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10-Nights Wild Encounters of Borneo with Kuching - Small Group from $4,324
Trafalgar
OFFER ID 1706209
Wild Encounters Of Borneo With Kuching - Small Group
Explore Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia, on a Borneo journey that brings you closer to rainforest wildlife, river life, island shores and local communities. See orangutans in two conservation settings, look for proboscis monkeys in Bako National Park and cruise the Kinabatangan River by day and after dark. You’ll taste coffee with the Dusun community, stay deep in protected wetlands and continue to Kuching for local food, riverfront views and a warm welcome into Bidayuh village life.
Dining Summary
- 7 Dinner (D)
- 10 Breakfast (B)
- 8 Lunch (L)
- Discover Sandakan, Sepilok, Kinabatangan, Kundasang and Kota Kinabalu
- Visit orangutan and sun bear sanctuaries, the Kinabatangan River, rainforest canopy walkways, Mount Kinabalu foothills and Ara Dinawan Island
- Explore Kuching and Bako National Park
- Visit Agnes Keith House and the Dusan community
- Sepilok: See conservation in action at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, where orphaned orangutans and those once kept as pets are cared for as they learn to return to the wild. Watch them feed on fruit and swing through the trees, then view the nursery where young orangutans practise the survival skills they need in the rainforest. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land.
- Sepilok: Meet the world’s smallest bear at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center, guided by founder and CEO Dr Wong. Learn how his team rescues and cares for sun bears threatened by habitat loss and the illegal pet trade, and see how each bear is given space to climb, forage and behave more naturally.
- Sepilok: Explore the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve from suspension bridges and a 147-meter canopy walkway, with the rainforest rising around you. Look across the treetops, watch for rare birds and see the scale of Borneo’s lowland forest from above, where every sound, branch and movement draws you further into this protected habitat.
- Kinabatangan River: Glide along the Kinabatangan River with your guide helping you scan the banks, branches and shallows for Borneo’s Big Five: orangutan, proboscis monkey, pygmy elephant, rhinoceros hornbill and crocodile. From the water, you’ll see why this river is one of Sabah’s great wildlife corridors, linking rainforest, wetlands and mangrove habitats.
- Kinabatangan River: See the Kinabatangan after dark, when the river feels completely different. With your guide, scan the banks and branches for civets, flying foxes, palm civets and owls, using the boat’s quiet pace to pick up small movements, eye shine and the sounds that carry across the water after sunset.
- Sandakan: Step inside Agnes Keith House, the restored hilltop home of the American writer who wrote about life in North Borneo before and after the Second World War. Through its rooms, photographs and gardens, you’ll see Sandakan’s past through one family’s experience of this former British North Borneo capital.
- Sandakan: Sit down to lunch at the English Tea House, set beside Agnes Keith House on a hill above Sandakan. Expect colonial-style surroundings, garden views and a menu that nods to the city’s British North Borneo past, with familiar tea house favorites served in one of Sandakan’s best-known dining spots.
- At the Everything Pineapple Project, see how local pineapple is turned into handmade jams, chutneys and juices. Browse the products, taste the sweet and sharp flavors and learn how this small project uses a crop grown across Sabah in ways that support local makers.
- Kota Kinabalu: Get to know Kota Kinabalu through the places that shape Sabah’s capital. Visit the city mosque, pass the Atkinson Clock Tower and stop at a local market, seeing how coastal life, faith, trade and daily routines sit side by side in one of Borneo’s busiest cities.
- Ara Dinawan Island: Enjoy time away from the city on a small stretch of Sabah’s coast known for clear shallows and coral close to shore. Take the pace you want here, from quiet beach time to optional activities on the water, with space to enjoy the island without feeling rushed.
- Ara Dinawan Island: Enjoy a private beach barbecue lunch on Ara Dinawan Island, with grilled seafood, chicken, fresh salads, tropical fruit and cold drinks served close to the water. After time on the beach or in the sea, sit down with your fellow travelers and enjoy what’s been cooked over the grill.
- Kuching: Explore Kuching with your Travel Director, walking through a city shaped by river trade, Malay, Chinese and colonial influences. See the cat statue and cat fountain, visit a Chinese temple, follow the river promenade and view the mosque before sitting down to Sarawak laksa, a local favorite made with noodles, coconut, spices and fresh herbs.
- Bako National Park: Explore Sarawak’s oldest national park and one of the best places to see Borneo’s habitats packed into a small area. Your guide will help you understand how rainforest, mangroves, cliffs and beaches support different species, from long-nosed proboscis monkeys to plants that survive in poor coastal soil.
- Semenggoh: See rehabilitated orangutans at Semenggoh Wildlife Conservation Center, where those once orphaned or rescued are released into the surrounding forest. You’ll watch for them moving through the trees and feeding nearby, while learning how the center gives orangutans space to live more freely in their natural environment.
- Visit a Bidayuh longhouse and meet a community whose traditions are tied to shared living, food and family life. Sit down to a home-cooked lunch, see a community dance and explore the longhouse, learning how its spaces bring generations together under one roof.
10 nights from $4,324 per person
Trafalgar Tours: Wild Encounters of Borneo with Kuching - Small Group
Day 1 - Welcome to Sandakan
Welcome to Sandakan, your gateway to Borneo’s wildlife and rainforests. This coastal city in eastern Sabah sits between the Sulu Sea and rainforest, with markets, temples and waterfront streets shaped by its mix of Malay, Chinese and Indigenous cultures. After settling in, meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers for dinner. Over your first evening together, get to know the people you’ll be traveling with and hear from your Travel Director about the wildlife, landscapes and local communities that will shape your time in Borneo.
Accommodations: Ormond Hotel Sandakan
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 - Orangutans and Sun Bears of Borneo
Start at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, your MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, where you’ll see orphaned orangutans and those once kept as pets learning the skills they need to return to the wild. Watch them feed on fruit, swing through the trees and view the nursery where younger orangutans practise for life in the rainforest. Continue to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center for a guided tour with founder and CEO Dr. Wong, whose work protects the world’s smallest bear. At the Rainforest Discovery Center in Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, walk suspension bridges and a 147 m (482 ft) canopy walkway, with giant trees and rare birds around you.
Accommodations: Ormond Hotel Sandakan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 - Cruise into Kinabatangan
Discover Sandakan on a Heritage Walk, following local streets through the city’s markets, cafes and community spaces. Dive into Culture as you taste roti kosong, kueh and teh tarik, favorites you’ll see on menus and counters across the city. Transfer by boat to Kinabatangan Wetland Resort, your Stays with Stories experience, surrounded by mangroves and rainforest near the Kinabatangan River. Cruise along the river, taking in the changing views and watching the banks for signs of proboscis monkeys, hornbills and crocodiles. After dinner at the resort, join a night walk along the boardwalk to look for insects, frogs and other creatures active after dark.
Accommodations: Kinabatangan Wetland Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 - Borneo’s Big Five by River
Set out at first light on the Kinabatangan River, listening for the dawn chorus as the rainforest comes to life around you. Cruise to an oxbow lake, where still water, overhanging trees and wetland plants create a different view of this river system. Pass Kg Abai and hear about the Orang Sungai, the river people whose traditional way of life is tied to fishing, boats and the changing water levels. Return to the resort for free time before an afternoon cruise along the upper Kinabatangan, looking for pygmy elephants, mangrove species and other signs of life along the banks. After dinner, step back onto the boat for a night river safari, scanning the dark for slow lorises, tarsiers, civets and sleeping kingfishers.
Accommodations: Kinabatangan Wetland Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - Through Borneo Countryside to Kundasang
Travel by boat back towards Sandakan, passing fishing villages where stilted homes, working boats and nets line the coast. At Agnes Keith House, step inside the restored home of the American writer who wrote about North Borneo before and after the Second World War, looking through its rooms, photographs and gardens. Next door, the English Tea House puts you in one of Sandakan’s best-known hilltop settings for lunch. The road to Kundasang takes you through rainforest, farmland and mountain roads, moving from the coast into Sabah’s highlands near Mount Kinabalu to your hotel for the night.
Accommodations: Kinabalu Pine Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Meet Coffee Growers and on to Kota Kinabalu
In the foothills of Mount Kinabalu, Kiau Village brings you into the world of Sabah’s coffee-growing Dusun community. Join your hosts for your Be My Guest experience, where fresh local coffee leads into a home-cooked lunch and conversation about village life. At Guas Nabalu, follow the coffee from plant to cup and taste the finished brew, before sampling local honey and browsing handmade pineapple jams, chutneys and juices. Pekan Nabalu gives you a chance to shop for local handicrafts, with views of Mount Kinabalu if the weather is clear. Kota Kinabalu brings you back to the coast, where you’ll visit the city mosque, pass Atkinson Clock Tower and stop at a local market. This evening, you could choose to explore the night market on foot with dinner.
Accommodations: Grandis Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 7 - Clear Waters of Ara Dinawan Island
Leave Kota Kinabalu for Ara Dinawan Island, a small island off Sabah’s coast where clear water, coral and white sand show you a softer side of Borneo. Spend the day close to the sea, with the option to kayak along the shoreline or snorkel above the reef, or simply stay on the beach. For lunch, enjoy a private beach barbecue with grilled seafood, chicken, fresh salads, tropical fruit and cold drinks served near the water. Return to Kota Kinabalu, then join your fellow travelers for dinner in the city.
Accommodations: Grandis Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 - Fly to Kuching
Say goodbye to your Travel Director in Kota Kinabalu before flying to Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. On arrival, meet your new Travel Director and head into a city known for its riverfront streets, Chinese temples, mosques and old trading buildings. Walk through the center, seeing the cat statue, cat fountain, Chinese temple, river promenade and mosque, with a local lunch featuring Sarawak laksa, rich with spice, coconut and noodles. After checking in to your hotel, join your fellow travelers for dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodations: Grand Margherita Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 - Discover Bako National Park
Travel to Bako Village and continue by boat to Bako National Park, where rainforest, mangroves, beaches and rocky headlands create one of Sarawak’s most varied natural settings. Walk through the park, looking for proboscis monkeys, macaques, monitor lizards and birdlife as you explore trails shaped by jungle and coast. Return to Kuching for free time to enjoy the city at your own pace. This evening, you could choose to join an Optional Experience sunset cruise along the Sarawak River, with panoramic views of Kuching’s skyline and landmarks from the water.
Accommodations: Grand Margherita Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 10 - Semenggoh Orangutans and Bidayuh Culture
Visit Semenggoh Wildlife Conservation Center, where rehabilitated orangutans live freely in the surrounding forest after being cared for and released. Watch for them moving through the trees and learn how the center supports their return to a more natural life. Continue to a Bidayuh longhouse, where your hosts welcome you with a home-cooked lunch and a community dance. Explore the longhouse and hear about Bidayuh traditions before you Dive into Culture, trying your hand at Sarawakian instruments with the community. Return to Kuching for time to rest before dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodations: Grand Margherita Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11 - Farewell Kuching
Say goodbye to Kuching and your fellow travelers as your time in Borneo comes to an end. Depending on your flight time, take one last look at Sarawak’s capital, from its riverfront streets to the cafes, temples and markets you’ve come to know. Your transfer takes you to the airport for your onward journey.
Meals: Breakfast
Vacation Details
* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.
Fine dining, on-site bars or lounges and room service with extended hours are characteristic of deluxe establishments. Guest services usually include valet parking, concierge services, baggage assistance and laundry services. Other on-site facilities often include shops and boutiques, full service spas, full fitness facilities with pools and tennis courts. Business amenities may include available up-to-date technology and support staffs available for services. Attention to detail is apparent in the guestrooms which typically have stylish furnishings, quality bedding and bath products and often provide an evening turn down service.
All fares are quoted in US Dollars.
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888.357.1175
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