Excellent introduction to Kuching and the history and culture of Sarawak which, in my view, enhanced the whole trip. Wildlife walks in Bako National Park with guide Alex Lee; seeing a flying Lemur fly was a real highlight.
Kuching Wildlife and Nature in 5 Days, Sarawak, Malaysia
Kuching Wildlife
Heart of Sarawak's Diverse Nature
Trekking and Beach
Your tour begins at the Kuching Wetlands National Park. Here, your boat cruise takes you along the mangrove river to spot iconic Kuching wildlife. You will explore three land-based national parks and an orangutan wildlife center. Each of these parks offers their iconic nature and wildlife experience. You will see orangutans during their feeding session at the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre. This is one of Kuching’s most popular adventure and nature tours.
Tour Highlights
Learn about the environmental preservation of a mangrove ecosystem.
Spot Irrawaddy dolphins, proboscis monkeys and crocodiles.
Trek through primary forests with seven different ecosystems.
Watch orangutan feeding session.
Do nocturnal wildlife spotting.
Get the chance to watch turtles lay eggs.
Swim in the water of a secluded beach.
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Itinerary
Trip Details
Price
Contact us for Prices
Departure Time
4 PM at the hotel lobby on the first day of departure
Meeting Point
Your hotel lobby
Scheduled departure dates:
Contact us for available dates
Duration
6 days, 5 nights
Distance
Trekking 10.5 – 12km
Difficulty level
Trekking: 2/5 (Moderate to Active) Undulating terrain on single track jungle trail.
Number of trekking days
3 full days and 1 half day
Group Size
Minimum 2 adults, for groups of more than 6, please inquire about a special price.
Included
- English speaking guide
- Accommodation (Tanjung Datu National Park)
- Meals as stated in itinerary
- Transportation (road & boat)
- Rain ponchos
- Other non-trekking activities as per itinerary
- Entrance fees
Not Included
- Travel insurance
- Flights & airfare
What to Bring
Essential Items
- Multiple sets of sporting clothing
- Multiple sets of spare casual clothing, including long trousers and shorts, hat/cap, swimming costumes, sandals, and extra walking shoes
- Personal care: small towel, toiletries, personal medication, sunscreen, mosquito repellent
- Camera and chargers, dry bag, and torch light
- Extra cash/credit card
- Passport with 6 months validity and spare pages (additional immigration check at Sarawak’s entry points) and travel insurance details
About your guide
From start to finish, your trip will be led by 1 or 2 English-speaking, cycling tour leaders, depending on the size of the group. Along with further support from an assistant and support vehicle driver, the team aims to deliver a comfortable, safe, fun, and enriching travel experience by ensuring that everything runs smoothly. Our local, English-speaking tour leaders take great pride in their heritage (as well as their own personal stories) and are well informed on Borneo’s history, culture, and natural wonders.
Good to Know
- Age restriction: all participants must be aged 12 and over
- Tell us your food preference, accommodation preference, and any other personal requests
- Check out OUR RESPONSIBLE TOURISM COMMITMENT
What You'll Do
You tour a Malay village before the river safari in the Kuching Wetlands National Park. You have the opportunity to spot Irrawaddy dolphins, Proboscis monkeys, crocodiles and small creatures along the riverbanks. The tour ends with a land transfer back to Kuching.
Your things to do:
- Take a 35-minute drive to Kampong Salak, a local Malay village. The only village located within the Kuching Wetlands National Park.
- Go on a river cruise to the South China Sea, keeping an eye out for the elusive Irrawaddy dolphin.
- Observe the Proboscis monkeys and crocodiles and learn about the mangrove ecosystem. Including the different species of trees and creatures that inhabit it.
- Look out for water monitor lizards, otters, mudskippers and mangrove crabs.
- Spot kingfishers, white-bellied sea eagles and other shorebirds.
- Enjoy the scenery of the mangrove swamp and learn how this complex ecosystem works.
- Return to the village of Kampong Salak and then take the land transfer back to Kuching.
Accommodation: Own arrangement
Meals: Own arrangement
You will take a 25-minute boat ride to Sarawak’s oldest national park. This is the only way to access the national park. At the park, hike through primary forests with seven different ecosystems. Throughout the trek, spot wildlife and marvel at the diversified landscape and vegetation. The tour ends with lunch at the national park canteen. After which, a return boat trip to the jetty for the transfer back to your city hotel.
Your things to do:
- Take a 40-minute drive from the hotel to the Kampung Bako jetty.
- Meet the Bako National Park guide who will prepare the boat and lifejackets.
- Enjoy the 25-minute boat ride to the National Park headquarters on the Bako peninsula.
- Trek through primary forests with seven different ecosystems.
- Explore the different trails based on your level of fitness and interest.
- Spot Borneo’s endemic long-nose proboscis monkeys, snakes and resting flying colugo.
- Be wary of the long-tailed macaques but enjoy watching the resident wild boars.
- Enjoy the spectacular cliffs, sea stacks, and pristine sandy beaches that dot the bay.
- Head to the national park canteen for lunch before the return boat trip back to the mainland.
- Spot more wildlife during the boat trip, including estuary crocodiles and shorebirds.
Accommodation: Own arrangement
Meals: Lunch
Total trekking distance: 2km
This is the most accessible semi-wild orangutan experience in Borneo. Only a 40-minute drive from downtown Kuching. The Semenggoh Wildlife Centre at Semenggoh Nature Reserve is home to rehabilitated and semi-wild orangutans. Watch them swing down the forest trees for their feeding session. In the evening, immerse yourself in the nocturnal world of Kubah National Park. And peek into the fascinating world of Bornean frogs and pitcher plants.
Your things to do:
- See orangutans at their morning feeding session*
- Walk into the reserve with a park ranger to the main feeding area
- Marvel at the adorable apes and watch them at their antics
- Head back to Kuching for an afternoon exploring the city
- Head to Kubah National Park for a night walk
- Search for over 60 species of Bornean frogs
- Spot freshwater crabs, shrimps, and forest catfishes
- Learn about the fascinating carnivorous pitcher plant species
* Orangutans may not show when food is aplenty in the jungle.
Accommodation: Own arrangement
Meals: Own arrangement
total trekking distance: 2km
Tanjung Datu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia shares a common border with Kalimantan Indonesia. Hence the tagline ‘Where Borneo Begins’. The two sovereign lighthouses lie on the southwestern most tip of the island. Your coastal adventure begins with a 2-hour drive from Kuching. A boat ride and a short walk* takes you to park headquarters. You will stay in camping style accommodation. Enjoy the tranquil beach setting of the park.
Your things to do:
- Take a two-hour drive from Kuching to Sematan, a small coastal town nearest the national park.
- Stop at a local coffee shop or restaurant for an early lunch.
- Take a boat ride from Telok Melano, a Malay fishing village to Tanjung Datu National Park. A 20-minute duration.
- Go on a short trek on either the Telok Upas, Viewpoint, or Belian trail.
- Relax on the beach, have a swim or visit the turtle hatchery.
- Enjoy dinner at the park HQ.
- Go on a night walk to search for nocturnal wildlife. They include wild boar, sambar deer, mouse deer, barking deer, and civet cats.
Accommodation: Tanjung Datu National Park camp shelter
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Total trekking distance: 2km
*Low tide or unfavourable sea condition means a 15-minute walk to park headquarters.
You will have the opportunity to spot gibbons, banded langurs and hornbills along the Pasir Antu Laut trail. This trail leads to Antu Laut beach, which is perfect for swimming. Admire the views of huge boulders and the rainforest along the coast before walking back to the park HQ. The rest of the day is free for leisure activities such as snorkelling, walking or relaxing on the beach. You will have the opportunity to watch green turtle landings. (April – September)
Your things to do:
- Go on a jungle trek along the Pasir Antu Laut trail
- Spot gibbons, banded langurs, and hornbills
- Take a break at the small stream halfway along the trail
- Visit the main turtle beach and admire the views of the huge boulders and the rainforest
- Relax on Antu Laut beach and go for a swim
- Go snorkelling near Telok Upas
- Watch turtle landings if they occur
Accommodation: Tanjung Datu NP camp shelter
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Total trekking distance: 2.7km
You have a free and easy morning at the park. By noon time, you begin your transfer back to Kuching.
Your things to do:
- Relax on the beach
- Go swimming
- Take a short walk on one of the park trails
- Travel back to Telok Melano on a boat
- Drive to Sematan for lunch
- Enjoy the scenic drive back to Kuching
End of Tour
Accommodation: Own arrangement
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Frequently Asked Questions
Our bike tours are fully supported by air-conditioned vehicles, so should you want to put your feet up, there will be a seat for you and a place to put your bike. The support vehicle also carries your luggage, as well as keeping you topped up with water, tropical fruit, and snacks.
Wearing a helmet is strongly recommended on all our biking adventures. Your tour leader will conduct a group cycling safety meeting on day one, as well as a briefing at the beginning of each day on what to expect during the day’s ride. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue but, to a certain degree, you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. For non-biking activities such as kayaking, safety measures such as life-jackets are compulsory and a separate safety briefing will be given before the start of each activity.
Meals and snacks are included as per the itinerary. We take care in our planning to include the best of Sarawak cuisine, including delicacies from a mixture of Dayak, Malay, and Chinese cuisine that all use local, fresh ingredients from the tropics. Some can be hot and spicy. We eat dinner together, Malaysian style, by sharing all of our delicious dishes. Alcoholic drinks are available at your own expense, but they might not be served in some Muslim halal restaurants.
We have carefully chosen the best available accommodation in different locations with friendly, local hosts. To ensure your comfort after a hard day in the saddle, we strive to offer a range of accommodation that is clean, comfortable, and represents the local culture. The type of lodging can vary depending on the location and what is available: a local tribal homestay, a jungle lodge, a national park cabin, a historical shophouse, and seaside resorts. Rooms are based on a sharing basis with double beds and if you are a single traveler, you might be paired with another traveler of the same sex unless you pay the single supplement.
The details of the number of cycling days, cycling distances, and difficulty levels for each tour are listed in the fact sheet. All our trips require basic fitness, preferably acquired through cycling. The fitter you are, the more you’ll enjoy the riding. However, we try to make our Sarawak bike tours as accessible as possible with the average cycling distance of 30-40 km per day and the longest distance no more than 70 km. Most cycling terrains are on paved roads (and limited gravel tracks) with some undulations.
Being on the equator, Borneo is generally hot (average daily temperatures are around 30 degrees Celsius) and humid, especially around noon. Therefore, we like to start our day early and rest at points of interest during the hottest part of the day. Short rain showers are fairly common during the mid to late afternoon but we provide waterproof ponchos for continuous riding, which can actually be very entertaining.
Once you have booked your tour, we will send you a pre-tour information pack that will have all the information you need to prepare for the tour, such as the packing list and joining instruction, etc.
Solo travelers are always welcome and those who would like their own room have the option of paying a single supplement. Otherwise, we will arrange for a shared room with another solo traveler (of the same sex) at no extra cost. If there is no roommate available, we will cover the additional cost of a single room.
We include very limited corporate insurance coverage with minimum coverage. It is a condition of participating in a Paradesa Borneo that each traveler holds his or her own travel insurance for the duration of the trip. It needs to include coverage of medical expenses, emergency evacuation, personal liability, and accident insurance. You should email us a copy of your insurance coverage for our reference in case of an emergency.
The official currency is the Malaysian ringgit (RM). Foreign currencies are not generally accepted and currency exchange is only available in major banks, as well as larger hotels. Credit cards can be used only in larger hotels and shops. ATMs are widely available in cities and towns, but you’ll need cash in villages to pay for some extra meals, drinks, activities, and, of course, shopping. There will be limited opportunities to spend money whilst cycling through rural areas outside of personal items, extra snacks, drinks, and the odd souvenir. Tipping at restaurants and for local guides and support staff is uncommon. Should however you feel the staff/guides have provided excellent service you may wish to give them some form of gratuity. We recommend that you bring an equivalent of US$ 400 (in Malaysian ringgit) for incidentals.
See What Our Guests Are Saying
She was great fun and was flexible with the itinerary so we got maximum enjoyment… We had great support on the road too with Max and Francis and JC the boss came out to visit us (group of 6) one evening and we enjoyed a mega party. A great indigenous company, young and efficient, and I would highly recommend them.
