14 day safari

Prices from

£4990

Excluding international flights

Tour Highlights

  • Visiit Kinabalu National Park, home to 58 species of montane birds
  • Chance for the elusive Clouded Leopard and Marbled cat
  • Chance to see Pygmy Elephants on the Kinabatangan River
  • Tour can be tailored to your requirements
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Rare Mammals and Birds of Borneo

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Rare Mammals and Birds of Borneo

Borneo is one of the best locations in asia for both specialist birds and mammals and our hand picked naturalists are genuine experts in all wildlife viewing; not just the charismatic larger mammals. Before travel we will provide you with a birding and mammal list and by includig several day in Mount Kinabalu national park, we increase our chances of spotting rare endemics, like the Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Broadbill and Borneo Green Magpie. On the mammals side of things, we will be looking for Orangutan, Pygmy Elephant , Clouded Leopard,Tarsier, Slow Loris , Leopard Cat, Marbled Cat, Proboscis Monkey, Bornean Gibbon, Civet Cats, Flying Squirrels, Sunda Skunk, Maroon Langur, Grey Langur and a variety of reptiles.

When to Go:
  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec

Best time to visit -

JUL

Safari Style -

Bespoke Wildlife

Day 1

KOTA KINABALU AIRPORT TO YOUR CITY HOTEL

You will be met at the airport and transferred to the Jesselton Hotel. Time and weather permitting, there may be time to do a little birding just outside the city or you may want to just relax after a long flight.

Accommodation : Jesselton Hotel

Days 2-4

EXPLORING MOUNT KINABALU NATIONAL PARK

Depart at 9am and travel 2 hours to Kinabalu National Park. KNP is home to 58 species of montane birds, 17 of which are endemic to Borneo. Your private expert birding guide will discuss and advise the itinerary for the next 3 days once you’ve settled into your simple homestay accommodation. There are many trails to explore in the park, or depending on fitness levels, you can choose to stay on the paved roads and still see many of the key species.

Accommodation : Mount Kinabalu Homestay

Day 5

DRIVE FROM MOUNT KINABALU TO DERAMAKOT

After breakfast, travel 2.5 hours to the town of Telupid. After lunch proceed a further 2 hours to Deramakot forest reserve through oil palm plantations and forest reserves. The road can be wet and muddy. Deramakot is the jewel in the Sabah Forestry Departments crown and spans an area of over 100,00 hectares with its adjacent Tangkulap reserve. It was the first tropical forest reserve to be recognised by the Forest Stewardship Council for good forest governance and since AA Borneo pioneered nature tourism in the reserve 4 years it has rapidly become justifiably famous for its astonishing mammal and bird diversity. Possibly the best in South East Asia? The exact program at Deramakot will depend on weather and recent animal sightings. Your private naturalist will discuss fully with you after check in.

Accommodation : Deramakot Lodge

Days 6-8

THREE FULL DAYS OF WILDLIFE ACTIVITIES IN DERAMAKOT

Three full days in the reserve. Exact itinerary will be discussed with your guide but you will have dawn and nightwalking and 4*4 safaris each day, 2 hours are included each evening which can be extended for an extra 125 myr per hour, cash payment.

Day 9

DRIVE AND THEN BOAT TRANSFER TO KINABATANGAN RIVER

Transfer to Sukau. Sukau was the first village on the mighty Kinabatangan River to develop nature tourism and is now a busy hub of lodges and homestays. En-route stop for simple lunch then from Sukau it is 45 – 60 minutes downriver towards the estuary and Ramsar recognised wetlands reserve. Here hidden away is the wonderful Wetlands Resort, the best on the whole river. hidden up a small estuary far away from the crowds. Upon arrival some welcome drinks and snacks before the first river cruise @ 16.30 in search of the fantastic wildlife that call the river home

Accommodation : Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort

Day 10

MORNING AND AFTERNOON BOAT SAFARIS ON THE RIVER

Wake up to the calls of birds, insects and animals as the pre-dawn chorus begins at 6.30 am take a morning cruise. The itinerary is pretty flexible to maximise wildlife viewing opportunities. This will include longer river trips if required to try and view the migratory Borneo Pygmy Elephants

Accommodation : Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort

Day 11

TRANSFER FROM KINABATANGAN TO TABIN WILDLIFE RESERVE

After breakfast take the boat back to Sukau before travelling 4 hour by road to Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Lunch is served upon arrival. After lunch, depart for birding along the Core Road where you will most likely be able to spot one or more of Borneo’s eight species of hornbill. After dinner, enjoy a CD/Slide presentation on Tabin’s natural wonders, followed by a night safari to lookout for nocturnal wildlife and birds.

Accommodation : Tabin wildlife resort

Day 12

FULL DAY OF WILDLIFE ACTIVITIES IN TABIN

After an early breakfast, depart for the active Lipad Mud Volcano. The soccer field-sized Lipad Mud Volcano serves as a mineral salt lick for wildlife. After trekking through the rainforest for 20 minutes, arrive at the elevated bare area of the mud volcano which is frequented by wildlife and birds. A nearby fig-tree is a busy feasting place for hornbills andother birds and primates during the fruiting season.

Day 13

FULL DAY OF WILDLIFE ACTIVITIES IN TABIN

After an early breakfast, you will depart for birding along the road leading to the core area stop over and climb up the bird watching tower. The fully regenerated secondary forest with its relatively lower canopy and good natural light provides a delightful birding experience. The incredible rich forests also offer good mammal watching opportunities. In the evening, take a drive to bird along the Tomanggong Road.

Day 14

DEPART TABIN FOR LAHAD DATU AIRPORT

Pricing Info & Dates

Costs £4990 based on two people sharing and not including flights. Costs valid for multiple departures in 2024

Includes:

  • Private services of an expert naturalist
  • All accommodation and transfers as described
  • Nearly all your meals during the 2 week safari
  • All park entrance fees and permits

Excludes:

  • Cost of international and domestic flights
  • Any associated fees for travel Visas
  • Some meals on Day 1 and 14 of the tour
  • Gratuities for staff and local naturalist

Tour Route Map

Animals in borneo

Asian Elephant

Clouded Leopard

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What

Our Clients Say About Us

★★★★★
Komodo and Sabah adventure 2013

My wife and I travelled on a private safari to see Komodo dragons in Indonesia, and on to Sabah. Komodo and Rinca Island were well worth the effort ,the dragons are well worth seeing, and the time the boat was tremendous, with stunning scenery and great snorkelling. The captain’s culinary skills were a surprise bonus. All of the lodges within Sabah were excellent, but with their own, different personalities The Rainforest lodge offers real comfort and the opportunity for good wildlife viewings, we even had a brief sighting of two Pygmy elephants en route to the lodge. Macaques greeted us as we arrived, and Dean, our guide at the lodge was excellent. Tabin is a birder’s paradise, and we saw 6 species of hornbill during our stay. Israel was our guide and was an expert birder. Gibbons were to be seen on some mornings, and the sound of their calling across the forest was memorable. The trails between the Primary, secondary rainforest and palm plantations gave opportunities for good sightings during dusk, and night drives, including Civet, flying squirrels and a number of leopard cats. Forest walking yielded our first Orang Utan sighting, a young male, a bit miffed at being stung by some bees. Myne lodge stands out for us as we love boats and we had a number of OU sightings including one great one, spending over an hour watching an older male feeding from a Ficus tree. More macaques than you can shake a stick at, and good Proboscis monkey watching too. No elephants around for us though. Special mention to Maik, our main guide and companion for our time in Sabah. Excellent guide, knowledgeable, resourceful, and with a great sense of humour. Lankayan Island is truly a paradise. A great way to relax after an arduous trip, more excellent snorkelling,and we were lucky enough to witness newly hatched Hawksbill turtles being released to make their way to the sea. We have travelled many times now with Wildlife Trails, and have had some memorable experiences within Asia, Africa, Canada, the Arctic circle and South America. Allan and his team have always come up with an itinerary, customised to our needs. The fact that we have come back so many times says it all.

ByDel and Sheila