11 days tour

Essential Borneo

This tour includes:

Guide

All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leaders. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced leader however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. Your leader will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.

Meals

8 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners

Others

Kinabatangan - Cultural Show Sandakan - War Memorial Kinabatangan River - Sunset wildlife boat trip Kinabatangan River - Morning River Cruise Kinabatangan River - Cooking lesson Sepilok - Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre Mt Kinabalu - 2 day climb

Transport

Boat,Private vehicle,Plane

Accommodation

OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION: The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances. TWIN SHARE / MULTI SHARE BASIS: Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on a different Intrepid trip than your own. CHECK-IN TIME: Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination. PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION: If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (subject to availability), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights. Please note some of the multishare/dormitory accommodation can be mixed gender. Jungle Lodge (3 nights),Homestay (1 night),Hostel (3 nights),Hotel (2 night),Eco Camp (1 night)

Not included:

Others

Other activities and services not included

Flights

International flights not included

Optional

Other activities and services not included

Insurance

Insurance is not included. Travel insurance is required for this tour. Please make sure you are adequately covered. If you require travel insurance, TourRadar has partnered up with World Nomads to provide a hassle-free experience. More information can be found here (https://www.tourradar.com/travel-insurance).

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Essential Borneo

  • Day 1 Day 1: Kota Kinabalu
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 1: Kota Kinabalu

      Kick things off in Kota Kinabalu, Sabahโ€™s state capital. Your adventure begins this evening with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you arrive with time to spare, spend the day exploring this busy cityโ€™s bustling markets, learning about the regionโ€™s Indigenous cultures at Sabah Museum. Kota Kinabalu has a great food scene, so once youโ€™ve met your leader and travel companions you can opt to eat dinner together at a local restaurant to get better acquainted with the group.Accommodation: Hotel

  • Day 2 Day 2: Kinabatangan River
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 2: Kinabatangan River

      This morning youโ€™ll head over to the airport for a short flight to Sandakan. When you touch down, youโ€™ll hop on a private minibus and travel to Sandakan War Memorial, built on the site of a former Japanese prisoner of war (POW) camp. This spot also marks the starting point of the tragic Sandakan Death Marches, during which 2400 POWs were forced to walk through the jungles of Borneo. Continue on through the rainforest to reach your homestay for the night. This afternoon youโ€™ll have the option to visit Batu Tulug burial caves, where more than 100 ancient wooden coffins were discovered in 1984. Speculate about who they belonged to and just how they got them up there while you admire their beautiful carvings. Youโ€™ll spend the night in a family homestay and enjoy a local meal cooked by your hosts, followed by an evening cultural performance. If youโ€™re feeling up to it, why not challenge the locals to a game of footie to break the ice?Accommodation: Homestay

  • Day 3 Day 3: Kinabatangan River
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 3: Kinabatangan River

      After breakfast, say goodbye to your hosts and make the short journey by minivan and boat to an eco-lodge on the banks of the Kinabatangan River. Once youโ€™ve settled in, hit the water for the first of todayโ€™s two included river cruises. Keep an eye out for wild orangutans, proboscis monkeys and maybe โ€“ if youโ€™re lucky โ€“ even pygmy elephants. Afterwards, youโ€™ll have the chance to visit a local reforestation project and the option to give back to the forest by planting trees. At lunchtime, get to know the local cuisine with an included cooking lesson. In the late afternoon, youโ€™ll embark on another cruise up the river. The animal action in this wildlife loverโ€™s paradise can change a lot during the course of a day โ€“ so fingers crossed for a few more sightings. Tonight youโ€™ll fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle in a rustic stilted bush hut.Accommodation: Jungle eco camp

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Tour leaving from Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu is a coastal city in Malaysia known for its beautiful beaches and its proximity to Kinabalu National Park. It is a popular destination for nature lovers and water sports enthusiasts. In addition to its stunning landscapes, Kota Kinabalu offers a rich local culture and delicious food. Don't miss the opportunity to explore the nearby islands, try the fresh seafood, and immerse yourself in Malaysia's indigenous culture.

Experience Style

Experience Style

Mixed

There will be challenging activities such as hiking, biking, canyoning and trekking, but youโ€™re also going to have other means of transportation and relaxed moments to just chill.

Accomodation level

Accomodation level

Medium

This accommodation includes essential services like a hot shower, electricity, and a nice and comfy bed.

Experience Type

Experience Type

Small Group

Youโ€™ll be accompanied by a small group of travelers just like you.

Physical Rating

Physical Rating

Challenging

Long and challenging experience. Youโ€™ll be required to have good physical fitness to go on it. In some of these activities you'll need previous experience on similar activities.

Age range

Age range

Min: 18 / Max: 29

Age range allowed for this experience.

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