Meet the orangutans with Wildlife News Travel

Visit the orangutans in Borneo with Wildlife News Travel

We’ve teamed up with a major ecotour operator to the incredible island of Borneo to offer our readers the opportunity to meet up with orangutans and explore this diverse and rich landscape. Wildlife News Travel brings social buying to the ecotourism industry by offering increasing discounts as more people sign up and book. Everyone will pay the lowest price no matter what the price was when the booking was made.

We’ve negotiated discounts at the following levels; 10 , 15 and 20 bookings. In order to allow the group to get the most from the tour there will be no more than 20 people allowed. The tour departs from the UK on 26th October 2011 and will last for 12 days.

Original price: £2125.00 per person based on 2 sharing.

previous price £1925.00 per person based on 2 sharing

last price £1775.00 per person based on 2 sharing.

SOLD OUT: Final price: £1575.00 per person based on 2 sharing.

Itinerary:

day 1 – 2: Traveling.

Depart Heathrow for flight to Kuching, Borneo. Escorted to hotel and meet your tour guide. Remainder of day at leisure to explore this colourful and vibrant state capital and the largest city in Borneo. You will spend the night at the Kuching Hilton.

orangutan

day 3: Bako National Park.

We head to the Bako National Park which is the oldest national park in the state of Sarawak. Despite being one of the smallest national parks in the state it offers one of the most diverse ranges of habitat and wildlife on the island. This makes it a perfect day trip to explore this colourful land. The maze of trails and footpaths that criss cross the park means that exploration is best undertaken by foot. Because the park has been protected for so long the animals are not very wary of visitors so you have a good chance of seeing a wide range of wildlife including primates.

There are ample species to discover on this day out. Primates that inhabit the park includes:

proboscis monkey,
long-tailed macaques,
silvered langur monkeys,
silver leaf monkey.

There’s also a range of notable mammal species to look out for including the local Bornean Bearded Pig, hairy nosed otter, Oriental Small-Clawed Otter. There’s also a good range of amphibians and reptiles to keep you occupied. Bird watchers will appreciate the 150 species that have been recorded in the park.

The park can only be accessed by boat and there is a 30 minute boat ride both to access and leave the national park. you return to the Hilton at Kuching for the overnight stay.

day 4: Batang Ai National Park.

We take a drive through some stunning landscape and countryside, with ample breaks on the route, as we head towards the Batang Ai National Park. This park of tropical forests surrounds a 30 year old man made lake caused the the building of a hydroelectric dam. After the 250 km drive to the park you have time to relax and take in the surroundings of this important reserve and home to orangutans, hornbills and gibbons.

You overnight at the Batang Ai Longhouse Resort.

turtle

day 5: Batang Ai National Park.

The day is spent exploring the region and like the locals you will be traveling by traditional longboat. The locals are very proud of their park and the communities have formed a cooperative called ‘Kooperasi Serbaguna Ulu Batang Ai’ and are helping to conserve the park. you’ll get the chance to explore both the reservoir and also the main Engkari River. With the chance to meet the local inhabitants you’ll soon here stories about the adventures of local people and the wildlife in the area.

You over night at the Batang Ai Longhouse Resort.

day 6: Kachung City

We return back to the bustle of Kachung City for a rest day. But there’s no need to stay in the hotel as you can explore the city and sample some of the local hospitality. There is plenty of time for you to visit the markets, bazaars, museums and the lively waterfront area.

Overnight in the Kachung Hilton

day 7: Sandakan

We take an internal flight to the north east coast of Borneo for a base in Sandakan. This city has become the doorway for eco-tourism to Borneo and offers access to the poplar tourist attractions that is associated with ecotourism in Borneo. You can spend the remainder of the day relaxing in the hotel or explore the city and it’s history.

Overnight in Sandakan

day 8: Selingan Island (aka Turtle Island).

Discover the amazing work that is going on to protect two of the world endangered turtle species. The beaches of Selingan Island are home to both the green turtle and the hawksbill turtles. One of the things to remember when visiting this site is that the site is there for conservation of turtles and not the pleasure of tourists. This means that there are some strict rules in force in order to reduce disturbance for egg laying females.

Overnight in Selingan Island

day 9: Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.

This for many will be the highlight of the trip. A day at the Sepilok orangutan sanctuary will give you the opportunity to come face to face with these amazing apes. The sanctuary is situated in dense rain forest next to the Kabili Sepilok Forest Reserve and offers a place of refuge for rescued orangutans, both juvenile and adults.But it’s not just the orangutans that the sanctuary cares for, you may also see sun bears, gibbons and rhinos all being cared for. The animals you see will very much depend on circumstance at the time. The orangutans though are at the very heart of this sanctuary.

The day ends with a river cruise along the Kinabatangan River to our overnight stay in Kinabatangan.

pygmy elephants

day 10: Kinabatangan River

The day is spent exploring the diverse wildlife of the Kinabatangan River. A river cruise will give you a unique look at the birds and animals found in this rich rain forest and mangrove habitat. Expect to see crocodiles, pygmy elephants, monkeys, otters and even wild orangutans. This is one of the richest habitats on the island and you need to keep your eyes open to enjoy this fascinating trip.

The day will also see a visit to the Gomantong Caves where millions of bats and birds nest. The caves are a source of nests used in bird nests soup and are one of the worlds best managed sources of birds nests for restaurants. You may get the chance to see the precarious climbing and harvesting techniques used by the collectors in the cave.

Overnight in Kinabatangan.

day 11 -12 Kota Kinabalu and home

We head to the state capital of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu where there is time to explore the world renown Puh Jih Syh Chinese Buddhist Temple before heading to the airport for our flight back to the UK.

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