Mammals of the Roof of the World
Delphi
Mount Kinabalu and Sabah's Fabulous Rainforests
Mount Kinabalu’s spectacular landscapes are world famous for the diversity of both flora and fauna. The fantastically weird urns of the various Pitcher Plants on show will be a major attraction, as will birds such as Whitehead’s Broadbill and Whitehead’s Trogon, Crimson-headed Partridge and the rare Black-breasted Fruithunter.
Nearby Poring Hot Springs is home to huge Birdwings, the stunning Kallima Leaf Butterfly, miniature Dragontail Swallowtails and beautiful Lantern Bugs. We’ll see Rafflesias with incredible flowers three feet across and a wonderful diversity of Orchids and Rhododendrons. From the canopy walkway one can watch Red-bearded Bee-eaters and Spectacled Spiderhunter. Boat trips on Borneo’s largest river will see us admiring Proboscis Monkeys, Maroon Langurs, six species of Hornbill, the endangered Storm’s Stork and Buffy Fish Owl. We will visit the vast limestone caves at Gomantong, home to millions of Swiftlets and Bats. Danum Valley, one of the world’s oldest and most magnificent rainforests, is where we shall see wild Orang-utans, Bornean Gibbons, Red Giant Flying Squirrels and Bearded Pigs amongst a host of other mammal species. Raja Brooke’s Birdwings and Malay Red Harlequin are just part of a pageant of butterflies and this is a superb place to see richly coloured Trogons and Pittas. Rhinoceros Hornbills, Western Tarsiers, strange Bornean Bristleheads, Flying Lizards…
The wild and remote Imbak Canyon is set amid a large protected area of rainforest, that on the west bank of the Imbak River largely primary forest full of Borneo’s rarest and most beautiful wildlife. The open areas around the large and usually almost completely empty hotel provide a great arena to see mammals such as Malay Civet, Banded Civet and Greater Mouse Deer.
Some of the world’s finest Karst scenery is found within magnificent Mulu National Park. Here huge caverns are home to colonies of millions each of Swiftlets and Free-tailed Bats. The biodiversity found within the deeply-incised canyons, wild rivers, rainforest-covered mountains and spectacular limestone pinnacles is of world-renown and will make a fantastic start to our tour.
Dates and Prices
8th October - 1st November 2027 (25 days)
* doesn't apply if you're willing to share and a room-mate can be arranged
Everything: Mammals, Birds, Butterflies, Flowers and Scenery
The minimum is 5 and the maximum is 9.
All flights. Transport, accommodation and all meals in Sabah and Sarawak. Services of your leaders. Entrance fees to national parks. Please note: Insurance, drinks, tips and items of a personal nature, are not included.
Butterfly, mammal and bird checklists are available.
This tour features some excellent rainforest lodges all situated right amid the best habitat so there’s never a moment wasted getting to see wildlife. We start with two nights at the lovely Mulu Park Lodge right in the heart of the national park. Our time around Kinabalu NP will be split with two nights each at the comfortable Hill Lodge at the park HQ and the Kelcap chalets right by Poring Hot Springs. Situated on the banks of the Kinabatangan River, the Kinabatangan Wildlife Lodge provides a wonderful base from which to explore the mighty river. The lodge is right on the banks of the river, surrounded by abundant wildlife, and has excellently appointed rooms. The accommodation at Imbak is rather curious. We’ll have three nights there at the deluxe Imbak Resthouse which in fact is a rather large hotel complex set amid the rainforest. Large it may but there’s hardly ever anyone else there. So it offers a very comfortable stay in amid wonderful rainforest and also provides an open space with the rainforest making it easier to see wildlife. Food isn’t great though! We finish the tour in the Danum Valley Reserve where we’ll be staying in the newly refurbished and now very comfortable Field Research Centre in the deluxe rooms. All rooms on this tour have en-suite facilities and air-conditioning where necessary.
Easy. No more than three or four miles a day for the most part and always on paths, trails or tracks.
UK flights are to Kuala Lumpur and thence to Mulu via Miri. The return is from Sandakan via Kuala Lumpur. There’s an internal flight from Mulu to Kota Kinabalu. Other indirect routes from regional UK Airports* may be available.
*These routes may incur a supplement.
Warm to hot in the lowlands although it rarely exceeds 29°C. Humidity varies from medium to high. At Kinabalu NP Headquarters it is cooler, especially if cloudy. Expect a mixture of sun and cloud with occasional showers or heavier storms, rain being more frequent on Kinabalu.
Contact us to check if there is availability for the number of places you require. Click on the ‘Book this Tour’ button on this page to be taken to the online booking form or contact us and we will send one to you which you can complete and send back to us. You will receive confirmation of your place, and then a detailed information pack will be dispatched to you about twelve weeks before departure. This will contain up-to-date health information.
