Borneo wildlife cycling holiday










Description of Borneo wildlife cycling holiday
This nine day bike safari expedition is an active and exciting way to discover Borneo and its wildlife. Pedal your way to some of the best wildlife parks in Sarawak, western Borneo, to meet the orangutans that famously live here and discover the huge variety of flora and fauna indigenous to the island.
This guided cycling holiday moves through a fascinating range of landscapes and terrain, from thick jungle to cool mountains, islands where turtles hatch and the mangrove forests that line some of the coast. Along the way you will cross rivers, ride boats and trek through rainforests, in daylight and darkness, as you journey from one beautiful region to the next.
The bird and wildlife of Borneo is waiting to be discovered and photographed. You can expect to see hornbills, proboscis monkeys, sun bears, Bornean frogs, crocodiles and Irrawaddy dolphins as well as Borneo’s superstar resident, the orangutan.
To fuel your days in the saddle, you will be served the varied and delicious authentic cuisine of Borneo, which has been influenced by the many different ethnic groups that make it home. At every stop, you’ll have the chance to meet the wonderfully friendly local people, who greet you with genuine warmth.
The tour begins in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. This is a lovely old town with a unique history, revealed by cycling along its 12km heritage trail. You can also meet local people at their kampong wooden houses. From here, we set off on our bikes, riding to seven different national parks and covering around 200km in nine days. Accommodation is in a mixture of hotels, chalets and cabins in the national parks and beach resorts.
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Reviews
1 Reviews of Borneo wildlife cycling holiday
Reviewed on 01 Oct 2018 by Sandra Deans
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
There were so many highlights. However our encounters with the local flora & fauna; orangutans, proboscis monkeys, macaque monkey, array of frogs, and
pitcher plants were amazing.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
The accomodation ranges from rustic to above average so be prepared. The rustic accommmodation could have been better maintained (a government /
national park issue rather than a Paradesa issue) to improve the overall experience. However it was in a lovely natural environment. Bring towels with you as they are not always provided.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
On the whole yes. The operator and the team always tried to minimise any impact; e.g no single use plastic; bulk water supply, taking responsibility to take all rubbish with us rather than leaving for the locals to deal with. We ate from local restaurants and on one occasion in one of the guide's relative's home which
was a enlightening experience. Staying at national parks, some better maintained than others, also supported the local communities
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
The team did everything to adjust the holiday to meet our requests. The bikes were well maintained, routes and transportation well thought out,
with an excellent range of activities. They were genuinely friendly and responsive and really added to the overall experience. As it was our 40th wedding
anniversary they arranged a cake and a lovely celebration making it a truly memorable experience for us. JC is working hard to communicate an ecofriendly
tourism proposition to both clients and locals and should be commended. We loved our experience and would recommend it to other likeminded people.
Responsible Travel
Planet
On this trip, the visit we organize to wildlife sanctuary and national parks are those that are set up by recognized NGOs and government agencies that help rehabilitate and preserve the orangutan, sunbear and turtle. Volunteering programs are incorporate into the bike tour to encourage participant and create awareness. A major part of our tour is to provide travellers with relevant education to minimise damage to the environment, wildlife and marine ecosystems and how they maybe able to help. Our travelers are encouraged to sponsor some of these official programs such as the orangutan adaptation program that let to their continue involvement in the cause in many years to come after they return home, rather than a one-off contribution.We provide travelers with suggestions for Code of Conduct for Environmental responsibility:-
- Our Pre-Tour “What to Expect” information provide accurate pre-trip information concerning the specific to a particular trip including the social, environment and political situation;
- We recommend the guest bringing their own re-fillable bicycle water bottle and avoid using one-off plastic bottled water.
- We also discourage the use of plastic bags, suggesting customers to bring their own dry bag or small waterproof backpack. During tours, we recycle wherever possible, and try to keep our waste as low as possible;
- We never allow traveler to take pieces of coral or other endangered plant life home as a souvenir.
People
We build up our partnership with as many local as possible, from the local boatman, homestay, street stalls and small cafes. As much as possible, we stick to the same people who are then familiar with our expectation and they will expand their operation as they grow with our business. One example is the wooden sample crossing that we used in the city of Kuching, a dying traditional way of commuting in the rapidly modernized Kuching. We have used this specific sampan crossing provider for more than 3 years for all of our local bike tours.We provide travelers with suggestions for Code of Conduct for Social responsibility and ways to minimise negative impacts on local cultures:-
-We recommend the traveler when buying souvenirs, head to the shops of traditional artisans or local cottage industry for locally made products. That will be helping to keep traditional crafts alive, while also supporting our small, independent business owners and artists. We always favour local products over imported items, but avoid buying things made from the tusks or horns of endangered animals (such as hornbill and coral), or from at-risk plants (such as orchid and pitcher plant). We educate travellers how and why purchasing locally produced goods and services - souvenirs, crafts, meals and guides from locally owned establishments has beneficial effect – communicate a sense of the significance of this to local communities;
- We also suggest ways to minimise negative impacts on local cultures such as giving the best possible advice about bargaining, as well as advice on giving gifts or money to beggars, children, and people they have just met;
- We recommend the traveler always ask first before photographing or videoing people. Asking before clicking also offers the chance to have a conversation and to connect;
- We advice travelers to dress respectfully with an awareness of our local standards that varies with each culture and religion, including dressing modestly at certain religious sites and check what swimwear is suitable for pools and the beach.
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