Borneo

Day 1
DEPART UK FOR BORNEO

Day 2
ARRIVE SANDAKAN AND TRANSFER TO SEPILOK
We should arrive at Sandakan airport in the early afternoon and from there will make the short transfer to Sepilok.  Depending on our arrival time, there may be time for some late afternoon exploration of the surrounding forests which will be followed after sunset by our first night safari.

The forests around Sepilok are fascinating during the day but equally interesting after dark and our main goal will be to find Western Tarsier.  There are, however, plenty of other possibilities such as Philippine Slow Loris, Sunda Colugo, Lesser Mousedeer and Red Giant Flying Squirrel.

We may also come across some roosting birds and those found on our previous visits include Hooded Pitta, Black-crowned Pitta, Red-naped Trogon and Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher.  Night Sepilok

Day 3
SEPILOK
We plan to spend the majority of the morning at the Rainforest Discovery Centre which provides a fantastic introduction to Borneo’s tropical rainforests.  We are likely to spend a good proportion of our time along the world-famous 600+ metre long canopy walkway which also has a number of even higher observation towers.

This incredible structure allows visitors to look for birds and mammals that can ordinarily be tricky to see from the ground and provides a completely different perspective on the forest and the wildlife that lives high up in the trees.  We are likely to find a range of species of squirrels with Pale Giant, Ear-spot, Plantain and Least Pygmy amongst the possibilities.

The walkway also provides a fantastic opportunity to look for canopy birds and one of the species which can be found here is the bizarre-looking endemic, the Bornean Bristlehead.  This species is not always easy to find but the walkway will give us our best chance to see this extraordinary bird along with Diard’s Trogon, Wallace’s Hawk-Eagle and a host of hornbills, bulbuls, sunbirds and spiderhunters.

We will also spend some of our time exploring the multitude of trails that traverse this incredible 4,300 hectares reserve and this will give us our first opportunity to look for Bornean Orangutan, with East Bornean Grey Gibbon, Long-tailed Macaque, Sunda Pig-tailed Macaque and Pale Giant Squirrel amongst the other possibilities.

The trails are also fantastic for birds with a long list of specialities with Sabah Partridge, Black-crowned Pitta and a variety of hornbills being just a few of the species we hope to see.

If time permits, we may also make short visits to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre to learn more about the important work these two institutions are doing.

Once the sun has set, we will then head out for another night walk giving us a second opportunity to look for Western Tarsier should we have failed to see this the previous evening.  This will also provide another chance to see Philippine Slow Loris and we could also find several species of civet.  Second night Sepilok

Day 4
TRANSFER TO DERAMAKOT
There is likely to be time for some pre-breakfast wildlife observations around our lodge but it will then be time to reluctantly leave Sepilok for the overland journey to Deramakot, which is one of Southeast Asia’s finest examples of sustainably managed rainforest.

Much of the journey is undeniably depressing with vast areas of plantations but we will gradually leave these behind as we enter the Deramakot Forest Reserve.

Once we have settled into our air conditioned chalets, there may be time for some initial local exploring, however, after dinner we will set off on the first of our regular night safaris.  Night Deramakot Field Station

Days 5–10
DERAMAKOT FOREST RESERVE
We have six full days to explore the vast lowland dipterocarp rainforest which makes up the Deramakot Forest Reserve.  This location was the first tropical rainforest in the world to receive FSC certification and the site encompasses more than 55,000 hectares of lowland dipterocarp rainforest.

Our days will include early morning and late afternoon outings (sometimes on foot but often in 4WD vehicles) but the main focus of our visit will be extended night drives along Deramakot’s forest road network.  The list of interesting mammals is impressive and arguably headed by Sunda Clouded Leopard.  Whilst this cat is never easy, on one of our previous tours, participants watched one for over 15 minutes at close range and there is probably nowhere with a better chance of encountering this amazing feline.

The rarely seen Bay Cat has also been recorded here, along with Marbled Cat and Sun Bear, and whilst we would be extremely fortunate to find any of these, species seen on our previous visits include Sunda Leopard Cat, Banded Linsang, Sunda Colugo, Malay, Small-toothed Palm, Banded Palm and Philippine Palm Civets, Bearded Pig, Sambar, Lesser and Greater Mousedeer, Large Flying Fox, Red Giant, Thomas’s and Hose’s Pygmy Flying Squirrels, Philippine Slow Loris and Sunda Stink Badger.

During the day, mammals we could encounter on walks around the camp include East Grey Gibbon, Southern Pig-tailed Macaque, Prevost’s and Pale Giant Squirrels and Slender Treeshrew and when out on day vehicle safaris, the possibilities include Bornean Orangutan, Bornean Pygmy Elephant and Sun Bear.

Deramakot also supports an excellent diversity of lowland rainforest birds and, although mammals will remain our main focus, our daytime excursions should provide opportunities for a good selection of Bornean specialities. Possibilities include Crested Jayshrike, Buff-rumped Woodpecker, White-fronted Falconet, Black-crowned Pitta, Bornean Black Magpie, Rhinoceros, Bushy-crested, Black and Wreathed Hornbills, Whiskered Treeswift, Red-naped, Diard’s and Scarlet-rumped Trogons, Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler, Sabah Partridge, Red-bearded Bee-eater, Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher, Brown, Black-eared, Yellow-crowned and Gold-whiskered Barbets, Little Green-Pigeon, Buffy Fish-Owl, Barred Eagle-Owl, Brown Wood-Owl, and many others.

Day 11
DERAMAKOT FOREST RESERVE TO THE KINABATANGAN RIVER
We plan to have a final morning looking for wildlife at Deramakot before reluctantly departing for Sukau which is located on the banks of the Kinabatangan River.  Here, we will check in to our comfortable lodge and there may be time to relax for a short while before a late-afternoon river cruise which will introduce us to the wildlife of the Kinabatangan.

Several species of primates can be found in the trees adjacent to the river bank with Proboscis Monkey, Long-tailed Macaque and Silvered Langur amongst the possibilities.

As the light fades, we are also likely to see a selection of birds flying to their roosts with Storm’s Stork, Black-and-Red Broadbill and Rhinoceros and Wrinkled Hornbills amongst the possibilities.

Following dinner, we will then head out onto the river once again and as at both Sepilok and Deramakot, it is a very different experience exploring after dark compared with during the day.  One of the possibilities here is Flat-headed Cat and looking for this ultra-tricky feline will certainly be one of our objectives, however, it is never easy to find with the variable water levels impacting on the chances of locating it.  Night lodge on banks of Kinabatangan River

Days 12-13
KINABATANGAN RIVER
We  have two full days to explore the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Malaysia’s largest Ramsar Wetland, and will primarily do this by boat going out at sunrise, in the late afternoon and then again after dark.

We will spend some of our time along the main river but will also explore narrower side channels with finding the wildlife our overriding priority.

These trips will provide an outstanding opportunity to look for Proboscis Monkey and Bornean Orangutan with both species often found in trees immediately adjacent to the riverbanks.  Several other primates also occur in the area and those we could see include Maroon and Silvered Langurs and this is another location where we could see Bornean Pygmy Elephant.  These can sometimes be seen feeding along the forested edge of the river and on one of our previous visits, a group were seen entering the water and then swimming across the river !!

A fantastic range of birds also occur with the possibilities including Storm’s Stork, Lesser Adjutant, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Lesser Fish-Eagle, Grey-headed Fish-Eagle, White-crowned, Helmeted, Rhinoceros, Bushy-crested, Black, Wreathed and Wrinkled Hornbill and Blue-eared and Stork-billed Kingfisher to list just a small number of the possibilities.

Days 14
KINABATANGAN RIVER TO SANDAKAN.  DEPART BORNEO FOR UK
We will enjoy a final breakfast overlooking the Kinabatangan River before travelling back to Sandakan from where we will fly to Kuala Lumpur and then onwards to the UK.

Days 15
ARRIVE UK
We should arrive back in the UK in the morning where our wildlife tour to Borneo concludes.

WHAT TO EXPECT
A 15-day mammals-focused tour to Borneo, visiting the wildlife-rich rainforest state of Sabah, in the north of this immense island which is the third largest in the world.

As with all wildlife tours to the tropics, you should be prepared for early starts, getting out in the field at daybreak, typically followed (on non-travel days) by a siesta during the hottest and least ‘birdy’ part of the day, before venturing out again from mid-late afternoon.

We will also have regular night excursions, especially at Deramakot and, on some occasions, these could continue late into the night.  When this occurs, we may sleep in the following morning.

This is primarily a mammals tour but also one with excellent bird and all-round wildlife interest.  It is important to appreciate that mammals will be the principal focus and we will not be attempting to maximise on the bird list although we hope to see a good number of endemics.

Borneo has a tropical climate and conditions are likely to be hot and humid (typically 24–31°C).  Sunshine can be interspersed with heavy tropical showers or thunderstorms.

As one would expect in the tropics, it is often humid, especially in the lowlands and around the coast.

BIRDS
120-160 species

MAMMALS
30-50 species

ACCOMMODATION
12 nights accommodation in Borneo, staying in good quality tourist hotels and lodges throughout.

All rooms have private facilities and air conditioning.

MEALS
All main meals (and with drinking water provided during the day) are included in the tour price, commencing with lunch or dinner on Day 2 (depending on the flight schedule) and concluding with breakfast on Day 15.

Some meals on this tour will be taken in the field.  On some days at Deramakot, for example, we plan to take a packed dinner on our afternoon safari allowing us to continue on into the night without needing to return to the lodge for food.

WALKING
Easy to moderate walks at a gentle pace along quiet roads and forest trails (some hill and forest trails can be steep and/or muddy underfoot at times, but our progress along them is always unhurried). Some mornings we may be on our feet for up to five hours.

Comfortable, robust and waterproof walking shoes or lightweight boots with sturdy corrugated soles for grip are recommended for this tour.

GROUND TRANSPORT
Air-conditioned minibus or other suitable vehicle depending on the group size.

BOAT TRIPS
Our tour price includes boat trips on the Kinabatangan River during our stay there.