frogoutofwater

I have started planning our Christmas 2011 trip to Borneo and would greatly appreciate feedback about our proposed itinerary.

Some background about us: we're in our mid-40s and have both travelled a lot. This has included travel to some very hot countries, where we have done some hiking. Mr frogoutofwater has roughed it more than I have and is a rather sturdy and intrepid fellow - climbs mountains, runs marathons, doesn't get hot or cold, etc. I'm fussier, prefer creature comforts to "creatures" (at least of the buzzing or slimy kind) and have a dodgy lower back. We can only afford about 10-11 vacation days, plus the additional holidays one gets at Christmas/New Years. We want to go to Borneo to see the animals (I love all crittters except insects and leeches - and yes, I know about the leech issue) and to do some diving.

Here is our plan:

Thurs: leave mid-afternoon from New York to LA and then take Thai Airways (premium economy is essential) to Bangkok. We're thinking of just pushing straight on from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu arriving on Saturday night. That will be an incredibly long trip, but I figure that if we're comfortable enough in Premium Economy over the Pacific, adding another 6 hours of travel from Bangkok to Kota Kinabalu isn't going to make us significantly more tired. I'll have Gold status with Star Alliance, which will give us lounge access wherever lounges are and make the trip a little smoother.

Sun-Mon: In Kota Kinabalu, probably at the Meridien. I figure we'll need at least one full day (and maybe two) to recover from the trip, adjust to the heat and explore the city.

Tues-Thurs - Fly to Lahad Datu on Tues and then car to Borneo Rainforest Resort for a 3 day/2 night package.

Thurs - Fly back to Kota Kinabalu. Hose down clothing. (Alternatively, maybe we could just stay for one full day in Kota Kinabalu earlier in the week before going to BRL and then add a full day in KK between BRL and continuing on to Lankayan Island - see next entry.)

Friday: Fly to Sandakan and then boat to Lankayan Island.

Sat-Sun: Dive days. If we can afford another vacation day, we'd probably add a day to our Lankayan Island stay and dive another day.

Mon: Non-dive day - visit Sepilok reserve (2nd chance to see Orangs).

Tues: Boat to Sandakan, then fly to Kota Kinabalu and then on to Kuching.

Wed-Thurs: In Kuching. We'll probably stay at the Hilton because I have oodles of points and Gold status.

Fri: Kuching to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. Should get there by mid-day.

Sat (probably New Year's Eve): In KL or Singapore. I'd be interested in peoples' views on KL versus Singapore. I've been to Singapore before and liked it because it was "manageably exotic" - great food, great shoe shopping, some interesting museums, but smallish in size and easy to get around in. It's possible that, by this stage, I will want something easy (but maybe Kuching will have provided that and I'll be ready for KL). See also my note below about meeting up with my dad and stepmother, possibly during the last leg of our journey.

Sun: Fly mid-afternoon to Bangkok, then early evening departure for LA. Arrive in LA on the same day because we get our day back after crossing the dateline.

Mon: Fly home to New York - will probably try to upgrade with miles to business class.

We're planning, if possible, to meet my 75 year old dad and stepmother (also very intrepid travellers) somewhere along the way. My dad has worked for month-long stretches of time in Indonesia and my stepmother has camped through Mexico in her 70s, so I don't think Borneo will be too much for them. That said, I'm thinking that the best place to meet them would be either Kuching, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.

So - feedback, please. Is the schedule too tight? Should we break up the original journey with a layover in KL either in order to reduce the risk of missed connections having a snowball effect or because we'll just be too darn tired? (We've both been to Bangkok before.) Do we need an extra day in Kota Kinabalu between coming back from the Borneo Rainforest Lodge and heading for Lankayan Island in order to wash off the mud, and, if so, should we have just a one-full day stay in KK before heading to the Borneo Rainforest Lodge? Should we flip the diving and rainforest portions around? My thinking on this is that, while I really want to go to the rainforest to see the life there, this will also be the part of the trip with the biggest ick/discomfort factor for me, so I'd prefer to do it first.

Thanks everyone.

frogoutofwater

Oops. I forgot one of my questions. Has anyone bought an ASEAN pass for a trip like this? I'm wondering whether the flight coupons in an ASEAN pass will be a better value than some or all of the flights we'll need to make in Borneo.

Kathie

This is a packed itinerary. I think you'll want/need two days in KK to recover from your flights. Anything you can do to reduce flights/moving around will help. I'm wondering if you can go overland from Lahad Datu to Sandakan. This would eliminate two flights. (And I'm sure you can find somewhere to have your clothes washed there!). You might even opt for three nights at BRL with this itinerary. Longer stays in places are better.

Can you fly Sandakan-KK-Kuching all in one day? When we did our trip, we would like to have done Lahad Datu-KK-Kuching, but the flights didn't work.

I think you'll really enjoy Kuching. From there I'd opt for Singapore rather than KL (frankly, I find KL rather boring). SIngapore has a lot more to do and is a great place to spend NYE.

StanKase

Katie; I hate to jump in here but we were thinking about NOT going to Kuching and just doing Borneo 4-5 days, KK 2 days, and a snorkel paradise if I can find one other than returning to the Redang/Prehentian Islands.Since we are going back to Central/East Java (6 days) are we really foolish passing up Kushing. Also Knowing my preference for creature comforts (A/C) that would be a consideration. I know you wrere not in the past year but I doubt accommodations would not have changed in that short a time. Help.

jrn

You can definitely go overland from BRL to Sandakan, and BRL can arrange that for an additional fee (I looked into this, and the cost was around $200 U.S.). If you are heading to Sandakan, I think you should consider a couple of nights on the Kinabatangan River, where the wildlife is supposed to be amazing, and you would be very comfortable observing it since you would be on a boat! ;-)

Our family of four (2 adults, 2 kids ages 6 and 8) is traveling to Borneo in April of 2011 (just 5 months!) from Boston. In case it helps, here is our itinerary:

(flight path) Boston-JFK-Seoul-KK (arriving at almost midnight)

3 nights Le Meridien in KK (opted for this rather than the Tanjung Aru for several reasons)

Fly to Lahad Datu (7am flight)

3 nights Borneo Rainforest Lodge

Overland to Kinabatangan

3 nights in the SI Tours lodges on the Kinabatangan

Boat transfer

3 nights Lankayan

2 nights Sepilok (also visiting Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary)

Home (flight path Sandakan-KK-Seoul-JFK-Boston)

FYI -- I found it cheapest (and believe me, I looked into every option!) to book hotels directly. Let me know if you need any contact info.

frogoutofwater

Thanks for the feedback so far. Yes, there is more moving around in this trip than I would like and I usually try to book stays of 3 nights at a time in places so that we have a chance to really see a place. Here, because we have limited time, I've tried to create some multi-night stops (2 or 3 nights in several places) and then bunch the travel together.

Going overland from BRL to Sandakan has potential, but I wonder how rough a trip it will be. As I mentioned, I've got a bit of a dodgy back (ruptured two discs last year) and I'm a little worried that a multi-hour road trip could be a little much.

PinotNoir

I'm interested in the same type of itinerary for a trip in mid-January but I'm am hesitant because of the monsoon season. Don't mind the rain but in some trips I've had it can be a hindrance. Has anyone had a nice holiday weather-wise in January in Borneo or east coast Malaysia?