14 Day Tour
Explore Sarawak, hiking through the expansive cave systems in Mulu National Park. Witness the incredible bat exodus from Deer Cave at dusk. Travel off the beaten track in the Deramakot Forest Reserve for your chance to escape the crowds while finding Borneo’s varied endemic species. Cruise along the Kinabatangan River looking out for wild orangutan and herds of pygmy elephants. Includes international flights from a choice of UK airports, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
DAY 1: International outbound flight
Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Kota Kinabalu.
DAY 2: Kota Kinabalu
On arrival you will be transferred to your hotel, where you have the afternoon to explore after your long journey. The Filipino Markets on the waterfront are worth a visit this evening for some delicious seafood.
Stay At: Grandis Hotel
DAY 3: Mulu National Park
After breakfast you will be collected by your driver and transferred back to the airport in time for your flight to the Mulu National Park. On arrival, take a short five-minute shared transfer to your hotel on the fringes of the national park where you have chance to freshen up. This afternoon, explore the boardwalks around the park headquarters. At around 4pm, walk for around 45 minutes along the boardwalks to the entrance of Deer Cave for your first chance to see the bat exodus.
Stay At: Mulu Marriott Resort
DAY 4: Mulu National Park
This morning, explore the incredible Wind and Clearwater Caves with your private guide. These cave systems are best seen in the morning light, and there is a chance to swim in the Melinau River outside the cave if you would like. Return to the park café for lunch, before braving the heights of the canopy walkway with your guide this afternoon. You have the rest of the evening at leisure to relax at your hotel.
Stay At: Mulu Marriott Resort
DAY 5: Mulu National Park
This morning you will trek the short distance to the beautiful Paku waterfall with your guide. This is an easy walk and you can enjoy a refreshing swim in the river before a picnic lunch beside the waterfall. On your return you will explore the Deer and Lang’s Cave with your guide, before your last chance to see the incredible bat exodus at dusk.
Stay At: Mulu Marriott Resort
DAY 6: Kota Kinabalu
After a last morning to explore the Mulu National Park, you will take the short shared transfer back to the airport in time for your flight back to Kota Kinabalu. Due to the remote nature of the Mulu National Park, flights to and from here are often subject to delays and cancellations, so you have a night in Kota Kinabalu before moving onto the rainforest. On arrival at your hotel you will have the evening at leisure. If in the city on a weekend, the markets on Gaya Street are worth a visit.
Stay At: Grandis Hotel
DAY 7: Sepilok
After breakfast, you will be transferred back to the airport in time for your short 45-minute flight over to Sandakan. Here you will be met by your guide and transferred around 40 minutes inland to Sepilok, to your lodge in the middle of the rainforest. Here you have the afternoon at leisure. You could explore the nearby Rainforest Discovery Centre, with its canopy walkways and extensive jungle trails.
Stay At: Sepilok Nature Resort
DAY 8: Sepilok
Today is your first day to spot orangutan! You will meet your guide and travel the very short distance to the nearby orangutan and sun bear sanctuaries in time for the morning feeding, where you’ll spend a couple of hours. After lunch, the day trippers will leave the sanctuaries and they will be much quieter and a nicer experience as a result. Your ticket is valid all day, so return for the 3pm feeding for another chance to see Borneo’s endemic species.
Stay At: Sepilok Nature Resort
DAY 9: Deramakot Forest Reserve
After breakfast you will be met by your private guide and transferred from Sepilok to the Deramakot Forest Reserve. This is a journey of around four to five hours along bumpy roads; Deramakot is a truly off the beaten track destination. On arrival at Deramakot, you will have lunch and can relax for a short while before reconvening with your guide and driver. Spend the evening driving the trails through Deramakot in the search for the plentiful wildlife in the area. The accommodation in Deramakot is very basic, just one step up from camping, but the rangers’ wives who manage the rooms are warm and welcoming and the experience is worth it to get off the beaten track and to explore one of Borneo’s hidden gems.
DAY 10: Deramakot Forest Reserve
Deramakot is a sustainable logging reserve certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and, as such, there are many trails to explore. On the Domingos Trail, you can read about the history of the reserve and how they have learned from their previous mistakes. Today you will spend the full day driving the many trails through the reserve with your private guide. There are a few chances to explore on foot but, as Deramakot is a huge expanse of forest and a fantastic way to escape the crowds in Sabah, there is much to see and so driving is the best way to do so. There is a multitude of wildlife in the forest, and your guide and driver will take you around the reserve so you have the best possible chance of spotting the flora and fauna. Previously this has included hornbills, orangutan, pygmy elephants and even the incredibly rare clouded leopard. More common are the smaller creatures that need an expert eye to spot, such as the tiny slow loris and the snuffling bearded pig.
Stay At: Deramakot Forest Reserve Park Chalets
DAY 11: Kinabatangan River
After a last morning exploring the trails of Deramakot, you will be transferred around four hours, back along the bumpy roads, to the Kinabatangan River for a different kind of wildlife experience. Although this is more on the beaten track, the Kinabatangan River is also one of the best places for wildlife in Borneo, and is great to combine with Deramakot for the real wildlife lovers whose main purpose of visiting this tropical island is to explore as many of its endemic species as possible. The accommodation is more comfortable here, and you will have chance to relax and freshen up before heading out onto a cruise on the river this afternoon.
Stay At: Sukau Rainforest Lodge
DAY 12: Kinabatangan River
You have the full day at Sukau Rainforest Lodge today for your last chance to see as much of Borneo’s wildlife as possible. You will have two river cruises, at dawn and at dusk; during the day you could explore the boardwalks behind the lodge or simply relax by the lodge’s refreshing plunge pool.
Stay At: Sukau Rainforest Lodge
DAY 13: International return flight
After breakfast, you will be transferred around two hours down-river back to Sandakan, where you will continue your onward journey.
DAY 14: International return flight
Arrive home today to complete your journey.
14 days from £5150 pp
The price reflects the suggested accommodation in this itinerary. This will depend on when you travel and is subject to change. All of our Wildlife holidays are completely tailor-made to your requirements. We are happy to make recommendation to meet the quality and experience you are looking for, within your given budget.
