TRAILS OF BORNEO

15 days from GBP2,579 to GBP2,989 including flights
Tripcode: AOB

Countries Visited: Malaysia

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Our Clients’ Reviews

Average Review Rating: from 18 reviews.

Tino Senge

TRAILS OF BORNEO

Written December 2011
Fantastic experience. Henry the guide has been our best guide so far and really made the trip great.Jungle experiences and climb of Mt Kinabalu where unforgettable. It did rain every now and then, but, that did not stop us having an exciting time.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
That is difficult. Spending time on the boat in morning and evening watching and listening to wildlife was amazing (take binoculars). However, climbing Mt. Kinabalu was the best.
What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent. Really added to the great experience on the trip. Best guide we had so far with Exodus. Local guide in Mulu was not that great, too moody.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Never sweat as much in my life before. Take shorts and short sleve shirts (with lots of insect repellant), and gatorade powder. Biking gloves can be useful for the ropes at the climb. Hiking poles and poncho are very useful for coming down from the mountain hat.
Take Silica gel pouches and plastic bags for your camera and binoculars to keep try.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Some of the ground transport was rather slow (never been overtaken by a tank truck up a hill before).
Hotel for last nights could be closer to Kota Kinabalu for ease of excursions to the Marina Park and strolling around the markets and restaurants in the city.
Chris Collins

TRAILS OF BORNEO

Written August 2011
Words cannot describe just how fantastic this holiday was
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
This was my first ever full on adventure / walking / roughing it holiday, normally prefering the party islands of the Med. Well what can I say, the holiday itself is tough, the early morning starts, the long journeys and all the nastys the jungle can throw at you (you are pretty much guarateed a leach attack). However the reality of the trip is it was the most inspiring, beautiful place i have ever had the chance to visit. The trip is well organised, and our guide Alex was a true one off, going well above the call of duty. Anyone considering this trip needs to be aware that climbing Mount Kinabalu is tough. It took me over ten hours to reach the guest house. If you can imagine walking up stairs two at a time, then you have your average climb. Other highlighrts were the Jungle Nature reserve we stayed in on the Kinabatanagan River, they do summon you to activities with a Gong, which is a little school like, however if like us you get to see Orangutans and many diffrent types monkys in the wild, then all its worth it. The stay at the tea plantation was also great, specially as we stayed in a traditional bamboo style longhouse, which was interesting. Finally when you reach the end of your holiday, be sure to take a trip the ferry terminal and hop on a boat to one of the paradise islands (your guide like ours should be able to arrange this). We had a magical last day, jusy chilling, snorkelling and doing all different types of Water Sports. All in all a great holiday, and I can't wait for my next adventure.
Steve Haycock

TRAILS OF BORNEO

Written March 2011
holiday was more or less as it says, room for improvement, all said enjoyed it very much.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
wildlife spotting up the Kinabatangan river and ox bow.
What did you think of your group leader?
Henry was an excellent group leader very professional, the holiday would not have gone as smoothly without him.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Did not need woolley hat for mountain climb, never really needed a sleeping bag except for camp 5, as blankets were thin and poor, take an umbrella/ poncho. we were looking for a poncho for a while, this is waterproof light weight and covers you well. small rucksack with a camelback in with it would be perfect, enough to store a couple of changes of clothes plus 2 to 3 litres of water and bits and bobs, this can be taken on flight as personal luggage, while main luggage 15 to 20 kg is fine for cargo hold.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The Seplok Sanctuary was not as good as it was made out to be, in fact most people in our group were quite
dissapointed, all hype and a bit of a let down, would not let you back in to try and take more pics away from the crowd, we saw just as many along the Kinabatangan River in the wild.
But saying that worth the trip, very enjoyable and well done henry our team leader.
Gail Wilson

TRAILS OF BORNEO

Written November 2010
A great holiday combining a bit of everything - caves, rivers, rainforest, towns, mountains, beaches, plenty of wildlife and plenty of activity! Climbing Mount Kinabalu was tough though and requires a fit body and mind!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
It was pretty inspirational standing on top of Mount Kinabalu at sunrise, soaking up the view and feeling quite proud of the achievement of getting up there!
There were so many other great aspects of this trip though - seeing the bats exiting Deer Cave, the orangutans at Sepilok, the Proboscis monkeys leaping from tree to tree in Kinabatangan etc. - that it is difficult to really highlight one particular favourite.
What did you think of your group leader?
Henry (or Hendry as his Dad confirmed!) was great! He has a great personality and a wicked sense of humour! He was always on hand to help and answer (sometimes rather daft!!) questions. He explained everything to us in detail and gave us all the information we could possibly need in preparing ourselves for the mountain climb. He also demonstrated his keen interest in everything we did and his huge Nikon camera was rarely far from his grasp!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be prepared for the hot and humid conditions. Nothing ever seems dry!! On the contrary, it does get pretty cold up on the mountain, so warm clothes are a must for the overnight stay at the mountain hostel and for the summit walk.
Some of the accommodation is very basic with communal (and often cold!) showers, although everywhere we stayed was clean. That said, some people were very unhappy with the state of the hostel (Gunting Lagadan) on Mount Kinabalu, although the one I stayed in (Pendant Hut) was fine.
It's an active holiday with lots of early starts and a lot of packing and unpacking, but if you plan carefully, this can be refined to an art form!! Don't take too much clothing - travelling light is the way forward. DEET is an absolute must everywhere (except on the mountain) - I used a ton of it and managed to avoid getting bitten. Watch out for leeches also - they don't care about DEET, but do respond well to being removed with a good flick!
Don't underestimate the Mount Kinabalu climb - it is tough, both physically and mentally! You do need a good level of fitness and a lot of stamina!! The final days on the beach are perfectly timed (and necessary) after the exertion!!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I really enjoyed this holiday and would highly recommend it. It fulfilled all expectations, although I would say I expected to see more wildlife in Mulu National Park. The second jungle stay in Kinabatangan more than made up for it though. We were also very lucky to see about 10 orangutans at the sanctuary in Sepilok. Due to the time of year we went (last week of October, first of November), the rainy season was beginning and we had rain every afternoon. It didn't stop us from doing anything though or spoil the enjoyment - even the rain was warm!! We were exceptionally lucky with the weather on the Kinabalu climb though, with perfect conditions on the summit climb.
Go to Borneo, enjoy it, have fun, but be aware of the ecological issues and problems arising from deforestation and do your bit to help! I adopted orangutans at Sepilok and became a Friend of the Rainforest :-)
David Grundy

TRAILS OF BORNEO

Written August 2010
Amazing trip, led by a great guide around a fascinating country.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Reaching the summit of Mount Kinabalu at dawn
What did you think of your group leader?
If everyone is lucky enough to have Henry as their guide I can almost guarantee you a great trip. He is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Sabah.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take quick drying clothes, and probably not as many as you think you need as there are opportunities to wash an dry clothing overnight. You will need a waterproof coat as well as or instead of a poncho. It is probably not safe to wear a poncho on the summit slopes of Kinabalu if it is windy. From a photographic point of view, take the longest lens you can, I had a 400mm that was invaluable when visiting the Orang Utan sanctuary at Sepilok and for wildlife shots from the boats at Kinabatanga. The insect life is fascinating so you may like to take a macro lens as well. The trek up Kinabalu is very hard but coming down is even harder. You will need a walking pole and please please please, stretch those quads out when you reach the bottom or you will seize up and find it difficult to walk for the last two days of the holiday.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I thoroughly recommend this trip, it strikes a good balance between wildlife spotting and trekking. Some of the accomodation is described as basic, our group were always pleasantly surprised when we arrived at our destinations
Karen R

TRAILS OF BORNEO

Written December 2009
Trails of Borneo was a fantastic experience. The itinerary is well thought through. It was good to climb the pinnacles first, recover fully, then attempt Mt. Kinabalu and to finish off, relax on the beach. It was an excellent mix of hiking, culture and nature. Accommodation standards were great considering the remote location. Our guide Henry was top-notch. I had a fantastic time discovering this amazing country.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Climbing up the Summit of Kinabalu at dawn. We had great weather and full moon. Conditions and scenery could not have been better. We walked up without flashlight, the mountain was lit by moonlight. I could admire the starry night at every break I took - and there were plenty, given the thin air. The last 500m were the toughest but reaching the summit is just mind-blowing! It is a mix of - the physical exhaustion from the climb at high altitude, the pure sense of achievement for pushing yourself to reach the summit, the sheer beauty of the place at dawn.
What did you think of your group leader?
Henry was the best guide ever. He was really knowledgeable, always giving sound advice on how to dress, what to bring, what to expect from the next stage of the trip. He was always available and extremely professional about everything. And also very patient with all the questions we had for him.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Bring an umbrella - yes - it is extremely handy in hot wet weather where a poncho means sweating even more.
Buy some dettol against leeches or invest in leech socks - there are plenty of them around. I did not get any, but cannot guarantee it was the use of large amount of dettol that did it!
Bring quick drying synthetic clothes - yes cotton won't dry...
No need to bring mosquito nets, you can hire them at Camp 5 - the only place you need it - and it will mostly be against stinging wasps and privacy instead of mossies.
I found it useful to bring a trolley soft bag instead of a duffel bag. In most places you can roll your bag (esp. airports) and your back will thank you.
Bring a walking pole, it is extremely useful while going down the pinnacles and Mt. Kinabalu.
You do not need to be super fit to go on this trip but it will help if you do some regular cardio exercise like running before and are in good shape. Do not attempt the pinnacles if you have weak knees - the way up and down is relentlessly steep and slippery.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Book this trip and have fun
Claire Langton

TRAILS OF BORNEO

Written September 2009
A fantastic and varied trip that gave a good introduction to the sights and sounds of Borneo. Not a holiday for those wanting to relax but a ideal for those wanting adventure.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Reaching the top of the Pinnacles - might have been Kinabalu had the weather not beaten us and kept us from the summit.
What did you think of your group leader?
Fantastic! Henry had us so well organised and coped with every problem big and small and always with great humour and a smile. He went out of his way to help us see as much as we could and definitely made the trip what it was.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be prepared for bad weather. I felt the trip notes played down the rain and as a result most of our group were not sufficiently equipped for the mountain walks. Take good waterproofs, walking poles (necessary on Kinabalu) and warm clothes for the cold mountain air. Also make sure your main bag is easily transportable as you will be carrying it on numerous occasions due to the busy schedule. Take lots of insect repellent!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thoroughly recommend this holiday but be prepared for heavy rain, high humidity and very strenuous trekking on the mountain days.