival before 2 pm is suggested.
Day 2.
After breakfast, we visit the Orangutan Rehabilitation Center and the nearby Sun Bear Center. The Rehabilitation Center is an amazing place for a close-up of our closest relative, the orangutan, also you can learn of the hard and important work of the center. You will have to be careful not to take “inside” anything but your camera, since the orangutans love to grab and “steal” stuff from the visitors. The Sun Bear Center is a wealth of information on sunbears and the rescue work that is in place there.
We check out of Sepilok Nature Resort and start the 2 hour journey to Sukau village. Upon arrival, take a short boat transfer to the lodge. Check-in, settle in and enjoy lunch. Then, spend some time relaxing before embarking on a river cruise in search of wildlife.
We return to the lodge before sunset, and enjoy dinner shortly after. After dinner, relax or go on an optional night walk or cruise.
Day 3.
Most probably we will wake up by the calls of birds and the other animals (nice and early). At 6am we go on a morning cruise up to The Kinabatangan River and onto Kelenanap Ox-Bow Lake. We take a short jungle walk before returning to the lodge for breakfast.
We can spend some time exploring the lodge, surrounding areas or the nearby village. The afternoon is followed by another cruise.
After dinner, relax or on an optional night walk or cruise.
Day 4.
After breakfast and a relaxing morning, we depart from the lodge at 7am for onward travel to Lahad Datu.
On the way there we visit Gomantong Caves, where we will spend 1 hour walking in the reserve and visiting the bat cave. The forest around the cave is known to be a good spot to find orangutans.
From there we travel 2 hours to Lahad Datu, then another 2 hours to the properly remote Danum Valley Field Centre.
We register at the welcome center upon arrival and check-in after the briefing by DVFC staff. Settle-in and enjoy lunch.
After lunch, we will plan the following days with the local guides at DVFC. You can relax or take an afternoon siesta before going on a mid-afternoon walk in the area as an introduction to the Borneo rainforest. (or look for stuff around the lodge with Barna – who never rests when in a jungle...)
The area surrounding the center teems with wildlife and it is not unusual for you to spot resident orangutan, hornbills etc. Return to center before sundown and enjoy dinner at 7pm.
After dinner, we go on an included night walk with our local guide.
Pickup from Sandakan airport and transfer to the resort. Arrival before 2 pm is suggested.
Day 2.
After breakfast, we visit the Orangutan Rehabilitation Center and the nearby Sun Bear Center. The Rehabilitation Center is an amazing place for a close-up of our closest relative, the orangutan, also you can learn of the hard and important work of the center. You will have to be careful not to take “inside” anything but your camera, since the orangutans love to grab and “steal” stuff from the visitors. The Sun Bear Center is a wealth of information on sunbears and the rescue work that is in place there.
We check out of Sepilok Nature Resort and start the 2 hour journey to Sukau village. Upon arrival, take a short boat transfer to the lodge. Check-in, settle in and enjoy lunch. Then, spend some time relaxing before embarking on a river cruise in search of wildlife.
We return to the lodge before sunset, and enjoy dinner shortly after. After dinner, relax or go on an optional night walk or cruise.
Day 3.
Most probably we will wake up by the calls of birds and the other animals (nice and early). At 6am we go on a morning cruise up to The Kinabatangan River and onto Kelenanap Ox-Bow Lake. We take a short jungle walk before returning to the lodge for breakfast.
We can spend some time exploring the lodge, surrounding areas or the nearby village. The afternoon is followed by another cruise.
After dinner, relax or on an optional night walk or cruise.
Day 4.
After breakfast and a relaxing morning, we depart from the lodge at 7am for onward travel to Lahad Datu.
On the way there we visit Gomantong Caves, where we will spend 1 hour walking in the reserve and visiting the bat cave. The forest around the cave is known to be a good spot to find orangutans.
From there we travel 2 hours to Lahad Datu, then another 2 hours to the properly remote Danum Valley Field Centre.
We register at the welcome center upon arrival and check-in after the briefing by DVFC staff. Settle-in and enjoy lunch.
After lunch, we will plan the following days with the local guides at DVFC. You can relax or take an afternoon siesta before going on a mid-afternoon walk in the area as an introduction to the Borneo rainforest. (or look for stuff around the lodge with Barna – who never rests when in a jungle...)
The area surrounding the center teems with wildlife and it is not unusual for you to spot resident orangutan, hornbills etc. Return to center before sundown and enjoy dinner at 7pm.
After dinner, we go on an included night walk with our local guide.
Day 5.
We wake up early for an early morning trek with our guide at 6am to see the forest come to life. We return to the center for breakfast and embark on a trail in the area of our choice.
We spend late morning resting before having lunch. (Hahahahaha, right?)
After lunch, we take a dip at the Ulu Segama river before heading off for another trek – there are various types of trails and our guide can will help us choose the best one based on our preferences and latest wildlife sightings.
We return to the center in late afternoon, in time to watch the sky change color as the sun sets.
After dinner we go on an included 4x4 night drive.
Day 6.
We wake up early for a 4x4 drive to Bukit Atur for a breathtaking sunrise experience atop the canopy of the jungle. Then we return to center for breakfast and embark on a trail in the area of our choice.
Spend the rest of the day around the center or head out on a longer trail if you want, depending on personal fitness level of course (so start training if needed, since probably we go for a longer hike).
After dinner we go on a night walk with our guide.
Day 7.
We wake up early (by this time you will get used to early) for an early morning trek. Then we return to the lodge for breakfast, and spend the rest of the morning around the lodge saying good-bye to the forest until check out time at 10am.
We will arrive to Lahad Datu for lunch around 12pm then we travel onward to Tawau Airport (2.5hours drive) for your departure flight (Recommended departure flight after 5pm); or to your hotel, to stay the night before the flight the following day.
We wake up early for an early morning trek with our guide at 6am to see the forest come to life. We return to the center for breakfast and embark on a trail in the area of our choice.
We spend late morning resting before having lunch. (Hahahahaha, right?)
After lunch, we take a dip at the Ulu Segama river before heading off for another trek – there are various types of trails and our guide can will help us choose the best one based on our preferences and latest wildlife sightings.
We return to the center in late afternoon, in time to watch the sky change color as the sun sets.
After dinner we go on an included 4x4 night drive.
Day 6.
We wake up early for a 4x4 drive to Bukit Atur for a breathtaking sunrise experience atop the canopy of the jungle. Then we return to center for breakfast and embark on a trail in the area of our choice.
Spend the rest of the day around the center or head out on a longer trail if you want, depending on personal fitness level of course (so start training if needed, since probably we go for a longer hike).
After dinner we go on a night walk with our guide.
Day 7.
We wake up early (by this time you will get used to early) for an early morning trek. Then we return to the lodge for breakfast, and spend the rest of the morning around the lodge saying good-bye to the forest until check out time at 10am.
We will arrive to Lahad Datu for lunch around 12pm then we travel onward to Tawau Airport (2.5hours drive) for your departure flight (Recommended departure flight after 5pm); or to your hotel, to stay the night before the flight the following day.
Price includes:
Does not include:
- Your personal Encounters guide/group leader making sure everything goes according to plans from the booking all the way until you board your flight home
- All accommodation and meals as stated in program
- Entrance fee in all locations
- Camera fee at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation
Centre & Gomantong Caves - All activities specified per program
- PRIVATE boat safaris in Kinabatangan River
- PRIVATE activities & drives at Danum Valley
- All connecting land transfers in a/c vehicles (PRIVATE)
- Shared boat transfer to/from Lepit Jetty/Borneo Nature Lodge (5
minutes boat ride) - Leech socks
- Private local guide throughout the trip
- Tourism Tax
- Transfer to and from the boat from/to city center.
Does not include:
- Gratuities
- Flights
- Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks
- Hotel booking before and after the trip
- Any additional tours or activities in the region (available and we can
help you to set them up) - Anything not mentioned above as included
