Day 1 : Kota Kinabalu / Kinabalu Park
Depart Kota Kinabalu and travel 2 hours along the ridges of the Crocker Range to Kinabalu Park. Enjoy superb mountain views as you travel to the Park at 1524 meters. Explore one of the many trails that lead through tropical Montane Oak and Chestnut Forest. Kinabalu is botanist's paradise with over a thousand species of orchids, numerous different rhododendrons and pitcher plants.
The bird life is equally fascinating with most species being montane, including a number of endemics. Stay overnight at Wildlife Mountain Lodge. (Lunch/dinner included)
Day 2 : Poring Hot Springs / Kinabalu Park
Proceed by road for an hour to Poring Hot Springs at the Southern end of Kinabalu Park. Lowland dipterocarp forest makes up most of the vegetation at Poring and it is an excellent place to view lowland birds and some mammals.
A short trek into the forest to the Canopy Walkway for a bird's eye view of the tropical rainforest. The Canopy Walkway is suspended between trees at the height of 40 meters and offers an excellent opportunity to observe wildlife in the canopy. Return to an overnight at Wildlife Mountain Lodge. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner included)
Day 3 : Gomantong Cave / Sukau / Kinabatangan River
Drive overland easterly to the district of Sandakan. The drive will take 4 hours passing through scenic countrysides. Visit the Gomantong Caves where the bizarre edible bird's nest are harvested as they been for hundreds of years.
The caves are also home to more than a million bats. The birdlife around the cave is particularly rich, with crested serpent eagles, kingfishers, asian fairy bluebirds and leaf birds often sighted. Continue the journey to the village of Sukau at the Kinabatangan River where the greatest concentration of wildlife in Malaysia and possibly all of Borneo, can be found. Stay overnight at the riverside traditional style Sukau River Lodge. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner included)
Day 4 : Kinabatangan River
Boat trips for the day at the river to view numerous species of wildlife such as orang utans, macaques, red and silver leaf monkeys, elephants, hornbills, crocodiles, civet cats, otters and the most famous creature: the proboscis monkeys.
Found only in Borneo, the male of this species has a large pendulous nose, fat belly, thick white tail and webbed feet. The bird life includes egret, kingfisher, oriental darter, bee-eater, hornbill and many more. Stay overnight at Sukau River Lodge. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner included)
Day 5 : Libaran Island
Drive 2½ hours to the district of Sandakan before taking an hour boat ride to Libaran Island. Enjoy the tropical shoreline vegetation with numerous species of wildlife.
Glass bottom boat cruise or snorkel at the nearby marine islands to see colourful corals and fishes of the Sulu Sea. In the afternoon, walk to the nearby village and observe life in a fisherman's village. Overnight Libaran Island Lodge. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner included)
Day 6 : Selingan Turtle Island
Boat ride to the nearby Selingan Island where the most important turtle breeding Marine Park is found in all of South East Asia. It is a rare experience to watch the huge green turtles lumber ashore every night, dig a hole with their flippers and lay around 100 eggs.
The rangers will transfer these eggs to a hatchery for incubation for 50-60 days before hatchlings breakout of their shells and scramble up through the sand and make their way to the sea. Only 3% are likely to survive due to disease and depredation.
If females do survive, they will return in 20 years or so to the very beach where they themselves were hatched to repeat the cycle. Stay overnight at Selingan Island Chalet. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner included)
Day 7 : Sepilok Orang Utan Centre / Kota Kinabalu
Boat transfer back to Sandakan mainland and take a short drive to the famous Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. Founded in 1964 the Centre helps once captive orang utans learn to climb and fend for themselves in the wild with the hope that one day they may return to the forest.
The semi-wild orang utans may return to the platform provided by the Centre for milk and bananas twice a day during the process of returning to the forest. Visitors will get a close up view of these orang utans and have the chance to photograph them at close range.
Transfer to Sandakan airport for an afternoon flight to Kota Kinabalu for onward flight home. (Breakfast/lunch included) |
