Borneo: Tropical Islands and Beaches

Borneo: A little slice of paradise, this sumptuous and wildly romantic journey across Borneo takes in some of the most pristine tropical hideaways in Southeast Asia. Staying at luxurious resorts, you will have time to enjoy the crystal clear waters of the Sula Sea, where sharks, rays and turtles are regular visitors to the warm azure waters. You will also have an opportunity to explore a little something of Kuala Lumpar, one of Asia's most dynamic and exciting cities.


Tour Includes:

  • 3 internal flights.
  • 8 nights 4 and 5 star hotel accommodation. 3 nights Lankayan Island Resort.
  • 11 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners.
  • Private chauffeur driven vehicle, normally mini bus.
  • Speed boats.
  • Private guided transfers to and from all airports.


Departures: Daily

Comment:
Offering wild romance and tropical paradise in equal measure, this journey enjoys the facilities and comforts of some of Borneo's finest island resorts and some of its best beaches. The transfer will be on a private basis except the Tioman Island transfers and boat transfers which will be shared.

Flight Inclusive Price:
Based on return economy class flights with Malaysian Airways; from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpar, and returning from Kota Kinabalu to London, via Kuala Lumpar. This will add 2 days onto your itinerary. UK Airport Passenger Duty and airport taxes are also included.

Tour Prices:
Whilst all best endeavours are made to ensure the prices for private journeys on our website are accurate - given the nature of peak season air supplements and fuel surcharges - prices given above may vary depending on departure date and availability.

How to book your Private Journey

Borneo: Tropical Islands and Beaches

Borneo: Tropical Islands and Beaches

Day 1: Kuala Lumpur
Arriving in Kuala Lumpar this morning you will be transferred to your hotel after which the remainder of the day will be free to enjoy at your leisure. You will be spending the next two nights at the elegant Villa Samadhi, a chic 'urban retreat' that lies in the centre of an upmarket residential area just minutes from the city centre. After a chance to relax and freshen up, you will have an opportunity later to enjoy dinner with a view, at the impressive Teeq Brasserie, located on the rooftop at Lot 10. A mix of avant garde design, glass facades and a garden landscape of cascading ferns, it offers a grand view of K.L.'s famous skyline. (D)

Day 2: Kuala Lumpur
You have a free day today to enjoy the sights and sounds of this most vibrant of destinations. The most populous city in Malaysia, K.L. is home to a rich mix of Malays, Tamils, Chinese and Indians and is the setting for the towering pillars of the world famous Petronas Towers. A dazzling and eclectic collection of mosques, markets, historic temples and shopping malls, Kuala Lumpar enjoys one of the most culturally diverse populations of any city in Asia, making it a fascinating place to explore on your own. Its wonderful skyline includes everything from old British colonial to the post-modern creations that include the tallest skyscrapers in Asia, whilst its abundance of parks and gardens offer a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. (B)

Day 3: Kuala Lumpur - Tioman Island
This morning you will transfer to the airport for a short flight on to the dragon-shaped jewel of Tioman Island and the clear waters of the South China Sea. On arrival you will transfer by boat to the JapaMala Resort, a luxurious retreat set amongst 11 acres of lush wilderness along the island's south-west coast. This afternoon is then free to enjoy this idyllic setting at your leisure.(B)

Day 4: Tioman Island
Over the next two days, you will have ample time to make the most of your time on this tropical paradise. The resort follows a philosophy of luxurious jungle living and provides guests with a range of comforts and activities. You can enjoy the Hydro pools and the Samadhi Spa, while away the time relaxing under the thatched beach pavilions, or make use of the outdoor pool. Those looking for more active distractions might like to try some diving or snorkelling, perhaps indulge in a little island hopping and kayaking or take to the waters on a fishing trip. The surrounding rainforests also provide a chance for some jungle trekking and an opportunity to search for macaques and the beautifully iridescent birds that make this island their home. (B)

Day 5: Tioman Island
Day at leisure on the Tioman Islands.(B)

Day 6: Tioman Island - Kota Kinabalu
Travelling by boat and plane this morning you will fly on to Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah State. From here you will then transfer the short distance to the Rasa Ria Resort, lying just 30 minutes to the north of the city. The resort lies amidst 400 acres of lush, tropical vegetation along Borneo's north-western coastline and the remainder of the day is free to enjoy as you wish. (B)

Day 7: Kota Kinabalu
The next two days have been left free for you to make the most of the facilities at the Shangri La Rasa Ria Resort. Lying besides the pristine white sands of Pantai Dalit Beach, the resort boasts its own nature reserve, an eco-friendly championship golf course and an enviable array of leisure activities - both in and out of the water. With a health club and spa on site and its own secluded beach, the resort provides a tantalising choice of recreational pursuits besides the transparent waters of Borneo's northern coast.(B)

Day 8: Kota Kinabalu
Day at leisure. (B)

Day 9: Kota Kinabalu - Sandakan - Lankayan Island
Driving to the airport this morning you will take a flight on to Sandakan today, where you will board a speedboat on to Lankayan Island; a 90 minute journey that brings you to one of Sabah's premier diving spots. Virtually uninhabited and lying amongst the remote turquoise waters of the Sulu Sea, Lankayan Island is part of the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area, an important nesting area for both green and hawksbill turtles. You will be staying at the island's only resort, in spacious sea-front chalets that look out onto lush tropical jungle and an endless white sandy beach. (B,L,D)

Day 10: Lankayan Island
The next two days have been left free to enjoy this tropical haven at your leisure. The island is an idyllic spot to simply relax and soak up the beauty of this setting from the beach or the open-air terrace. For those that wish to try some diving, the waters that fringe the island offer a matchless choice of dive sites that boast everything from wrecks and sharks to rays and giant clams. Between March and May these waters are also renowned for regular sightings of the huge and elusive whale sharks, the largest living species of fish left on the planet.(B,L,D)

Day 11: Lankayan Island
Day at leisure on Lankayan Island.(B,L,D)

Day 12: Lankayan Island - Sandakan - Kota Kinabalu
Taking the speedboat back to the mainland this morning, you will then transfer to Sandkan airport for your flight to Kota Kinabalu where your tour ends. (B)

How to book your Private Journey

Borneo: Tropical Islands and Beaches

Without flights

DatesTypePrice Per PersonSingle Supplement 
1 Jan 12 - 31 Dec 12Adult Price From£2,175 Make an Enquiry

With flights from the UK

DatesTypePrice Per PersonSingle Supplement 
1 Jan 12 - 31 Dec 12Adult Price From£2,895 Make an Enquiry

* Please note the prices shown above are based on two persons sharing a twin or double room

Borneo: Tropical Islands and Beaches

Please select the regions you are interested in.

Lankayan Island Dive Resort

Lankayan Island

Lankayan Island is a remote tropical getaway one and a half an hours by boat from Sandakan in the clear, sparkling Sulu...

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Shangri La Rasa Ria Resort and Spa

Kota Kinabalu

With its own Nature Reserve and ecologically friendly championship golf course, the 5 star Shangri La Rasa Resort sits...

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More useful information when travelling to:
Borneo

Flight Information

There are no direct flights to Kota Kinabalu from the UK. The most common route is via Kuala Lumpar with Malaysian Airlines or via Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific which takes around 15:30hrs.

Useful Tips

• Take a sunhat the long boat trips

• Mosquito spray for the jungle trips is a must

• When you climb Mount Kinabalu the seconds night accommodation is a shared dorm, so take some ear plugs!

• You can see the Orang-utans in several national parks in Borneo, so you can avoid the crowds at Sepilok Orang-utan Sanctuary

When To Go

The climate is typically tropical with temperature ranging from a cool 22°C (72°F) in the evenings to a sultry 34°C (93°F) in the daytime.

Sarawak receives an abundance of rainfall (averaging 200-250 cm a year); the rainy season is normally during the 'landas', a local term for the
monsoon rains that come between November and February each year. Sabah is less wet than Sarawak and because it lies just below the typhoon belt, it is often known as "the land below the wind".

The monsoon period should not deter visitors to the region as it is not cold; in fact the rains during this time may be heavy but it is intermittent and they bring respite from the tropical heat. This is also the time of the year when the local tropical fruits unique to the region are in abundance.

Packing List

Below is a list of general items you might take with you on a Wild Frontiers trip to Borneo. With your booking confirmation you will receive a packing list specific to your trip, so please treat this as a general guideline only.

Luggage:
It is best to use a soft bag - rucksack/hold-all/duffel bag - so it can be transported and stored more easily.
On all our trips a small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions.

Clothing:
In general you should bring clothes you feel comfortable with. Therefore as a guide we suggest a packing list like this:
• 4 x Light cotton shirts or T-shirts, short sleeved and long.
• 2/3 pairs of cotton trousers. If preferred, women can wear dresses and skirts.
• 2 x Lightweight jumpers or sweatshirts
• Change of clothing for the evenings
• Sun hat or cap
• Swim suit or trunks
• Pair of recreational shoes
• Pair of adventure sandals, trainers or pumps

Equipment:
The following is useful extra equipment for your trip:
• Travel towel, travel soap and toiletries
• Torch (LED head-torch keeps your hands free)
• Pair of good quality sunglasses
• Water bottle
• Plug adapter

Personal First Aid Kit:
It is always best that you have a good medical with you while travelling. This should include:
• Any prescription medication required (please inform the tour leader at your pre-departure meeting about these)
• Antibacterial dry hand wash
• Painkillers: paracetamol & ibuprofen
• Rehydration salts (Gastrolyte)
• Malaria Tablets (if necessary)
• Travel motion-sickness tablets if required (e.g. natural ginger tablets)
• Diarrhoea remedies
• Antihistamines
• Cold/flu decongestants
• Mosquito Repellent
• Insect bite cream
• Plasters/Bandage/Steri-Strips/Blister pads
• Sunscreen (30+ factor)
• Moisturiser/after sun cream/lip balm
• Contact lenses and solution if required
• Tweezers
(A kit with most of this in is available at www.nomadtravel.co.uk)

Optional Extras:
• Ear plugs (if sharing a room / camping)
• Alarm clock
• 3-4 plastic carrier bags are very useful for dirty washing, dirty shoes and rubbish
• Binoculars
• Small packs of tissues
• Money belt or secure pouch for money and passport etc.
• Eye patches if light affects your sleep
• Sewing kit/scissors
• Writing materials
• Spare batteries/camera memory cards
• Swiss Army knife
• Trekking poles

NB: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are rare. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses. You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!!

Hand Luggage:
Although it is very rare that luggage goes missing on flights, it has been known to happen and so it’s a good idea to carry a spare top, toothbrush, wash kit, underwear and any other essentials in your hand luggage so that you can at least freshen up while waiting for your bags to catch you up. If you wear your sturdy shoes/boots it will also reduce weight in your luggage and keep them safe.

Practical Information

Time:
Borneo is 8hrs ahead of GMT.
A useful website to check the time zone differences is www.worldtimezone.com

Food and Alcohol:
Forget potatoes " rice (nasa) and noodles (mee) rule in this region. Rice is either steamed or fried, and noodles can be made from wheat, wheat and egg, rice or mung beans, and are used in a bewildering number of dishes either fried or boiled.
Malays like their fish fried (ikan) whole and stuffed with spices, or chopped into chunks or steaks and served with a spicy (tamarind) sauce. In Malaysian Borneo in particular hinava (raw fish marinated with lime juice and herbs) is very popular

Apart from fish, chicken (ayam) is possibly the most consumed meat in the region. Beef (daging lembu) and mutton (daging kambing, which also refers to lamb as well as kid and goat) are common in Malay dishes too. Chilli of course, features heavily.
Fruit is usually the desert, served raw and presented on platters while alcohol is readily available all over.

Electricity:
Those bringing video & digital cameras that require battery chargers should be able to charge them from the mains without an adapter. The electricity supply is 220/240 volts at 50 hertz.

Money:
In Borneo the unit of currency is the Ringgit.

To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to www.oanda.com
A few points to help you plan:
• Increasingly more shops and hotels will accept credit card payments, though a cash advance is unlikely.
• You can easily exchange Euros, US Dollars and UK Sterling cash.
• ATM machines are available in the larger towns but rarely operate around the clock.
• If using ATM machines, be sure to notify your bank before you travel.

Language & Religion:
Malay is the official language of the country with English taught as a subject. However, with the major towns and cities fast becoming economic centres, English is widely used and spoken in Sarawak. With the large Chinese settlement in the major towns and cities, a variety of Chinese dialects are used too.

The main religions in Sarawak are Islam, Christianity of a variety of denominations and Buddhism. Like the rest of Malaysia, Sarawak is blessed with a population that practices mutual tolerance and respect for the various religious beliefs, and freedom of religion is guaranteed

Cultural Sensitivity:
At Wild Frontiers we are very aware of the ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures. We realise that taking a group of tourists through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there and on all our tours we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive…after all, there are also many good things that the tourist can bring.

To help this process we ask that our clients do not hand out pens or sweets to children. As one sign in Egypt emphatically put it, ‘Please don't make beggars out of our children!' No matter how well intentioned, in our opinion the dolling out of free gifts fosters a ‘beggar mentality' that is ultimately extremely destructive to a society. In addition we do not condone giving out money to beggars or ‘students'.

However, we also realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help' can be very powerful. As a result we ask that you refer to your trip dossier for information on the Wild Frontiers Foundation which supports specific projects in the areas where we travel.

Photography:
Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission.

Also many countries have very strict rules about taking photos of army, police or any official personnel; restrictions apply at borders, bridges and any government building.

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