Arrive Kuching in Sarawak. Depending on arrival times a brief walking tour of the city will be included. Meet for a group welcome dinner this evening where we will have an introduction to the tour.

Accommodation: Kuching (en suite room)

Meals included: D

This morning, we will visit Semenggoh Wildlife Centre in Semenggoh Nature reserve, a natural habitat which is home to Bornean Orangutans Pongo pygmaeus, which shares up to 96.4% its genetic makeup with humans and is gentle, shy and curious by nature. Just 25 kilometres from Kuching, this is by far the biggest Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sarawak. It was established in 1975 as a sanctuary for Orangutans who are injured, orphaned or being kept captive as illegal pets and a place for visitors to learn about this endangered species.  Here, rescued or rehabilitated Orangutans are nurtured to readapt to jungle life and now contains a thriving population of healthy adolescent and young adult semi-wild Orangutans. They spend most of their time roaming the forest but are supplementary fed daily and may be seen during that time. This reserve is also habitat for rare flora and fauna including Bornean Giant Squirrel, Least Pygmy Squirrel, gibbons, treeshrews and a good variety of birds, including Long-tailed Parakeet, Dollarbird, both Fiery and Scarlet Minivets and Yellow-breasted, Yellow-rumped and Orange-bellied Flowerpeckers. The howling of gibbons, the chirping of birds and the chattering of Orangutans make the nature reserve an ideal place for nature lovers. We will then visit the Sarawak Cultural Village 35 kilometres from Kuching. The quaintly landscaped village showcases authentic replicas of houses belonging to the major ethnic groups in Sarawak. Here we will become acquainted with the culture and peoples of Sarawak during a tour of the village and a cultural performance. Birding is also good here and we may see Stork-billed and Ruddy Kingfishers, White-breasted Waterhen, Little Green and Pink-necked Green Pigeons, Banded Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Asian Glossy Starling, and Dusky, Scaly-breasted and Chestnut Munias. We will return to Kuching late afternoon.

Accommodation: Kuching (en suite room)

Meals included: B L D

This morning we will travel to Bako National Park which is situated 37 kilometres from Kuching and can be reached by a 45-minute drive to Kampung Bako, followed by a 20-minute boat ride. The Park covers an area of 16 square kilometres of primary forest. The coastline of the Park is indented with beautiful rock formations, steep cliffs and sandy bays. Here we will find a wide range of flora such as pitcher plants (Nepenthes) and wild orchids. Monitor lizards, Bornean Bearded Pigs, deer, birds, a variety of monkeys including Proboscis Monkey, crocodiles and snakes can be found here in their natural habitat. Birds we may see here include Red-crowned Barbet, Ashy and Rufous-tailed Tailorbirds, Collared Kingfisher, Blue-throated Bee-eater, Asian Fairy Bluebird, Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike, a variety of waterbirds and waders, and raptors like Brahminy Kite and White-bellied Sea-eagle.. We will return to Kuching in the late afternoon.

Accommodation: Kuching (en suite room)

Meals included: B L D

We will transfer to Kuching airport for our flight north to Mulu this morning. (2024 schedule: Malaysian Airlines/MASwings flight MH3752 10:35 – 12:15; flight cost not included but can be arranged, see ADDITIONAL INFORMATION below). On our arrival at Mulu Airport, we will be transferred to Gunung Mulu National Park. This ancient and spectacular UNESCO-listed World Heritage Area is one of the most important natural sites in Southeast Asia and is notable for its high biodiversity and karst (cave) systems and exceptional natural beauty. The Park is over 52,000ha in size and contains 17 vegetation zones and around 3,500 plant species. During the late afternoon we will take a 3 km boardwalk to reach Deer Cave & Lang Cave. The caves are home to over 3 million bats comprising about 30 different species, and Swiftlets who also echolocate in the darkness of the caves. After exploring the caves, we will sit at the bat observatory to observe clouds of bats emerging from the cave entrance as dusk approaches (numbers exiting the caves are highly dependent on weather) with possible raptors like Bat Hawk attempting to catch them.  We will then return along the same boardwalk, exploring en route for nocturnal creatures such as giant red millipedes, phasmids, scorpions and land snails.

Accommodation: within Mulu NP (en suite rooms).

Meals included: B L D

Early this morning there is an option to take a pre-breakfast walk on a 480-metre long canopy skywalk which is suspended about 20 metres above the forest floor. This provides a wonderful chance to view the spectacular tropical jungle at close range. We will then return to headquarters for breakfast, before transferring to a longboat which will take us to the Penan settlement of Batu Bungan. Here we will have the opportunity to visit the community and purchase handcrafts as souvenirs to support them.

We will then return to the park for lunch and an afternoon of birdwatching. Species we will look for include Red-naped, Diard’s and Scarlet-rumped Trogons, Rhinoceros and Black Hornbills, Black-and-red, Black-and-yellow and Green Broadbills, Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Crested Serpent Eagle, Black-thighed Falconet, Asian Emerald Dove, Jambu Fruit Dove, Green Imperial Pigeon, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Square-tailed Drongo Cuckoo, Greater Coucal, Red-billed Malkoha, Red-throated and Blue-eared Barbets, Maroon and Crimson-winged Woodpeckers, Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler, Crimson Sunbird, White-rumped Shama, the endemic Bornean Black Magpie and Bornean Blue Flycatcher, and a variety of spiderhunters, bulbuls and babblers. We will then return for an early dinner and short rest before heading out again for a night walk.

Accommodation: within Mulu NP (en suite rooms) as for last night

Meals included: B L D

We will start early again today to birdwatch from a boat along the beautiful Melinau River for about 2 hours. Species we will search for today include Common Sandpiper, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Black Hornbill, and Ventriloqual Oriole. We will then return to the park for breakfast and more birding and nature viewing on foot inside the park. A packed lunch will be provided today. During the afternoon there is also an option to bird outside the park in the afternoon for some different species, including Violet Cuckoo, Raffles’s and Chestnut-breasted Malkohas, Red-bearded Bee-eater, and Scaly-breasted Munia. Tonight we will stay at a resort adjoining the park.

Accommodation: near Mulu NP (en suite rooms).

Meals included: B L D

This morning after some more local birding, we will transfer to Mulu airport for our flight to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah (2024 schedule: Malaysian Airlines/MASwings flight MH3252 12:40 – 13:35; flight cost not included but can be arranged, see ADDITIONAL INFORMATION below). On our arrival we will have lunch at a local restaurant, before we travel to our accommodation which is a two-hour drive traversing Sabah's Crocker Range. Local birdwatching or free time around the resort before dinner.

Accommodation: Resort at Kundasang (en suite rooms)

Meals included: B L D

Travel to Kinabalu Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which has been designated a Centre of Plant Diversity for Southeast Asia and which is exceptionally rich in species, with examples of flora from the Himalayas, China, Australia, Malaysia and pan-tropical flora. Here, Mt Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Malaysia, towers majestically at 4,095 metres (13,431 feet). The Park has a very wide range of habitats, from rich lowland and hill rainforest to tropical mountain forest, sub-alpine forest and scrub on the higher elevations. Enjoy the cool air as we trek around the foothills, birding and exploring the area for different and unique plants of Borneo such as the carnivorous Nepenthes, rhododendrons and orchids. Birds we will be searching for include Mountain Scops Owl, Sunda Cuckoo, Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Broadbill, Aberrant Bush Warbler, Bornean Treepie, Bornean Stubtail and Wreathed Hornbill. We should also see several squirrel species including Tufted (Whitehead’s), Pygmy Squirrel, Bornean Mountain Ground Squirrel, Plantain Squirrel, and Jentink’s Squirrel. We return to our Kinabalu accommodation late afternoon.

Accommodation: Resort at Kundasang (en suite rooms)

Meals included: B L D

This morning we will enjoy more birdwatching at Kinabalu park before heading to the montane oak-chestnut forest and then the lowland dipterocarp forest at Poring on the eastern boundary of the national park. After lunch, we also have the option of walking through the rainforest, which includes a 30 metre (100 foot) high Canopy Walkway through the treetops. If we are lucky, we may have the chance to see the parasitic Rafflesia, but this is not guaranteed as it does not have a predictable blooming season and with no stem, leaves or roots leaves little trace when it isn’t flowering! We will again return to our Kundasang accommodation late afternoon.

Accommodation: Resort at Kundasang (en suite rooms)

Meals included: B L D

This morning we have the option of spending more time at Kinabalu Park, before embarking on our drive to Sepilok near Sandakan. On arrival at our accommodation at Sepilok, we will walk around the grounds, looking for birds. Among the species we may encounter here are Crimson Sunbird, Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, and Olive-winged and Yellow-vented Bulbuls, as well as Plantain, Prevost’s and Bornean Giant Squirrels in fruiting trees. With luck, we may spot some of the wild Orangutans that live in the neighbouring rainforest reserve.

Accommodation: Resort at Sepilok (en suite rooms)

Meals included: B L D

This morning, we will visit the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) where we will discover the uniqueness and importance of Borneo’s rainforests.  There is also another opportunity to enjoy a spectacular view of the beautiful rainforest from the observation towers 25 metres above ground on a 347-metre-long steel Canopy Walkway. We will also birdwatch from this walkway, searching for species like Blue-eared Barbet, Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker, Blue-crowned Hanging-parrot, Diard’s Trogon, Black-backed and Rufous-backed Dwarf-kingfishers, Oriental Pied Hornbill, and Blue-throated Bee-eater.

Later this morning we will visit the Bornean Sun Bear Centre. Sun Bears are found primarily in tropical rainforests in southeast Asia, north-eastern India, Bangladesh and southern China and are threatened by forest degradation, illegal hunting and poaching to obtain young cubs for the pet trade. This facility includes large forest enclosures to provide a natural environment suited to the needs and welfare of sun bears and facilitate their rehabilitation back into the wild and was opened to the public in 2014 to increase education and provide further funds for their care. In Sabah, Sun Bears are totally protected with the same status as the Bornean Orangutan and Sumatran Rhinoceros. We can view the Sun Bears from an observation platform while learning about their habits and conservation methods used to protect them. After a rest during the heat of the day we will once again explore the lodge grounds or take time to soak in the onsite pool. In the evening, we’ll take a night tour to see some of the more secretive wildlife of the rainforest. We can expect to encounter some interesting smaller creatures of the forest including frogs, snails, millipedes and nocturnal insects in addition to a range of mammals such as Giant Flying-squirrels, Western Tarsier, Sunda Stink-badger, Moonrat, and Slow Loris, and birds like Sunda Scops-owl, Brown Boobook, and Oriental Bay-owl.

Accommodation: Resort at Sepilok (en suite rooms)

Meals included: B L D

Today we continue to Kinabatangan, where we will take a short boat transfer to our rainforest lodge on the banks of the Kinabatangan River. The rainforest of Kinabatangan is home to 198 species of birds including 8 species of hornbills, and is one of only two places in the world where you may encounter 10 different species of primates, including Proboscis Monkey. Here we should also see Storm’s Stork, Jerdon’s Baza, Stork-billed and Blue-eared Kingfishers, and Black-and-yellow Broadbill. The Kinabatangan River is the longest river in Sabah and the second longest in Malaysia. With a catchment area of 16,800 square kilometres, this ‘corridor of life’ meanders through the forest from the mountains of western Sabah to the Sulu Sea. In the evening, we will embark on a leisurely boat cruise along the Kinabatangan River in search of wildlife. We will return to the lodge for dinner.

Accommodation: Rainforest lodge at Kinabatangan (en suite rooms)

Meals included: B L D

This morning we take a dawn cruise along the Kinabatangan River for birdwatching and wildlife viewing. We return to the lodge for breakfast before travelling by land to Lahad Datu in time for lunch and then continuing to an extensive area of dipterocarp forest in eastern Sabah. This 122,500ha reserve has been protected since the 1980s and among the species recorded here are Asian (Pygmy) Elephant, Clouded Leopard and Sunda Leopard Cat, nine species of primates and more than 300 species of birds, including all eight species of hornbill found in Sabah. This evening we will take a night drive (weather permitting) to search for nocturnal birds like Brown Boobook, Reddish and Sunda Scops-owls, and Barred Eagle-owl, and a variety of primates, civets, and cats.

Accommodation: within the reserve (en suite cabins)

Meals included: B L D

We will spend the day birding and wildlife viewing within the reserve, alternating between game drives and walks along the roads and jungle tracks. Species we hope to see today include Bornean Ground Cuckoo, Moustached Hawk-cuckoo, several species of hornbill (notably Helmeted and White-crowned Hornbills), Sunda Scimitar-babbler, White-fronted Falconet, Rufous-chested Flycatcher, White-bellied Munia, and Rufous-collared Kingfisher. We will also go out again after dinner on another night excursion (weather permitting) to increase our chances of rare sightings such as Clouded Leopard.

Accommodation: within the reserve (en suite cabins)

Meals included: B L D

Today we travel to the Danum Valley Conservation Area – Sabah’s largest protected area of lowland dipterocarp forest preserved for conservation, research, education, and training. This Bornean Eden has over 200 species of trees per hectare, some of which are the oldest and tallest (and most diverse) in the world. A myriad of animal life, including 124 species of mammals such as the Orangutan, Silver & Maroon Leaf Monkey, North Bornean Grey Gibbon Asian (Pygmy) Elephant, Tarsier and Slow Loris, 72 species of reptiles, 56 species of amphibian and over 325 bird species live in this fascinating world of tropical rainforest. After dinner tonight we will enjoy a night drive in an open-air jeep in search of nocturnal animals. A smorgasbord of species is possible here including Binturong, Lesser Mouse-deer, Sunda Colugo, Red and Black Flying Squirrels, Large Flying Fox, and several species of civet, especially if some of the huge fig trees are in fruit.

Accommodation: Danum Valley (en suite rooms)

Meals included: B L D

Please note the accommodation here is basic en suite rooms with ceiling fans and no power between 11 pm – 7 am. We will also be walking on tracks that may have leeches. But it should provide amazing wildlife and birding opportunities.

Today and this evening we will continue to explore the walking tracks around the Danum Reserve. Species we may add today include Crested Fireback, Black-bellied Malkoha, Red-naped Trogon, Gold-whiskered Barbet, both normal and dark morph Rufous-winged Philentoma, Yellow-bellied and Cream-eyed Bulbuls, and Buff-rumped Woodpecker. We will take a night walk after dinner tonight (weather permitting) to see some more of the valley’s nocturnal creatures, including a range of invertebrates, amphibians and of course more mammals and birds. Buffy Fish-owls are resident here.

Accommodation: Danum Valley (en suite rooms)

Meals included: B L D

This morning if time allows we will have our final bird walk before checking out and transferring to Lahad Datu Airport (around 2 hours travel time) for your flight back to Kota Kinabalu (2024 schedule: Malaysian Airlines/MASWINGS flight MH3015 13:25-14:20; flight cost not included but can be arranged, see ADDITONAL INFORMATION below). On your arrival we will transfer to our hotel where we will check-in and have our final farewell dinner.

Accommodation: Kota Kinabalu hotel (en suite rooms).

Meals included: B L D

Own arrangements for departure from Borneo and our onward flights home. (Own arrangements: there are several flight options to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore available.)

Accommodation: none

Meals included: B