Caroline Taylor review 14 Feb 2013
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing the orangutans, proboscis monkeys and all other wildlife in their own environment. On the boat going up river in the evening. Fantastic. There are so many exciting and memorable memories of the holiday.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Beware the leeches ha ha
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes I do think so. I believe they are trying to balance the wildlife with the palm oil companies. I was really concerned over what I had seen in the television before I went to Borneo but feel much better after seeing and hearing what is being done to conserve the wildlife.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was a fantastic holiday and done so much and met so many lovely people. My sister and I were totally overwhelmed with the holiday. We felt like royalty while we were there.
Madeleine Herkes review 15 Apr 2013
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Lots of it but especially seeing the orangutans in the wild and spending time on site with the Iban people
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
They were well detailed .
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I believe so
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent
Anna Dockeray review 22 Nov 2012
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
That's quite a hard question to answer as we thoroughly enjoyed the entire adventure from start to finish! Most memorable and exciting has to be seeing the incredible and varied wildlife, Danum Valley really stands out, the rainforest is stunningly beautiful, pristine primary rainforest which is teaming with life. Our guide was fantastic and really informative and personable we spotted 5 orangutan and a number with tiny babies. The night drive was surprisingly a great way to spot some of the smaller animals, tarantula, slow loris but my favourite, seeing a bush baby, with those huge eyes looking back at us while clinging on to some tall grass. We really had an incredible time here, the jungle was fantastic and then when your legs are tired and you are in need of a good feed and a little relaxing the lodge takes care of you with the best food and wonderfully attentive staff.
When we were at kinabatangan river we spent the first evening before sunset searching the river banks for proboscis monkeys among over things and we were treated to a fantastic stand off of the males on one side of the river leaping 10-15m from tree to tree and then males on the opposite side then responding, the noise, the energy was impressive, whilst we all sat in our boat being highly entertained. On route to Abai the following morning, George from the local operator with his keen sense of smell made the driver of our boat cross 80m to the opposite river bank as he felt he could smell elephants! We in the boat found this amusing but were not certain as to whether we would actually see any of the pygmy elephants, well George started barking and we all thought him mad. Yet his madness paid off and sure enough we soon heard roaring, more like a tiger roar than anything else, we weren't sure what to expect but slowly and surely we saw the elephants emerge from the greenery. We felt very lucky to have seen them and we spotted them three times in all at our stay in Abai. The following day we watched the large male swim across the river to his family waiting patiently on the opposite bank, two young males were rough housing playfully in the water by the bank, the females watching on and the baby staying close to mum, what a site, just magical.
There is so much more than all this but am trying to keep it brief! Finally beautiful lankayan island, we stayed on the dive package, and were glad we did, we could dive three times a day and I think we almost did! The guys at the dive centre we're really informative and just lovely, really nice and good fun. We had some great dives, we were there from the 10th - 15th Oct and the visibility differed most days from good to 5m, having said that we saw a lot and what can beat seeing a turtle feeding and swimming off into the distance. I also swam with a turtle while snorkelling, both is great here. The hatchery released almost 700 hatchlings in the time we were at lankayan, we saw a turtle nesting at night and really felt that lankayan was playing an important role in giving the turtles a good start on their long road to survival. Lankayan was a lovely place to relax and chill out 5 days was a good amount of time, we were very sad to leave and would have loved another few days.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
I have to say that Stef from the tour operator really was an incredible help with booking and planning our itinerary, any queries or questions, of which I had many Stef answered straight away and really helped us to organise the best trip for us. We wanted to relax a little at the beginning as it was our honeymoon and yet we didn't want to be in a large resort, we wanted it to be small and intimate yet with things to do and see. We stayed at Gayana Eco Resort for the first 3 nights, then the Borneo Rainforest Lodge in Danum Valley for 2 nights, Kinabatangan River lodge for one night, then Abai Jungle Lodge for 1 night, then Sepilok Nature Reserve for 1 night and finally on to Lankayan Dive Island Resort for 5 nights including the dive package. I think we chose the right combination as we got to relax and swim and take it easy at the beginning and at the end while trekking etc for the middle part. I was a little unsure as to spending 3 nights at 3 different places but it worked out perfectly. We had a holiday filled with adventure, and so many different types of wildlife, whilst staying in varied accommodation which suited the locations and our requirements. Stef and her team were imperative for this type of holiday and varied itinerary, we were truly impressed!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, to all, the MERC centre at Gayana was a conservation centre for the varied clams in the area and coral, we enjoyed planting coral with them at the centre. They have a great set up, they educate the schools to the importance of conservation so they benefit the locals and the tourists too. The tree planting at Abai was fun and we met with the locals at the village, this also helped support the local community. The conservation work with the turtle releases at Lankayan is impressive, the team working there are passionate and dedicated, it is part of the large marine protected area. We regularly saw the area being patrolled by the army. The waste water at lankayan was treated on the tiny island by an impressive system helping to reduce their environmental impact. Only one issue we had was at Gayana Eco Resort, was that there was a smell of sewage around the bathrooms by the pool which was beside the breakfast area. Not great for an eco resort but having said that we did not enquire when we were there and don’t have the full story.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We both gave the holiday a massive thumbs up, best holiday ever, trip of a lifetime kinda holiday! - we were delighted with it. I was unsure if the two weeks would be long enough as the itinerary was full on, however we really got so much out of the trip, it felt like we were away for three weeks with the amount that we got to do and see and yet it wasn't too rushed and we weren't over tired. We would have happily stayed longer. It was just brilliant. Again many thanks to Stef and her team and to all the staff we met along the way.
Joanne Cash review 5 Oct 2012
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing the orangutans, going to lankayan island and living in pure paradise as well as seeing turtles and seeing elephants in Tabin.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Stay longer in lankayan island that in ther Shangri-la.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, the people were lovely and enjoyed working in tourism, it is a good source of income for them.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent but I am sure we could have done it cheaper.
Read the operator's response here:
Thank you for your feedback regarding your holiday to Borneo, we are delighted that you had such a good time. We work very closely with our local agents in Borneo to offer our clients the best value for money we can. We always strive to maintain the highest levels of service throughout our holidays which in turn allows our trips to run efficiently and smoothly.
Virginia Choy review 7 Aug 2012
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Observing the Proboscis monkeys in the wild.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure you protect yourself from sand fly bites.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, that was one of the main reasons we booked with Responsible Travel. Some of our holiday fees went to coral conversation, local villages and of course protection of the wildlife.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Great it was a fabulous experience. We're lucky to have seen such beautiful animals and landscapes.
John Williams review 25 Apr 2012
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The variety: Diving in Lankayan; the river cruise in Kinabatangan seeing the pigmy elephants; and the wild orang-utans and gibbons in the Danum Valley.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Spend three nights in each location so that you get the maximum out of each. Be prepared for the high humidity. Take an umbrella with you – it’s much easier than a raincoat in the heat.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
It benefited the locals to a small degree - this was confined to the Abai Village on the river. The food was generally sourced locally especially in the River Lodges. With regard environmental impact this was clear in all three locations - esp the turtle hatchery programme in Lankayan.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very enjoyable - we would recommend it highly.
Pamela Francis review 17 Sep 2012
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing A Buffy Fish Owl next to our chalet door and spectacular Fire flies at Abai Jungle lodge. Seeing baby turtles released on the shore at Lankayan Island - unfortunately the Reef sharks appeared in abundance and had them for supper!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Airbus - roomy but not v comfortable seats. Very good with free drinks and bringing juice and water round regularly. Miss out Seligan Island - you can see the same things at Lankayan Island where the accommodation and food are far superior. If you like a tipple or two, beer is the option unless you want to pay £20-£30 a bottle for wine. Gin and tonic only available at the Jessleton and the Shangri-La. Take lots of insect repellent, particularly to Sepilok Nature Resort. Souvenirs - T shirts but not much else. We didn't come home with anything. Go shopping at Kota Kinabalu as you arrive in Borneo - we didn't come across any 'local' shops at all.
Don't bother with leech socks just tuck trousers into long socks and give 'em a good spray. Dinners and drinks at Shangri- la are quite pricey. Lock your holdall/suitcase - we had two things stolen between Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort and Heathrow.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Local people benefitted from their employment as guides, drivers and accommodation staff. The Orang-utan Sanctuary at Sepilok benefitted from our support and 'adoption' of 4 year old Bella.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent organisation - everything ran like clockwork and all the drivers, guides and accommodation staff were delightful in every way. The operator was extremely helpful and gave speedy and very helpful replies to all my pre-holiday queries - nothing was too much trouble.
Helen Garrad review 21 Jun 2011
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
It was all amazing but the Borneo Rainforest Lodge was definitely a highlight for us. We stayed there for 3 nights but could have easily stayed longer. This place was fantastic. The staff were courteous and so helpful, our guide Theo went above and beyond to make our holiday fantastic and, of course, thank you to all the wildlife...just one word... amazing!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure you take high strength mosquito repellent, as we did. A lot of people didn't and were getting bitten. Keep an open mind and try to keep a journal of each day. We did and I'm glad we did too... we did so much, that trying to remember it all has been difficult. I have a reference on my Ipad.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Absolutely! We were delighted at the eco-friendliness of all the places we stayed. This was quite an eco-tourist holiday and has definitely made us rethink the way we will travel in the future.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Fantastic!! Words can't describe how much my husband and I enjoyed ourselves. The last 6 days on Mabul was lovely and the diving was excellent.
Christina Savage review 21 Mar 2011
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Diving with a dozen turtles off the coast of Sipadan and visiting the local villagers of Mabul. And then of course to see wild Orangutans in their natural environment.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
If you have a few weeks don't spend them all in one place. Take the opportunity to see at least two different islands. Diving wise they are all so different.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I genuinely did. Because of the resort the local villagers of Mabul were given the chance to learn other languages and useful trades.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Five stars - nothing less! *****
Mike Adams review 6 Nov 2011
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Meeting David Attenborough, but that wasn’t on the itinerary. I can’t pick one particular moment out the whole trip was an adventure from start to finish.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
We received a comprehensive package of advice from the operator that covered just about everything. This was a fast paced holiday and we did not have any shopping excursions so you need to have everything you will need with you. You also need to understand what you are getting yourself into. This felt more like an adventure or expedition than a holiday; but that's what we wanted.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I would say yes, In particular the Borneo Rain Forrest Lodge and Lankayan Island had gone to some trouble to minimise their impact on the environment and the evidence to support this was clearly visible. I have been professionally involved in Environmental matters and I was impressed by what I saw.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
One of the best that we have ever had, in over 30 years of fairly adventurous travelling. I would give it 5 stars against my own criteria, but "reborn" is a bit excessive for me. It would be good to have the option to have stayed at Kota Kimball at the end of the holiday. We stayed at an excellent resort about 45 minutes up the coast, however our personal preference would have been to explore the town, rather than relax by the pool side.
The only real negative was that the quantity of food at the Kinnebatanga River Lodge, especially the fruit put out for desert, was too little for the number of people staying. You felt that you had to be careful in case another guest went hungry.
Finishing on a high note, it really was an adventure. I would not say reborn, but it was a real mental detox, something that I will remember for the rest of my life.
Fiona Trolley review 28 Sep 2011
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Being so close to wild animals but in a controlled way, under the guidance of our guides or the rangers. The guides were excellent, providing a wealth of information about the animals, their habitats and lifestyles as well as good advice for our wellbeing and that of the animals. We felt privileged to be so close to orang utans, turtles (while laying their eggs), crocodiles, various monkeys and birds etc. The treks through the jungle in daylight and at night were astonishing.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Prepare well. Take the advice of responsible travel operators such as ours. Listen to the guides for guidance as well as information about the animals. Respect the fact that you are a guest in the home of a whole variety of wild animals. Go with an open mind, a sense of adventure and be prepared to be amazed.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, all of our drivers and guides were local people with local knowledge. The guides and rangers are very committed to their localities and made sure that we did respect the animals and their habitats.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was a wonderful opportunity to experience authentic jungle - in our case, that of Malaysian Borneo. The communication with animals went beyond our expectations and all of the local people we met were absolutely delightful.
Anna Clark review 23 Aug 2011
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
We thoroughly enjoyed Borneo Rainforest Lodge. The welcome we received was incredibly warm and we were so well looked after throughout our stay. The guides were also great at sharing their knowledge and experiences with visitors.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Most of the 'resorts' we went to provided transport (included in the package) to and from them because they were often quite remote. Don't worry about leeches - we were really worried before we went (several frightening forums on the internet) but needn't have been. We didn't get any leech bites but we were wearing leech socks!
We loved Lankayan Island!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Our holiday was very much focused on the protection of the environment and helping us to appreciate the nature we have all around us. Unfortunately, I think that the transportation arrangements for our trip would have had a significant, negative impact on the environment. We flew to cover distances in a short period of time, went on several long drives and boat rides (often with only two people in a large vehicle). In all honesty, I'm not sure what the solution is but this is my reflection.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent. We loved all of it.
Linda Mundy review 14 Apr 2011
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing our first wild orangutan - absolutely amazing. Could have sat and watched all day.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
When the travel tip says "wear comfortable walking shoes" ignore that advice and take the hard core hiking boots - ye gads - the mud!!!!!!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes and no. Definitely helped the local people - so many people wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for the tourists. Especially in Borneo we westerners need to keep paying the locals so that they value their environmental resource rather than pulling down the rain forest for palm oil plantations. Although we loved the fact that we were picked up and dropped off like real ladies of leisure I did notice at our last port of call that several small groups (couples) ended up in the same resort (Rasa Ria) from the airport. I would certainly be willing to pay the same money for the service but to somehow car pool (which I realise may be difficult) - so that the environment is having 4 mini vans all going to the same place virtually empty. Would need a high level of cooperation between tour companies so may be impossible. We also had a couple of early starts where the hotel packed our breakfast for us - which was unbelievably lovely of them but the packaging used was outrageous! So much polystyrene. Not sure what you could do about that as that is a whole of population issue.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Fabulous, absolutely fabulous (apart from the rain but I even enjoyed that!). The balance between wildlife and relaxation was perfect.
Kelly Kurth review 5 Apr 2011
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Our entire trip to Borneo, Malaysia was wonderful. The many sightings of wildlife such as Pygmy elephants, and the variety of birds were very special.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for clothes not drying out when it rains. Try to take the best fabrics for quick drying when you do not have the sun to help you out. Also pack thick socks and perhaps gators for leech protection if you are traveling in areas with leeches. We were not prepared for how quickly you pick up leeches when hiking.
Be prepared to advocate for the local people at your lodging to not smoke near the eating areas or at lease smoke downwind from the tourists who do not smoke. There is not enough awareness that families do not want smoke near children or right by where people eat. So if you are a nonsmoker be prepared to smell smoke often through the trip in Malaysia.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
We hope our trip helped the local people protect the local wildlife. Our guides were very involved in habitat protection but we have no idea if all the people working around the local lodges are doing their part when not at work. The amount of men smoking all the time also made us wonder how much our tip money was just going to be used later for smoking. There does not seem to be enough education about how smoking bothers tourist who do not smoke.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Overall all our expectations were met on this vacation. We learned a lot of new information from our guides about the local wildlife. I would encourage others to travel to the areas our family visited.
Denise Rivers review 3 Mar 2011
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
All of it was fantastic, it would be hard to choose the most memorable bit but probably the rainforest was the most exciting part, trekking through the jungle in search of orang utans and then actually finding some was amazing. The rainforest lodge was beautiful and the staff were lovely, food was fantastic. They thought of everything right down to meeting you after a trek with either a towel (if it was raining) or a cold flannel (if it was hot).
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Tuck your top in in the jungle! (we didn’t on the first trek and got 'leeched' yuk! also invest in the leech socks-well worth the few pounds! Take a decent camera to capture those memories. Apart from that you don’t have to think about anything-its so well organized!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, the locals were also very aware of there surroundings and very passionate about the animals and conserving the rainforest. It was a good feeling planting a tree-which if we ever went back we can actually locate through the registration system.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It wasn’t a holiday it was an adventure. Amazing!! And well worth every penny.
Rebecca Costen review 16 Oct 2010
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Our trip to Borneo was so varied that it is impossible to have just one memorable moment. The highlights for us were the Danum Valley, the tours were comprehensive and varied and the accommodation, food and service were excellent. A proper jungle experience without having to rough it – perfect! Our visit to Lankayan was also fantastic, the island was beautiful, peaceful and unspoilt. The snorkelling was amazing too. The accommodation and services were excellent - they have got it just right. Seeing the orang-utans in the wild during our river tour was also a wonderful experience.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
It was the perfect balance for adventure and relaxation. We managed to do a lot of activities but at a nice easy pace. Sepilok is a great place to see the orang-utans but be prepared for the crowds because it is very touristy. The river cruise was good, however, a lot of time is spent hanging around not doing very much "cruising" which can be a little frustrating, particularly as there are not many places to go off and explore by yourself by foot. If you have the time and energy try and take in Mount Kinabalu, I now wish we had done the climb.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I would like to think so but probably not very much.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Definitely fours stars. We had a fantastic time, we would love to go back some day.
