Borneo
 

Hello - I will be travelling to Kuala Lumpur in August with my wife and my infant daughter. I am currently looking at options to travel to Borneo. Based on my research, Sandakan seems to be our area of choice as our interests include visiting Danum Valley and Kinabatangan River as our preferred options. Spending at Turtle Island Park is also on our radar (we realize we can't do everything). We are interested in viewing the wildlife (orang-utans, monkey's ect.) and nature of Borneo. We are looking at a 3-4 day trip.

Does anyone have suggestions on tour operators or itinerary? Would it be best to book flight/hotels to Sandakan and figure things out from there? We'd prefer a small local guide as opposed to something very touristy.

Would appreciate any insight.

My recommendation would be to go to the Borneo Rainforest Lodge. If your trip is 3-4 days from KL, you'll have to fly to Kota Kinabalu, stay over night and fly to Lahad Datu. The BRL staff will pick you up and take you to the lodge. Stay as long as you can - with your time limitations it may well be three nights is all you can stay, but even in three nights you can see a lot of wildlife there.

Transport take a lot of time, so choose one place to go and stay, whether it be the BRL ot a place on the Kinabatangan River.

You will want to have reservations before you go.

Thanks, I will look into the Borneo Rainforest Lodge. Do you have any recommendations for a place on the Kinabatangan?

Sorry, I don't.

Good luck - Borneo is amazing!

We staying at the Sukau Lodge on the Kinabatangan River. It had a beautiful location but the rooms were not very nice. I think it has been remodeled so it might be worth checking out.

I stayed at Uncle Tan's,way back in 2006.Great experience.they pick you up from Sandakan.Heard they shifted camp since.Check this out.
http://www.uncletan.com/

I went with SI Tours on the Kinabatangan River. http://www.sitoursborneo.com I was very impressed with the organisation and the guides ability to find us wildlife (including the local elephants) on the river. They were not the cheapest but definitely worth a look.

From KL I'd recommend Air Asia. Its a budget airline but you are looking at short flights so who cares if you don't get fed.

As Kathy says, Borneo is amazing. Its on my ever lengthening list of places to return to.