Trekking Borneo & Beyond

Those making their own way to Kuala Lumpur can arrive at the hotel at any

time today. There will be a welcome meeting with your tour leader this

evening.

Malaysia prides itself in its diversity and this is reflected in its capital,

Kuala Lumpur (KL) with its mix of Malay, Indian and Chinese traditions and

people. One of the best ways of exploring this diversity is through a food

tour of city. We discover different neighbourhoods with their distinct

sights, sounds, smells and, of course, delicacies.



We start our journey at Masjid Jamek and learn about how city of Kuala Lumpur

started. What better way to enjoy the day by sampling typical food that

Malaysians enjoy at a local eatery. Wandering through the small streets of

KL, uncover the cultures of the Chinese and Indian communities who came to KL

to make their fame & fortune, but stayed on instead to add on another

cultural dimension to the Malaysian cultural landscape. We also visit KL’s

oldest Chinese and Indian temple to understand more about these communities.



Our visit to Chinatown is rewarded by tasty noodles amongst the locals. After

this, take a short ride on KL’s modern local transport system towards

Brickfields. This is Little India for KL, and our senses will be assaulted by

loud and colourful architecture, music and food as we walk through the Indian

neighbourhood. We sample delicious Indian dishes served on banana leaf and

seek out street vendors for snacks to end our food journey.



This afternoon we use public transport and visit the Batu Caves. These

limestone caves are a holy Hindu site and are guarded by a giant statue of

the Hindu god Lord Murugan. This is the 2nd tallest statue of a Hindu deity

in the world. Behind the statue are the 272 steps that lead to the caves, and

large numbers of monkeys.



Those wanting to have a drink with some amazing views may wish to go to the

Heli Lounge Bar later this evening for 360' views of the Kuala Lumpur skyline

light up at night.



*Capitol Hotel or similar*

An early start to the day as we aim to check out of the hotel around 6:30am

to drive about 30 minutes to the start of the trail on Apek Hill, which is

part of the Sungei Putek forest reserve. A popular place with locals to

exercise, we can expect to come across some locals on the trail. We will

follow a loop trail which starts off with a moderate climb up to about 400m,

where we pause to enjoy a packed breakfast before hiking down another trail

back to the start (some sections may be a little slippery along the way if it

has rained).

We will then rejoin our minibus and transfer 5-6 hours to the Cameron

Highlands with a lunch stop along the way.

The Cameron Highlands is a British-era hill station and the nights are

noticeably cooler here. The area is known for its strawberry farms and tea

plantations. For those who are interested, there may be time to visit one of

the local tea plantations or simply enjoy tea and scones. 

Meeting our local guide at the hotel at 08:30 we embark on a jungle trek

through the highlands up to Gunung Berembun. The well maintained trail

gradually takes us up the side of a river valley on an undulating path with a

fairly steep final ascent to reach the summit (1,840m). The Berembun range is

protected primary forest and the air is generally cooler, though it can get

very humid. There’s a lot of birdlife and, thanks to the altitude, lots of

mosses and lichen.

Reaching the peak we can enjoy views of the tea plantations below. We head

back along a different route which can be steep in places and you may need to

help your balance by grabbing on to tree roots. The trek ends close to the

hotel. 

Leaving the highlands we journey to one of the oldest remaining rainforests

in the world in Taman Negara National Park (about 5 hours plus stops). These

primeval forests, dating back 130 million years and covering 4,343 square kms

are home to rare animals including Malayan tigers, Indian elephants and

crab-eating macaques (though these animals are rarely seen). We should arrive

mid-afternoon and settle into our jungle lodge. There should be time to relax

or explore the grounds and watch the many monkeys who hang around the lodge.

This evening there is the option to go out on an optional night walk in

search of interesting insects and nocturnal animals.

Today we explore Taman Negara’s primary forest as we head deep into the

jungle on 3-4 hour trek to Tabing. The trek itself is mostly flat and follows

the meandering river. As we head further from the park entrance we get a

better feel for this primeval forest, one of the oldest in the world.



As we reach the end of the trail we are met by our boats which take us to

Lata Berkoh (Cascade Waterfall) some 20 minutes away.  Here we have some

time to enjoy our packed lunch.



We eventually get back on the boats and head back to our lodge, 45 minutes

away. We will be arriving back at the lodge mid-afternoon and the rest of the

afternoon is free to either relax or go on some hikes independently along the

boardwalks near the lodge.

We spend today exploring the park from the canopy, ground and water. We start

off by walking along boardwalks before taking to the treetops on a 300m long

canopy walk rising up to 40m above the forest floor. The canopy walk is along

a series of fortified rope bridges, these are perfectly safe but if they make

you nervous it is possible to wait for the rest of the group at the bottom of

the canopy walk. This gives us the chance to discover the forest from a

different angle before returning to the ground.



We then take a hike up Teresek Hill along boardwalks. Whilst only 350m high,

Teresek Hill offers panoramic views of the oldest rainforest in the world!



Later this afternoon we take to the park’s rivers and ‘shoot’ rapids.

Boarding motorised canoes we have a trip along the river including through

several sets of rapids. Whilst not quite like white-water rafting, it is

still good fun to go down the rapids, Be ready to get wet! 

Leaving the rainforest behind we return to the urban jungle, KL. The drive

from Taman Negara to KL should take about 4 hours.



Depending on what time we arrive back in Kuala Lumpur there may be a bit of

free time for some lunch before we head to the airport to catch our flight to

Borneo. Please note there is a 15kg restriction on checked baggage for the

domestic flight, but it is possible to pay for excess luggage at the airport

or your leader can arrange this at the start of the tour.



Malaysia is a country of two-halves, the Malaysian Peninsula on the one hand

and Borneo on the other. This afternoon we leave the Peninsula and our first

leader behind and head for the island of Borneo where our next leader will be

waiting for us. The flight to Sandakan takes about 3 hours arriving in the

evening, then transferring to our lodge in Sepilok.

This morning we visit Sepilok Orang-utan Sanctuary. Set up in 1964, the 43

sqkm reserve of primary forest is the largest Orang-utan sanctuary in the

world and helps rehabilitate orphaned or captured Orang-utans back into the

wild. We visit the informative park headquarters and go looking for

Orang-utans during feeding time. As the ticket is valid all day you'll be

able to return for the afternoon feeding if you wish. We may also watch young

Orang-utans in the nursery section. There is also the opportunity to visit

the nearby Sunbear Conservation Centre. Other options include visiting the

rainforest discover centre and the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary.

Today we have an early start and head out on the Sepilok Laut Trail. This

walk, of around 9.2kms, starts from the rainforest discovery centre where we

have a chance to do a canopy walk. From here the trail makes its way through

primary forest giving us the opportunity to experience flora and fauna of

eastern Borneo's lowlands. The reserve we walk through is home to 350 species

of trees, 90 species of mammal and 200 species of birds. The trek itself

includes two fairly steep hills along with several smaller hills and can get

particularly muddy during the rainy season. We also recommend wearing leech

socks (which can be purchased locally) or tuck your trousers into football

socks.

The trek ends at the Sepilok Laut reception center where boardwalks allow us

to explore a mangrove area filled with fiddler crabs, macaques and monitor

lizards. We later take a boat for around 20 minutes to Sandakan Jetty before

catching a 30 minutes transfer back to Sepilok.

Today we head towards the highest mountain in Southeast Asia, Mt. Kinabalu.

The journey will take 5-6 hours. Depending on time we should have the

opportunity to visit the Kundasang War Memorial (optional) which commemorates

Prisoners of War who died during the infamous death marches during World War

II. The memorial is made up of four gardens, the Australian, English,

Malaysian and the Contemplation Garden that represent the different

nationalities. There are also a number of self-guided trails through the

gardens at the base of the mountain.

This evening we will have a briefing about the 2-day Mt. Kinabalu trek and we

will need to pack our bags for the trek. Our main packs will be left behind.

Porters are available to carry bags up to the hut we will be staying at

tomorrow night, please ask your leaders about this. It is recommended that

each trekker brings a rain jacket, warm hat, waterproof gloves, fleece,

personal first aid kit, head-torch, sun cream, sunglasses, a change of

clothes, toiletries, snacks, water and earplugs. Ideally you should have a

30-35L pack.

Tonight we stay in dorms with shared bathrooms and depending on the gender

make-up of the group couples may have to be split into separate dorms.

Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in South East Asia at 4095m. It is an

impressive mountain with its lower slopes covered in thick vegetation rising

up the huge granite walls.

Due to its great height, Mount Kinabalu has a number of different climatic

zones. It has an enormous variety of plants and animals and is a naturalist's

paradise. There are half of the world's flowering plants on this mountain

alone. There are rhododendrons, innumerable mosses, fungi and ferns, over

1,200 species of orchid and the largest flowering plant in the world, the

Rafflesia. Particularly interesting are the carnivorous and insectivorous

pitcher plants. There are many animals including badgers, monkeys, squirrels,

flying lemurs, and deer. However the chances of seeing many of these on the

mountain climb are rare as the trail is well trodden and frequently visited.

We are more likely to encounter the many birds, snakes, and insects of the

region.

The ascent of Mount Kinabalu is not technically difficult but most people

find it challenging so you need to be fit and prepared for a tough two days.

The path is wide and clear so you can climb at your own walking pace.

Obviously the altitude makes it tougher the higher you climb but it really

only becomes harder on the summit day. The trek climbs up through a multitude

of vegetation zones and cloud forest to reach Laban Rata Resthouse at 3,300m.

The temperature is noticeably colder due to the altitude and really feels

chilly, especially when it clouds over. There is a very eerie feel to the

place with the huge summit cliffs looming up behind the mountain huts.

We spend the night in dorms in the hut and make the summit climb very early

the next morning. Note that, once again, couples may be split depending on

the gender makeup of the group. 

We awaken around 2am to slowly make our way to the summit. The challenging

climb from Laban Rata takes up to 5 hours, depending on fitness and the

impact of altitude. Upon leaving Laban Rata it is approx. 350 meters through

the treeline to some viewing decks before a section of wooden steps with

handrails all the way to the summit. The path levels out as we pass through a

boulder field and join Sayat Sayat, the last check point before the summit,

where there are toilets. From Sayat Sayat a final rope marks the route to the

summit  a distance of about 1.8km. Waterproof gloves are recommended to

protect your hands from rope burn (as well as to keep them warm). A torch,

waterproofs and warm layers are also essential. As the dawn breaks we will be

close to the summit, Low's Peak. The momentous summit feeling is easily

matched by the tremendous view stretching across this part of Borneo as the

early morning unfolds. On clear days you can see as far as the southern

islands of the Philippines. With a long way to descend and aching legs, we

return to the base at Laban Rata to collect any belongings and have

breakfast. We continue down the mountain back to the start where there is

normally a simple afternoon tea (with fried rice and bread) for trekkers.



Once we have returned to the bottom we will transfer to our beach hotel by

bus, approximately 3 - 4 hours' drive. Arrival time will obviously be

determined by what time we leave Kinabalu Park so this will be sometime in

the afternoon or evening. 

This day is free to explore Kota Kinabalu, relax by the pool or have a

massage to soothe aching muscles at a nearby spa. Alternatively you can take

a short boat journey to one of the nearby islands to take advantage of the

snorkelling and scuba diving opportunities or there is also the option to

hire a kayak.