Journeys: Best of Borneo

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your National Geographic Expedition Leader will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle on the drive to the village and back.

Enjoy a full day excursion to Mongkos village of the Bidayuh tribe, a thriving rural community which is home to one of the few remaining traditional Bidayuh longhouses in Sarawak. The Bidayuh (or Land Dayak) are the second largest indigenous tribe in Sarawak and we spend the day learning about their culture, history, and contemporary life. Upon arrival the community will welcome us with a traditional dance performance, then visit the 24-doors traditional longhouse, which was made out of wood and bamboo in the 1950s. After enjoy a walk through the farmlands to see the rice fields (seasonal), pepper farm, rubber plantation, and tropical fruit orchards. You will also experience how the Bidayuh prepare a traditional lunch, cooked with simple natural “pots,” leaves and ingredients. Enjoy your local lunch of delicious and fresh dishes.

Visit Santubong peninsula this morning, and embark on a river cruise. Explore the mouth of the Santubong river and mangrove forest of Kuching Wetlands National Park. Enjoy the stunning scenery of the mangrove swamp and learn how the various animals, like the proboscis monkeys, and the uniquely adapted mangrove trees develop a complex symbiotic eco-system. The rare Irrawaddy Dolphins are often seen here. While most commonly associated with the Mekong river delta and the Irrawaddy river (Myanmar), this dolphin is also found in coastal areas of the island of Borneo in estuaries close to mangrove forests. This slate gray dolphin species features a bulging forehead and short beak and only a very small dorsal fin. Increasing levels of bycatch and habitat degradation in recent years have led to decreasing numbers of this elusive animal and have driven it almost into extinction in some areas of its habitats in Southeast Asia.

Enjoy an afternoon at leisure to further explore your surroundings.

Visit Kubah national park for an evening nature walk with an amphibian expert. View rare ferns and orchids, as well as a wide variety of palm species. The recent discovery of a new tiny frog species at the park has made this place famous for frogging. Commonly referred to as the Kubah Narrow-mouthed Frog, this newly discovered species is one of the smallest frogs in the world at the size of a pencil’s tip. This frog is often found living in insect-eating pitcher plants and while these carnivorous plants kill insects, there is no harm to the frogs and their tadpoles grow in the liquid inside of pitcher plants. With our expert, we will search for this famous little creature as well as other popular amphibians such as the Bornean Horned Toad, several species of Sticky Frogs, White-eared Tree Frog, Wallace’s Flying Frog, Harlequin Tree Frogs and many more. While on the look-out for frogs and other amphibians, enjoy the stunning jungle orchestra during night fall, which made Kubah National Park the winner of the ‘Most Beautiful Sound in the World’ contest. The recording ‘Dusk by the Frog Pond’ by an Australian professional in photography and bioacoustics beat out hundreds of entries, standing out among the 11 other finalists that also featured nature recordings.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Venture out into the lush Sarawak rainforest with a guide and flashlight to check out the wild jungle inhabitants at night, when they really come alive. Keep your eyes peeled and watch your step!

Visit Wind Cave, named for the breezes that blow through it, and the vast Clearwater Cave, home to a subterranean river. After checking out the caves, enjoy a refreshing swim and a picnic amongst the beautiful scenery of the rainforest.

Walk along a series of planks through the rainforest to reach Deer and Lang caves. Explore these impressive caverns (Deer cave is never less than 90 metres high or wide!), home to more than two million bats.

Head to the cave entrance or the bat observatory to watch as millions of bats exit the Deer Cave to hunt insects.

Enjoy you morning free, take some time to explore the rainforest.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Visit the conservation centre and see the world’s smallest bear. Learn more about the sun bears and the conservation efforts being made to protect them.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Cruise through the crocodile-infested waters with an expert boatman. While wildlife-spotting can't be guaranteed there's a good chance you will spot some monkeys, birds and the occasional saltwater crocodiles.

Take a night walk on the trails near the Jungle Lodge and look for the unique creatures that are active at night.

The orangutans at the centre were either rescued as orphans or from illegal domestication. Once rehabilitated, they are set free to live in the wild. Watch these creatures being fed or roaming the grounds along with other animals such as macaque monkeys.

Jump into a boat and explore the muddy river; keep your eyes peeled for monkeys, birds, and crocodiles.

Enjoy a guided trek along the lake and seek out proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, macaques, and gibbons.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Hike from the Elephant trail to the active Lipad mud volcano, which provides a mineral salt lick for wildlife. Climb the observation tower and admire the contrasting landscape of the bare mud volcano to the surrounding lush forest, where birds are commonly seen. Try to identify the multitude of animal footprints here. The adventurous can try the effects of the volcanic mud, said to be beneficial for a glowing complexion.

A night safari is an excellent way to see wildlife that’s nocturnal, such as the Western Tarsier, the Slow Loris, the Clouded Leopard, Leopard Cat, Palm Civet, Mousedeer, flying lemur and Colugo. Care is taken not to disturb them with high-powered lighting.

Tabin is a bird-watcher's paradise as the forest here attracts an amazingly rich diversity of birds, including rare and endemic species. The relatively low canopy with sufficient natural light makes birding and photography here a delightful experience.

Trek through the lush green rainforest known for its rich diversity of plants and animal species to visit Lipad Waterfall. Take a dip in the natural pool and enjoy a refreshing shower under the waterfall. Alternatively, explore the surrounding vegetation or just relax.

Set off on a dusk drive to look out for nocturnal wildlife and birds that come out to look for food during this time of the day.

Go for a night walk along the trail close to the resort in search of sleeping birds, frogs, and nocturnal wildlife.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Not ready to leave? Your National Geographic Expedition Leader can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.