Premium Borneo in Depth
Trip Code: TMPB
Why we love it
Surround yourself with rich wildlife with two nights at the naturally beautiful and perfectly located Kinabatangan Wetland Resort – your Feature Stay accommodation., Visit endangered orangutans at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, meet the Malaysian sun bear and take multiple cruises down the Kinabatangan in search of wildlife., Gain unique insight into the Iban way of life during an Exclusive Experience where you stay in a rustic jungle lodge in the rainforests of Batang Ai, visit a traditional longhouse and chat to the locals about their culture., Get a taste of Borneo’s diverse food scene during Exclusive Experiences, including dinner at a bustling food court popular with locals and a freshly caught seafood dinner after touring the seafood market., Experience Borneo's beautiful natural surroundings with visits to local farms, waterfalls, National Parks, wildlife cruises, and more., By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, RESPonsible Elephant Conservation Trust (RESPECT). Donations help them educate and engage local communities on the importance of conserving local habits for Borneo Pygmy Elephants.
Is this trip right for me?
With internal flights, spend less time travelling and more time taking in the wildlife and natural beauty of your destinations. Travelling light is essential, as the included domestic flights have a strict 20 kg maximum for check in luggage, and 7 kg for carry-on.
The accommodation varies from hotels to a jungle lodge. The jungle lodge is more basic than our standard hotels, including shared bathroom facilities. A generator supplies electricity from 6.30-10.30 pm to power the main lights and fans. Solar powered nightlights illuminate the public areas, walkways, and bathrooms. The unique location and close proximity to wildlife is what makes the jungle lodge special.
There will be a few walks included on this trip on forested paths that can get wet and slippery. Shoes with a good grip are highly recommended and will also be useful for getting in and out of low rise long tail boats.
Important information
1. A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included; valid if you are arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation through us. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.
2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip except for nights 2 and 3 (Batang Ai) and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
3. This trip includes domestic flights. The luggage allowance is 20kg for check in luggage and 7kg for carry on.
4. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest information on travelling in Eastern Sabah before your departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all areas of your itinerary. Further information can be found in our "Safety" section of the Essential Trip Information. We also have links to prominent government travel advisories and any updates on issues affecting this trip on our Travel Alerts page https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/travel-alerts
What to bring/pack
What you need to bring will vary according to the trip style you have chosen, the countries you are visiting and when you are travelling. We recommend you pack as lightly as possible, ensuring that you are able to carry and lift your own luggage and walk with it for short distances or up or down a flight of stairs. Help will be on hand in most locations, but there may be times you need to handle your own luggage, for example in airports and train stations.
A lockable suitcase with wheels is ideal for this trip. It is recommended that you keep your main luggage weight around 15kg and certainly no more than 20kg. A small or medium-sized backpack (45-50 litres) is another good option.
You'll also need a day pack/bag to carry water, camera, jacket, etc. when you’re exploring during the day.
We suggest that you bring a torch or headtorch with you on the trip. It will be useful during the stay at Nanga Sumpa and during the cave visit at Mulu.
Below is a link to our ultimate packing list, a guide to get you started:, https://www.intrepidtravel.com/packing-list, LOCAL DRESS:
When packing be aware that dress standards are conservative throughout Asia, especially outside major cities. To respect this and for your own comfort, we strongly recommend modest clothing. This means clothing that covers your shoulders and knees. Loose, lightweight, long clothing is both respectful and cool in the predominantly hot Asian climate. In many rural areas in Asia women will need to wear modest clothing even to swim. Singlets, tank tops and topless sun bathing are all unacceptable. When visiting religious sites men often need to wear long trousers and women a long skirt or sarong., WATER BOTTLE
Please bring your own water bottle to refill along the way. Although it can be difficult to avoid bottled water when travelling, please use the water dispensers which are provided on some of our vehicles and at some of our accommodation. Your group leader or local representative will advise whether tap water is safe to drink in your destination, and if it is, you can simply refill it with tap water. When unable to avoid bottled water, it is better to buy the largest available and distribute it into your smaller bottle for the day. If you are walking or trekking as part of your trip you will need to carry at least 2L of water with you.
Physical rating
Joining your group
Riverside Majestic Astana Wing, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman P.O.Box 93756, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Sarawak, Kuching, 93100, MALAYSIA, Phone: +6082 532222
Alternate Joining Point
Joining instructions
A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included; valid if you are arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation through us. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel. On arrival in Kuching International Airport if you cannot locate your arrival transfer please call our local operator Stanley on +6019 888 8214. If your flight number has changed or your flight is delayed please can you call Stanley to let him know that your new flight number/arrival time. Alternatively you can catch a taxi approx USD $17, which takes roughly 15 minutes depending on traffic.
Finishing your trip
Sabah Hotel, KM 1, Jalan Utara, P.O. Box 275 90703 Sandakan, Sabah, Sandakan, MALAYSIA, Phone: +6089 213299
Alternate Finish Point
Meals & dietary information
Breakfasts included: 11
Lunches included: 6
Dinners included: 7
While travelling with us you'll experience the vast array of wonderful food available in the world. Your group leader or local representative will be able to suggest restaurants to try during your trip. To give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, generally not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility. As a rule our groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. If you have dietary requirements and/or food allergies, please let your booking agent know prior to departure.
Climate & seasonal information
RAMADAN
The important month of Ramadan will be in progress 1 March to 30 March 2025 and the Eid ul-Fitr festival will be held directly at its conclusion for 3-4 days. Ramadan is a festival of sacrifice where the devout refrain from eating or drinking during daylight hours. During Ramadan, business hours are shortened, including opening hours at some tourist attractions. Alcohol is not permitted during daylight hours and many restaurants will be closed. While you should expect some delays and inconveniences during this period, the month is a fantastic opportunity to travel in a Muslim country and witness this unique period, particularly the nightly celebrations when the sun sets and the fast is broken. Please note that although the Eid ul-Fitr festival can also be a fascinating time to travel it's a period of national holiday. Most government offices and businesses will be closed and some tourist site opening hours may be affected.
CHINESE NEW YEAR:
An important 15 day festival for the Malaysian Chinese, based on the lunar calendar in January or February. In 2025, the Year of the Snake is scheduled to be held from 29 January.This can be a busy time and some transport delays, shop closures and reduced opening hours at some sites may be expected, but there are also many fabulous festivals and rituals to observe during this time, so it's a great time to travel. Although we make all reasonable efforts to avoid disruption, a flexible approach from travellers is appreciated if choosing to travel during this time in Malaysia.
In case of emergency
While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.
We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.
You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.
For general contact details please use the following page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/contact-us
In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:
Available for phone call or WhatsApp call on +60 138 815 813
Accommodations
The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.