Trekking and cycling tour in Borneo
| country: | Borneo |
| trip type: | Adventurous cycling holidays Strenuous walking holidays |
| departures: | 2008: 7 Dec 2009: 4 Apr, 22 Nov |
| price: | From US $1350 (10 days) excluding flights. Price includes accommodation, support vehicle, local guides, tour leader (only for groups of 6+), domestic flight, most meals, entry fees |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Borneo is an adventurer's dream. From the heights of Mt Kinabalu, South East Asia's highest mountain to the amazing underwater wildlife off the beautiful coast there truly is something for every adventurer in this amazing destination - including our great new tour to the Malaysian state of Sabah.
Have a taste of what's included: mountain bike through the jungles of the remote south; trek to 4100m, the spectacular peak of Mt Kinabalu; and visit the famous Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre to view these amazing animals up close.
Trip notes: The trek to the summit of Mt Kinabalu is a serious walk but achievable by anyone of reasonable fitness. The track is well maintained and porters are available to carry your bag if you desire.
Have a taste of what's included: mountain bike through the jungles of the remote south; trek to 4100m, the spectacular peak of Mt Kinabalu; and visit the famous Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre to view these amazing animals up close.
Trip notes: The trek to the summit of Mt Kinabalu is a serious walk but achievable by anyone of reasonable fitness. The track is well maintained and porters are available to carry your bag if you desire.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Kota Kinabalu. We start the trip arriving in Kota Kinabalu, the sleepy capital of Sabah. |
| Day 2-4: | Mt Kinabalu. After transferring out of Kota Kinabalu we hit the bikes for our first ride uphill to our overnight cabins with fantastic views of the mountain. On day 3 the ascent begins, climbing up through a changing landscape to Laban Rata (3200m). Early morning on day 4 we make the final push to the summit (4101m) to enjoy one of the most amazing sunrises possible. After descending from the mountain we travel to Poring Hot Springs where you can soak your mountain climbing legs. |
| Day 5-6: | Sepilok. It's back on the bikes for a day cycling through forests, farmland and villages on our way to a riverside lodge to view the local wildlife from the lodge. The following day we move on to the famous Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. Get up close with these amazing creatures and learn about the effects to reintroduce injured and orphaned Orang Utans back into the wild. |
| Day 7-8: | Danum Valley. The Danum Valley Field Centre is located deep in the untouched jungles of south Sabah. Spend three days exploring the jungle by bike and foot, wildlife spotting, and swimming in the rivers and water holes. |
| Day 9-10: | Kota Kinabalu. On the afternoon of day 9 fly back to Kota Kinabalu for your final night dinner. |
how this holiday makes a difference
|
On this tour, apart from your tour leader, all the crew including drivers, guides and crew are locals from the region. During the trek up Mt Kinabalu we encourage you to stick to the trails and carry out or dispose of correctly any waste products that generated from the trek. We employ a local mountain guide which generates employment for the local Dunsun people who reside on the foothills of the mountain. Our entrance fees to the park are used to continue conservation work within the national park.
In Seplilok we sponsor the Seplilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre with a direct sponsorship of the program. Our guests are encouraged to support the program. Something that is apparent when visiting Borneo is the enormous amount of forest clearing that is going on in order to plant palm oil plantations. One of the aims of our tour is to educate our clients on this destruction that is going on for the palm oil and biofuel industries. The accommodation we use in Borneo is all locally owned and operated, employing local staff and services. In the small towns and villages the accommodation is simple and often the only place to stay in town. Our visits inject a lot of business into these small towns that create employment for locals. In Danum Valley we stay at the Danum Valley Field Centre just outside the conservation zone. The Field Centre is the base for scientists who research biodiversity. By staying at the Field Centre accommodation we support the financing of these projects. Our group size is kept to a maximum of 14 clients. This is both a reflection of the limits in the accommodation of the smaller towns that we stop in and our desire to not be too over powering in our impact on a destination. We only run this tour a few times a year and have no desire to be bringing weekly groups through these regions. Our small office is, apart from accounting requirements, paperless. We deal with customers electronically and do not print brochures to distribute. By remaining only as an online presence we reduce the wastage associated with producing annual brochures. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |