Borneo Motorcycle Tour - Itinerary Page 2

Borneo To Be Wild Tour

Start Location - Sepilok Forest
End Location - Kinabatangan River Basin
Distance Traveled by Land (Bus) - 109 kilometers | 68 miles
Distance Traveled by Water (Riverboat) - ~2-6 nautical miles | ~2-7 miles
Mode of Travel - Bus and Riverboat
Meals Included - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Main Activities - Rainforest Discovery Centre & Skywalk, Evening River Safari

Breakfast

Once again, we'll wake up to the sounds of the jungle, and the smells of coffee brewing and breakfast cooking.

But we'll eat quickly, because this morning we are going on a skywalk tour into the canopy of the world's second oldest rainforest - the ancient jungle of the Borneo Lowlands.

Rainforest Centre Skywalk

Walking distance from our accommodations is the Rainforest Discovery Centre of Sandakan.

Along with an educational exhibition hall, and a Plant Discovery Garden (featuring carnivorous plants and over 250 kinds of orchids), the Rainforest Discovery Centre also boasts a 363 meter-long canopy skywalk (1,190 feet). These viewing platforms and walkways are as high as 28 meters (92 feet) above the ground, which is the same as a 25 story building! It offers a breathtaking view of the forest, as well as the perfect way to spy on wildlife as if you are merely a bird in the trees.

Wouldn't it be special if we saw a pygmy elephant while there? This is an area where they are sometimes seen!

At 140 million years old, the rainforest that you are stepping through is as old as the dinosaurs. And you can almost envision them walking through this dense and teeming jungle full of vines, moss, ferns, and incredibly unusual animals.

Borneo is also home to the world's largest flower, the Refflesia, a parasitic enormous beast of a plant that eats flies and smells horrifically of rotting carcasses. It's pretty rare to catch one of these blooming (it only blooms for about 5-7 days), but if there is one in the area, you better believe that everyone in the nearby vicinity will know about it.

Bus to Kinabatangan

Today we say goodbye to our motorcycles, and we'll get picked up by bus for a special escort to the remote village of Sukau in the Kinabatangan River Basin. Let's soak up the air-conditioning while we have it!

The Kinabantangan River Basin is a large area of Sabah that consists of Malaysia's second longest river, the Kinabatangan. The region is home to some of Borneo's highest concentrations of wildlife, and what makes it truly special is that many of these animals regularly congregate around the river, including pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, gibbons, hornbills, kingfishers, wild boars, monitor lizards, tarsiers, crocodiles, and of course, orangutans. A trip to Sabah wouldn't be complete without coming here.

To get here we have to take one of the only roads that has been built through this part of Borneo. All other traffic through here goes by river, since that is the way people have traversed this environment for thousands of years. At the end of this road we'll find ourselves transported to distant universe that feels cut off from the rest of society.

Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge

The Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge is, as the name suggests, right on the river on one side, and then tucked into the jungle on the other. It's a wetland area, and so everything is raised on ironwood boardwalks and stilts here, just as the indigenous population would build things.

In fact, the lodge only employs local people from the village. From the moment we arrive, they will be showing us to our rooms, cooking our food, and cleaning. Very few speak any English, but their friendly smiles will say it all.

The pool here is incredibly refreshing, and from the pool and boardwalk areas I've seen an abundance of wildlife, including dozens (yes dozens) of huge hornbill birds, macaques, langurs, and the elusive slow loris. There have even been elephant sightings right near the lodge.

Your Accommodations

Each room is equipped with air-conditioners, private bathrooms, and views of the surrounding forest. Along with the lodge's modern amenities, what I love best is how every room takes in the ambiance of being a part of the rainforest and one with nature.

Dinner

Needless to say, the food here is superb. All meals are served buffet style, and every night it's different. The cooks (all local employees) make an assortment of delicious food such as marinated lamb, sweet and sour jumbo shrimp, sautéed local endives and vegetables, stir-fried noodles and rice, and Western options such as spaghetti. There's usually also a grilled meat station as well as a fresh fruit and dessert spread.

As nightfall descends over the forest, we will be engulfed in the orchestra of Bornean sounds, welcoming us to their home. Having heard the night sounds of rainforests all around the world, I find that Borneo's jungles provide a unique experience. It has a particularly exotic quality that is musical, ancient, and humbling.

And to the buzzing melodies of the forest singing us to sleep, we'll peacefully dream of what tomorrow will bring (it will be a good one, I guarantee it).

Start & End Location - Kinabatangan River Basin
Distance Traveled by Land (Bus) - 52 kilometers | 32 miles
Distance Traveled by Water (Riverboat) - ~4-12 nautical miles | ~4.5-14 miles
Mode of Travel - Bus and Riverboat
Meals Included - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Main Activities - Two River Safaris, Gomantong Caves

Sunrise River Cruise to Oxbow Lake

This morning we will get up right as the jungle starts to wake, and head into riverboats that will take us on a journey upriver and into the mists.

Here is Sir David Attenborough in 2011 doing a similar tour to what you will experience along the Kinabatangan River.

Our goal this morning is to get a peak at all the incredible wildlife of the Kinabatangan River Basin. We're talking rainbow-colored birds galore, crocodiles large enough to eat people (and they do sometimes, but we'll be safe), orangutans, gibbons, king cobras, flying foxes, proboscis monkeys, otter, deer, wild boars, sun bears, sunda clouded leopards, and of course, the elusive but incredible pygmy elephant! This is by far the best place on earth to see some of these animals. Most people say these boat trips are the absolute highlight of their time in Borneo.

According to online research from the Sukau region, the chances of seeing wild proboscis monkeys and macaques are 100%! We ALWAYS see them on our safaris here! Some other surprising data shows that they see water monitors 97% of the time, crocodiles 82%, and adorable palm civets are seen 87% the time!

This is why the BBC chose to come here to film wildlife! Nothing can match the Kinabatangan River Basin for a truly wild Bornean experience.

Spotting Pygmy Elephants

One of the most thrilling animals to try to see on our voyage through the rainforest will be the pygmy elephant. More officially called Borneo Elephants, this particular species of elephant is found nowhere else on earth.

As the name suggests, pygmy elephants are small compared to African elephants, though the name is a bit of a misnomer since they are relatively the same size as peninsular Southeast Asian elephants. In other words, they're huge.

One of the really great things about going on a riverboat safari is that these elephants like to hang out by the river's edge. And they're there for so much more than drinking.

Elephants by nature simply love to play and cool off in the water, and they will spend hours by the banks of the Kinabatangan, just waiting for us to come by so they can show off their water spraying skills. Plus, they are truly gentle giants, and they don't seem to mind the presence of humans in boats at all.

Although the island of Borneo is massive (it's the third largest island on earth), because of habitat loss, human development, and limited mineral resources, the range of pygmy elephants has been restricted to the northern and northeastern portion of Borneo. This means that there are really only a few specific places in which you can see them, and the Kinabatangan River Basin is the most prominent location with the largest population.

These elephants are rare. In 2024, the Borneo Elephant was listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List.

Because of their endangered status and elusive nature, seeing a pygmy elephant in the wild is an incredibly special experience. Although there is no guarantee that we will see them, I've heard reports that people see them in Sukau 39% of the time, which is fabulous! Certainly, this is where we will have the best chances of having this unforgettable experience..

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Once back at the lodge, it will be time for breakfast!

Because we'll be spending all day at the lodge, our three meals today (and any other food you'd like to eat) will be served for us at the dining hall.

The meals will all be served buffet-style, so you'll have plenty to choose from, but I highly suggest trying some of the Malaysian curries on offer. Although some curries here are made Indian-style, Malaysian specific curries have quite different flavor profiles, and can be made with coconut milk-based sauces. They are more similar to Thai curries, though not quite as spicy (and sometimes they aren't spicy at all).

Gomantong Caves

Although it is not always open, today we're hoping to have the opportunity to explore one of the area's most beautiful and bizarre sights (it's not for the faint of heart).

Gomantong Caves is one of the biggest cave systems in Sabah, and it winds its way through the largest limestone outcrop in the Lower Kinabatangan area.

Made up of two chambers, the White Cave and the Black Cave, the boardwalk-lined trek through the caves does not take long, but its the creatures inside the cave that make this truly special (and also the stuff of nightmares).

This is because the caves are home to a massive and thriving population of bats, as well as cockroaches and centipedes. There is also a lot of swiftlet birds living here, which means that the swiftlet nest production industry in the caves is alive and well. Although sometimes the industry closes the caves for nest collection, if they are open for us (fingers crossed), then we'll be able to witness the incredible lengths people go to collect these bird nests in order to sell them as health and wellness products.

Sunset River Cruise & Safari

This evening, as the sun begins its descent, we're going to head out on another riverboat safari. This is one of the best times to see jungle life, and our guides are fabulous at spotting every bit of movement in the brush.

And if we're lucky, we'll be able to check off our list of the Borneo Big Five - the orangutan, pygmy elephant, proboscis monkey, rhinoceros hornbill, and the estuarine crocodile. Almost every group we've been on has seen them all, so keep your fingers crossed 🤞!

Evening at the Lodge

Wow, what a day.

At dinner time, we'll all reconvene, tell stories, and watch the sunset as we eat another fresh and tasty meal, letting the stars of the incredible Borneo night sky twinkle above us.

Start Location - Kinabatangan River Basin
End Location - Kota Kinabalu
Distance Traveled by Land (Bus/Taxi) - 132 kilometers | 82 miles
Distance Traveled by Air (Plane) - 120 nautical miles | 113 miles
Mode of Travel - Bus, Plane, and Taxi
Meals Included - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Main Activities - Flight to KK, Farewell Dinner

Flight from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu

Today we are waking up with the peaceful dawn and saying our farewells to Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge. We'll pack up and eat breakfast quickly, because we have a lot of ground to cover today. Our transport that will be taking us back to the city of Sandakan leaves first thing after breakfast.

We're going full-circle today, back to where we began in the city of Kota Kinabalu. The flight (included) is pretty short, only 50 minutes from takeoff to landing. So before we know it, we'll be back in the city of KK (as the locals call it).

Kota Kinabalu is a fairly small city, and the airport is very near to the boardwalk downtown area. So it shouldn't take long for us to get back to the wonderful hotel where we stayed at for our first night in East Malaysia.

Your Accommodations

Remember this lovely place with the refreshing pool? Well this is where we are going to stay again for the last night of our tour together.

Farewell Dinner

Tonight we're having our farewell dinner at the hotel itself. The restaurant specializes in a fusion of Asian and Western flavors, including a dish that is Tim's personal favorite in Malaysia - Beef Rendang. It's shredded beef cooked in a sauce that's got so many good flavors to it, I don't even know how to describe it. It's just fantastic!

And don't forget the dessert menu that features cinnamon chocolate and lemon merengue éclairs, and a sugar-free Malaysian pandan layer cake, a specialty of East Malaysia! Oh my!

Start Location - Kota Kinabalu
End Location - Wherever the rest of your journey may lead you...
Meals Included - Breakfast
Main Activity - Saying Goodbye 😢

This is it, we've come to the end of our incredible journey.

Breakfast

As we have our final breakfast together back at the hotel, we'll reminisce about all the fantastic moments we've had in the past ten days. From ancient rainforests, to staring orangutans in the face, to the Tip of Borneo, and reaching that town overlooking Mount Kinabalu... From the coral reefs of the Sulu Sea, to riding a motorcycle on that gorgeous beach... This has been the stuff of dreams.

But what has made it all the more special, is that we got to share these experiences with each other, new lifelong friends that we've made. So whether your plans from here are to head home, or to continue your adventures around Southeast Asia, you will always be able to look back at these moments we've had and simply smile.