West Malaysia and Borneo Tour

During the Kinabatangan River trip, you might see proboscis monkeys, langurs, crocodiles, Borneo pygmy elephants, orangutans, and rare bird species such as Storm’s stork, pitas, broadbills, the lesser adjutant, and several species of hornbill.

The visit to Penang Hill includes an ascent by the old funicular railway and a return on foot through the lush rainforest of the Moon Gate trail to the island’s Botanic Gardens.

The tour includes 15 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and 8 dinners.

The tour includes travel by local train, funicular railway, boat on the Malacca River, and wildlife boat trips on the Kinabatangan River.

Optional extensions include a stay at a rainforest lodge in the Danum Valley, an ascent of Mt Kinabalu, or a few days of rest and relaxation on a tropical island.

Tipping is discretionary. People always appreciate a gesture for their hard work and dedication but staff are paid and don’t rely on tips. It's hard to give a guideline before a tour as it does depend on the group size. The tour leaders don’t collect money for tips but are happy to advise. What often works well is if the group appoint someone to collect and distribute tips on behalf of the whole group.

Limiting our group sizes to either 10 or 12 persons maximum is important to us on many levels. It’s a simple method to reduce impact and improve responsible tourism. It’s a significant advantage when visiting local people, villages, tribal groups and so on, a smaller group has far less impact, is far less intimidating and there's a much greater chance of a warm welcome and opportunities for genuine interaction. (No villager is going to invite 18 people in for a cup of tea!) Furthermore, service is inevitably improved with a higher ratio of guides and tour-leaders to customers and we are able to offer a more personalized service. Information and directions are passed on more easily and a high level of flexibility can be maintained, which isn't possible with larger groups. Benefits arise with respect to any nature-based activities. Not only do smaller groups have a less negative impact on the natural environment but, as above, it is easier for a guide to transmit instructions and knowledge. There is also far more chance of spotting birds and wildlife with lower numbers. Last but not least - on an enjoyment level, small numbers create a much more cohesive group with far less chance of cliques or 'groups within groups'. It's often been described by those who travel with us - and we'll allow ourselves a pat on the back at this point as it is the intention - as, "more like a group of friends and not like a tour group at all".

Our small group tours make ideal holidays for solo travellers. Small fully escorted groups, eating together, family style, no compulsory single supplements all go towards making you feel like you are travelling with a group of friends. If you don’t want to share then ask about single room supplements.

We are happy to book your flights from the UK to your destination. There are few direct flights but we can offer a wide range of options, from regional airports as well as London, using most major airlines – most often Thai, Emirates and Qatar. Prices on the website are a guideline and we find the best prices and routes for you. Upgrades to Premium Economy or Business class are available.

Travel in most of Southeast Asia is generally very safe and the vast majority of the local population is extremely honest. We'd say there are three things to watch out for; crossing busy roads (goes without saying really) and being careful in busy markets (same as anywhere). Thirdly, we’d advise you to be a bit wary after dark in some of the larger cities where petty crimes such as bag snatching are not unheard of, so take care with phones, cameras and bags. Your tour leader knows the area well and will advise.

We ask you to pay a 10% deposit upon booking your holiday with the balance being due 60 days prior to departure. There is no surcharge for paying by credit card. There is no charge for debit cards. We accept most major credit cards including American Express.

Yes, definitely. We can be entirely flexible when it comes to planning your trip with us, except, of course, on the dates of the tour itself. Many of our customers choose to add an additional night or two at the start or end of the tour. Our suite of tour extensions are also very popular, whether they involve some relaxation time on a beach or getting underneath the skin of a Southeast Asian city. Each tour page gives extension options relevant to that particular tour, so feel free to have a look through. Alternatively, you can give us a call to discuss your requirements.

Obviously there are advantages to both styles of travel. One of the main ones in favour of a small group tour is that, if you have limited time, we’ve done the planning for you and make sure you get to all the ‘must sees’ and some hidden gems. We find tour leaders much more interesting than out of date guide books and they combine this with humour (and patience). It’s also interesting and fun to travel with a small group of like-minded people.

On the tours we eat family style as South East Asian food lends itself so well with this. So, there are lots of dishes on the table usually ordered by the tour leader. They are very used to vegetarians and vegans and order with this in mind …. Usually ordering double the vegetarian dishes as everyone wants some! Pescatarians will be in their element while most eateries and hotel restaurants will have a selection of vegetarian and vegan options on their menus. Tofu is not as widely found as in Southeast Asia but young jackfruit or pumpkin are common curry ingredients instead of fish or chicken. Dairy products are not generally a feature of South East Asian cooking so will rarely be seen outside of hotel buffet breakfasts and while eggs are widely used, they are optional. You won’t be left out on our journey through the delicious local foods on offer.