Essence of Sarawak and Sabah
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Highlights:
This program offers the natural beauty of the provinces of Sarawak and Sabah that make up the Malaysian portion of the island of Borneo.
Your stay features the natural wonders of Borneo including limestone caves, hot springs, hidden valleys/waterfalls, reformed headhunters and refined tea planters.
See it all and stay in comfortable properties that blend well into their environment. This is for the intellectually curious traveler who likes a little bit of comfort once the day’s adventures are done.
This program offers the natural beauty of the provinces of Sarawak and Sabah that make up the Malaysian portion of the island of Borneo.
Your stay features the natural wonders of Borneo including limestone caves, hot springs, hidden valleys/waterfalls, reformed headhunters and refined tea planters.
See it all and stay in comfortable properties that blend well into their environment. This is for the intellectually curious traveler who likes a little bit of comfort once the day’s adventures are done.
SKU:
Explore: SARAWAK AND SABAH
Customizable Itinerary - 14 Days (from $6,673 / person)
Days 1-2: USA-Singapore
You depart the USA bound for the island nation of Malaysia. You cross the International Date Line and “lose” a day which you will regain on the return journey.
Day 3: Welcome to Malaysia
Whether you arrive in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, our representative will meet you and assist with check-in with your flight to Kuching which is located on the Malaysian portion of the island of Borneo. You are met and taken to your hotel before embarking on a tour of Kuching the capital of the province of Sarawak. Up until World War II, this had been controlled by one English family totally independent of Great Britain.
Breakfast
Day 4: The Orangutans of Semenggoh
Meet your driver and your guide as you begin an overland transfer to the resort at Batang Ai. Stop at the Orang Utan wildlife center to admire these gentle and fascinating primates. Visit an open-air market in Serian City and stop at a pepper farm before arriving at the jetty where you board a boat to cruise the river up to the resort. Enjoy dinner at the resort.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 5: The Longhouse of the Iban Head-Hunters
After breakfast you drive to the Batang Al Longhouse an authentic dwelling of the Iban people who were once feared for their head-hunting practices. Today they are hospitable hosts offering ngajat, a traditional dance and a demonstration of their use of blowpipes for hunting which delivers poisoned darts with accuracy. Have lunch at the longhouse and then return to the resort in late afternoon with time to relax before dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Batang Ai to Kuching
You drive back to Kuching where the afternoon and evening are at leisure.
Breakfast
Day 7: Mulu National Park, Deer Cave and the Garden of Eden
In the morning you are transferred to the airport for the flight to Mulu National Park where you are met and taken to your resort. In the afternoon you walk along a plank-walk for about two miles to Deer Cave which, at 6500 feet in width, is considered the largest cave in the world. After checking out the stalactites and stalagmites you enter the Garden of Eden with a hidden rainforest and waterfalls. The cave is inhabited by thousands of free-tailed bats and, as the sun begins to dip below the horizon you will witness the incredible spectacle of thousands of bats emerging from the cave to a night of foraging in the jungle.
Breakfast
Day 8: Wind Cave, Clearwater Cave and a Canopy Walk
After breakfast take a boat ride to Wind Cave to explore the “King’s Room” before proceeding along plank walkways built in the sides of limestone cliffs leading to Clearwater Cave. Climb up the steps to Clearwater Cave to observe the physical features and formations found on its limestone walls. Return to the resort for lunch and some free time then join your guide for an unforgettable canopy walk high above the forest floor.
Breakfast
Day 9: Sabah and Kota Kinabalu
A late morning transfer will take you to the airport for a flight to the province of Sabah and its main city of Kota Kinabalu. Upon arrival you will be met and taken to your hotel where you can relax or head out to explore the city on your own.
Breakfast
Day 10: Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Springs
Today you head out to the cooler climates of Kinabalu Park home to close to 6,000 species of plants and 430 different birds and mammals. Follow the mountain road to Mount Kinabalu National Park to take a walk in the botanical gardens. Admire views of Mt. Kinabalu, Southeast Asia’s highest peak before lunch in the park. After lunch proceed to Poring Hot Springs stopping along the way to visit Kundasang War Memorial one of the first to commemorate the Australian and British prisoners of War who died in Sandakan POW camp during the death marches to Renau. Arrive in Poring Hot Springs where a walk along a canopy walkway will give you a bird’s eye view of the tropical rain forest. You will also have time to soak in the hot pools renowned for their therapeutic properties.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: The Road to Sandakan
This morning you will visit the Sabah Tea factory to learn how raw tea leaves are processed and packed for export. You will then drive to Sandakan stopping at a colonial style English Teahouse. After lunch you have a visit to the central market in search of spices before enjoying views over Sandakan Bay. Arrive in Sepilok in time for dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 12: Sun Bears and the Kinabatangan Wetlands
Your first stop today will be the Sun Bear Conservation Centre whose aim is to increase awareness of this endearing but little known bear species, named after the crescent-shaped patch of fur on their chests that resembles the rising sun. From there you walk to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation centre for the morning feeding session. Drive to Sandakan Jetty and board a boat for a two hour journey passing by local villages and lush rainforest. Arrive at your lodge in time for a late afternoon cruise up the Kinabatangan River to search for wildlife, most notably the proboscis monkeys which are endemic to Borneo. Other fauna include elephants, hornbills, and gibbons and many birds. After dinner you can join your knowledgeable guide for a stroll along the boardwalks on the lookout for nocturnal animals and interesting insects.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: A Day in the Wetlands
Rise early for a cruise to Kelenanap Oxbow Lake. The stillness of the lake and the relative protection provides a haven for animals and plants making for an ecosystem that is completely different from the river. Return to the resort for breakfast before taking an informative walk with the resort naturalist to learn about the medicinal and traditional uses of the flora of the jungle. After lunch the afternoon is at leisure before heading out in the late afternoon to watch the river activities of many primate species that become active during this time. After dinner you can take a night river safari before retiring for the night.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 14: Return to USA
After breakfast you are transferred to Sandakan by boat to fly from Sandakan to Singapore for the return flight to the USA where you regain the day lost on the way over.
Breakfast
You depart the USA bound for the island nation of Malaysia. You cross the International Date Line and “lose” a day which you will regain on the return journey.
Day 3: Welcome to Malaysia
Whether you arrive in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, our representative will meet you and assist with check-in with your flight to Kuching which is located on the Malaysian portion of the island of Borneo. You are met and taken to your hotel before embarking on a tour of Kuching the capital of the province of Sarawak. Up until World War II, this had been controlled by one English family totally independent of Great Britain.
Breakfast
Day 4: The Orangutans of Semenggoh
Meet your driver and your guide as you begin an overland transfer to the resort at Batang Ai. Stop at the Orang Utan wildlife center to admire these gentle and fascinating primates. Visit an open-air market in Serian City and stop at a pepper farm before arriving at the jetty where you board a boat to cruise the river up to the resort. Enjoy dinner at the resort.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 5: The Longhouse of the Iban Head-Hunters
After breakfast you drive to the Batang Al Longhouse an authentic dwelling of the Iban people who were once feared for their head-hunting practices. Today they are hospitable hosts offering ngajat, a traditional dance and a demonstration of their use of blowpipes for hunting which delivers poisoned darts with accuracy. Have lunch at the longhouse and then return to the resort in late afternoon with time to relax before dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Batang Ai to Kuching
You drive back to Kuching where the afternoon and evening are at leisure.
Breakfast
Day 7: Mulu National Park, Deer Cave and the Garden of Eden
In the morning you are transferred to the airport for the flight to Mulu National Park where you are met and taken to your resort. In the afternoon you walk along a plank-walk for about two miles to Deer Cave which, at 6500 feet in width, is considered the largest cave in the world. After checking out the stalactites and stalagmites you enter the Garden of Eden with a hidden rainforest and waterfalls. The cave is inhabited by thousands of free-tailed bats and, as the sun begins to dip below the horizon you will witness the incredible spectacle of thousands of bats emerging from the cave to a night of foraging in the jungle.
Breakfast
Day 8: Wind Cave, Clearwater Cave and a Canopy Walk
After breakfast take a boat ride to Wind Cave to explore the “King’s Room” before proceeding along plank walkways built in the sides of limestone cliffs leading to Clearwater Cave. Climb up the steps to Clearwater Cave to observe the physical features and formations found on its limestone walls. Return to the resort for lunch and some free time then join your guide for an unforgettable canopy walk high above the forest floor.
Breakfast
Day 9: Sabah and Kota Kinabalu
A late morning transfer will take you to the airport for a flight to the province of Sabah and its main city of Kota Kinabalu. Upon arrival you will be met and taken to your hotel where you can relax or head out to explore the city on your own.
Breakfast
Day 10: Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Springs
Today you head out to the cooler climates of Kinabalu Park home to close to 6,000 species of plants and 430 different birds and mammals. Follow the mountain road to Mount Kinabalu National Park to take a walk in the botanical gardens. Admire views of Mt. Kinabalu, Southeast Asia’s highest peak before lunch in the park. After lunch proceed to Poring Hot Springs stopping along the way to visit Kundasang War Memorial one of the first to commemorate the Australian and British prisoners of War who died in Sandakan POW camp during the death marches to Renau. Arrive in Poring Hot Springs where a walk along a canopy walkway will give you a bird’s eye view of the tropical rain forest. You will also have time to soak in the hot pools renowned for their therapeutic properties.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: The Road to Sandakan
This morning you will visit the Sabah Tea factory to learn how raw tea leaves are processed and packed for export. You will then drive to Sandakan stopping at a colonial style English Teahouse. After lunch you have a visit to the central market in search of spices before enjoying views over Sandakan Bay. Arrive in Sepilok in time for dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 12: Sun Bears and the Kinabatangan Wetlands
Your first stop today will be the Sun Bear Conservation Centre whose aim is to increase awareness of this endearing but little known bear species, named after the crescent-shaped patch of fur on their chests that resembles the rising sun. From there you walk to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation centre for the morning feeding session. Drive to Sandakan Jetty and board a boat for a two hour journey passing by local villages and lush rainforest. Arrive at your lodge in time for a late afternoon cruise up the Kinabatangan River to search for wildlife, most notably the proboscis monkeys which are endemic to Borneo. Other fauna include elephants, hornbills, and gibbons and many birds. After dinner you can join your knowledgeable guide for a stroll along the boardwalks on the lookout for nocturnal animals and interesting insects.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: A Day in the Wetlands
Rise early for a cruise to Kelenanap Oxbow Lake. The stillness of the lake and the relative protection provides a haven for animals and plants making for an ecosystem that is completely different from the river. Return to the resort for breakfast before taking an informative walk with the resort naturalist to learn about the medicinal and traditional uses of the flora of the jungle. After lunch the afternoon is at leisure before heading out in the late afternoon to watch the river activities of many primate species that become active during this time. After dinner you can take a night river safari before retiring for the night.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 14: Return to USA
After breakfast you are transferred to Sandakan by boat to fly from Sandakan to Singapore for the return flight to the USA where you regain the day lost on the way over.
Breakfast
