Borneo Land of the Orangutan
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BORNEO LAND OF THE ORANGUTAN August 6 – 21, 2021 | 16 Days | Overland Adventure SOUTH CHINA SEA MOUNT KINABALU NATIONAL PARK LOWER Expedition Highlights KINABATANGAN Kota Kinabalu RIVER SANCTUARY • Search for a huge variety of charismatic MULU species, including orangutans, Bornean NATIONAL PARK DANUM VALLEY pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, SARAWAK Lahad Datu clouded leopards, great argus pheasants, BAKO (MALAYSIA) eight species of hornbills, and the bizarre NATIONAL PARK Kuching Bornean bristlehead. BORNEO • Discover the extensive cave system of Mulu National Park, home to millions of bats that depart the caves en masse each evening, creating an amazing KALIMANTIN spectacle. (INDONESIA) • Visit the renowned Sepilok Orangutan MAP NOT TO SCALE Rehabilitation Center to experience up-close encounters and phenomenal photographic moments with Borneo’s notable apes. • Explore the lush montane rainforest of Mount Kinabalu National Park, home to more than 1,000 orchid species and the famous carnivorous pitcher plants. • Itinerary .................................... page 2 > • Flight Information ...................... page 3 > • Meet Your Leaders .................... page 4 > • Rates ........................................ page 4 > PROBOSCIS MONKEY CANOPY WALKWAY © Michael Moore • Know Before You Go ................. page 4 > © Andrew Roberts © Michael Moore FRUIT BAT BAKO NATIONAL PARK © Michael Moore ORIENTAL PIED HORNBILL © Michael Moore Wednesday & Thursday, August 11 & 12 Itinerary MULU NATIONAL PARK Spend two full days exploring Mulu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Sarawak’s greatest natural attraction. Based on the expeditionary nature of our trips, there may be ongoing enhancements to this itinerary. The park is an unspoiled wilderness famous for its limestone and sandstone mountains, boasting an enormous cave system that contains the world’s largest rock chamber. Virgin Friday & Saturday, August 6 & 7, 2021 rainforest grows between rugged mountains, and crystal rivers DEPART USA run through deep gorges sheltering a variety of mammals Board your independent flight for Malaysia. Lose a day as you and birds. During your time here, visit Lang and Deer Caves, cross the International Date Line. the first renowned for its beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations, the second for the immensity of its cavern. Three million bats make Deer Cave their home and, as dusk falls, Sunday, August 8 immense clouds of bats leave the cave en masse, creating KUCHING, MALAYSIA an incredible wildlife spectacle. You will also embark on Arrive in Kuching and transfer to the Hilton Kuching nature walks to seek out interesting flora and fauna; the for a welcome dinner and overnight. dense rainforest is home to pitcher plants, wild ginger, several species of monkeys, and all of Borneo’s hornbill species. Monday, August 9 KUCHING / BAKO NATIONAL PARK Friday, August 13 One of the oldest and most popular parks in Sarawak, Bako MULU NATIONAL PARK / KOTA KINABALU / MOUNT National Park is home to long-tailed macaques, white-bearded KINABALU NATIONAL PARK pigs, silver leaf monkeys, and proboscis monkeys. Hike along After one last wildlife spotting excursion and lunch, transfer forest trails and take a boat ride to the coast to view the famous to the airport for our flight to Kota Kinabalu. Drive to Mount sea stacks and arches, carved by the sea into fantastical shapes. Kinabalu National Park and check in to The Hill Lodge for Enjoy lunch in the park, and return to Kuching for dinner and dinner and overnight. overnight at our hotel. Saturday, August 14 Tuesday, August 10 MOUNT KINABALU NATIONAL PARK / KOTA KINABALU KUCHING / MULU NATIONAL PARK Spend a full day exploring Mount Kinabalu National Park. After breakfast, transfer to the airport for our flight to Mulu This lush paradise is home to more than 1,000 orchid National Park. Check in to the Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa and species. Spend the morning walking along the many trails enjoy an afternoon at leisure to explore on your own. Return to surrounding park headquarters, where you may spy Jentinck’s the hotel for dinner and overnight. and Prevosts’s squirrels, tree shrews, and some of the over 250 species of birds that inhabit this park, including minivets, babblers, and laughing-thrushes. Endemic birds include the Whitehead’s broadbill and short-tailed magpie. Check in to the Kota Kinabalu Marriott Hotel for dinner and overnight. ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS | BORNEO LAND OF THE ORANGUTAN < 2 > PYGMY ELEPHANTS BORNEAN SUN BEARS © Brent Stephenson Brent © Sunday, August 15 Wednesday & Thursday, August 18 & 19 KOTA KINABALAU / SANDAKAN / LOWER KINABATANGAN DANUM VALLEY RIVER SANCTUARY The maniacal laughter of helmeted hornbills and eerie songs After breakfast, board our flight to Sandakan. Upon arrival, of Bornean gibbons herald the dawn at Danum and, with visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center. Established luck, you should see these characterful creatures in the trees in 1964 to rehabilitate and return orphaned baby orangutans adjacent to the lodge. Spend two full days savoring this to the wild, the center is comprised of more than 10,000 pristine area’s many treasures, which may include a mouse acres of rainforest and is now home to 300 orangutans at deer moving silently through the leaf litter, a male great argus various stages of rehabilitation. You will also have the chance pheasant displaying on his show ground, or a tiny pygmy to see the world’s smallest bear at the nearby Bornean Sun squirrel dashing up a tree trunk. Trek through the jungle to Bear Conservation Center. After lunch, take a cruise up the continue your search for Borneo’s “man of the forest”—the Kinabatangan River to Abai Jungle Lodge, located in a large orangutan. A magnificent treetop canopy walkway, a short swath of preserved secondary forest. After a chance to settle stroll from the lodge, provides unparalleled views of a number in, take a walk along the lodge’s jungle boardwalk trail, with of colorful birds such as rhinoceros hornbill, crested fireback, five watch towers for observing wildlife that you may visit day and Bornean bristlehead. Each evening, enjoy a spotlighting or night. excursion through the forest to discover some of Borneo’s nocturnal inhabitants such as common palm civets, bearded pigs, the rare western tarsier, and the elusive leopard cat. Monday, August 16 LOWER KINABATANGAN RIVER SANCTUARY Spend a full day searching for wildlife along the river by boat Friday, August 20 and exploring the extensive network of trails on foot. Species DANUM VALLEY / LAHAD DATU / KOTA KINABALU commonly sighted include silvered, maroon, and Hose’s After breakfast, transfer to Lahad Datu and board our flight to langurs; proboscis monkeys; and wild orangutans. Though Kota Kinabalu. Check in to the Kota Kinabalu Marriott Hotel for elusive, pygmy elephants, clouded leopards, and sun bears a special farewell dinner and overnight. have also been found in the area. Saturday, August 21 Tuesday, August 17 KOTA KINABALU / USA LOWER KINABATANGAN RIVER SANCTUARY / DANUM VALLEY Board your independent homeward flight, arriving in the USA Leave your riverside paradise after breakfast and travel the same day. overland via Sakau to the Danum Valley, and check in to the comfortable Borneo Rainforest Lodge for a three-night stay. Beautifully situated on a bend of the Segama River, in the heart of the largest contiguous patch of rainforest remaining in Flight Information Southeast Asia, the lodge boasts an impressive tally of almost 100 species of mammals and nearly 300 species of birds. You will need to purchase airfare from home city/Kuching and Kota Begin your adventure here with an afternoon walk along one Kinabalu/home city. Domestic air transportation within Borneo is of the area’s numerous trails, looking for rainforest denizens included in the price of this expedition. Please contact our in-house air department for fare quotes, reservations, or other air-related that may include maroon langur, pig-tailed macaque, or questions. Sunda giant squirrel. ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS | BORNEO LAND OF THE ORANGUTAN < 3 > Meet Your Expedition Leader RICH PAGEN – Rich first became enthralled by the wonders of the natural world around the tide pools and forests of his native New York. Since then, he has embarked on a career in conservation biology, including a variety of field biology projects from the Arctic to the Amazon. Rich was ultimately drawn back to the sea where he taught marine science and island ecology on Catalina Island in California for several years. He has also conducted shipboard surveys for marine mammals and seabirds, as well as tagging studies of sea turtles and pelagic sharks. Rates $12,480 per person, double occupancy $14,480 per person, single occupancy Limited to 16 expedition members. INCLUDED: NOT INCLUDED: • Air transportation within Borneo • Airfare from your home city/Kuching and Kota Kinabalu/home city • All excursions in the company of world-class expedition • Excess baggage charges leaders and local guides • All gratuities • Airport arrival and departure taxes • All accommodations • Transfers for independent arrivals and departures • All group meals, including selected beverages with • Passport and/or visa fees lunch and dinner • Travel insurance • All entrance fees • Arrival and departure transfers on group dates • Items of a personal nature such as laundry, alcoholic beverages (other than listed at left), and other incidentals • Gift certificates for recommended expedition gear • Email/Internet/fax/telephone