- Borneo Private Tours
- Wild Borneo and the Sultanate of Brunei - Private Tour
Venture into the heart of Borneo, an island of ancient rainforests, mist-shrouded mountains, and winding rivers alive with diverse cultures and natural wonder. Trace the echoes of its colonial past in charming coastal towns and discover the enduring traditions of the island’s indigenous tribes. Explore the region’s unique wildlife in jungles alive with the calls of exotic birds and the rustle of apes and monkeys high in the rainforest canopy. From bustling local markets to breathtaking prehistoric caves, meet Borneo’s welcoming communities as you uncover the scenic beauty and incredible biodiversity that make this island unlike any other.
Dinner
On arrival at Kuching Airport, meet your guide and transfer to your hotel. Kuching was founded by Sultan of Brunei in 1827 and ceded to a British soldier, James Brooke, in 1841 as a reward for crushing a rebellion. After the Second World War, the state of Sarawak became a British Crown colony, remaining so until the formation of Malaysia in 1963, uniting three British colonies - Singapore, Sarawak, and Sabah (called North Borneo). In the present day, the city of Kuching remains the capital of Sarawak.
If you are arranging your own international flights, free airport transfers are available and included in the price. Transfers need to be booked with us at least two weeks before the tour starts and you will need to provide your inbound and outbound flight details.
Breakfast
Begin your adventure with a visit to the Semenggoh Orangutan Centre, established in 1975 as a sanctuary for orphaned orangutans, with the intention of rehabilitating them for release back into the wild. In the afternoon, embark on a city tour, including seeing the gigantic Cat Statues: the Malay word for cat is kucing, earning Kuching the nickname of ‘Cat City’. See Tua Pek Kong Temple in Chinatown, the Astana - former Palace of the “White Rajah” - the Colonial Law Courthouse, and the Clock Tower constructed in memory of Rajah Charles Brooke, former ruler of Sarawak.
Breakfast & Lunch
Following breakfast, a short flight brings you to Sibu, gateway to Borneo’s interior. Proceed to a rural longhouse, the traditional dwelling of the Iban and Bidayuh tribes, where you will be welcome by your hosts with local rice wine (tuak) and pastries. Watch a blowpipe demonstration and enjoy the colourful traditional Iban costumes worn during an entertaining dance performance. Later, discover the delightful pagoda temple in Sibu town and explore the surrounding markets and attractions. Later join an evening river cruise on the Rajang River.
Breakfast & Lunch
Drive to Similajau National Park, celebrated for its natural beauty and diverse ecosystems. Here, you can see the huge Estuarine Crocodile – also known as Saltwater Crocodiles - the world’s largest living reptile, often found basking in the sun. Aside from wonderful golden beaches, lush rainforests, and these magnificent crocodiles, the park is home to 185 species of birds, including hornbills and sea eagles, and 24 species of mammal, such as wild boar and macaques.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, journey to Niah National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk the park’s trails spotting varied birds, squirrels, lizards, butterflies, and insects. As dusk approaches, watch as thousands of bats fly around the ceiling of the vast Niah Caves before they stream into the forest canopy: at the same time, swirling flocks of swiftlets return to the caves to roost.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Embark on a 3.5km plank walk to visit the renowned Niah Great Cave, famed for its 40,000 years of history, and location of the oldest human remains discovered in Southeast Asia. The spectacular entrance to the Great Cave leads to the site of archaeological excavations: the view over the surrounding jungle is unique, with jagged stalactites, overhangs and dangling creepers forming a dramatic frame for a very memorable photo.
You won’t be the only visitors to the stunning caves - edible birds’ nests prized by Chinese gourmets are built high in the cave walls and collected for sale by local tribesmen. In the Painted Cave (Gya Kain Hitam) marvel at ancient human figures drawn on the walls by prehistoric inhabitants to keep watch over the dead, historically laid out in the cave in boat-shaped coffins. Walk on to explore the Trader's Cave, where sellers of birds’ nests and guano historically gathered to conduct business.
Breakfast & Lunch
Drive via Miri to Brunei, where you will enjoy a city tour of the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan. Witness the opulent Jam Aor Hessanil Bolkiah Mosque, the Royal Regalia Exhibition Hall, and the magnificent Istana Nurul Iman, the world's largest residence of a head of state. The palace is the official residence of His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei – also known as the Yang Di Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam – and has 1,788 rooms, a 110-car garage, 5 swimming pools, and an air-conditioned stable, housing the Sultan's 200 polo ponies.
Breakfast & Lunch
Today you will visit Kampong Ayer, nicknamed the "Venice of the East". It is the world's largest water village, with 30,000 people living in houses built on stilts, snaking along the banks of the winding Brunei River. The village includes several schools, a fire brigade, a police station, and a variety of shops. Later, transfer to the airport for a 40-minute flight to Kota Kinabalu, where you will spend the next few days.
Breakfast & Lunch
This morning, visit Mari-Mari Cultural Village, where you can learn about the rich heritage and customs of local tribes, showcased through traditional costumes and dances. Continue for a city tour of Kota Kinabalu, including the iconic glass Sabah Foundation building, the City Mosque, Buddhist temple, and a handicraft market and bazaar where you can browse for locally-made souvenirs.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, depart for a drive through the Crocker Mountain Range to the UNESCO-listed Kinabalu Park, a must-visit destination for nature-lovers. Enjoy spectacular views of Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain located between the Himalayas and New Guinea, as you walk one of the park’s many trails that lead through tropical Montane Oak and chestnut forests. Visit the Park HQ to see their vast, diverse collection of plants at the Mountain Gardens. En route, stop to browse the well-known Nabalu Market, a treasure trove of unique locally-produced handicrafts, fresh fruit, and traditional snacks.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Visit the Poring Hot Spring at the southern end of Kinabalu Park, where walking trails, gardens and waterfalls can be found alongside the sulphuric thermal waters. Take a short trek into the forest along the canopy walkway, providing an exceptional opportunity to observe the Park’s varied wildlife, including an abundance of exotic birdlife. Proceed to Kundasang Memorial Park, made up of four gardens representing the different nationalities of soldiers who died in Sandakan during WWII, as well as honouring the local people who risked their lives helping British and Australian Prisoners of War. Stop at Kundasang Market to watch locals bartering and selling the local harvest.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Travel to Sandakan by the memorial route, taking you through historic sites from the Second World War as well as several picturesque natural attractions. Journey to the village of Sukau on the Kinabatangan River, where you’ll join a river cruise: from your boat, spot proboscis monkeys – unique to Borneo, and famous for their unusually long noses - leaping overhead. Look out for other wildlife including orangutans, wild cats, and pygmy elephants that sometimes gather on the riverbanks.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Enjoy an early morning cruise to an ox-bow lake, a great opportunity to see wildlife such as orangutans, monkeys, crocodiles, and snakes: the area is also ideal for birdwatching. An afternoon cruise provides a further chance to admire primates jumping from one side of the river to the other, and if you’re lucky you might spot carnivores like the Malayan sun bear, clouded leopard, and marbled cat.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
On arrival in Sandakan, begin your day with a visit to the Sepilok Orangutan Centre, to witness the feeding of orphaned orangutans that live in the wild. Spend time at the Information Centre, where exhibits and a video presentation tell the story of the rehabilitation and conservation of these fascinating primates. For further wildlife encounters, continue on to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, where you’ll have a great view of these small, rare bears going about their daily routines. Proceed to Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary to watch the feeding of the proboscis monkeys from a raised platform.
Breakfast
Conclude your adventure with a morning tour of Sandakan. Wander the Central Market and see St Michael's Church, the stilt-houses of Sim Sim Village, and a Chinese temple built on a hill with commanding views of Sandakan Bay. Spend some time at the Australian Prisoner of War Museum, built on the site of a former PoW camp, before transferring to the airport for your return flight to the UK.
If you are arranging your own international flights, free airport transfers are available and included in the price. Transfers need to be booked with us at least two weeks before the tour starts and you will need to provide your inbound and outbound flight details.
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The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times or sailing conditions. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however order of events and sightseeing may vary according to the local conditions.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
To enter Borneo/Malaysia, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least six months after the date you arrive, have at least one blank page, be undamaged and have no pages missing. A visa is not required for your trip to Borneo. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries.
We strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.
You must fill in the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) - to enter Malaysia. You should complete this within 3 days prior to your arrival. The forms need to be filled in, and the registration email/letter should be printed for presentation at the customs gate. See the Malaysian Immigration website including exemption details.
To enter Brunei, your passport must be valid for at least six months from your date of arrival. It must not be damaged or have any missing pages. If your passport does not meet these requirements, you may be refused entry.
British citizen passport holders can visit Brunei for up to 90 days without a visa. If you hold another type of British nationality, you should check the visa requirements with the Brunei Immigration authorities: www.immigration.gov.bn.
You must complete an e-arrival declaration form prior to entering Brunei. This should be completed before travel, as it may be requested at check-in. You do not need to complete this form if you are not passing through immigration. The form can be found at: www.imm.gov.bn. You are also required to complete a Health Declaration Form either before or upon arrival. Further information is available via the Ministry of Health: www.healthinfo.gov.bn and www.moh.gov.bn.
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
This tour is accessible to people with a high level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves many active days of walking and getting on and off coaches and boats. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
The currency in Borneo is the Malaysian Ringgit (RM). We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK, however cash machines are available in all the major cities to withdraw money in the local currency and credit/debit cards are widely accepted.
The currency in Brunei is Brunei Dollars (BND), often denoted as B$. It is recommended to exchange money before you arrive. Singapore Dollars (SGD) are also accepted.
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card and passport details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card you may be asked fora cash deposit. American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels.
You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any meals where these are not mentioned on your itinerary and personal purchases, such as souvenirs, extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £200-£300 per person should be sufficient for the duration of your tour.
It is at your discretion to tip both your driver and guide. We recommend approximately MYR 6 – MYR 12 (approximately £1 - £2) for your driver and guide each per day. Tips are accepted in the local currency.
The government of Malaysia has introduced a compulsory tourism tax of MYR10 (approximately £2) per room per night which will need to be paid locally to your hotel upon checkout.
This is an escorted tour, meaning you will have the services of an English speaking guide throughout your tour ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.
Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to Lodges. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and Borneo. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs. If you have booked a triple share, please note that your room will be a twin room with a rollaway bed or sofa bed added. This may limit the floor space in the room.
Asian style food is served on this tour. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.
Vegetarian and Vegan options available, please request prior to departure. Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. Bottled water will be available at shops and hotels.
On Arrival Information On your arrival, you will be met by a representative from our local agent – Wildlife Expeditions, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any questions you may have.
Wildlife Expeditions -
Emergency contact: Mobile +6016 373 2803.
