Borneo | Land Beneath The Wind - Sabah and Borneo
Women Only Tour
Explore a mystical land on our journey into Sabah, a place teeming with wildlife and natural beauty. You'll remember every minute of this unforgettable adventure! You will also learn about ancient traditions, Homestay with the Dusun people, Make friends with the orangutans, Witness sea turtles lay their eggs, Trek the Mt Kinabalu Heritage Walk, Be inspired by incredible views, Stay at the Sabah Tea Plantation, Enjoy scouring the local markets in Kota Kinabalu or spoil yourself with a massage and spa treatment. Optional ascent of the mystical Mount Kinabalu to catch the sunrise at the summit.
| Duration: | 12 Days |
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| Tour Code: | ITW532 |
| Trip Style: | Moderate - 3 star |
| Departure Dates: | 08 Aug 2012 |
| Price: | $2,650 |
| Places you'll visit: |
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Ideal for Solo Travellers
Especially designed for women by women, with small group sizes in mind. Every detail of your trip is arranged, while you have an amazing adventure and make enduring friendships. In good company with like-minded women you can be yourself - enjoy the freedom to do what you want, when you want. There's no pressure or competiteness, but plenty of encouragement.
Trip Details
Day 1 - Sandakan
Arrive at Sandakan where you will be met at the airport and transfered to Hotel Sandakan. The afternoon is free to rest and explore the town and the waterfront. Sandakan was once the capital of British North Borneo and traditionally has had strong trading ties with Hong Kong. The Cantonese influence here is evident in the lively harbourside market and many Chinese temples. Arrival times vary today. Tonight you will enjoy a group dinner and orientation with the tour leader. Meals: Dinner
Day 2 - Sandakan and Sepilok
This morning you will visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. The reserve is set up to help re-introduce these wonderful creatures back into the wild after a life of domestication or having been orphaned. As you walk into the reserve to see the feeding of these semi-wild orangutans it is essential to follow instructions from the park warden. You are not permitted to interfere with the orangutans as human contact must be kept to a minimum. After lunch, you will visit the POW Memorial Park followed by a visit to the beautiful Buddhist Temple which is perched high on the hill overlooking Sandakan and the waterfront. You will also visit the magnificent Agnes Keith House followed by dinner at the English Tea House. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 - Turtle Island
Enjoy an early morning walk to the waterfront markets then travelling by speedboat (approximately 1.5 hours) past fishing villages and bamboo fish traps, you head out to Libaran Island where you will enjoy lunch before continuing the boat journey to Turtle Island. Every night of the year giant green turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. In the evening we hope to witness this heartwarming display and help the researchers as they release protected hatchlings and guide them in their frantic dash to the ocean. It is a moving experience that makes you think twice about trying the illegally traded turtle egg delicacy! This is a very delicate environment and you must follow instructions from your leader and the local rangers to ensure minimal impact on the turtles. Photographing the turtles is permitted by the local government but is not recommended as it disrupts the turtles. There are photographs available for you to purchase. There is time for swimming and lazing about on this tropical island where we stay for a night in ‘chalets'. Snorkelling gear is available to hire. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 - Labuk Bay
Today you travel by boat to the mainland with a short ride up river to the jetty. Here a bus will transfer you to Labuk Bay. In the centre of the mangrove forests of Sumawang is the
Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, where you can see Borneo's indigenous proboscis monkeys. This privately-owned sanctuary located within an oil palm estate gives you the
chance to observe these animals up close and personal. The remarkable males sport big dangling noses, reddish flat-top hairstyles, white tails and markings, and pot bellies. The females on the other hand, are much smaller and have upturned noses.
After lunch you will transfer to the Sabah Tea Plantation, nestled into the lush tropical wilderness of Malaysia's first ever World Heritage Site, Mount Kinabalu. It sits on a 6,200-acre land at 2,272 feet above sea level and is surrounded by the world's oldest rainforest of about 130 million years. Sabah Tea Plantation is the largest single commercial tea plantation in Borneo and is also one of the very few tea plantations in the world that certified to produce organic tea. You will enjoy two nights among the sereanity of the tea plantation in a purpose built longhouse. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - Sabah tea plantation
This morning you will be driven to Nabutan to walk to Quailey's Hill. This walk takes about 5 hours. It's an easy walk and you will arrive back at the plantation for lunch. There's a beautiful plaque that's been erected by the Sabah Tea Plantation and it's now known as Quailey's Hill (after the death of POW Quailey). After lunch you will inspect the tea factory and enjoy a swin in the Sapon River. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Kiau Village
Today you travel to the base of Mt Kinabalu to stay in the homes of the Dusun people. They are wonderfully warm and friendly people and we learn of their spiritual, social and economic attachment to the mountain. Kiau village is nestled amid picturesque hills in the shadow of the great Mt Kinabalu, the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea. Please note that this village has had very few visitors and we expect our travellers to respect and to act responsibly in this community. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Days 7-8 - MT Kinabalu Heritage walk
This wonderful, scenic 3 day walk winds its way through the hills and valleys around Mt Kinabalu, recently declared a World Heritage site. The Dusuns who live in the hill-side villages are among the most friendly and hospitable people on earth. So, what better way to see this magnificent part of Sabah, than by following the the old jungle trail downhill from Mt Kinabalu to Kota Belud, staying in local villages along the way?
The Mt Kinabalu Heritage Walk includes the opportunity to enjoy the legendary hospitality of the Dusun people, staying in their homes and accompanying them to their farms to plant crops or trekking with them into the nearby jungle to gather medicinal plants, rattan etc. You will be immersed in the local culture. Last century, when British North Borneo (now Sabah) was under British colonial rule, there were no roads into the interior. British officials, naturalists, geologists, adventurers and others wishing to visit Mt Kinabalu and Ranau did so on horsback, using a bridle track which began at Kota Belud, on Sabah's west coast. Although no one travels by pony nowadays, the track through the mountains to Kota Belud still exists, and is often used by local Dusan people to travel to their farms and from one village to another. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Optional ascent of Mt Kinabalu:
You begin the climb up Mt Kinabalu in the early morning. It is not an easy walk, but it is incredibly rewarding, willpower being the main requirement, as it's uphill all the way! The well marked trail is predominantly made up of steep steps that vary considerably in size. Altitude can affect anyone, no matter how fit you are, and it can certainly slow you down a
fair bit. There's no rush, so take your time and enjoy this pristine environment. Carrying just an overnight pack, you pass an extraordinary variety of plant life including around 1,000
varieties of orchids and maybe even the carnivorous pitcher plant. The climb is 6km and usually takes somewhere between 3 and 6 hours. You spend Night 7 at Laban Rata at an
altitude of 3,272m. Bedtime is early in order to prepare for the final climb tomorrow morning! A certificate is available to prove that you completed the climb - this can be arranged for RM10.
Day 9 - Mt Kinabalu heritage walk to Kotabelud
The downhiill trek from 1,200 metres will finish at Kota Belud today, homeland of the Bajau people (well known as the Cowboys of the East). They have been breeding horses for 50 years and supply many good race horses. The 3 day trek is accompanied by experienced Dusun guides who come from the villages around Mt Kinabalu. You will be transferred to the Promenade Hotel in Kota Kinabalu where you can rest and relax in lovely surrounds. The hotel is centrally located with "The Sunset Esplanade" - just across by the seafront features a stretch of hawker stalls offering delicious local delicacies and souvenirs. Meals: Breakfast
Days 10-11 - Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, is an intriguing city that was born between the Borneo jungle and the South China Sea, with a charm that can only be found in a frontier town.
The next 2 days are for you to enjoy the city of Kota Kinabalu, with free time to go shopping, enjoy a massage or spa treatment, visit one of the nearby islands or spend a day white water rafting (optional activities). Meals: Breakfast
Day 12 - Kota Kinabalu
Today you depart for your return flight to Australia, having experienced a unique adventure that will stay with you forever. Meals: Breakfast
Inclusions
- Expert local English speaking guides to accompany the group
- All Accommodations
- All Internal Transport arrangements
- Meals as Indicated
What's Not Included
- Transport to and from start and finish of tour
Terms & Conditions
Click here for our Terms & Conditions
For more information, availability and pricing and options, please contact our expert travel specialists at Inspired Travel Worldwide on (02) 9449 8598 or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.
