Borneo: Sarawak and Sabah, from Kuching and Mulu to the Kinabatangan

1. Day 1: Arrive in Kuching

   Kuching International Airport to your hotel on the waterfront

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Welcome dinner
   • Stay in Kuching
   Day 1 details

   Fly into Kuching International Airport (KCH), about 11 km from the centre, where a driver meets you for the ride to your hotel near the Sarawak River. Kuching is the capital of Sarawak, a low-rise riverside city of shophouses, Chinese temples and colonial buildings from the years when the Brooke family ruled Sarawak. If you land early, walk the waterfront promenade, cross the Darul Hana pedestrian bridge to the riverside Fort Margherita, or look into the Borneo Cultural Museum. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the days ahead: the domestic flights and their baggage limit, what to wear in caves and forest, and how we plan around the best hours for wildlife. Then we walk to a welcome dinner of Sarawak dishes, perhaps laksa Sarawak, midin fern and grilled fish, and take the little sampan ferry across the river afterwards if anyone wants to see the waterfront lit up.

   Included

   • Pick-up at Kuching International Airport (KCH)
   • Welcome briefing with your guide
   • Welcome dinner

   Free time: Free until the evening briefing

   Activity: Plan to land by about 4 pm to join the briefing; later arrivals are met and briefed the next morning.

2. Day 2: Bako National Park

   Kuching to Kampung Bako by road, then by boat to Bako National Park and back

   • Drive about 1.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Kuching
   Day 2 details

   Bako is Sarawak's oldest national park, a sandstone peninsula of cliffs, beaches, mangroves and heath forest at the mouth of the Bako River, and there is no road in. We drive about 45 minutes to the jetty at Kampung Bako after breakfast and take a boat of around 20 minutes across the bay, with Mount Santubong rising on the far shore. Boat times depend on the tide, so your guide sets the start the day before. At the park headquarters a park guide joins us on a short trail through the forest to a beach, looking for proboscis monkeys, which are found only on Borneo, silvered langurs and the bearded pigs that wander the beaches. Lunch is at the park canteen. We head back while the tide allows, usually by mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day is free in Kuching: the old bazaar on Main Bazaar street, the Tua Pek Kong temple, or a rest before dinner on your own.

   Included

   • Return boat to Bako National Park, with entry
   • Guided walk with a park guide to a beach on the Telok Paku or a similar short trail
   • Lunch at the park

   Easier option: Stay on the boardwalks near park headquarters, where proboscis monkeys often feed in the mangroves.

   More active option: A longer loop of 3 to 4 hours over the plateau with the park guide, in place of the short trail.

   Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Kuching; dinner on your own

   Activity: Landing at Bako is from the boat onto the beach or a jetty, depending on the tide; wear shoes you can get wet. Do not feed or carry open food near the macaques. Sea crossings can be cancelled in rough weather, mostly in the monsoon months.

3. Day 3: Semenggoh and a Bidayuh longhouse

   Kuching to Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, then Annah Rais and back to Kuching

   • Drive about 2.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Kuching
   Day 3 details

   We leave early for Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, about 24 km south of the city, to be at the platform for the morning feeding at about 9 am. Semenggoh's orangutans were rescued or born to rescued mothers and now live free in the surrounding reserve, so whether they come in for fruit depends on what is ripe in the forest; in fruiting season some mornings are quiet. From there we drive about 35 km on into the hills near the Indonesian border to Annah Rais, a Bidayuh longhouse community where families still live along a shared bamboo and timber veranda. A local host shows us the longhouse and the head house, explains how the community farms and worships today, and we eat lunch with the family who host us. We are back in Kuching by mid-afternoon, with the evening free for the night food stalls at Top Spot or a walk along the lit waterfront.

   Included

   • Semenggoh Wildlife Centre at the morning feeding, with entry
   • Annah Rais Bidayuh longhouse visit with a local host, with the community fee
   • Lunch at Annah Rais

   Easier option: Stay on the level path at Semenggoh and skip the climb to the upper longhouse rooms.

   Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Kuching; dinner on your own

   Activity: Keep quiet at the platform, use no flash and stay well back from the orangutans. At the longhouse, ask before photographing people inside their homes.

4. Day 4: Fly to Mulu: Deer Cave and the bats

   Kuching to Gunung Mulu National Park by air, then on foot to Lang and Deer caves

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Breakfast and dinner
   • Stay in Gunung Mulu National Park
   Day 4 details

   Gunung Mulu National Park has no road to the coast, so we fly from Kuching to the small airport at Mulu, a few minutes from the park gate, on the turboprop service (flight times vary by day; your guide confirms them before you leave home). Gunung Mulu was listed by UNESCO in 2000 for its limestone karst, caves and rainforest. After checking in near the park, we meet our park guide in the afternoon and walk the 3 km plank path through the forest to Lang Cave, small but full of stalactites and columns, and then into Deer Cave, one of the largest cave passages known, where a path leads through the main chamber. At dusk we wait at the bat observatory outside the cave mouth, when on most dry evenings hundreds of thousands of bats spiral out in long ribbons to feed. Rain can stop the exodus, which is why we have a second evening here. Dinner tonight is near the park.

   Included

   • Flight from Kuching (KCH) to Mulu (MZV)
   • Gunung Mulu National Park entry
   • Lang Cave and Deer Cave with a park guide
   • The bat exodus at the Deer Cave observatory, weather permitting
   • Dinner

   Optional experiences

   • Guided night walk from park headquarters, run by the park

   Easier option: Visit Deer Cave only and wait at the observatory while the group sees Lang Cave.

   Activity: About 6 km of flat plank path in total, plus paths and steps inside the caves. Bring a torch and rain jacket; the cave floors are wet and the guano smell in Deer Cave is strong.

5. Day 5: Mulu: canopy, river and caves

   Mulu canopy skywalk, then by longboat on the Melinau River to Wind and Clearwater caves

   • By boat
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Gunung Mulu National Park
   Day 5 details

   We start on the first morning slot of the canopy skywalk, about 480 m of walkway slung between the crowns of the forest trees, when birds are most active and the heat has not built. Places on the walkway are limited and we book them ahead. After a break we board longboats on the Melinau River, stopping at the Penan settlement of Batu Bungan, where families sell handicrafts at a small market. Upriver, a short path and steps lead into Wind Cave, named for the cool air that moves through it, and its chamber of stalactites. A little further on is Clearwater Cave, part of a long river cave system, reached by a flight of steps; inside, a path leads down to the underground river. We have a picnic lunch by the clear pool at the cave mouth, where you can swim. The afternoon is free at the lodge, and if rain stopped the bats yesterday we go back to the observatory at dusk.

   Included

   • Mulu canopy skywalk with a park guide
   • Longboat on the Melinau River with a stop at Batu Bungan
   • Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave with a park guide
   • Picnic lunch at Clearwater
   • A second evening at the bat observatory if needed
   • Dinner

   Optional experiences

   • Guided night walk from park headquarters, run by the park

   Easier option: Skip the canopy skywalk and join the group at the boat; at Clearwater, stay by the pool instead of climbing into the cave.

   More active option: The Paku waterfall trail, about 3 hours return on a flat forest path, in the free afternoon with a park guide.

   Free time: Afternoon free at the lodge

   Activity: The skywalk is a narrow, swaying walkway at height and has a minimum age set by the park; tell us if heights trouble you. Expect about 200 steps at Clearwater.

6. Day 6: Fly to Kota Kinabalu

   Mulu to Kota Kinabalu by air, then to your hotel and the seafront

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Kota Kinabalu
   Day 6 details

   A slow morning: walk the boardwalk near park headquarters at first light, when hornbills and gibbons call, or simply rest. Then we fly from Mulu to Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, on a direct flight on the days it runs or with a connection in Miri on the others, and are met at Kota Kinabalu International Airport for the short drive to the hotel. Sabah keeps its own immigration check, so your passport is stamped again. Flights here are sometimes delayed, so nothing is fixed for the afternoon. In the early evening, if the flight allows, your guide takes the group to the seafront at Tanjung Aru, a few kilometres from the centre, where locals come out to walk and eat as the sun sets behind the islands. Dinner is your own choice, at the beach stalls or back in the city at the waterfront night market.

   Included

   • Flight from Mulu (MZV) to Kota Kinabalu (BKI), direct or via Miri
   • Transfers at both airports
   • Sunset walk at Tanjung Aru with your guide

   Easier option: Rest at the hotel instead of the sunset walk.

   Free time: Afternoon free in Kota Kinabalu; dinner on your own

   Activity: Any flight delay simply shortens the free afternoon. Keep the same baggage limit as the flight into Mulu.

   

7. Day 7: Islands in the morning, Mari Mari in the afternoon

   Kota Kinabalu to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park by boat, then Mari Mari Cultural Village

   • Drive about 1.5 h
   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Kota Kinabalu
   Day 7 details

   We walk to Jesselton Point after breakfast and take one of the first boats of the day to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, a marine park of five islands a short ride off the city. Going early means calmer water and quieter beaches before the midday boats arrive. On Manukan or Sapi, depending on the sea, you can swim, snorkel over the reef with the gear we bring, or walk the short forest path across the island. We are back in the city around midday for a quick lunch on your own, then drive about 40 minutes into the hills to Mari Mari Cultural Village for the afternoon session. Local guides take us through traditional houses of several Sabah peoples, including the Kadazan-Dusun, Rungus and Murut, with demonstrations of rice wine, fire-making and blowpipes, tastings of local food and a dance performance at the end. Evening free.

   Included

   • Return boat to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, with the park conservation fee
   • Snorkel gear and time on Manukan or Sapi island
   • Mari Mari Cultural Village afternoon session with local guides

   Easier option: Stay on the beach in the shade, or skip Mari Mari and rest in the city.

   Free time: Evening free in Kota Kinabalu; dinner on your own

   Activity: Snorkelling is from the beach in shallow water and depends on the sea; life jackets are available.

8. Day 8: Up into Kinabalu Park

   Kota Kinabalu to Kinabalu Park headquarters

   • Drive about 2 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Kinabalu Park
   Day 8 details

   We leave after breakfast and drive about two hours north-east, climbing over the foothills of the Crocker Range. On a clear morning the granite crown of Mount Kinabalu, 4,095 m and the highest peak in Malaysia, shows ahead long before we arrive, so we stop at the roadside stalls of Nabalu for the view and a coffee. Kinabalu Park was listed by UNESCO in 2000 for its plant life, from orchids to pitcher plants. The headquarters sit at about 1,560 m, where the air is cool and often misty. After lunch in the park, a park guide walks us along the short trails near headquarters, through moss forest and along a stream, with the focus on plants and birds rather than distance. There is no summit climb on this trip. The late afternoon and evening are free, and nights here are cool, so bring a warm layer.

   Included

   • Drive from Kota Kinabalu with a stop at the Nabalu viewpoint
   • Kinabalu Park entry and a guided walk on the trails near headquarters with a park guide
   • Lunch at Kinabalu Park

   Easier option: Stay on the level paths near headquarters and the park garden.

   More active option: A longer, steeper forest trail of 3 to 4 hours with the park guide, in place of the short loop.

   Free time: Late afternoon and evening free

   Activity: No summit climb: Mount Kinabalu needs a permit and a mountain hut night booked well ahead. Nights at this height are about 13 to 18 C.

   

9. Day 9: Kinabalu at first light, then east to Sepilok

   Kinabalu Park to Kundasang, Ranau and Telupid, then Sepilok

   • Drive about 4.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Sepilok
   Day 9 details

   Get up for first light: the mountain is clearest early, before cloud gathers around the summit by mid-morning. After breakfast we stop at the Kundasang War Memorial, gardens made in memory of the Australian and British prisoners who died on the Sandakan death marches of 1945, a story we finish in Sandakan. Then comes the longest drive of the trip, about 220 km and four and a half hours of driving east via Ranau and Telupid. There is no shorter way: flying would mean driving two hours back to Kota Kinabalu first, and the day would be no shorter. We break it with a sit-down lunch near Telupid, about halfway, and short stops as the hills give way to lowland forest and oil palm, which your guide explains. We reach Sepilok by mid-afternoon and walk the canopy walkway at the Rainforest Discovery Centre in its last open hours, when hornbills are often about.

   Included

   • Mount Kinabalu at first light
   • Kundasang War Memorial
   • Sit-down lunch near Telupid
   • Rainforest Discovery Centre canopy walkway

   Easier option: Rest at the lodge on arrival instead of the canopy walkway.

   Free time: Evening free in Sepilok

   Activity: The one long road day: about four and a half hours of driving, broken by the memorial, lunch and short stops. Drive time is approximate and confirmed with our ground team before departure.

10. Day 10: Sepilok, then down to the river

    Sepilok to the lower Kinabatangan River

    • Drive about 2.5 h
    • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
    • Stay in Kinabatangan River
    Day 10 details

    The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre was founded in 1964 to return orphaned and rescued orangutans to the forest. The animals range freely in the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, so whether they come to the platform depends on them. We are on the boardwalk before the 10 am feeding, then watch the young orangutans in the outdoor nursery from the viewing gallery. Next door, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre cares for sun bears, the smallest bears in the world, most rescued from captivity; you watch them from walkways above their forest enclosures. After a sit-down lunch we drive about two and a half hours to the lower Kinabatangan, Sabah's longest river, and settle into our riverside lodge for two nights. In the late afternoon we take the first boat safari, as proboscis monkeys gather in the riverside trees to sleep; your guide confirms the time on the day.

    Included

    • Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre at the morning feeding, with the nursery viewing gallery
    • Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
    • Sit-down lunch at Sepilok
    • Dusk boat safari on the Kinabatangan River
    • Binoculars on loan for the river days

    Easier option: Skip the Sun Bear Centre and rest at the lodge before lunch.

    Activity: Easy walking on boardwalks. Keep quiet at the platforms, use no flash and never approach an orangutan. Boats have shade and life jackets.

    

11. Day 11: Dawn and dusk on the Kinabatangan

    A full day at the lodge and on the river

    • By boat
    • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
    • Stay in Kinabatangan River
    Day 11 details

    The boat leaves at about 6 am, when mist still lies on the water and the forest is loudest: gibbons calling, hornbills crossing the river, macaques feeding on the banks. We are back for breakfast as the heat builds. The Lower Kinabatangan is a protected wildlife sanctuary of forest strips and oxbow lakes, squeezed by plantations, so animals concentrate along the river; that is why it is a good place to look, and why we watch from a distance. Late morning there is a short guided walk near the lodge to look at insects, plants and tracks. The middle of the day is free to rest. At about 4 pm we go out again, this time into a narrow side stream where the boat can drift close to the banks. Pygmy elephants move along the river in herds and are seen some weeks and not others. After dinner a lodge guide leads a night walk.

    Included

    • Dawn boat safari
    • Guided walk near the lodge
    • Afternoon boat safari into a side stream
    • Guided night walk with a lodge guide

    Optional experiences

    • Night boat cruise, run by the lodge when the river allows

    Easier option: Skip the late-morning walk and the night walk and rest at the lodge between the two boat trips.

    More active option: Add the night boat cruise after dinner.

    Free time: Middle of the day free at the lodge

    Activity: Leech socks help on forest walks after rain. Boat crews keep their distance and cut the engine near animals. In the monsoon months the river can run high; then the lodge keeps to the safest stretches.

12. Day 12: Gomantong and Sandakan

    Kinabatangan River to Gomantong Cave, then Sandakan

    • Drive about 2.5 h
    • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
    • Stay in Sandakan
    Day 12 details

    An optional last dawn boat for anyone who wants it, then breakfast and lunch at the lodge before we leave. About half an hour away is Gomantong, a limestone cave system where swiftlets build the nests that local collectors harvest under licence. A short boardwalk leads through forest to the Black Cave, dark, humid and strong with guano; in the harvest seasons access can be limited, and then we walk the forest boardwalk and visit the visitor centre instead. From there it is about two hours to Sandakan. We stop at the Sandakan Memorial Park, on the site of the prisoner of war camp from which the death marches to Ranau began in 1945; of about 2,400 prisoners held here, only six survived, all of them escapees. Then we check into our hotel in town, with time to walk the waterfront before a farewell dinner together overlooking Sandakan Bay.

    Included

    • Dawn boat safari (optional to join)
    • Lunch at the lodge
    • Gomantong Cave with a local guide
    • Sandakan Memorial Park
    • Farewell dinner

    Easier option: Sleep in instead of the dawn boat; wait at the Gomantong visitor area instead of walking into the cave.

    Free time: Late afternoon free in Sandakan

    Activity: Inside the cave the boardwalk is wet and slippery; wear closed shoes you do not mind getting dirty.

    

13. Day 13: Sandakan and home

    Sandakan to Sandakan Airport

    • Drive about 30 min
    • Breakfast
    Day 13 details

    The last morning is yours. Have a slow breakfast, then walk up the stairs to Agnes Keith House, where the American author of Land Below the Wind lived before and after the war, for the view over the bay, or wander the central market by the harbour, where fish, fruit and dried seafood come in from the Sulu Sea. Your guide will have checked your flight the evening before. A driver takes you to Sandakan Airport (SDK), about 11 km and 20 minutes from town, at the time that suits your flight. There are daily flights from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur for connections home, so book an onward flight leaving from about midday onwards to keep the morning unhurried. If you want more time in Malaysia, ask us about extra nights or a connection to our Kuala Lumpur and Penang trip.

    Included

    • Drop-off at Sandakan Airport (SDK)

    Free time: Free until your airport transfer

    Activity: Book your flight out of Sandakan (SDK), not Kota Kinabalu; any departure from about midday works.

Wildlife and weather: Borneo is hot and humid all year, with showers most afternoons. March to October is drier. From November to February the monsoon brings heavier rain, Kuching is wettest around December and January, and the Kinabatangan can flood. Rain can stop the Mulu bat exodus on a given evening, which is why we stay two. When forest fruit is plentiful, fewer orangutans come to the feeding platforms.

• Kuching3 nights
• Gunung Mulu National Park2 nights
• Kota Kinabalu2 nights
• Kinabalu Park1 night
• Sepilok1 night
• Kinabatangan River2 nights
• Sandakan1 night