8-DAY BORNEO EXPERIENCE

Do something truely extraordinary with 8 days and 7 nights of ​adventure in the mind-blowing wilderness of Malaysian Borneo. Join ​highly-qualified local and Australian guides to explore one of the ​last wild places on the planet - with the guidance and safety of ​experts. Cape to Cape Explorer Tours has teamed up with former ​Borneo national park manager Alison Pritchard to offer this once in ​a lifetime tour. If you’ve hiked the Cape to Cape Track with us and ​love how we operate, this adventure really will blow your mind!

Duration: 8 days / 7 nights package

Book your flights into and out of Kuching.

International flights not included in tour price

You’ll journey by boat, foot and planes to explore World ​Heritage-listed rainforest, rivers and the world’s largest show ​cave made famous by Sir David Attenborough; encounter ​incredible wildlife such as orangutans and rhinoceros hornhill; ​laugh with local characters and indigenous people; walk the ​famous Headhunters Trail; and experience the rich Borneo ​cuisine and lifestyle

DAY 1: KUCHING - MEET UP BORNEO STYLE

Kuching is a beautiful old city, interlaced with quaint back streets and boasting a ​riverside promenade that rivals the lively riverfronts of Europe. Kuching’s streets are ​alive with the aroma of street foods, colourful wares and the smiles of the super-​friendly locals.

Our hotel is situated on the riverside promenade of Sarawak River and close to the ​bustling traders and Chinese Temples of Kuching’s Main Bazar. The promenade of ​Sarawak River is a great place to take a stroll at any-time of day or night.

If you arrive early, check out the tin merchants in Carpenter Street, visit one of the ​many local museums or simply take a seat near the river and chat with the locals as ​you watch the world go by.

In the evening the group will visit a popular local restaurant and plan for the ​adventures ahead.

DAY 2: SEMENGGOH WILDLIFE SANCTUARY & RIVER KAYAKING

Kick start the day with a visit to Semenggoh Wildlife Sanctuary to witness orangutans in ​a relatively natural setting.

Semenggoh was established more than 40 years ago as a rehabilitation center for ​endangered animals and now has expanded to become a research facility into ​orangutan biology and behavior, providing vital information to safeguard the ​orangutans’ precarious future. Semenggoh also provides a successful breeding ​environment for orangutans unable to be rehabilitated into the wild. We’ll have the ​chance to see the sanctuary’s semi-wild orangutans, ranging from heart-meltingly cute ​infants and boisterous adolescents to the powerful male adults, as they enjoy life in a ​secure natural habitat.

From Semenggoh we venture further out of the city to embark on a kayak journey ​along the Sungai Sarawak Kiri River, stopping at scenic locations for swimming, ​sightseeing and a traditional longhouse lunch at a Bidayuh Village. You’ll be amazed at ​the ambiance, pristine beauty and sense of isolation of this river, only an hour from the ​State capital.

DAY 3: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

Pack your bags and get ready for the next leg of your journey as we fly into the heart of ​​Borneo and Malaysia’s iconic World Heritage Area, Mulu National Park.

With no road into this area you can expect a pristine wilderness full of all the weird and ​​wonderful things that awarded it UNESCO’s world heritage status in all four criteria.

Find yourself captivated by enchanting underworlds – enormous caves home to great ​​flocks of bats that cloak the sky in darkness as they swirl through the heavens. Wander ​​through misty rainforest viewing claws of jagged rock and jungle-cloaked mountain ​​peaks through breaks in the jungle canopy.

Admire the riot of wildlife – from the tiny pigmy squirrel, to some of the largest insects on ​​Earth. See exquisite orchids emerge from the dense leaf litter cloaking the jungle floor. ​​Fall under the spell of this pulsing, breathing, living utopia.

​Check in to your room and regroup before our afternoon/evening tour to Deer Cave ​​and the bat exodus. Take an easy 2.7 km trail to Lang and Deer Caves. As you saunter ​​through the rainforest and by jungle streams your guide will regal you with captivating ​​stories of the plants and wildlife you encounter, and the traditional roles and customs ​​for people who live in the jungle.

We time our walk to witness the phenomenon of watching millions of bats streaming ​​from the cave entrance – a stand-out scene in David Attenborough’s Planet Earth ​​series. Watching the bats swirl through the sky in meandering rivers of black is a truly ​​heart-stopping experience.

DAY 4: Long Iman and Ba Desia WATERFALL/ night WaLK

Optional canopy skywalk (extra charge)

Travelling by long boat through the snaking rivers of Borneo is something that will stay ​with you forever. It's an opportunity to get out from under the rain forest canopy and ​look back at the breathtaking beauty of Mount Mulu and the enormity of the mountain ​ranges. The trip takes us down the Melinau River and then up the much larger Tutoh ​River. You will disembark at the Penan settlement of Long Iman where you can wander ​through the longhouse and purchase local handicrafts direct from the community. ​From there we proceed along jungle tracks to the seldom visited waterfall of Ba Desai'. ​Your Long Iman guide will show you the way on the 40 minute walk from the longhouse ​to the waterfall. The spa pools offer refreshing tranquillity in the rainforest where we’ll ​enjoy a picnic lunch before returning to the park HQ.

In the afternoon enjoy local trails at your leisure and regroup for the evening night ​walk.

This two-hour guided tour by torchlight will give you an insight into nocturnal jungle life.

​Immerse yourself in the sounds of the rainforest, interpret the cacophony of jungle ​noises, watch the courtship dance of the firefly, search for luminescent fungi and ​scorpion and perhaps spot an elusive marsupial or two.

DAY 5: BEGIN THE HEADHUNTERS TRAIL, VISIT LOCAL LONGHOUSE HANDICRAFT MARKET, CLEARWATER CAVE

Pack for a two-day journey and say good-bye to your heavy backpack until you are ​reunited with them in Limbang. (TBC)

​Today we begin the legendary Headhunters Trail.

As we travel by longboat upriver and venture out from under the forest canopy you’ll ​start to see the breathtaking beauty from a different perspective. Any boat ride on ​these rivers is like a meditation in nature and this one is no exception.

Stop at Batu Bungan (home to the Indigenous Penan tribe of Borneo) and test your skills ​with a blowpipe, pick up some local crafts direct from the women who collect and ​weave the products or try your hand (or should we say nose!), with a Penan nose flute.

Along the way there is time to relax and swim in the cool waters that gave Clearwater ​Cave its name and enjoy a picnic lunch before we venture further up river to ​commence our trek on The Headhunters Trail. Averaging less than 200 visitors per year, ​the Headhunters Trail weaves through a pristine wilderness teeming with animals such ​as the samba deer, Borneo’s argus pheasant, a variety of monkeys and bird life ​including the rhinoceros hornbill. From Kuala Litut we continue on foot to Camp 5. ​Camp 5 is nestled at the base of the Pinnacles and alongside the dazzlingly clear ​waters of the Melinau River. Cool off with a dip under a nearby waterfall or chill out ​riverside while you guides prepare dinner.

Tonight we’ll sleep on mats in rooms allocated to 10 people per room

DAY 6: CAMP 5 TO LIMBANG

We start the day early with a twelve-kilometre trek enroute to Mentawai Rangers ​Station. You’ll watch the vegetation change as we emerge from the darkness of the ​jungle and enter the heath-like kerangas forest where our longboats await.

Relax in the longboat and watch the forest skyline for sightings of hornbills and ​monkeys, or scan the riverbank for sun-baking water monitors.

We’ll spend the evening in the sleepy town of Limbang.

DAY 7: LIMBANG TO KUCHING

The next morning we fly back to Kuching for our last night together.

We hope that your final days trekking and travelling through the rain forests of Borneo ​provide the perfect opportunity to reflect on your journey and to solidify the friendships ​of the like-minded travellers drawn to trekking and travelling with Borneo Explorer Tours. ​Together we will have enjoyed travel experiences that enrich mind, body and soul, ​both for travellers and those whose paths we cross.

Kuching has earned World Heritage status for its outstanding gastronomic flavours - ​now doesn’t that sound like the perfect setting for our farewell dinner to celebrate our ​travels together!

PACKAGE INCLUDES

• Knowledgable local guides
• All accommodation whilst on tour
• All transfers whilst on tour
• Internal flights - flights Kuching to Mulu and Limbang back to Kuching
• 4 x lunches
• All breakfasts
• Welcome and farewell dinner in Kuching
• Evening meal whilst trekking
• All planning, logistical, administrative and on-ground support
• Photos taken throughout the tour that will be transferred via Dropbox with a link
  

GEAR LIST

• Passport
• Travel Insurance
• Solid, reliable walking boots (well worn-in and very comfortable, waterproof a big advantage for ​quick drying)
• Alternative walking shoes, also well worn-in, in case of rubbing. For example, runners or ​comfortable sandals
  
• Light breathable socks
• Gators, if you choose
  
• Walking poles (if you feel your knees need them!)
  
• Lightweight clothing for walking–long pants and long-sleeved shirt recommended for sun ​protection - quick drying material is recommended as the conditions can be quite humid
  
• Sunhat
  
• Light weight sweater -mostly for airplanes and sometimes at Camp 5
  
• Rain poncho
  
• Swim gear
  
• Small towel (microfiber)
  
• Personal toiletries
  
• Water bottles / bladder (we suggest carrying 3L/day)
  
• Blister protection (recommend at least one pack of Compeed per person)
  
• Medications (include sunscreen, insect repellent, analgesics and any personal medication) Please ​advise CCET staff of the location of any medication you may require urgently
  
• Daypack: comfortable daypack to carry your water, lunch pack and personal items while walking ​(camera, swim gear, sunscreen etc). Prior to the tour, try to take at least a few walks wearing this ​pack to prepare your body.
  
• Headlamp or torch
• Electrolytes
• Mosquito/leech repellent
• Malay Ringgit: There are no ATM’s in Mulu so you’ll need cash for food, drinks and anything you ​purchase at longhouses
  

ACCOMMODATION

We've chosen accommodation in excellent locations that represent the very best value ​for money and service for our group.

In Kuching , Mulu World Heritage Area and Limbang you will enjoy 3-4 star ​accommodation.

When trekking, accommodation is limited with shared rooms and amenities at trail huts.

Please note that a single supplement applies for solo travellers.

If you are happy to share with other solo travels, please let us know and were possible, ​we'll match you up. If we can successfully find another solo traveller that is happy to ​share we'll gladly waive your single supplement!

Your single supplement will ensure you have a private room in Kuching, Mulu World ​Heritage Area and Limbang.

For those bookings with friends and/or significant others please specify your preferred ​room configuration and we'll do our best to accommodate your request.

BORNEO CUISINE

Borneo’s cuisine is a fusion of flavours influenced by the varying geography, the indigenous ​cultures, immigrants, and centuries of passing traders.

The State of Sarawak is famous for its multi-ethnic population, and as the homeland of ​many unique communities it has a variety of cuisines rarely found elsewhere.

Well-known herbs and flavouring like turmeric, lemongrass, ginger, garlic and lime are ​widely used, and you will also have the good fortune to taste more unusual spices and ​food – ginger flower, fresh forest fungi, bamboo root, tapioca leaves, and the crisp fresh ​taste of wild jungle fern.

During your travel with Borneo Explorer Tours we will endeavour to showcase these unique ​flavours and the local cooking techniques, such as Ayam Pansoh (Chicken cooked in ​bamboo over hot coals). Whether we are dining in a restaurant or enjoying a family ​favourite cooked by our local guides as we trek the Headhunters Trail, food is plentiful, ​varied and delicious throughout our travels.

If you are a bit of a 'foodie' and you'd like to follow in the footsteps of celebrity chef, ​Anthony Bourdain, just ask! We'll gladly show you his favourite back street hawkers stalls ​and a whole bunch more of our favourites!!

TRAIL SNACKS

If you usually travel with high quality protein bars or hydrations salts, then stock up before ​you leave home.

Trail snacks can be purchased from supermarkets in the larger cities, but little is available in ​Mulu due to its remoteness.

CAN WE CATER TO YOUR DIETARY REQUIREMENTS?

Sure can. Please let us know at the time of booking.