Holiday Reviews
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same trip can have different views!
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The best of Borneo holiday, independent reviews
 Reviewed 12 Sep 2009 by Robert Halliday |  |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
There is so much to choose from - was it the luxury of Gayana Eco Resort, Kota Kinabalu, was it Wildlife Mountain Lodge, Mt Kinabalu National Park, perfect for mountain walks, was it Kinabatangan River Lodge with the most wildlife, was it Sepilok Nature Resort perfect location to see the famous Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, was it Selingan Island to watch the wonders of the turtles laying their eggs and releasing new born hatchlings to the ocean, or was it Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort to unwind after a action packed trip, I just can not decide. Overall the whole trip was fantastic, from organization, information from guides to the food and accommodation.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Bring a good camera as you will want to savour and share this trip with everyone.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, we found that the local people benefited from our time there - from the purchase of the fantastically locally grown food fruit and vegetables to the use of local staff as guides helped filter the money down through the local community.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
This holiday was one of the best trips we have been on, it was the perfect balance of relaxation, wildlife, culture, and sense of adventure. We would definitely recommend this trip to anyone looking to get something more from their holiday than just sitting on beach or tour bus. Thanks.
| Reviewed 28 Oct 2008 by Samantha Ellix | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
We stayed overnight on Seligan Island and saw a turtle lay her eggs. Earlier that day we saw the baby turtles that had just hatched and we watched them being released into the sea. Sepilok Orangutan sanctuary was good fun and it was the only chance we got to see them as it is very difficult to see them in the wild. We did a couple of river cruises and saw probiscus monkeys and long tailed macaques.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure you do not go in the monsoon season. Try to combine your trip with a stop over somewhere, we stayed in Hong Kong for 2 nights which was great fun. If you are doing the wildlife expedition remember to take walking boots, warm clothes for the evening, torch, anorak etc. If you plan to do a night time jungle walk then get some leech socks too.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes definitely. We visited lots of local markets where we had the chance to buy things. We travelled mainly by mini bus but we did have to fly back to Kota Kinabalu from Sepilko otherwise it would have taken all day by road - not very environmentally friendly but quicker.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Brilliant. I got to see the real Borneo rather than just a 5 star holiday resort.
| Reviewed 4 Sep 2008 by Kimberley Dines | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
It would either have to be the river cruises along the Kinabantang Rivers by our lodge or seeing the orang-utans at the Rasa Ria nature reserve. On the river cruises we saw Probiscis monkeys and got extremely close to families of long-tailed macaques (including 2week old babies). It was so exciting to spot them in the trees and watch them playing along the river banks. At the Rasa Ria there is a small group of orang-utans being rehabilitated who aren't bothered about people being there and just swing around the platform you're standing on! You can get very close and if you're lucky they will come over and touch you.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Come prepared! You will need rain ponchos and leech socks! You will also need plenty of insect repellent. Don't expect to see everything. We didn't see Orang-utans or pygmy elephants in the wild and it is very rare to do so. I think travellers should be informed that the chances of them seeing these sorts of animals is very low. (However you are guaranteed to see turtles, macaques and probiscis monkeys... as well as loads of birds, pygmy squirrels, insects and reptiles like lizards, snakes and crocs!) If you're very high-maintenance, this holiday won't be for you. You will have to get muddy and see bugs... Tip your guides well - they deserve it!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I feel that the tourism in Borneo is benefitting them a great deal. It has created lots of jobs. The people were happy for us to be there and didn't mind us asking them questions or taking pictures. As for the impact on the environment I'm quite sure it was minimal. Any travelling we did by bus or boat was in groups and was necessary.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was a holiday of a lifetime! We got to see such a lot in such a short space of time but it was organised so well it was just the right amount of time. Everything went so smoothly, the guides were fantastic, the itinerary allowed us to relax, see authentic Malaysian life and explore the nature there.
| Reviewed 14 Jul 2008 by Helena Kent | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Climbing Mount Kinabalu and seeing a turtle lay its eggs at 1 in the morning. Also seeing our first wild Orangutan making its nest for the night!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Book with this company - we priced it vs doing all the organisation ourselves (flights, hotels, guides, transfers) and it was very competitive. We didn't have to wait at any point for numerous transfers and the guides were very knowledgeable, spoke great English and very helpful
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Certainly they were very keen on conservation in Danum Valley, Selingan Turtle Island and Kinabalu national park.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Absolutely amazing. Best mix of beach, adventure, trekking, climbing, nature watching and relaxing. Loved it and would totally recommend it to anyone - mountain climb is not easy though and could be very hard if weather conditions are bad so be warned!
| Reviewed 18 Jun 2009 by Wendy Riggs | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing the baby turtles swimming into the sea.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for the fact that you don’t always see wildlife, as in the jungle it’s very hard to spot, also the bird life is easy to hear but difficult to see. The travelling distances are very long and in the heat it is very tiring.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes. All the tour guides were locals and a lot of the places we stayed were small local places. Even in the large hotels the tourism trade is giving local people much needed work.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent. The tour operators were very efficient and the guides were brilliant. Nothing was too much trouble to them. They went out of their way to make us happy. Thank you to everyone, particularly Edgar and Singy and Rudi.
| Reviewed 14 Jun 2009 by Emma Ware | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Climbing Mt Kinabalu - in a single day, so that we were the only couple on the peak (with our guide) (all others finished the climb the following morning).
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
We were travelling for just over a week and had a varied itinerary (Mt Kinabalu, Turtle Island, Sukau river lodge - with river trip, Sepilok Orang Utan sanctuary). We enjoyed the variety but would have liked longer at Sukau which felt properly off the beaten track. One of our tips would be, if you are v keen to see good wildlife (along the river, and jungle trekking) and to be off the beaten track in this way, then allow perhaps three nights for this part of things. Another tip is that the Shangria La's Rasa Ria Resort in Kota Kinabalu houses the baby orang utans before they move on to Sepilok so it is worth seeing them in both places if you have a particular interest.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes we felt it benefited local people: all tour guides were local, and many visitors to the sites were also local. I would also say that the holiday minimised impact on the environment. Education about conservation issues was excellent, and all the sites we visited had a strong conservation ethos.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent.
| Reviewed 14 Apr 2009 by Adrian De Souza | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing Orangutans in the wild - especially as we saw then just as we were heading back to the lodge at the end of that leg of the trip (the Borneo Rainforest Lodge). The guide, Fred, was amazing and managed to spot them even though they were quite some way away. In fact, he managed to do that with lots of animals! All of the local people working the various lodges, hotels and on the transfers were exceptionally welcoming and polite - they really made the trip for us.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Would have been good to spend a day on turtle island and to have only had one day in Sepilok (rather than 2). The Shangri la resort at the Rasi Ria was nice, but also in the middle of nowhere and it wasn't at all easy to get anywhere from.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, everything appeared to be done with minimal impact on the environment.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was excellent, we had a really good time. A little hectic for a honeymoon, though well worth the effort. Stef's assistance in booking was also first rate - she did a great job for us.
| Reviewed 18 Mar 2009 by Jennifer Milton | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
What wasn't exciting or memorable!!!! The Tubkaak Hotel in Krabi was perfect and the staff were truly amazing but for adventure and memories I can't fault the Elephant Hills camp. With Monkeys, snakes, elephants, bats, rivers, jungle treks and deserted islands this was definitely a highlight and a must for anyone wanting to add a hint of adventure to their trip.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
During our stay at the elephant hills camp we were treated to some traditional Thai dancing by pupils from the local schools who in return benefited from some funding from the camp. The camp also highlighted that the elephants we were going to see were part of a conservation project and were well looked after and not exploited or mistreated as some of the other animals on similar excursions can be.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We picked this for our honeymoon and I'd do it all again in a second. The whole package was perfect and we had the perfect mixture of adventure and relaxation.
| Reviewed 28 Oct 2008 by Helen Chiswell | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Spotting wildlife at the Sukau River lodge trips.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take sun cream & insect repellent.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Lots of travel, but very well coordinated so as to move people in groups where possible, rather than individually.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Incredibly memorable, & shall highly recommend to everyone I know.
| Reviewed 2 Apr 2008 by Anne Mayo | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
We loved all of it! Sailing down the river watching the proboscis monkeys and then finding a crocodile was wonderful.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for anything!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, we felt the locals were involved and were benefiting from the investment in their community. The guides themselves were wonderful and helped us to understand the local problems. The tourists seemed to be able to fit in to the environment rather than disturb it too much.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was a fantastic experience and pushed me to my limits and made me realise I could do things I'd never imagined I could ever do!
| Reviewed 15 Nov 2007 by Tracey Jacob | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing wild orang utans along the kinanbantan river.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Ask for a recommended packing list for suitable clothes and footware.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, on the tour.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very good, but dependent on guide. Our guide could have bee more enthusiastic.
Read the operator's response here:
We usually get excellent feedback with regard to our guides in Borneo. We are sorry this guide was not enthusiastic enough. We are so glad that you had such a great trip. Thank you for sending your comments.| Reviewed 13 Aug 2007 by Aileen Gillies | |
We had the most amazing time and all arrangements went to plan apart from missing our connection to Kotakinabalu going out and having to run to catch the London flight on our return. However, by their own admission only 51% Air Malaysia flights are on time!
The wildlife experience trip was great and we saw lots of proboscis monkeys and even an orang-utan in the wild. The food at the mountain lodge lacked variety and was never hot but all others lodges fared much better. By the end of the tour we felt our stay at the Rasa Ria Hotel was well earned, good food lovely surroundings and the most amazing beach. All in all a great holiday.
The wildlife experience trip was great and we saw lots of proboscis monkeys and even an orang-utan in the wild. The food at the mountain lodge lacked variety and was never hot but all others lodges fared much better. By the end of the tour we felt our stay at the Rasa Ria Hotel was well earned, good food lovely surroundings and the most amazing beach. All in all a great holiday.
| Reviewed 9 Apr 2007 by Samantha Tassera | |
The holiday was amazing! The organisation was superb, accommodation, food, guides and transport was all taken care of. The best part of the holiday was seeing the wildlife, the first time I had seen orang-utans, monkeys and turtles laying their eggs on the beach at night.
There is so much good work going on the island of Borneo to preserve the natural habitat and protect the wildlife. It was great to be part of that by being there. The guides were all local and knew their stuff!
I would thoroughly recommend this holiday to anyone who loves exploring but doesn’t want the hassle of organising it!
There is so much good work going on the island of Borneo to preserve the natural habitat and protect the wildlife. It was great to be part of that by being there. The guides were all local and knew their stuff!
I would thoroughly recommend this holiday to anyone who loves exploring but doesn’t want the hassle of organising it!
| Reviewed 21 Mar 2007 by Brian Franklin | |
We had a great holiday in Borneo. We were very impressed that we had a very knowledgeable guide with us on all our travels. He was able to identify all the birds, animals and bugs that we saw and that was the main aim of this holiday.
The most memorable part was the visit to Danum Valley which is really geared to wildlife viewing and they have their own guides with local knowledge. As our own guide was also with us, we had the benefit of two sets of eyes spotting, no hiding place for the local fauna!!
We felt that we learnt a lot about local people and customs and are sure that our holiday benefited the locals and apart from the flights, our impact on the environment was minimal. In fact, the small charges for cameras when visiting Sepilok and similar places gave us a good feeling about helping the rehabilitation efforts. We rated this holiday very highly. It fulfilled all our requests for a wildlife experience without too much culture thrown in. Thank you for your help in arranging this very enjoyable break.
The most memorable part was the visit to Danum Valley which is really geared to wildlife viewing and they have their own guides with local knowledge. As our own guide was also with us, we had the benefit of two sets of eyes spotting, no hiding place for the local fauna!!
We felt that we learnt a lot about local people and customs and are sure that our holiday benefited the locals and apart from the flights, our impact on the environment was minimal. In fact, the small charges for cameras when visiting Sepilok and similar places gave us a good feeling about helping the rehabilitation efforts. We rated this holiday very highly. It fulfilled all our requests for a wildlife experience without too much culture thrown in. Thank you for your help in arranging this very enjoyable break.
| Reviewed 27 Feb 2007 by David Overton | |
This holiday was a well organised experience for both my wife and myself. From the initial contact with yourselves and the operator everything went smoothly, you requested information on what were the most memorable moments? Everyday was special but the local people especially (we had a 6 day trek with a superb guide called Evelyn, her knowledge, manner and humour was excellent).
From visiting the slopes of the highest mountain in Malaysia to the mangrove swamps the sounds and sights were unforgettable (lots of photos taken)
The Nexus resort was as advertised in the brochures, (luxury, my wife had a 4hr spa treatment on the last day that put the final touches on the holiday). Tips for other travellers go with an open mind and experience all (food especially), extend trip with time in Kuala Lumpur.
From visiting the slopes of the highest mountain in Malaysia to the mangrove swamps the sounds and sights were unforgettable (lots of photos taken)
The Nexus resort was as advertised in the brochures, (luxury, my wife had a 4hr spa treatment on the last day that put the final touches on the holiday). Tips for other travellers go with an open mind and experience all (food especially), extend trip with time in Kuala Lumpur.
| Reviewed 7 Nov 2006 by Maggie Gordon | |
The local operator to whom the holiday was subcontracted, were fantastic. We had a wonderful guide who stayed with our family of 4 the whole time - Gary comes from near Sandakan and was incredibly polite, knowledgeable, helpful and amusing - I can't praise him highly enough. We took in a mixture of smart hotels near Kota Kinabalu, the Jungle Lodge on the Kinabatangan river, and two islands off the coast of Sandakan. I lived in Sabah for 10 years as a child, but don't remember seeing as much wildlife as we did in a few days. Despite me speaking the language, we could not have organised the tour ourselves in the time we had available - two weeks of winter half-term. The aim was to show the children where I grew up and celebrate our Silver Wedding. The holiday surpassed expectation and was a great success. I particularly liked being able to organise the holiday with agents in the UK who had actually visited the different parts of Sabah I was planning to visit.
On the downside - I didn't like the noisy outboard motors on the wildlife river tours - I am told they are being replaced by law next year with electric motors - I am also not sure it is ethical to feed Macaque monkeys custard cream biscuits in the mangrove swamps to get them to stay by the boat! Also, our vehicles were all fitted with seatbelts but it was often hard to retrieve them - the Malays pay little attention to wearing seat belts, but there is a very high mortality rate on the roads in Sabah - as we read in the local papers!
On the downside - I didn't like the noisy outboard motors on the wildlife river tours - I am told they are being replaced by law next year with electric motors - I am also not sure it is ethical to feed Macaque monkeys custard cream biscuits in the mangrove swamps to get them to stay by the boat! Also, our vehicles were all fitted with seatbelts but it was often hard to retrieve them - the Malays pay little attention to wearing seat belts, but there is a very high mortality rate on the roads in Sabah - as we read in the local papers!
| Reviewed 9 May 2006 by Tim Evans | |
This was a really good trip, not cheap, but we had a guide and were not in a large group, in fact on Liberan Island we were the only tourists there apart from one Japanese visitor. The Lodges operated by the operator are not basic, and food was good. We never had to hang about waiting, cars and boats appeared dead on time.
We were assured by all the people that we asked (and we asked a lot), that the eco-tourism was good for the people of the areas we visited, and that wildlife was being given a higher priority as a result. We stayed at the Tanjung Aru Beach resort for a few days after the guided part of the trip, also organised by this operator, and we were a bit concerned that it was a multinational with profits leaving the area, but it had a environmental policy, if a bit limited in scope. The operator staff were efficient and helpful.
There were several highlights to the trip- seeing Orangutans in the wild around Sukai from boat and seeing Hawksbill turtles mating out at sea being but two. I could add seeing green turtles laying eggs on Selengan Island and snorkelling in Sulu Sea, but enough is enough! I would give the trip a **** rating.
We were assured by all the people that we asked (and we asked a lot), that the eco-tourism was good for the people of the areas we visited, and that wildlife was being given a higher priority as a result. We stayed at the Tanjung Aru Beach resort for a few days after the guided part of the trip, also organised by this operator, and we were a bit concerned that it was a multinational with profits leaving the area, but it had a environmental policy, if a bit limited in scope. The operator staff were efficient and helpful.
There were several highlights to the trip- seeing Orangutans in the wild around Sukai from boat and seeing Hawksbill turtles mating out at sea being but two. I could add seeing green turtles laying eggs on Selengan Island and snorkelling in Sulu Sea, but enough is enough! I would give the trip a **** rating.
| Reviewed 23 Oct 2006 by Julie Wade | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The most memorable thing for me was the friendliness of the Malay people, and their willingness to allow tourists to browse without the 'in your face' attitude you find in many developing countries. We purchased far more than we would otherwise have done because of this. I think the most exciting part of the holiday had to be the canopy walkway at Poring Hot Springs.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take adequate footwear for wet, muddy conditions. My trainers are suitable for walking in any terrain provided it is dry, but rain forest is by nature wet and muddy at times. You need good, comfortable waterproof footwear in such conditions.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, on the whole I would say it did. I am referring to the tour mainly here, since I'm not sure besides employment for local people, what a five star hotel provides in the way of local benefit and environmental protection. I do believe that the hotels we stayed in were chosen for their environmental policies.