Borneo
Highland and lowland rainforests

Sunday 11 - Friday 23 September 2011 (13 days)
Sunday 9 - Friday 21 September 2012 (13 days)

Join us for a cocktail of birds, mammals, butterflies and orchids on our adventure to the lowland and montane forests of the Malaysian province of Sabah in Northern Borneo.



The magnificent birdlife of Borneo, the world's third largest island, parallels that of the bountiful Malay Peninsula, but includes numerous species that do not occur there - among them thirty or more endemics.

We begin our tour of this remarkable island amongst the oldest rainforests on earth. Kinabalu National Park is a World Heritage Site and boasts Asia's highest mountain peak. Its maze of trails will lead us to a huge range of birds and, hopefully, the first of Borneo's endemics

Next, we fly across Borneo and travel to the delightful Borneo Rainforest Lodge, set deep in primary rainforest above a bend on the Danum River. The Danum Valley Conservation Area is probably the best place in the world to encounter a wild Orang-utan!

We travel back, stopping at some superb caves, and stay until dusk to watch the bats emerge on their nightly forays over the forest - usually with Bat Hawks and Peregrines in attendance to pick them off.

We then stay at a wonderful riverside lodge at Sukau, where we will explore the river and mangrove forest for vividly coloured bee-eaters and hornbills. This is a great spot for mammals too, and we have chances to encounter the extraordinary Proboscis Monkey.

The tour will conclude with a morning on a lovely island where the snorkelling can be superb and where we could find Tabon Scrubfowl, before our flight home

Accommodation
 Lodges and hotels with all rooms en suite

Numbers: Max. 14 clients

Leaders:
2011: Keith Grant and local guides
2012: Paul Harvey and local guides


Prices:
2011: £ 3,995
2012: £ 4,295

Single supps.:
2011: £ 325
2012: £ 355

Deposit: £ 400 per person

The price is per person, and is fully inclusive of accommodation as detailed above, all meals, return flight London - Kota Kinabalu, domestic flights as described, airport taxes, minibus transport, admissions and the services of the leaders.

The price excludes holiday insurance, optional tips to local guides and drivers, drinks and other personal expenses.

These trips will be operated in conjunction with Limosa Holidays

Borneo map

Outline Itinerary
Day 1We catch a scheduled flight from London to the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, and connect with a flight to Kota Kinabalu (in the state of Sabah in Borneo), arriving there the next day.
Days 2-5From the airport we travel directly to the Kinabalu National Park for a four-night stay. Four nights Kinabalu NP
Days 6-8After breakfast we return to Kota Kinabalu for our domestic flight to Lahat Datu.

We travel on to the Danum Valley, one of the world's most splendid lowland rainforests, where we stay at Borneo Rainforest Lodge, established to show that tourism can help to protect this superb area. Three nights Danum Valley Conservation Area.
Day 9After a final morning at Danum, we return to Lahat Datu, and continue on by road to the Gomantong Caves. Our destination this evening is Bilit Rainforest Lodge, Sukau. Overnight Bilit Rainforest Lodge
Day 10The Kinabatangan River is the longest river in Sabah. Here can be found the greatest concentration of wildlife in the whole of Borneo. Overnight Bilit Rainforest Lodge
Day 11After a final morning at Sukau, we travel to the local airport and fly back to Kota Kinabalu. Overnight Kota Kinabalu
Day 12Our final morning is spent on a trip to lovely Manukan Island where the snorkelling is fantastic and birding can be good. We return to the hotel for lunch before a late afternoon transfer to the airport for a flight to London via Kuala Lumpur. Arrival in London on Day 13, where our tour concludes.

Click here for a full, printable itinerary