Available departures
Guaranteed
Abstract
The exotic charm of the island of Borneo with its tribal cultures, mostly the Ibans, former headhunters, and the jungle animals including the lovely Orangutans. So much culture and nature!,
Characteristics
- English speaking guide in Mulu. Private tour with local guides
- meals included (see “Price includes”)
- departures are guaranteed (min 2 participants). Subject to availability
Itinerary
Day 1 — Kuching
After immigration formalities, passport control, baggage retrieval, and customs, you will be greeted by a local guide and transferred to the hotel., rooms will be assigned starting from 14.00, Around 3 pm, I will meet with the guide and start exploring this exotic city, the capital of the state of Sarawak. The tour will begin with a visit to one of the most important Buddhist temples in the city center, followed by a visit to the Urang Museum, rich in Sarawak traditions. We will then proceed through the old Malay village to discover the true "kampung" (village) lifestyle. Returning to the city center, we will start an interesting walking tour, starting from the Kuching Mosque, and walking through old streets with their typical arcades and small local artisan shops. We will admire the British colonial area with the Court House and other buildings in the same style, and then walk along the Sarawak River and Main Bazar, where various ethnic shops and local wood processing shops can be found., walk back to the hotel with your guide, free evening and night, Dinner at leisure, accommodation Eldey Airport Hotel,
Day 2 — Kuching
Breakfast, full day tour of and surroundings, Departure towards the fishing village of Bako, passing through the mangrove forest with its typical nipah palms. We will start by boat, descending towards the mouth of this river and crossing a stretch of sea for about 30 minutes. We will reach Bako National Park, created in 1957, which offers a perfect introduction to the forests and wildlife of Sarawak. Covering an area of 27 sq km, Bako contains a wide range of vegetation: mangrove forest, dipterocarp forest, delicate marine vegetation, as well as a rich variety of wildlife including proboscis monkeys, macaques, silver leaf monkeys, and monitor lizards. We will start an interesting trek that will lead to the western end of the park to reach a beautiful untouched bay, with towering rock formations of immense beauty. On the way back, it will be interesting to trek through the real mangrove forest where, thanks to the low tide, you can observe 'violinist' crabs and other small crustaceans emerging from the mud, which provide additional food for the wildlife of this forest. Return to the Park Headquarters where we will have lunch in local style. In the afternoon, we will return by boat to the village of Bako and then by land to Kuching., free evening and night, Dinner at leisure. Accommodation,
Day 3 — Kuching
Breakfast, full day tour of and surroundings, Departure towards the Semenggoh Orangutan Conservation Center. This is a special center for the protection of these primates, established in 1975 in 740 hectares of virgin forest. Most of these animals have been saved from captivity and over the years have been rehabilitated to live freely in their natural environment. This community of Orangutans has grown to over 26 individuals. It will be interesting to observe them when they emerge from the dense vegetation to take advantage of some extra food placed on platforms by the rangers of the Center. No ranger will touch them in order to allow these primates to preserve their freedom in their own environment; a few or many individuals may appear in front of visitors, depending on the decision of the dominant male! At the end of the visit, we will continue by land to the town of Serian, which hosts a charming and colorful open-air market that offers visitors unique experiences with vegetables and fruits, some of which are typical only of Sarawak. We will then continue our journey to the Bidayuh community village of Mongkos, located right on the border of Indonesian Kalimantan. Mongkos is a thriving rural community and is home to one of the few remaining traditional Bidayuh houses in Sarawak. The Bidayuh or Land Dayak are the second largest Dayak tribe in Sarawak. Traditionally, they lived in longhouses, but nowadays most Bidayuh settlements consist of individual houses rather than longhouses. Upon arrival at the traditional longhouse with 24 wooden and bamboo doors, you will have contact with this community and their traditions that are still intact despite modernity. Lunch in local style inside the Longhouse, followed by a walk through rice, pepper (the famous aromatic pepper of this region), rubber, and cocoa plantations, typical crops of this ethnic group. Return to Kuching in the late afternoon., free evening and night, Dinner at leisure, accommodation,
Day 4 — Kuching → Mulu
Breakfast, Upon arrival at the small Mulu airport, transfer to the nearby resort. The Mulu National Park is one of the most spectacular parks in Malaysia. It is a vast expanse of untouched nature that offers the opportunity to explore caves, walk on suspension bridges, and go trekking. Among the main attractions of the park are the two massive mountain ranges, one made of sandstone and the other of limestone, which rise facing each other within its borders. Around 2:00 PM, there will be a meeting with the local English-speaking guide and the start of a simple trek in the middle of the beautiful jungle, a route of just over 3 kilometers, which will take you to the entrances of the Lang and Deer caves, which together form the largest underground passage in the world. Inside, you can admire ancient stalactites and stalagmites, in various shapes and sizes. At sunset, you can witness the spectacular emergence of millions of bats from the caves as they head into the surrounding jungle in search of food. You will return to the resort at sunset, walking through the jungle amidst enchanting atmospheres., dinner at the hotel, accommodation,
Day 5 — Mulu
Breakfast, In the early morning, departure with the local English-speaking guide for a boat excursion. We will go up a smaller river in the jungle to experience the visit of 2 different caves: the Wind Caves and the Clearwater Caves. Walking along wooden walkways and rocky steps, you will be able to admire one of the longest underground waterways in the world, naturally carved over millennia by the power of water. We will return to Mulu for an adrenaline-filled experience, walking on the suspended bridge (Canopy Walkway) in the middle of the jungle, which is 480 meters long and 30 meters above the ground. The rest of the afternoon is free., dinner at the hotel, accommodation,
Day 6 — Mulu
Breakfast, meet your driver at the agreed time for your transfer to the airport, end of the tour,
Notes
- ROOMS: Triple rooms are double rooms plus an extra bed, typically smaller than the other two. Triple rooms are subject to availability at the time of reservation. Special requests for smoking, communicating, adjoining, high floor, low floor rooms etc. are always upon request and the service is never to be intended as guaranteed.
- TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: before the start of the tour, all the participants must make sure they possess the required documents to enter the destination countries, and that such documents are comprehensive and valid.
- FINAL HOTEL LIST: as in the travel documents
- HOTEL, CHECK-IN: rooms are usually assigned starting from 3pm. Earlier check-in is at the hotel’s discretion. If you request earlier assignation, you must book an extra night at the beginning of your stay.
- HOTEL, CHECK-OUT: rooms must be left in the morning (the exact time will be provided by the hotel). Supplements for late check-out amount to 50% of an extra night if you check-out by 6pm, and to a full extra night if you check-out after that
- HOTEL / ITINERARY, CHANGES: The Organizing Body reserves the right to substitute the itinerary and/or the hotels to alternative of a similar or superior category in the event of unplanned circumstances, and if the safe and normal proceeding of the tour is threatened. Furthermore, when in the impossibility for all of the travellers to stay at the same hotel, the group will be split amidst several hotels of the same category.
- TIMETABLES: departure times are indicative, depending on the number of hotel pick-ups per day. Tourists are kindly asked to be in the lobby at the indicated time. Depending on which hotel you are staying at, you may have to wait 15 minutes or more. The return times are indicative and subject to change depending on a number of factors, including traffic and duration of the visits.
- PUNCTUALITY: you are advised to be punctual. No refund is issued to passengers failing to meet at designated time.
- TIPS: not included; at your discretion
- MEALS: not included when not specified
- REFUNDS: If the tour or any part thereof cannot be conducted due to Force Majeure or Vis Majeure, the Company shall not be responsible to give any refund; also, no refund will be given for any portions of the tour unused by the traveler
- TRANSFERS: not included when not specified. When included, transfers operate only from/to the hotels included in the tour, and only on the first and last day of the tour. A supplement is charged for transfers from/to different hotels; in the event of a longer stay; and in the event of arrival/departure at/from other airports. A supplement is always charged to individual passengers. Requests for unscheduled transfers from/to different hotels must be issued at least 3 weeks before departure; otherwise, an additional urgency surcharge will be applied.,
Starts from
5 days / 2 nights – from Kuching to Mulu,
Meals
Key: B breakfast, L lunch, D dinner,
Price includes
Transfers and visits by coach or minivan, with local assistants and guides, local guides in italiano/inglese for the tour, English speaking guide in Mulu, admissions, visits and excursions: as scheduled, accommodation at the scheduled hotel (or similar), meals: breakfasts, lunches, dinners,
Price does not include
Administration fees and “no-risk” coverage, trip cancellation, medical expense & baggage coverage, meals that have not been specified; beverage; any extra, Christmas or New Year’s Eve dinner (with supplement), tips, porterage, air travel and taxes, everything not expressly mentioned in "The fee includes",
Important notes
Flight to Kuching (not included): you must book a flight landing by 13.00. Flight from Kuching to Mulu (not included): must leave after 09.00, flights from/to Mulu: not included. You can leave at your convenience, Comfortable shoes, rainproof clothing (K-Way or waterproof poncho), and insect repellent are recommended., Orangutans and other animals in the jungle live in the wild, so sightings cannot always be guaranteed, even though the guides will always try to provide you with sightings of these animals., In Mulu, local guides only speak English., the timetable in the travel plan is indicative. The definite timetable will be confirmed on site by your guides, Group tours have a maximum of 26 participants (especially in August). The following vehicles will be used for the tour: up to 10 people: 1 12-seater minivan; up to 16 people: 2 12-seater minivans; 17 people or more: 40-seater bus. Groups of up to 16 people will be divided between the two vehicles and accompanied by a single local Italian-speaking tour leader and a local English-speaking guide. On longer journeys, there will be stops where the local Italian-speaking tour leader will alternate between the vehicles. Only once the final destination, or the destination of greatest interest, has been reached will the guide bring the groups together to begin the tour.,
