WILD BORNEO TOUR

10 day Borneo Tour with award-winning author, Dr Sarah Pye.

Borneo

The incredible island of Borneo is home to more than 230 species of mammal, 420 birds, 100 amphibians and 15,000 plants. Many of them can be found nowhere else on earth.

Award-winning tourism operator, Dr Sarah Pye, first visited Borneo in 2012. On that first visit, Sarah met Malaysian ecologist, and sun bear expert, Wong Siew Te.

Wong spent six years in the jungle of Danum Valley learning more about the ‘forgotten bear’ than anyone else on earth and his research changed the management and conservation of this threatened species. Wong then created the world-class Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. In 2017 he was named a CNN World Wildlife Hero.

Sarah was captivated by Wong’s commitment to save a species from extinction and asked how she could help. “Do what you do best,” he answered.

More than a decade later, Sarah has visited this magical island five times, and written and published seven award-winning books about Wong’s incredible adventures in Borneo. This unparalleled tour offers YOU the opportunity to spend time with both the author and the hero in the place where both their adventures took place.

Dr Sarah Pye And Wong Siew Te Borneo Tour

Wild Borneo Tour Highlights Include:

An exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, and dinner with Dr Wong
Visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Sanctuary nursery and feeding platform
Both an early morning, and a night walk through the treetops at the Rainforest Discovery Centre in search of endemic birds and nocturnal animals
Wildlife riverboat expeditions on the mighty Kinabatangan River with the chance to see endangered pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys and hornbills
Exploring Tabin Wildlife Reserve where Wong and his team rehabilitate rescued sun bears back into the wild. Experience a range of endangered species in their own environment. They could include gibbons, binturongs, leopard cats, civets, red langurs and wild orangutans
A sweeping panorama of the Sulu sea and the Philippines from the Buddhist Temple and time to reflect on how this nation was affected by WWII at the POW Memorial Pavillion in the bustling port town of Sandakan.

Wild Borneo Tour Inclusions and Exclusions

Inclusions

All accommodation
Most meals (as outlined on the itinerary)
An incredibly knowledgeable English-speaking local guide
Entrance fees to BSBCC, Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre
Morning and afternoon guided boat tours on the Kinabatangan River
Morning, day and night guided walking tours through Tabin Wildlife Reserve
A guided vehicle night safari in Tabin Wildlife Reserve
A chance to meet fellow travellers online before the tour
A suggested packing list
Advice on pre and post tour options to extend your experience
A copy of Saving Sun Bears, signed by both the author, Dr Sarah Pye, and the hero, Dr Wong Siew Te

Exclusions

International and/or domestic flights
Any meals which are not mentioned on the itinerary
An optional night boat tour on Kinabatangan River (80RM)
An optional night safari tour in Tabin Wildlife Reserve (60RM)
Discretionary tipping for guide, boat captain and/or driver
Laundry, souvenirs and personal expenses
Travel insurance

Payment Terms

• Hold your place in this limited tour with $0
• We will contact you to secure your place with a refundable 20% deposit
• Our team will assist in booking your flights
• Once you are fully satisfied, the deposit becomes non-refundable
• Balance is collected 60 days before travel.

$7060pp. Hold your limited spot now!

Thoughts From Past Travellers

Bernice Webster /

If one of your passions is to visit wild places on Earth, this trip is for you. Sun bears, orangutans, pygmy elephants, gibbons… and more! Book a place on this experience!

Belinda Turnbull /

If you love seeing wildlife among a friendly & fun group do this trip. There is a variety of accommodation and it was well organised with lots of included activities.

Nerilyn Vetter /

An educational adventure with unforgettable, and at times, unbelievable animal encounters. For anyone looking for a trip that‘s more than basic sightseeing, this is it!

Ellen Wieczorek /

Come enjoy the jungle the mighty jungle of Borneo!!!! I saw so many animals that I never thought I would get to see before this trip. The trip is very well organised and the accommodations are great! Come join in on this jungle fun!

WILD BORNEO TOUR IMAGE GALLERY

Scroll through these images from the last tour to whet your appetite!

Tours Overview Gallery Sandakan Buddhist Temple1

Tours Overview Gallery Night Walk Kinabatangan

Tours Overview Gallery Night Safari Danum Valley

Tours Overview Gallery Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre Sepilok

Tours Overview Gallery Sandakan Buddhist Temple2

Tours Overview Gallery Sabah Hotel Sandakan

Tours Overview Gallery Fungi Danum Valley

Tours Overview Gallery Danum Valley Walking

Tours Overview Gallery Bridge Segama River Danum Valley

Tours Overview Gallery Hornbill Lodge Kinabatangan

Tours Overview Gallery Bornean Pit Viper

Tours Overview Gallery Kinabatangan River Tour

Tours Overview Gallery Sepilok Rainforest Lodge

Tours Overview Gallery Oriental Pied Kingfisher

Tours Overview Gallery Sleeping Sun Bear

Tours Overview Gallery Feeding Sun Bears

Tours Overview Gallery Wong and Sun Bear

Tours Overview Gallery Wallace's Fish Owl

Tours Overview Gallery Proboscis Monkeys

Tours Overview Gallery Whiskered Treeswift

$7060pp. Hold your limited spot now!

Wild Borneo Tour Itinerary

We hit the ground running and we don't stop having fun until it's over.

Day 1: Arrive in Sandakan

Meet Sarah at Sandakan airport and travel the 30 minutes to Sepilok Forest Edge Resort for check-in. Accommodation is in air-conditioned bungalows with a tropical indoor-outdoor bathroom and shower. Settle in or cool off in the shallow swimming pool, then join your fellow travellers over dinner on the deck of Nest Restaurant before being lulled to sleep by jungle sounds.
Inclusions: Transport from airport to accommodation, welcome drink.
Meals: None.
Accommodation: Sepilok Forest Edge Resort. Standard twin.
Bring money for: Meals, alcoholic beverages, a SIM card if you wish to purchase one.

Day 2: Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Take a short walk through the famous Sepilok gate to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Meet its Founder, Dr Wong Siew Te and spend the morning on a private behind-the-scenes tour, seeing parts of the Centre that most visitors don’t, and learning about bears from the world’s leading expert.
The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre is a unique world-class rehabilitation centre. All bears have been rescued from poaching, the illegal pet trade, or habitat destruction. They spend their days in this natural environment and those that are capable are rehabilitated back to the wild in the safety of Tabin Wildlife Reserve. You may choose to support Dr Wong’s work by adopting one of the bears you meet today! After a relaxed lunch at one of the nearby restaurants, you have the opportunity to return to BSBCC to help the team make enrichments for bears. Alternatively, return to the resort and soak up the jungle atmosphere.
Inclusions: BSBCC entrance fees and private tour with Dr Wong.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Sepilok Forest Edge Resort. Standard twin.
Bring money for: Souvenirs, lunch and dinner, alcoholic beverages.

Day 3: Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre

After a buffet breakfast, we will meet our guide, Theo, and drive 1km to the Rainforest Discovery Centre for an early morning walk. This is the best time of day to see some of Borneo’s incredible bird life.
After lunch, we will visit the Sepilok Oranutan Rehabilitation Centre. Established in 1964, this was the first centre in the world to dedicate itself to rehabilitation of orangutans. Visit both the nursery, where rescued infants graduate to the jungle gym, and the outdoor feeding platform which is accessible to rehabilitated and wild animals. Then it is back to the Rainforest Discovery Centre as dusk falls for a guided night walk on the hunt for nocturnal animals like acrobatic flying giant squirrels, and tiny tarsiers which boast the largest eyes of any primate. Dinner at the resort will be at 8pm.
Inclusions: Orangutan Centre entrance fees, Rainforest Discovery Centre Entrance fees, private guide, transport.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Sepilok Forest Edge Resort. Standard twin.
Bring money for: Souvenirs, lunch and dinner.

Day 4: Sepilok - Kinabatangan River

You may wish to take a walk around the resort this morning to see the pond and musical chicken house before we check out at 9am and join our guide for a drive through the countryside to the mighty Kinabatangan River. Known as Father River, this is the longest river in Sabah. We will stop at Gomantong Limestone caves where learn more about the process of birds-nest harvesting and keep an eye out for orangutans in the vicinity of the caves before arriving at the recently renovated Hornbill Lodge in time for lunch. After checking out our rooms overlooking the river, enjoy an afternoon river cruise to find proboscis monkeys, crocodiles, some of the eight species of hornbills, and possibly even a Bornean pygmy elephant. Return to the lodge for dinner as the sun goes down. Then, our guide leads us on a walking tour of the nearby rainforest or join an optional night cruise on the river.
Inclusions: Your own pair of leech socks.
Meals: All meals included.
Accommodation: Hornbill Lodge, Kinabatangan River. Twin chalet.
Bring money for: Snacks and fruit from roadside stalls, 80RM for an optional night cruise on the Kinabatangan River, alcoholic beverages.

Day 5: Kinabatangan

The river wakes early and to find some of the endemic species, and we will too. A veil of mist often shrouds the river, changing his mood and offering a different perspective on this incredibly beautiful environment. Then, after breakfast, walk up the hill to the wildlife observation tower for a panoramic view of the meandering river and learn about how it sometimes folds on itself to create ox-bow lakes. At around 4pm embark on another river cruise, looking for those species we haven’t yet seen. Return for dinner at the lodge before a night walk or another opportunity for an optional night cruise if you so desire.
(Note: River cruise and walk locations will depend on recent wildlife sightings).
Inclusions: None.
Meals: All meals included.
Accommodation: Hornbill Lodge, Kinabatangan River. Twin chalet.
Bring money for: Snacks and fruit from roadside stalls, 100RM for an optional night cruise on the Kinabatangan River (approx. $35, payable directly to the lodge). Alcoholic beverages.

Day 6: Kinabatangan – Lahad Datu – Tabin Wildlife Reserve

After an early morning river cruise and breakfast, we check out at 9.30am and begin the journey south to Tabin Wildlife Reserve, stopping for permits at Lahad Datu on the Way. Tabin is the place where Dr Wong and the BSBCC team release rehabilitated bears. You may have read about it in Saving Sun Bears! Settle into your room at Tabin Wildlife Resort. Then, in the afternoon, take the Elephant trail to the active Lipad mud volcano which provides a mineral salt lick for wildlife. This area teems with wildlife like gibbons, orangutans, binturongs, pit vipers and deer. We return to the centre before sundown and enjoy dinner before joining a night safari on open-air vehicles to spot things like giant flying squirrels, civets, leopard cat, Argus pheasants and buffy fish owls.
Inclusions: All walks, night safari tour.
Meals: All meals included.
Accommodation: Tabin Wildlife Resort. River lodge.
Bring money for: Optional gratuity for our boat captain, snacks and beverages.

Day 7: Tabin Wildlife Reserve

You may be woken by booming gibbons, even before the dawn chorus of birds. We’ll start with an early guided walk to discover some of Tabin’s rich collection of almost 300 bird species. After watching the rainforest come alive, we return to the resort for breakfast. Another walk is planned during the day, to Lipad Waterfall, where you can take a dip in the natural pool and enjoy a refreshing shower under the waterfall. Alternatively explore the surrounding vegetation or simply relax. In the afternoon enjoy the Tabin Rainforest Foot Soak made with a natural blend of herbs, to relax tired muscles after long jungle treks. As the sun sets, go on a dusk drive to look for nocturnal wildlife coming before returning to the lodge for dinner. Then, as the temperature falls, we wander with our guide by foot in search of nocturnal animals like the slow loris, leopard cat, various owls, or civets.
Inclusions: All walks.
Meals: All meals included.
Accommodation: Tabin Wildlife Reserve. River lodge.
Bring money for: Optional night safari drive 60RM.

Day 8: Tabin Wildlife Reserve

Go on an optional dawn drive or have a much deserved rest. Then join morning and afternoon jungle walks along with our nature guide or simply to choose to relax and soak up the sounds of the jungle from your balcony. The guide will pick the best trails to suit our group. Today offers chances to spot some of the more elusive wildlife like gibbons, orangutans and binturong.
Inclusions: All walks, sunrise excursion.
Meals: All meals included.
Accommodation: Tabin Wildlife Reserve. River lodge.
Bring money for: Optional dawn safari drive 130RM (approx. $45 pp payable directly to the lodge)..

Day 9: Tabin Wildlife Reserve - Sandakan

After breakfast, checkout, and begin the drive back to Sandakan, stopping for lunch and to exchange vehicles again in Lahad Datu. Much of our journey passes endless oil palm plantations, the key agricultural crop in Borneo. As we drive, learn what is being done to reduce the impact of this crop on endemic wildlife. Back in Sandakan, we farewell our guide. Sabah Hotel is a welcome sight at the end of our long journey. It offers a transition to civilisation with the chance to soak in the resort pool, book yourself in for a massage, or power pump in the gym. Dr Wong will join us for our farewell dinner at the resort and share some of his experiences in Danum Valley, a place we now know well.
Inclusions: Transport.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch.
Accommodation: Sandakan Sabah Hotel. Superior twin room.
Bring money for: Optional gratuity for our guide, optional massage and gym membership, dinner and beverages.

Day 10: Sandakan

Gather over an extensive buffet breakfast and farewell any group members departing early. For those who leave after noon, there are two more planned activities this morning. Our driver picks us up at 9am and drives to the Sandakan Buddhist Temple, high overlooking the city, for an insight into local culture and sweeping views of the Sulu Sea and the Philippines beyond. From there, we drive to the Sandakan War Memorial Park. These beautifully landscaped gardens site of the Japanese POW camp. They are the beginning of three death marches at the end of WWII. Visit the Pavilion to learn about the six Australian survivors and the locals who risked their lives to save them. We will arrive at the airport at 12pm for check in and boarding of onward flights.
Inclusions: Transport, visit to the Buddhist Temple and War Memorial Park.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Not needed.
Bring money for: Optional donations at the temple and memorial park. The airport departure lounge also boasts the best bookshop in Sabah if you want a field guide memento of your adventure!

$7060pp. Hold your limited spot now!

WILD BORNEO TOUR

Borneo

Wild Borneo Tour Highlights Include:

Wild Borneo Tour Inclusions and Exclusions

Thoughts From Past Travellers

Bernice Webster /

Belinda Turnbull /

Nerilyn Vetter /

Ellen Wieczorek /

WILD BORNEO TOUR IMAGE GALLERY

Wild Borneo Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Sandakan

Day 2: Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Day 3: Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre

Day 4: Sepilok - Kinabatangan River

Day 5: Kinabatangan

Day 6: Kinabatangan – Lahad Datu – Tabin Wildlife Reserve

Day 7: Tabin Wildlife Reserve

Day 8: Tabin Wildlife Reserve

Day 9: Tabin Wildlife Reserve - Sandakan

Day 10: Sandakan

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