Sabah Wildlife Explorer

Upon arrival in Kota Kinabalu you are met and transferred to your hotel. This is where you meet your tour leader who will conduct a pre-trip briefing. You can then join the group for a local dinner (optional) at nearby hawker food stalls. It may also be a handy time to buy a 'poncho' - a cheap, local, lightweight rain-jacket.

We go down to the waterfront jetty where we catch a boat for about 20 minutes to Gaya Island (Pulau Gaya), one of the five islands that make up Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park -a marine reserve named after Malaysia's first prime minister. We trek on 2 kilometres of jungle trails and learn about some of the unique medicinal plants, tropical hardwood trees, coastal vegetation, tropical dipterocarp rainforest and the ecology of the mangrove forest. We then transfer across to Mamutik Island (Pulau Mamutik), where we have a chance to relax and swim in the warm tropical waters or enjoy some snorkelling before returning to Kota Kinabalu in the mid-afternoon. Please note that snorkelling gear is available for hire. However it is necessary to bring a towel, a hat, walking shoes, insect repellent, a water bottle, swim wear and sun block lotion along with you.

We transfer to the airport for a short morning flight to Sandakan. On arrival, we proceed to Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre. At this centre we walk on wooden boardwalks for 10 minutes through the rainforest, where we witness the morning feeding of orang-utans. This is then followed by a video presentation that tells us about these amazing apes. In the afternoon we enjoy a short tour of Sandakan town, which includes a visit to the water village, the local market, a Chinese temple and the Australian War Memorial. We stay a night at a jungle lodge in Sepilok.

We travel to Sandakan jetty for a boat journey along Sabah's longest river, the Kinabatangan, to Sukau Rainforest Lodge. En route we have opportunities to spot birds and other wildlife in virgin mangrove, wetland and rainforest habitats. After settling in at our accommodation, we set off in the late afternoon and take a river cruise on a motorised boat to look out for some of the 10 primate species that live in this area. A highlight is spotting proboscis monkeys, often seen on the treetops along the river. Wild orang-utans, long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques, monitor lizards and various species of hornbills and kingfishers are also often sighted. If you are lucky, you may even see some wild Borneo elephants, recently identified as a unique sub-species of the Asian elephant. We return to our lodge for a solar heated hot shower, a candle lit dinner and a slide show conducted by our resident naturalist.

We wake up to the calls of gibbons and hornbills. A 6am morning river cruise up the Kinabatangan River gives us a chance to view more birds and wildlife. We then proceed to the Kelenanap ox-bow lake for a short jungle walk (weather permitting). Here we really get to experience the wilderness of Borneo. You have the option to participate in our conservation project by planting trees on part of our 64 acres of adopted land. In the afternoon we enjoy another river boat ride in the search for more wildlife. After dinner there is an optional night safari cruise (at additional cost), which gives us a chance of spotting some of the many nocturnal species of animals that inhabit the area.

This morning, we travel overland for 27 kilometres to Gomantong Caves. We need to walk 20 minutes through the rainforest to get to the cave entrance. Your guide will then brief you on the cave's fauna that includes bats, swifts and crabs among others, and explain their contribution to maintaining a balanced ecology and significance to the local economy. When in season, we can witness the collecting of birds' nests by the local people, using bamboo ladders and poles. These nests, made of the birds' saliva, are a culinary delicacy in Asia. We then drive for two hours to Lahad Datu for lunch and continue for another 83 kilometres through selectively logged forest, cocoa and softwood plantations before arriving at Borneo Rainforest Lodge, located beside the Danum River on the edge of 438 square kilometres of undisturbed lowland rainforest. This area is home to an incredible variety and diversity of wildlife with over 275 species of birds and 110 species of mammals recorded, not to mention the abundant plant life. Many of these species are critically endangered and the reality is that you will probably not see animals such as Sumatran rhinoceros, but a stay at Borneo Rainforest Lodge for a couple of nights is sure to be a major highlight for any nature lover. There is irony in the fact that this wildlife reserve is created out of a huge logging concession area. Apart from the wildlife spotting opportunities, Borneo Rainforest Lodge is a first class nature resort complete with all the usual luxuries and your stay will be a memorable one. This afternoon we get to explore nature trails and walk along the Riverside Trail, in search of wildlife. Please remember that you need to wear strong and comfortable footwear and be prepared for leeches, especially if it is wet. In the evening we see a slide presentation on the Danum Valley area, before taking a night drive (weather permitting) through the rainforest in search some of the area’s many nocturnal species, including civet, flying squirrel, porcupine, sambar deer and leopard cat. If we are incredibly lucky, we may be able to see slow loris or clouded leopard.

Today we explore other parts of the park. Before breakfast, we go on an early morning bird walk. We spend the whole day exploring the forest for birds and mammals. Following a path leading up to an escarpment lined with ancient burial coffins (Coffin Cliff), we also trek to a waterfall and enjoy a dip in refreshing rock pools. After lunch at the lodge we enjoy a jungle walk through trails leading to a canopy walkway.

After a morning trek and a last chance to do more wildlife spotting, we return to the lodge for lunch. We then transfer back to Lahad Datu, where we catch our flight back to Kota Kinabalu.

The tour ends after breakfast. A transfer to the airport is not included; however your tour leader will be on hand to advise you as to the options available.