Borneo - Sarawak
The Capital of Sarawak, Kuching is a rather charming and visitor friendly city which if not quite captivating is at any rate the most attractive city in Borneo, having avoided being bombed in the war.
For many though Kuching is just the gateway to the nearby Bako National Park, to Semanggoh Orangutan Sanctuary and for visits to the jungle interior and overnight stays in one of Sarawak's longhouses.
Nevertheless, spending an afternoon wandering the lanes lined with Chinese shophouses or perhaps taking an evening cruise along the Sarawak River will still evoke images of the Rajah Brooke and colonial times.
The Sarawak Cultural Village is certainly worth a visit and the Sarawak Museum is excellent.
Discover Borneo - Sarawak
Batik Boutique Hotel
Funky little colourful boutique hotel in Kuching. Great for a short stay in Kuching - cosy and friendly boutique hotel.
Central Kuching Hotel
Sarawak Discovery Tour
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Lime Tree
Great value boutique hotel in central Kuching - ideal for those looking for a something simple but a little bit different in Kuching.
Save money in Kuching
Sarawak Discovery Tour
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Flight Inclusive Price from UK
Marriott Royal Mulu Resort
Upgraded resort hotel in Mulu National Park - a luxurious base for discovering the Mulu Caves.
Best Hotel in Mulu
Sarawak Discovery Tour
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Flight Inclusive Price from UK
Permai Rainforest Lodge
Eco Jungle Lodge just a short distance from Kuching, by the sea and the Sarawak Cultural Village. Tree house chalets.
Great Rainforest Experience
Sarawak Discovery Tour
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Flight inclusive price from UK
The Ranee
24 room boutique hotel in Kuching's old town. Nice rooms and a very popular alternative to the larger standard hotels in Kuching.
Highly Recommended
Flight Inclusive Price from UK
Sarawak Discovery
Great Sarawak Tour including Kuching, Bako National Park, Longhouse stay, Mulu National Park & Gaya Island.
Beach extension at Gaya Island
Flights Inclusive Price from UK
Borneo Explorer
The best of Borneo's wildlife on a journey through Sarawak and Sabah. Includes Bako, Longhouse, Orangutans, Kinabatangan, Tabin & Gaya Island.
The Best of Borneo
Luxury Option 17 nights
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Flight Inclusive Price from UK
Malaysia Explorer
Discover the best of Sabah on a private tailor made Borneo tour including Kinabatangan, Sukau, Tabin, Danum Valley & Gaya Island.
3 week Malaysia Journey
Peninsula Malaysia & Borneo
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Semanggoh Orangutan Sanctuary
The Semenggoh orangutan rehabilitation centre is 24 km from Kuching and trains orphaned or rescued orangutans how to survive in the wild. Over 20 orangutans live in forest within the nature reserve and often return to the centre at feeding times.
Depart your hotel at around 8:15 am. On arrival at Semanggoh, head to the briefing area for an introductory talk about the Rehabilitation Centre. After a brief talk from the rangers, take a short walk along a trail to the feeding area to watch the orangutans come down from the trees for a free meal.
This tour to Semenggoh is arranged to coincide with the morning orangutan feeding time, which takes place between 9 and 9:30 am.
Although it is very likely that orangutans will be seen, they are in a semi-wild environment, so sightings cannot be guaranteed.
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From £20pp
Sarawak Cultural Village
Situated just 32 km from Kuching and close to Damai Beach is the Sarawak Cultural Village. This award-winning ‘living museum’ at the foothills of Mount Santubong offers an excellent introduction to the cultures and lifestyles of the people of Sarawak.
A warm Sarawakian welcome awaits you here. Share the arts, crafts, games, foods and music of the seven major ethnic groups in Sarawak. After touring the village, enjoy a multi-cultural dance performance in the village’s own theatre. Then return to your hotel in Kuching by midday.
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From £25pp
Gunung Gading National Park
Gunung Gading National Park is home to the world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia. On this day trip enjoy a jungle plank-walk through the park in search of the spectacular Rafflesia, wild orchids and pitcher plants. Relax or swim at a beautiful picnic spot.
Depart the hotel around 8:30 am for the 2-hour drive to Gunung Gading National Park. En-route, view wild orchids and pitcher plants.
On arrival at the park, enjoy an hour of jungle trekking along the plank walk in search of a Rafflesia.
See the host vines, the cabbage-like Rafflesia buds that litter the forest floor, and if you are lucky a Rafflesia in full bloom. Bear in mind that Rafflesia Flowers only bloom occasionally.
Relax or swim at a picnic spot by a beautiful jungle stream or alternatively drive 15 minutes to Pandan Beach to relax and have a swim. Return to Kuching by the late afternoon. Lunch is included.
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From £54pp
Bako National Park
Just 35 minutes from Kuching, the coastal Bako National Park is one of the most interesting National Parks in Borneo and one of the best places in Borneo to see wildlife in a natural setting.
Depart the hotel around 8:30 am for the 35-minute drive to Bako Village. From the village, it’s a 25-minute boat ride (depending on the tide) to the National Park, which is situated on a peninsula.
The various types of animals commonly spotted at Bako include proboscis monkeys, silver leaf monkeys, long-tailed macaques, wild boars, monitor lizards and numerous species of birds.
Forest types range from mangrove to kerangas (heath forest), tropical swamp vegetation, cliff vegetation and beach vegetation.
There are several interesting boardwalk trails to follow inside the park, depending on level of fitness and interest and the park’s coastline is dotted with small bays, coves and beaches.
Return to Kuching by mid-afternoon.
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From £55pp
Niah Caves - Miri
Not only one of the most spectacular caves in Borneo, but also one of the most important archaeological sites in Borneo, with prehistoric paintings, Niah Caves is a great day trip from Miri.
The tour begins with a morning drive through scenic
countryside and local
pepper farms to the Niah National Park, about 110
km from Miri.
On arrival at the Park, take a longboat ride
to Pangkalan Lobang across the river and the Niah
Museum. After a tour of the museum, head on to the Niah Caves
, one of the earliest birthplaces of civilization in
Asia.
Some of the earliest human remains were found in Niah, making
the park one of the most important archaeological sites in
the world.
A tour of the caves includes the Great
Cave and Painted Cave, with it’s prehistoric paintings, as well as allowing you to see the age-
old remnants of bird's nest harvesting equipment inside the
cave.
The Caves tour takes about 3 hours, after which there’s a stop for lunch before returning to Miri.
On the way back, stop at an Iban Longhouse for a short visit and a bit of a cultural insight into the Iban life.
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From £80pp
Lambir Hills & Niah Caves
One of the most spectacular caves in Borneo, Niah Caves is a great day trip from Miri. Lambir Hills National Park offers some beautiful jungle scenery and boardwalks to picturesque waterfalls.
The tour begins with a morning drive through scenic
countryside and local
pepper farms to the sandstone hills of the Lambir Hills National Park for a 20-minute walk to beautiful waterfalls. Bornean gibbons, bearded pigs and over 100 bird species have been recorded in the park.
After Lambir Hills, head to Niah National Park. On arrival at the Park, take a longboat ride
to Pangkalan Lobang across the river and the Niah
Museum. After a tour of the museum, head on to the Niah Caves
, one of the earliest birthplaces of civilization in
Asia.
Some of the earliest human remains were found in Niah, making
the park one of the most important archaeological sites in
the world.
A tour of the caves includes the Great
Cave and Painted Cave, with it’s prehistoric paintings, as well as allowing you to see the age-
old remnants of bird's nest harvesting equipment inside the
cave.
The Caves tour takes about 3 hours, after which there’s a stop for lunch before returning to Miri.
On the way back, stop at an Iban Longhouse for a short visit and a bit of a cultural insight into the Iban life.
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From £87pp
Dive Miri
Miri has long been known for it's exotic national parks and caves, but its under water world is now gaining the attention of scuba divers ever since the untouched coral reefs were discovered in recent years.
The variety of corals and other marine life on the reefs rivals the best in the region. Hard and soft corals cover the entire reefs.
This dive trip includes 2 dives from a choice of any of the 7 fabulous Miri reefs. They are Siwa Reef, Anemone Garden, Seafan Garden, Batu Belais, Eve's Garden, Sunday Reef, Tukau Drop-off & Santak Point.
Pick up and drop off at your hotel in Miri are included.
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From £110pp
Kuching
The Capital of Sarawak, Kuching is a rather charming and visitor friendly city which if not quite captivating is at any rate the most attractive city in Borneo, having avoided being bombed in the war.
For many though Kuching is just the gateway to the nearby Bako National Park, to Semanggoh Orangutan Sanctuary and for visits to the jungle interior and overnight stays in one of Sarawak's longhouses.
Nevertheless, spending an afternoon wandering the lanes lined with Chinese shophouses or perhaps taking an evening cruise along the Sarawak River will still evoke images of the Rajah Brooke and colonial times.
The Sarawak Cultural Village is certainly worth a visit and the Sarawak Museum is excellent.
Mulu National Park is one of the highlights of a Tour of Borneo, with some of the world's largest and most spectacular caves.
Gunung Mulu is Borneo's second highest mountain and in essence, Mulu National Park is a hollow mountain range, with huge limestone caverns and some of the oldest rainforest in the world.
The Sarawak Chamber was only discovered in 1984 and was until recently the largest known cave in the world.
A trip to Mulu National Park usually involves one or two nights at the Mulu Marriott, with visits to each of the 4 main cave chambers.
Trips further afield to the Pinnacles can involve multi-day treks and are a real challenge for the adventurously inclined.
Miri is an oil town (the birthplace of Shell) on the northern coast of Sarawak and is the gateway for visits to the Niah National Park and also a transit point for many flights into nearby Mulu National Park.
To pause in Miri offers not only the chance to visit spectacular Niah Caves but also to enjoy some diving or just relax by the sea.
Niah National Park is the real attraction though, just 45 minutes from Miri.
Miri is also the starting point for more adventurous off the beaten track journeys in Borneo up to Bario and the Kelabit Highlands.