15 Day Inspiring Borneo Small Group Tour
This tour features a combination of escorted and independent travel. Part of your journey will be enjoyed as a group experience, led by expert tour leaders or local guides. The remainder is self-guided—whether by rail, cruise, or overland—allowing you the freedom to travel between destinations independently and explore at your own pace.
This tour is categorised as 3 out of 5
Balanced exploration with walking tours: Our most popular style, this tour offers a good mix of planned activities and free time. Expect moderate daily walking tours, so pack comfortable shoes.
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
Experience a superior level of comfort. Our Small Group tours have been crafted for Inspiring Vacations travellers exclusively, with personal and unique experiences in mind. Travel with no more than 26 people, allowing for a more personalised and immersive experience. Please see the Important Information on your selected tour for the exact group size.
✓ Small group tour, with no more than 16 travellers
✓ Incredible sightseeing including the spectacular caves and jungle of Mulu and Bako National Park, a treetop canopy walk and short jungle treks, and time to unwind on the idyllic island of Mantanani Besar
✓ Unforgettable wildlife experiences; spot proboscis monkeys, get up close at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, visit rescued sun bears at their conservation centre, and embark on multiple river safaris along the Kinabatangan river
✓ 12 nights in central 4-star accommodation and comfortable jungle resorts
✓ 2 nights in a 4-star island resort on the island of Mantanani Besar
✓ Breakfast daily, 6 lunches, 4 dinners
✓ Fully escorted by local English-speaking tour guides
✓ Comfortable, dedicated transportation throughout
✓ In-depth sightseeing and entrance fees as per the itinerary
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Selamat Datang! Welcome to Kuching, Borneo.
On arrival, please make your own way to the hotel. You will have a Welcome Meeting at 6.00pm in the hotel, where you will meet your tour leader and the rest of your group for a tour briefing, an orientation walk of the surrounding areas and an optional dinner at your own expense.
Special Information
Airport transfers are not included. Our transfer portal offers the option to book your airport transfers for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed.
Passengers will be arriving at various times throughout the day from as early as 6:00am through to late evening. If arriving prior to standard check-in time, which is generally 3:00pm local time, you are welcome to leave your luggage with hotel reception and explore your surroundings until check-in becomes available, as there are generally no scheduled activities on Day 1 of the itinerary. The hotel may grant early check-in, however this is strictly subject to availability and at the hotel’s discretion.
After breakfast, start the day with a short drive to a local longhouse.
You will be greeted with a welcome dance by the longhouse community. Enjoy the unique experience of local lifestyle and culture by exploring their longhouses. End the trip with cultural performance while enjoying your lunch.
This afternoon, return to your hotel in Kuching and spend the remainder of the day at your leisure.
Inspiring Highlights
Special Information
Your travel time today will be approximately 2.5 hours.
After breakfast, your day will begin with a 45-minute drive to Bako village, then a 30-minute boat ride onwards to Bako National Park. The oldest national park in Sarawak, Bako is famed for its striking limestone and sandstone cliffs, plant diversity and wildlife, particularly the proboscis monkey. Explore the wonderful nature trails, ranging from easy to challenging to suit any fitness level.
Later, return to Kuching where the rest of the evening is free to spend at your leisure
Inspiring Highlights
Special Information
Your travel time today will be approximately 3.5 hours.
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Kuching Airport in time for your included flight to Mulu.
Upon arrival in Mulu, the group will be met and driven into Mulu National Park. World Heritage-listed Mulu Caves is a natural wonder of stunning landscapes and ecological biodiversity that beckon you to explore. Whether you are looking for a tranquil escape, a trekking adventure or to just be awed by the magnificent cave system, Mulu will tick off all those boxes and more. Stretch your legs on a 3km walk each way, to Deer Cave and Lang Cave, where beautifully lit cave formations and the mass exodus of bats from Deer Cave (which usually occurs during fine weather) will astound.
Tonight for dinner you can choose from the hotel's in-house restaurant or a local restaurant outside the park.
Inspiring Highlights
Special Information
Your travel time today will be approximately 3.5 hours.
Your internal flight for this day is arranged by our local partner. Specific flight details will be provided by your Tour Leader upon arrival and cannot be provided in advance. Please note that these group flights cannot be upgraded, amended, or checked in online. Your Tour Leader will manage the check-in process for the group.
Your included flight allows one checked bag up to 20kg (44lbs), and one 7kg (15 lbs) carry-on, with options to increase your luggage allowance at the airport if needed. Your flight Tickets will be given to you on ground.
After breakfast, the day will be spent exploring Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave which are awe-inspiring in terms of magnitude and natural beauty.
En route to the caves, visit a Penan settlement’s handicraft market.
Relax over a picnic lunch before returning to the accommodation where the rest of the day is free.
Inspiring Highlights
Check out from the hotel and transfer back to Mulu airport. Fly to Kota Kinabalu and upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.
Welcome to Kota Kinabalu! This bustling waterfront city is surrounded by nature with offshore coral islands, forest covered hills, scenic rivers and of course, Mt. Kinabalu, the highest peak in South East Asia. Explore its street markets, dine on popular local and international cuisine, and enjoy one of the best sunsets in Asia.
After breakfast, check out and transfer to the airport for your flight to Sandakan.
Upon arrival, proceed to Kinabatangan. The 560km long Kinabatangan River flows through a floodplain teeming with wildlife that includes large mammals, primates, birds, reptiles and insects. A river boat cruise makes light work of wildlife spotting and bird watching but you can explore deeper into the riverine forest on foot to seek out the more elusive species. Time for orientation, tea break and check in at your accommodation.
Afterwards, proceed for an afternoon cruise with the opportunity to view wildlife and birds in a virgin rainforest habitat.
Finish the day with dinner and a jungle discovery night walk.
Wake up to the calls of birds, insects, and animals. At around 6.00am take a morning jungle cruise before returning for breakfast at the resort. After breakfast, relax before setting out on a short jungle trek before lunch.
This afternoon sees more discovery on an afternoon river cruise.
After breakfast, continue to Sepilok. Upon arrival, enjoy a city tour.
As Sabah’s pre-war capital, Sandakan is rich in historical landmarks and monuments that include the Sandakan Memorial Park, Puu Jih Shih Buddhist Temple, St. Michael’s and All Angels church, and Agnes Keith Museum. Take tea at The English Tea House (optional) and browse the central market for Sandakan’s local produce.
Today we visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Set up to help re-introduce these wonderful creatures back into the wild after a life of domestication or having been orphaned. There's a short film about the orangutan rehabilitation process to watch in the reserve's interpretation centre.
The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre is also within walking distance. We will visit this wonderful new centre taking care of rescued Sun Bears that have spent many years mistreated. Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre is giving a better life to these bears by caring for them with the hope of reintroducing them back into the wild.
Proceed for lunch before a rainforest discovery centre visit to learn about the fascinating flora and fauna of Borneo. We take a walk along the canopy walkway to see the jungle from above and visit the plant discovery garden.
Please note there is a small camera fee charged locally
After breakfast, check out from the resort and return to Sandakan.
Fly to Kota Kinabalu where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax.
Enjoy breakfast this morning and check out of your hotel at the required time. You will then meet in the lobby at 11:45am for your transfer to Kota Belud (approx 2hrs - change of vehicle required en-route). There will be no stop for lunch this day, so please be prepared by packing a light lunch for yourself that you can have on the way.
Arrive at the jetty and enjoy a 30-minute boat ride to Sutera Mantanani Resort. Set on a white sandy beach, the resort is located on the idyllic island of Mantanani Besar. Note: for safety reasons, guests are limited to 1 cabin/backpack size luggage item - a surcharge is applicable for additional luggage (from AUD$17 per item) You will store your main luggage at the hotel prior to check-out this day.
Upon arrival, settle in and you will be taken on a sunset walk of the island, where you can see the bright orange, red and yellow pastels of the sensational evening light streaks across the horizon before dipping behind the ocean. Following this, you can then enjoy your included dinner.
This morning following breakfast you will be taken on a snorkelling adventure. Dive in the crystal clear waters and marvel at the abundance of fascinating aquatic life swimming in the waters of Mantanani Island. See countless species of fish and other sea life as you glide through the water.
After this, you are free to enjoy the rest of your day at leisure. Be sure to check out some of the in-house activities available at the resort.
Enjoy an early breakfast before checking out of your resort. You will also be provided with lunch prior to boarding your return boat to the mainland. Travel back to Kota Kinabalu before checking in at your hotel.
Tonight is free to enjoy an optional group dinner.
There are no activities planned for the final day. At the appropriate time, please make your own way to the airport for your flight home.
Spend two days exploring the World Heritage-listed Mulu Caves, a natural wonder of stunning landscapes and ecological biodiversity
Enjoy a delicious picnic lunch while exploring Mulu National Park
Enjoy two relaxing nights in a sea-view chalet on the idyllic island of Mantanani Besar
This product requires full payment upfront to secure your booking.
Once you have created your booking you will be directed to your invoice to choose your preferred payment method.
This package is sold as land only, however you do have the option of adding international airfares to your booking. Simply click on’ book now’, and under upgrades , you will be asked “Would you like us to contact you around our flight service?”
By selecting this option Inspiring Vacations will contact you to discuss adding flights to your chosen destination. We can assist with flying the airline of your choice to turn your booking into a flight inclusive package.
We would be more than happy to provide you with a quote for the following requests:
We are currently unable to provide a quote for the following requests:
Online check-in
Some airlines may not permit online check-in where flights have been booked by a travel company. Where unavailable to do so online, you will be required to check-in at the airport. Inspiring Vacations cannot check-in online on behalf of our customers.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
This particular tour is categorised as a”3”
Moderate Tour: A good level of fitness and mobility is required, as this tour includes a moderate level of physical activity and is considered a medium-fast paced tour. You should be able to walk up and down stairs, get on and off the coach and able to walk reasonable distances of approximately 2 kilometres per day or more with ease. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability. If you have any form of walking aids, other than a walking stick or hiking poles, then this tour is not suitable.
Tipping
A friendly reminder that tipping is not included in your package. Tipping is not compulsory on your trip, but they can make a big difference to locals employed in the tourism industry. If you feel that your guide and driver have done an impeccable job, you can choose to give a gratuity, but this is entirely your decision.
For the services of your guide, it is suggested that you budget for AUD$10 per person, per day. Tipping of your driver is also appreciated and we would suggest AUD$5 per person, per day.
As this particular tour does not collect a ‘kitty’, it is entirely up to the individual whether or not you would like to tip locals for the services of things like taxis or when dining at restaurants. In these cases, we suggest you allow 10-20% of the value of the service as a tip. Again, it is not compulsory and entirely up to the individual.
Mantanani Luggage Requirements
Due to travel via boat for your planned stay at The Sutera Resort, you are only permitted to travel with maximum 1 luggage (cabin or backpack size only), otherwise a surcharge of approximately AUD 17 per luggage must be paid.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, however, any changes are beyond our control.
Single Supplement
Single supplement is $1,198.00 per person, in addition to the twin-share price.
Triple Share
Not available.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended to protect yourself against the unexpected. In addition to the support that a policy may provide, you may be asked to present a copy of your travel insurance documentation while traveling.
Visa & Passport information
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of return.
Visas may be required.
Please note that these details are subject to change without notice. We recommend visiting https://www.safetravel.govt.nz for up to date information in terms of entry requirements.
Group Size
2-16 people
Children
Children must be 5 years old or above and share a room with parents at all times. Children are charged the same price as adults.
Tour Style
To meet the needs of various types of travelers, we choose to operate various types of tours, and depending on your selected package will mean different services are provided throughout your trip. The following descriptions of each tour style we hope will ensure that each traveller has appropriate expectations before they start their travels:
You can enhance your holiday by arriving or departing before or after the tour. On this tour you can choose from the following options:
Pre Tour Accommodation
Post Tour Accommodation
Arrival and departure airport transfers
Your transfer may be shared with other Inspiring Vacations customers.
Please select the number of extra nights required in the 'Additional Nights Accommodation' field when making your purchase. The additional cost for these arrangements will be added to your final payment invoice and are subject to availability.
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