Borneo Sarawak Highlights

Our tour starts today in Kuching. The capital of Borneo's Sarawak region is a riverside city where culture, food and nature come together. It's the perfect jumping-off point to explore Borneo's wild side. For those arriving on time, our tour leader will meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for a welcome meeting. There are no other activities planned today, so you're free to arrive at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Kuching International Airport (KCH), which is a 20-minute drive from the hotel. If you miss the welcome meeting, our tour leader will catch you up over breakfast on day 2. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, why not visit the waterfront for a bite to eat or drop by the fruit market to watch local life unfold.

We'll set off early this morning to travel to Bako National Park. Our journey involves a 45-minute drive, followed by a 30-minute cruise along the coast. The oldest of Sarawak's national parks, Bako is the perfect introduction to the region's forests and wildlife. It's home to 275 rare proboscis monkeys, found only in Borneo, and we'll have the chance to spot them, as well as silvered langurs, bearded pigs and monitor lizards. Despite its small size, Bako contains varied terrain, from swamp forest to scrub-like padang vegetation, mangrove forest to dipterocarp forest and delicate cliff vegetation to sandy beaches. We'll head out on walking trails to explore the rainforest, walking past the dipterocarps and dense mangrove forests. Bako is also home to many bird species such as the rufous-backed kingfisher, stork-billed kingfisher, red-crowned barbet, white-bellied woodpecker and many more. During low tide, you can spot the mudskippers and blue-fiddler crabs coming out from their hideout for feeding on the beaches, too. After a simple lunch at the park café, we'll return to Kuching.

After breakfast, we'll depart for a 45-minute transfer to the Semenggoh Orangutan Wildlife Centre. Established in 1975 and located just outside Kuching, Semenggoh Nature Reserve is home to a population of semi-wild orangutans. For over two decades, the wardens here rehabilitated young orangutans that had been orphaned or rescued from captivity, helping them learn to survive in the wild. Today, the centre focuses on research into orangutan biology and behaviour, though the rangers also care for other species, including crocodiles and hornbills. On arrival, we'll take a short 15-minute walk through the rainforest to the feeding platform, where rangers put out fruit for the orangutans. Although these animals live freely in the surrounding forest, they often return for feeding, offering us the chance to observe them in their natural habitat. We'll then continue to Serian Bazaar to visit the local market, before travelling on to Mongkos Longhouse, a traditional Bidayuh settlement, where we'll be welcomed with a home-cooked lunch. To follow, we'll take a guided tour of the longhouse, where a collection of exhibits and preserved artefacts provides insight into Bidayuh culture and daily life. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore the village at our own pace. You might take a stroll, chat with local residents, observe traditional farming or fishing, or enjoy a swim in the river. In the evening, we'll share another traditional Bidayuh meal before settling in for the night at our village homestay.

After breakfast, we'll go on a guided walk along the village's farming trails. The walk takes approximately one hour each way and it's on mostly flat terrain. This nature walk through the Bornean countryside takes us past small rainforest plots where local farmers cultivate a wide variety of produce, including durian, rubber, rambutan, mango, oil palm, rice, pepper, bananas, coconuts and jackfruit, along with many other colourful local crops. Shortly before lunch, we'll arrive at a picnic spot near a small waterfall. There'll be time to cool off with a refreshing dip in the water before enjoying a simple yet delicious lunch of rice, bamboo-cooked chicken and jungle ferns. After lunch, we'll make our way back to the village to say farewell to our hosts before beginning the return journey to Kuching. We'll arrive back in Kuching in the late afternoon and check in to our hotel.

Today we fly to Mulu, our home for the next two nights. Depending on our arrival time, we have several optional activities to choose from: wander to the Tree Top Tower for views across the Mulu National Park, stroll along the boardwalk to Pukau Waterfall or walk on the Nature Heritage Trail. In the afternoon, we'll head to Mulu National Park Headquarters. Here, we'll take the elevated plank walk to Lang Cave, the longest cave passage in the world. We'll explore its magnificent stalactites and stalagmites before carrying on to the adjoining Deer Cave. Deer Cave is famous for its colony of thousands of free-tailed bats and at dusk, you can watch them emerge from their cave in formation to forage for insects in the rainforest. Our exploration doesn't stop after dark. Next, we'll head out for a night trek through the jungle. The way is dotted with luminescent fungi and blinking fireflies giving us the chance to see creatures not visible in daylight.

This morning, we'll have breakfast accompanied by a jungle chorus before taking a short boat trip up the Melanau River to see two more of Mulu's caves - Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave. These two form part of the Sarawak Chamber, the largest connected cave system in the world. If water levels are low, we'll reach the caves on foot along a short trail. We'll explore the King's Room in Wind Cave before moving on to Clearwater Cave via plank walkways built on the sides of the limestone cliffs and a set of steep steps carved into the side of the hill. Once inside, we'll take some time to admire the limestone formations. Later today, we'll return to Mulu National Park Headquarters and take to the treetops on a canopy walkway. The rest of the afternoon is free - you might like to head out on one of the self-guided walking trails to explore more of the national park.

This morning we bid farewell to our Sarawak tour leader and take a short flight to Kota Kinabalu (KK as it is affectionately known by the locals). The small capital is a cultural tapestry - its inhabitants are a mix of Chinese, Indonesian, Filipino, Indian and of course Malay. This blend of influences makes KK a foodie's dream, with fusion restaurants popping up all over town and street-food stalls serving classics like Nasi Goreng (fried rice with spices) and satay alongside curries and kimchi. Here we'll be met by our Sabah tour leader who will assist us with checking-in at the hotel for our final night in Borneo. The rest of the day is free to explore the city's vibrant foodie scene. Some members of your group may have booked a longer version of the tour, which includes an additional 10 days in Sabah. For them, this evening marks the start of the next stage of their journey, and new travellers joining for the Sabah-only section will be arriving today. You're very welcome to join the group for dinner, or if you'd prefer to make your own plans, your tour leader will be happy to recommend the best places to eat in town.

Our trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Kota Kinabalu. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart from Kota Kinabalu at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI), which is a 20-minute drive from the hotel.