Overview

Natural beauty abounds, this tour is designed to explore both the land and the sea. We start with understanding the conservation efforts around orangutans at Semenggoh Nature Reserve. You have a great chance to see a giant Rafflesia while trekking at the Gading National Park. The marine beauty starts with a boat ride to Tanjung Datu National Park. This is where you enjoy the clear blue waters and golden sandy beaches, you may also get to see a sea turtle landing to lay eggs. Take a boat to Permai Rainforest Resort, the boat cruise here gives you a chance to see the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins. The natural wonders continue to amaze at Bako National Park, the home of the proboscis monkey. We go on another river cruise this time looking for wild crocodiles and the colorful birds of Borneo. The resort offers a night in a treehouse, sleeping amongst the canopy of the trees. Visit the turtle hatchery and if there are young turtles around, you can watch their release to the sea. Drive through picture-perfect oil palm plantations to explore the millions of swiftlets and bats at the Gomantong Caves. We now reach Sukau / Bilit, a boat cruise is arranged along Kinabatangan River in search of Proboscis monkeys and other local wildlife. We will also visit the Sepilok Orangutan Centre before wrapping up the tour. This is a whirlwind tour that you will enjoy all the way. 

9 Nights 10 Days Available on request Kuching Airport
Inclusions/Exclusions
What we'll give. What we won't

What is included in the tour

  • The tour covers 7-nights AC accommodation in a shared twin room that has a private bathroom
  • When on Tanjung Datu National Park, stay is in a shared hostel room with shared sanitary facilities
  • At Bako National park the accommodation is shared with ceiling fans. Sanitary facilities can be shared or private depending on availability.
  • Detailed literary talks of the meals covered in the tour
  • All your transfers and tours will be with a local English-speaking driver/guides
  • English Speaking guides will be available on-site as well
  • Transfers and tours will be in air-conditioned vehicles
  • Entrance fees and/or boat fees where ever applicable as per the program
  • Drinking water will be available on your vehicles, except in Miri
  • The river cruise exploring wildlife
  • Entrance charges and fee to Selingan, Sepilok, and Gomantong
  • Package includes GST 6% (Good and Service Tax)

What is NOT included in the tour

  • Air-travel Domestic or international to/from Malaysia, this can be quoted separately by us on request
  • Any optional tours you take
  • Charges for arranging guides for other languages if requested
  • Personal expenditure, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry, camera fees, communications – including phone bills, postage, gratuities and the likes
  • Meals and services other than mentioned in the program
  • Personal travel insurance
  • Drinks with meals and bottled water
  • Porter charges, certificate, and the likes
  • Hotels may charge for early check-in and late check-out, this can be covered only if it is explicitly mentioned in the program
Highlights
What makes this tour special
  • Understand Orangutan Conservation at Semenggoh and Sepilok Orangutan Centre.
  • The world’s largest flower can be seen on a Trek at Gading National Park.
  • Explore the world of sea turtles at Tanjung Datu, see them lay eggs on the beach
  • The boat cruises are a great chance to spot dolphins, crocodiles & monkeys
  • Explore and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of Turtle Island
  • Explore the extensive Gomantong Caves, home to millions of swiftlets and bats
Itinerary
Day 1: Kuching Arrival
  • You will be received by an English-speaking guide at the Kuching International Airport and a transfer to the LimeTree Hotel arranged. LimeTree is a unique, boutique hotel with a passion for contemporary design and comfort which is inspired by a zesty feel as fresh as its own privately grown limes.
  • The day is at leisure – explore the hotel or the nearby Chinatown. Night stay at the hotel is in Deluxe rooms.
  • Meals included: none
Day 2: Semenggoh Nature Reserve Tour
  • We start the tour with light activity, the day starts with a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel. We then travel to the Semenggoh Nature Reserve, originally built to protect the Orangutans and to rehabilitate captive and orphaned ones back to the wild.
  • The reserve has its own rare flora and fauna including the giant squirrel, pigmy squirrel and splendid variety of birds. Trekking trails make Semenggoh an ideal place for wildlife photographers and nature lovers.
  • The highlight of the visit is a chance to see an Orangutan, your guide will help spot one during the morning feeding time. This is when the Orangutans swing down from the trees for a free handout of fruit. This reserve is one of the few places in the world where humans can interact with their shy jungle cousins.
  • We return to a relaxed afternoon at the hotel in Kuching. This is your time to explore Kuching’s charming city center on your own. Many of the tourist spots are within walking distance of the hotel, this includes the waterfront, the colonial buildings, the famous Sarawak Museum, Chinatown and the Chinese temples, as well as India Street. Night stay is arranged at the hotel.
  • Meals included: breakfast
Day 3: Kuching – Gading National Park – Sematan
  • Today we finish breakfast and check out from the hotel in Kuching.
  • Sarawak is full of surprises, we take a 75 km drive in an AC vehicle to reach Lundu District. Our destination is the world famous Gading National Park. This is home to the largest known flower in the world, the leafless and parasitic Rafflesia flower. The national park covers a vast area around Mount Gading, covered in thick forest and having clear cool water mountain streams and spectacular waterfalls. At the park, we will go on a guided tour to explore the extraordinary fauna of the place. The place can mesmerize one and all by the enormous strangling figs, giant rainforest trees, and twining lianas. If you are lucky you may find a blooming Rafflesia as well. The place also provides for some relaxed time swimming in the mountain streams or at the waterfalls.
  • We will have our lunched (Packed) at the park and then travel another 45 to our next destination, the small fishing village of Sematan. The village is located on the coast of the south china sea.
  • We check-in to the Sematan Palm Beach Resort. The evening is available for some leisure and general relaxation. Overnight stay is arranged at a Chalet in the resort.
  • Meals included: breakfast, lunch, and Dinner
Day 4: Sematan – Tanjung Datu National Park
  • We have an early breakfast at the resort and start for a 45 to 90 min boat ride to Tanjung Datu National Park. This is one of Sarawak’s smallest National Parks. It is the juxtaposition of rugged mountains sweeping down to a clear turquoise sea that makes the place so exquisite. 
  • It’s swift-flowing mountain streams are crystal clear, like the sea into which they flow. This allows coral to grow close inshore, a rare feature in Sarawak and makes it an ideal dive and snorkeling site even though scuba divers have yet to explore the area’s full potential. However, anyone can appreciate the park’s beautiful beaches and translucent waters with their mountain backdrop. The parks relative remoteness is one of its main attractions.
  • The white sandy beaches are undisturbed, the corals offshore are untouched, and the forest trails are untrodden. Highly endangered green turtles and Olive Ridley turtles regularly lay their eggs on the park's beaches. The seas offshore are home to dolphins and an unidentified whale species.
  • We will check into the park’s hostel rooms for our stay. The park manager will give a detailed briefing on safety issues and the turtle conservation program of the park. It is now time to explore the forest trails. Keep your eyes open for hornbills and other rare species of birds. The park as a number of rare species and its an adventure trying to identify what you see. Your guide will prepare all the meals while you are at the park as the place has no canteen or restaurant.
  • Once dinner is over, go out on a trail with your guide to spot the nocturnal tropical insects and animals that are visible only in the night. Your guide will show you how to hold the touch light and how to identify the eyes when they shine in the light of the torch.
  • Return to the hostel for the night. The park rangers are always on the lookout for turtles that come to nest and if anyone is there they will alert you regardless of the time of the night.
  • We spend the night at the Tanjung Datu National Park, hostel room (simple accommodation).
  • Meals included: breakfast, Lunch, and dinner.
Day 5: Tanjung Datu National Park – Damai Beach
  • We enjoy an early breakfast and then use the morning to snorkel in the clear waters of the beach. The shallow waters are home to many colorful corals and rare fishes. You need to be careful here as the area is also home to many venomous sea animals. We now take the boat back to Sematan.
  • We stop for lunch at a local café in Sematan and then take our vehicle to Permai Rainforest Resort. The resort is a distinctive eco-resort build next to the shores of the south china sea in the middle of the pristine rainforest at the foot of the mystical Mount Santubong.
  • The resort is designed with nature as the muse, everything here minimizes the human impact. It still gives you an experience you will remember for a lifetime. The resort has 10 treehouses, built on stilts 20 feet above the ground. These tree houses offer a unique experience of sleeping amongst the canopy of the trees.
  • Besides the treehouses, the resort also offers cabins designed to host as many as 6 persons each. Enjoy the rich forest views you may even get a glimpse of one of the three different species of monkeys that do occasionally roam in the resort's premises.
  • The night stay is planned in the resort.
  • Meals Included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 6: Damai Beach – Dolphin Cruise – Bako National Park
  • We enjoy an early breakfast at the Damai Beach resort.
  • The day is going to be adventurous – We take a boat from the Permai Rainforest beachfront to travel to the mouth of Santubong river and the Salak estuary. This is where we look out for the elusive Irrawaddy dolphins. This dolphin is not seen jumping or leaping as the more famous ones, instead, it quietly roams its preferred habitat of inshore waters and estuaries.
  • Once our cruise for spotting the Irrawaddy dolphins is over we have a chance to visit Salak village. This is one of the oldest Malay fishing villages in this area. It is located on a small island in the river delta.
  • We continue our boat cruise along the coast of the Damai Peninsula and across the Bako-Buntal Bay to reach Bako National Park. This bay is also a dolphin spotting area. You might spot a few species of dolphin during this cruise, such as the Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphin or bottlenose dolphins.
  • We now arrive at Bako National Park and do our check-in. Lunch is arranged at the park's canteen.
  • After lunch, we start with one of the shorter trails of Bako National Park. Bako contains a wide range of vegetation – swamp forest, scrub-like Padang vegetation, mangrove forest, dipterocarp forest, delicate cliff vegetation and more. Bako also contains a rich variety of wildlife and a coastline covered with small bays, coves, and beaches. The park has a number of well-marked trails offering interesting walks ranging from short pleasant strolls to serious full-day hikes. Visitors to Bako are almost guaranteed to see wildlife.  Long-tailed macaque monkeys and silver leaf monkeys are ever present, wild boar is often found rummaging around the park HQ, squirrels and monitor lizards are also common. There is every chance of seeing the rare and unusual proboscis monkeys on trails such as Telok Paku and Telok Delima, particularly if you go out late in the afternoon.
  • After dinner at the park canteen, you may choose to go on another night walk. Venture towards the mangrove forests that fringe Bako National Park. The other delight of the rainforest is a large number of fireflies which gather around the mangrove trees making them shine like Christmas trees.
  • Overnight at Bako National Park (simple accommodation).  
  • Meals Included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 7: Bako National Park – Damai Beach
  • We enjoy an early breakfast at the park's canteen. Now is the best time to go birding. We can hope to spot some of the parks 150 recorded bird species. Keep your eyes open for colorful Flowerpeckers and Sunbirds, Common Ioras, Fairy Bluebirds and Kingfishers with their distinctive blue color. White-bellied Sea Eagles and Brahminy Kites often hover near the coast.
  • We time our birding expedition to the tide, once the tide is in our favor, we will depart Bako National Park by boat. The route back to the Permai Rainforest is a different one, it goes through the rivers of Buntal and Santubong. The cruise is designed to go through pristine mangrove wetlands, where you can observe and learn about the complex ecosystem. The Common Sandpiper and Egrets often can be spotted looking for food along the mangrove mudflats, which are habitat for various species of crabs and the odd mudskipper, a fish that "walks" on land. We have come here looking for the undisputed king in this habitat - the estuarine crocodile! The estuarine crocodile, often also referred to as saltwater crocodile, is the largest living reptile and also one of the oldest animals in the world. You will have to focus hard on the muddy riverbanks to be able to spot one of these perfectly camouflaged predators enjoying a sunbath.
  • Lunch is arranged at the park's canteen or is packed for our cruise depending on the departure time from Bako National Park.
  • We now arrive at Permai Rainforest Resort. The rest of the day is available to explore the resort or just relax. Night stay at the resort.
  • Meals included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 8: Kuching Departure - Sandakan – Selingan Turtle Island
  • We enjoy breakfast at the resort and check out Transfer to the Kuching international airport for the onward journey to Sandakan is arranged. We will arrange a pickup from the Sandakan Airport for a trip to the Jetty.
  • We have a 75-minute boat ride to the Selingan Island (Turtle Island).  We will check into a chalet at the Island, rooms here have twin beds and air conditioning along with attached facilities.
  • The rest of our day is free to go swimming or just lazing on the beach. The park ranger will invite you to observe the turtle laying eggs on the sandy beach. Once the turtles go back to the sea the eggs are transferred to the hatchery.
  • You may also get to see young turtles around at the hatchery, while they are released to the sea by the staff.  Overnight stay will be at the chalet.
  • Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Note: Boat transfers are always on shared basis / join in. Activities and guide on the island are on shared/join in basis. Private tour on the island is not available
Day 9: Selingan Turtle Island – Gomantong – Sukau/Bilit
  • We enjoy an early breakfast and start our journey to Sandakan. We then proceed by land to visit the famous Gomantong Caves. This is a 2-hour drive through beautiful villages and oil palm plantations. The limestone caves are protected forest area as they are the only known site for the endangered land snail Plectostoma Mirabile. The caves are also famous for a large population of bats and swiftlets. For centuries, the caves have been renowned for their valuable edible swiftlet nests, which are harvested for bird's nest soup. The most valuable of the nests, the white ones, can sell for very high prices. The birds' nest collection is an ancient tradition, and the trading of these nests has been done since at least 500 AD.
  • Once we have explored the caves we move on to Sukau/Bilit and check into our Lodge before lunch is served. The rest of the afternoon is free and a time to relax for you.
  • As the day starts to end we take a boat cruise along the Kinabatangan River in search of the Proboscis money and other rate inhabitants of the region. The flora and fauna of the place are unique and rich.
  • Overnight stay is at the lodge with its twin bedrooms that have attached hot water showers.
  • Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Day 10: Sukau/Bilit – Sepilok - Sandakan
  • We enjoy an early breakfast and start our journey overland to the Sepilok Orangutan Centre. This is a place for the conservationist, it is running one of the programs to rehabilitate orphaned or illegally traded orangutans back to the wild. If you are lucky you may get to see a few of these endangered animals as well. 
  • Once we have explored the reserve we have a drop arranged as per your requirements of reaching the Airport or a hotel of your choice.
  • Meals included: breakfast
Pickup point
Directions.
Kuching International Airport (KCH/WBGG) (KCH), 900B, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia View on Map