Yvonne Jones review 1 Sep 2011
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing animals in their natural environment and seeing an orangutan in the wild so close for the first time.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Don't hesitate GO.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Staying at the longhouse was a real life experience and we tried to buy locally made goods guided by our local guide. Most of the places we stayed were eco lodges so we felt that hopefully helped. The more we got to know our guide the more we realised that tourism was important to keep some older customs going by supporting them.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
EXCELLENT.
Jennifer Hares review 28 Jul 2011
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
It was all amazing but the highlight was staying at Rain Forest lodge in the Danum valley... it was a magical place in a superb location. Be prepared to be walking in extremely hot & humid environments, it is quite challenging at times but well worth it.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Leech sock are mandatory. Don't take nice shoes for the evening because everywhere has a no-shoes rule... save the weight in your suitcase and take flip flops instead!!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
The holiday benefited people in the fact that the hotels and guides had a job because of tourism. The Rain Forest lodge has a re-planting program and also has developed eco-ways of working to minimise their impact on the environment... very impressive.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Splendid adventure.
Louise Romanis review 18 Sep 2010
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I cannot isolate just one memorable or exciting part of the holiday - every day my husband and I experienced something amazing! From seeing a plethora of wildlife in the Danum Valley rainforest including various monkeys, insects and birds, to being on a boat on the Kinabatangan River with an elephant bathing next to us, to being 2 feet away from an orangutan and her 2-3 week old baby at Sepilok, to watching a turtle lay her eggs on Lankayan Island and some newly hatched baby turtles make their dash for the Sulu Sea! We will never forget any of it.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Pack the right items. We followed the suggested packing list from the tour operator which was pretty spot on. For example, leech socks are a must for the forest treks. If you are a keen photographer like my husband and me, take the best camera and lens(es) you can afford - you won't regret carrying it around as you never know what is around the corner. Most importantly though, go with the right attitude of taking every opportunity and experiencing everything you can. Getting up at 5am may not be everyone's ideal on holiday but you won't be disappointed with the wildlife and views you will be rewarded with.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
We learned that each lodge/resort is required to employ at least 30% of their staff from the local community which is great. This means not only that there are employment opportunities but that the local people become educated in conservation and environmental issues through these opportunities. Water conservation is very important as you would expect. In most of the places we stayed there was a place to refill water bottles rather than buying more plastic bottles. Borneo Rainforest Lodge was particularly good as they distil water rather than bringing in water from outside and use solar power to heat water (option to use water heater on cloudy days).
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent! It was organised really well and our guide, Chris, was wonderful.
