Cycling holiday in Borneo
| country: | Malaysia, Borneo |
| location: | Sabah & Sarawak |
| trip type: | Moderate to adventurous cycling holidays |
| departures: | 2009: 6 Dec 2010: 14 Feb, 4 Apr, 4 Jul, 26 Sep, 5 Dec |
| price: | From US $1850 (11 days) excluding flights. Price includes 1 domestic flight. Single supplement US $350. Bike hire $150. Private tours can also be scheduled on request for a min group of 4 people |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Dense jungles, wild animals and exotic flora will be your introduction to Borneo on this cycling holiday. Rivers, mountains, and beaches are to follow as we bike on dirt and tarmac roads across the north of Borneo. The wildlife of Danum Valley will be just outside your door, where the bird life is also teeming, with more than 250 species recorded. We spend an afternoon sighting Proboscis monkeys, found only in Borneo, as we boat through the mangroves of the Kinabatagan River and then visit orang utans learning how to return to the jungle at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre.
We switch tracks and find ourselves in the footsteps of allied POWs who were forced to walk in a series of marches from January to June 1945 from their camp in Sandakan to the small settlement of Ranau. Of the 2,400 prisoners, six Australians survived. Our journey will bear little semblance to what the prisoners went through as we ride through small hamlets old logging roads through palm plantations.
As we approach majestic Mount Kinabalu, the terrain becomes hillier and a bit more challenging as we ride through orchards, pine forests and a tea plantation. From our position up high with spectacular views of Mount Kinabalu we descend to the stunning coastline and are rewarded for all our efforts with a night at the luxurious Tanjung Aru Rasa Ria Spa Resort.
This is a great ride for novices and experts alike. The beginning of this ride is relatively flat and the riding gets hillier towards the end of our adventure. Although distances are not huge, the heat and humidity of Equatorial Sabah ensure things feel hot. This is a true journey through the finest terrain and scenery of North Borneo, with the best nature and wildlife thrown in along the way, ensuring you get the very best of everything from your cycling efforts. This trip has it all, unique flora and fauna, spectacular mountain scenery, a beautiful beach and of course great cycling!
We switch tracks and find ourselves in the footsteps of allied POWs who were forced to walk in a series of marches from January to June 1945 from their camp in Sandakan to the small settlement of Ranau. Of the 2,400 prisoners, six Australians survived. Our journey will bear little semblance to what the prisoners went through as we ride through small hamlets old logging roads through palm plantations.
As we approach majestic Mount Kinabalu, the terrain becomes hillier and a bit more challenging as we ride through orchards, pine forests and a tea plantation. From our position up high with spectacular views of Mount Kinabalu we descend to the stunning coastline and are rewarded for all our efforts with a night at the luxurious Tanjung Aru Rasa Ria Spa Resort.
This is a great ride for novices and experts alike. The beginning of this ride is relatively flat and the riding gets hillier towards the end of our adventure. Although distances are not huge, the heat and humidity of Equatorial Sabah ensure things feel hot. This is a true journey through the finest terrain and scenery of North Borneo, with the best nature and wildlife thrown in along the way, ensuring you get the very best of everything from your cycling efforts. This trip has it all, unique flora and fauna, spectacular mountain scenery, a beautiful beach and of course great cycling!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Kota Kinabalu and rest of day free. |
| Day 2: | Danum Valley. Fly from Kota Kinabalu to Lahad Datu. Transfer (30 min) to Silam. Ride to Danum Valley Conservation Area. |
| Day 3: | Ride to Batu Putih for an afternoon boat ride on river to spot proboscis monkeys. |
| Day 4: | Gomantong Caves. Ride to ancient grave site and then ride to Gomantong Caves where swiftlets build their valuable nests. |
| Day 5: | Orang Utan's. Visit Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. Ride to Beluran |
| Day 6: | Sandakan death march trail. Cycle along the infamous Sandakan death march trail. |
| Day 7: | Sabah Tea Garden. Hilly ride along Sandakan Death March track. After lunch transfer to Sabah Tea Garden and visit tea plantation on bikes. |
| Day 8: | Ride to Ranau at the base of Mt. Kinabalu and visit the POW camp. |
| Day 9: | Ride through pine forests to Kundasang. Overnight at a lodge with spectacular views of Mt. Kinabalu. |
| Day 10: | Tuaran. Descend on the road from Mount Kinabalu Park to Tuaran. Overnight at luxurious Tanjung Aru Rasa Ria Spa Resort on the beach. |
| Day 11: | Depart. Transfer to airport for onward flight. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
As flora and fauna are prime components of this tour we help support conservation efforts by staying at the Danum Valley Conservation Center and visiting the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. At Danum Valley the Royal Society's South East Asia Rainforest Research Programme (SEARRP) enables science to be done at Danum Valley by providing the necessary staff, facilities, infrastructure and management. Not only is there pure and applied research on the rainforests of Southeast Asia underway, but the conservation and sustainable use of rainforests is also studied. The Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre was set up in 1964 to rehabilitate orphaned baby orang utan. While orang utan rehabilitation is still the primary goal at Sepilok, it also focuses on public education on conservation, research and assistance on other endangered species such as the rhinoceros. Tourists and researchers alike come to the center to watch the orang utan up close in their natural habitat. A boardwalk leads you to a viewing gallery and feeding platform where the apes are fed milk and bananas twice a day at 10.00am and 3.00pm by rangers. Our tours are never more than 12 people to minimize any social and environmental impact. The itinerary for this trip, and all subsequent information, is sent electronically in the form of pdf files, reducing the need for printing in most cases. Adopting a “carry in – carry out” policy, we actively engage in environmentally responsible practices to minimize tourist impact upon the local habitat. From biodegradable soaps to re-usable water containers, we provide clients with the best information and means to help them identify and implement effective ways to positively protect local nature and communities. It is a vital ethos that can be passed on and abided by all, long after the trip has ended. Community: For this cycling tour in Borneo we have selected to stay some nights at community and private home stays, directly helping local people. All our meals will be at local restaurants to experience the variety of regional food in Borneo as well as contributing to the local economy. We visit local development and community projects specific to the region, encouraging our clients to donate and/or assist such projects in appropriate and sustainable manners. We use full local Sabahan ground staff and resources on all trips to ensure that the local community benefits not only short term but with increased employment opportunities for the future. We use community and private home stays in places, directly helping local people who own and run them. |
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. |