julies

As many of you know, we never plan too far out. We just returned from a trip to the southern US and came back to absolutely frigid weather at home, so we have realized that it is time to start planning where to go for 4 to 6 weeks to get out of here this winter.

Borneo is one possible idea since we have never been to either Malaysia or Indonesia. Some of you rave about Pandaw cruises, so I thought I'd look at their possibilities (even though we have never taken a real cruise of more than two days).

I am just starting to look into different countries and areas so have not done much research at all on Borneo since it is only one of the places I am starting to research. But, I thought I'd at least run this cruise itinerary past people to see if these are places that would even be worth visiting. Our goal in taking this cruise would be to be able to easily reach interesting and inaccessible places without a lot of transportation hassles, not to just have a relaxing cruise experience. Thoughts? Thanks.

https://www.pandaw.com/expeditions/i...eart-of-borneo

Zambezi

First, about the Pandaw outfit. I traveled on a 20-night trip on two rivers in northern Burma in September, 2014, with Pandaw and found that the business is well-managed and that my expedition was a good value. The cost of the one in Borneo that you mention seems reasonable.

Second, I have traveled independently to Tanjung Puting in southern Kalimantan (Indonesia) to see the orangutans and, on another trip, to the northern half of the island of Borneo (Sarawak, Brunei, and Sabah [North Borneo]). Leaving Brunei out, there are many fascinating aspects to these destinations. There are the animal and human life, the fauna and flora, and the different approach to the supernatural.

One advantage of this Pandaw trip is that you can expand it---and I recommend it---with a visit to Sarawak and maybe to Singapore, a city with many points of interest. Kuching is also an interesting and pleasant city. If you are really curious about Brunei, it is only a hop from Kuching.

I believe that, when you get to investigating this area of the world, you will be surprised at what it offers visitors. ZZ

Kathie

We loved our time in Borneo, and I highly recommend it as a destination. This part of the world has fascinating wildlife as well as fascinating tribal cultures. Friends (who we met on the Chindwin cruise) are going on the Borneo cruise in February.

This cruise goes to an area that is difficult to access, so seems like the perfect time to use a Pandaw cruise. Like Zambezi, I'd recommend that you expand your trip with a stay in Kuching or elsewhere in Malaysian or Indonesian Borneo.

crellston

I havent been to Indonesian Borneo, nor have I been on a Pandaw cruise, but have spent a lot of time in Sabah and Sarawak last year and twenty or so years previously. My one concern would be the weather at that time of year ( I presume within the next few months?) as it will be the rainy season. With temps of 30c plus and high humidity, it will be a little sticky to put it mildly!


Having said that, if it is anything like the Amazon basin, the rains could work to your advantage for wildlife viewing as, if water leaves rise, the wildlife would be concentrated into smaller areas.

Kuching is a pleasant city in which to spend a few days. Some photos of our time there and elsewhere in Borneo on our blog @'https://accidentalnomads.com/category/malaysia/

Other places to consider, might be Mulu ( the rainforest, caves and The Pinnacles) the Kelabit Highlands (stay in longhouse). Sandakan and or the Kinbangtan river for the oranganutans, would is suspect be an anticlimax after such a cruise!

julies

All of your comments and feedback have been very useful, and I will definitely delve more deeply into the Borneo idea. But, I will also need to take a long hard look at the weather (heat and humidity).

After our trip to Kerala two years ago where we sweated to death, we swore off vacations to the tropics because so much of our trip ended up being planned around how to find places where it wasn't so hot. We survived Cambodian heat last January ad early February, but it was also super hot there and it factored into how our days were structured.

Kathie

Don't forget that the ship will be air-conditioned - at least your staterooms. It isn't a traditional Pandaw ship, so I don't know about dining areas and such.

CaliforniaLady

Go for it, Julie! I'm a big nature fan, and Malaysian Borneo was one of my favorite three destinations in that realm, the other two being New Zealand and Japan. I'm not a cruiser, so I know absolutely nothing about the Pandaw ships, although other posters here seem to enjoy them.

I spent 3 1/2 weeks in Sabah and Sarawak, and I picked Crellston's brain when I did my planning. (Poor guy probably got tired of my emails.) My favorite part was the Kelabit highlands, as it is nature at its finest. If you have never hiked in the jungle, then that is your place. The sounds of the jungle are amazing. I also liked Mulu, but it is a wee bit commercial, since you can only see the caves on organized tours.

Oh, and did I mention the food? It's fabulous--not too spicy, but unique flavors. Also, the people are really friendly, and any driver you hire will knock himself out to make you happy. I had two different drivers that kept me out for 12 hour days because they were afraid I would miss something.

crellston

"Poor guy probably got tired of my emails." never CaliforniaLady never.

The thing is with the heat/humidity julies, that is what rainforest is all about in the tropics. 30c and 100% humidity is the norm. There is a thread on the Australia forum from glover re rainforest in Australia, where it didn't seem so intense, at least when we were there. We enjoyed it there and found it a little more user friendly, although the rain forest was radically different from Borneo

Like CaliforniaLady, I love NZ and that really is an excellent place to visit in their summer. The weather is varied but temperate and I think may suit you at this time of year. Although, not knowing where you live it could be a long journey!!

inquest

I think it'll be a fantastic 'expedition', considering the fact that the western Kalimantan region is among the least explored region by travellers. More so doing it in the comforts of Pandaw is even more worth while. Its almost un-chartered for tourists, that too going as far inland as Taman Nasional Danau Sentarum, said to be a complex and rich bio-diverse lake system, known to host a myriad species of birds, fish and rare mammals including the Orangutan and the Proboscis monkey.Its a rare opportunity and I think you should consider it seriously as these cruises may not last too long,considering the fickleness of the Indo authorities.

One thing is for sure, you need to brave the stifling heat and humidity of a tropical jungle, not to mention the assortment bugs, some of which are gigantic. I've experienced this in a boot camp on the river Kalimantagan,sometimes gets unbearable.All worth it when we chase down a mother and baby Orang, bare foot in the rain forest.A sight to behold !!

julies

I should add in that one of our all time favorite trips was to the Peruvian Amazon rainforest where we went for a week to what we refer to as "camp for grown-ups". We went by boat 90 miles up into a tributary of the Amazon from Iquitos, Peru (only way to get there is by boat or plane). This was more of an active vacation where there were two excursions a day (by small boat because the water levels were still so high) from the lodge with our private guide for just the two of us. Not only was there no A/C, there was no electricity anywhere in the lodge. We did have a room with private bath, but the water was unheated and came directly from the river. Mosquito nets over the beds, kerosene lanterns to provide light, and group dining. We had a lot of fun even though we really did not see much wildlife other than tons of birds.

julies

Since I am picking people's brains on this area, can I expand my question. We are from the northern US, so this is a long way from home and we would want to make it a 4 to 6 week trip. Having done a teeny bit of research, I think we would most likely fly into Singapore or Kuala Lumpur (tell me if you think there are better gateway cities). We have never been to either Malaysia or Indonesia.

The cruise is only a week, so we would have about another month maybe to play with. Would we be better off staying on just Borneo or expanding our area we visit? We are active people who like day hiking, water-based activities and nature, but my husband just hit seventy and I am fast closing in so we are not in the heavy duty trekking demographic (especially in this hot and humid climate). We also enjoy learning about and immersing ourselves in different cultures and learning about their history and their daily life. And, we enjoy just walking around and exploring interesting cities and historic sites. Thank you.

Kathie

If I was doing this cruise and had another 4 or 5 weeks, here is what I would consider:

A week or so in Kuching and surrounding areas
A week in the Danum Valley in Sabah
I'd spend some time in Singapore... I'm not so fond of Kuala Lumpur
If you haven't been to Bali,, do consider some time there, especially inland near Ubud, the cultural center (ooops- our Bali photos don't seem to be on the website)
A week or more in Java, central Java and consider eastern Java as well.

We have photos of all of these areas at www.marlandc.com which might help you decide.

marmot

That Pandaw Expedition into Kalimantan looks exceptional. The area is exceedingly remote and inaccessible with very little tourism development. The extensions, especially the Mulu caves, are of interest too.

Indonesia covers a massive land and sea area with many diverse and fascinating cultures so it's hard to know where to start. I would certainly concur that Bali and Central and Eastern Java are worth a week each. The rainy season usually fades out by the end of February, but this year has been especially fierce so who knows.

I would also highly recommend Sulawesi, both the Toraja area of Central Sulawesi and the Manado/Bitung area of North Sulawesi, the former for breathtaking scenery and fascinating culture, the latter for marine life. Toraja is a highland area and will be relatively cool (though still rainy). Coastal areas are generally breezy and less humid.

The island provinces of Nusa Tenggara (east and west) which comprise Sumba, Sumbawa, Flores, Komodo and Timor, are also full of cultural and marine attractions, best accessed by live-aboard boats. Further east Raja Ampat is even more extraordinary.

Sea Trek is a wonderful organization that sails throughout eastern Indonesia in traditional Pinisi vessels. Pricey, but I understand they often have last minute discounted openings.

You can stay in Indonesia on for 30 days visa free, but this arrangement only applies to certain points of entry and cannot be extended. If you want to stay more than 30 days, you need either to get a 60 day visa in advance at an Indonesian Embassy or Consulate or pay for a 30 day visa on arrival and then extend it once you're in Indonesia. Both require some advance organizing.

julies

Kathie and Marmot--thanks so much! I am going to really take a serious look at the entire idea over the next few days. I have several books from the library on these areas and will also have time in the next few days (bitter cold now, followed by heavy snow, followed by more bitter cold is forecast for the weekend here in Minneapolis) to sit at the computer for more research. And, my husband is actually kind of intrigued by this cruise too despite the fact that we are not cruise people at all.

The guidebooks I have looked at are saying that, like many other places in the world, the general guide lines about predicting rainy/non-rainy times are no longer valid. In some ways it would be nice to be at the tail end of the rains to see all of the lush greenery because our other tropical trips have been in the dry and dusty seasons.

billirandall

Wooow you are planning for Borneo..that is seriously amazing..One of my closest friend has been to Borneo last month and he expressed his views very excitedly about that place..If you got a chance then sure visit "Sarawak laksa" on the riverfront in Kuching!!you can also Enjoy the famous hospitality of the borneo tribe if you overnight in a traditional longhouse which is on the banks of a river in the middle of the jungle.