Insider's Borneo - Absolute Asia Tours

On arrival in Borneo, you'll be met by your private guide, who will accompany you to your hotel.

Head into Niah National Park on a drive through scenery that ranges from palm oil plantations to Iban longhouses. Once you're in the park, set off on foot along a boardwalk through the rainforest, looking for the colourful birds, lizards and unusual insects which make the forest their home. Pause to explore the Great Cave, a vast limestone cavern over a mile long, where the ancient skull was discovered in 1958. Next stop is the smaller but equally significant Painted Cave, where you can see ancient wall paintings which primarily depict a boat journey of the dead into the afterlife. Head back to Park Headquarters for lunch, before the trip back to Miri, where the rest of your day is at leisure.

Climb aboard your light aircraft for the short flight to Bario, entry point for the Kelabit Highlands, where you'll be met and escorted to Ngimat Ayu House, a longhouse-style homestay and your base for the next few nights. After a warm welcome, you'll be served a home cooked lunch, before setting out to explore the local area. Visit a nearby tribal longhouse for a fascinating insight into life in this remote region, and be prepared to get involved in a spot of traditional dancing and games! Return to Ngimat Ayu House in time for dinner, and a good night's sleep in preparation for your trekking day tomorrow.

Pass along forest-lined footpaths and shaded jungle trails on today's undulating four hour trek. Your destination is the remote village of Pa’ Lungan, where a traditional way of life continues, without cars or roads and with limited electricity. Expect another friendly welcome and a much appreciated home cooked lunch (and a rest!) on arrival, before visiting the community's two ancient megaliths. Head down to Dhapur River to board a wooden longtail boat for the journey downstream to Pa’Umor, a small village which is the main salt producer for the region. The jungle grows down to the riverbanks, so keep your eyes open for wildlife along the way. Your driver will be waiting at Pa’Umor for the short drive back to Ngimat Ayu House in time for a BBQ dinner.

Brace yourself for a 4am wake-up call - we promise it'll be worth it! After a light breakfast, set out on a pre-dawn hike to the summit of Prayer Mountain. This is a challenging 45-60 minute trek which is steep in places, but you will be rewarded with panoramic views across the rolling hills of the Bario Valley as the sun rises. Don’t forget your camera! Return to your homestay for breakfast, after which it'll be time to bid farewell to your hosts and fly back to Miri, and onwards to Kota Kinabalu. The rest of your day will be at leisure to recover from that early morning!

Spend the morning cycling around the beautiful countryside outside KK, starting at Kiulu Town. Observe daily life outside the city, riding past paddy fields, banana and rubber plantations, and crossing several suspension bridges. Stop at Kampong Tombung to meet members of the Dansun community (the largest ethnic group in Sabah), before enjoying lunch served at the riverside. Once you've been returned to your hotel, the rest of your day will be at leisure.

Drive to Kinabalu National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage site. The rest of your day will be at leisure to relax in preparation for tomorrow...

Today you'll trek up Mount Kinabalu with an experienced National Park guide, starting at Timpohon Gate at the base of the mountain and heading up through different vegetation zones as they transition from mossy forest with oak and chestnut trees, all the way through to alpine terrain at over 3,000 metres. The initial climb to Laban Rata will take 4-5 hours, with a packed lunch on the way. You'll stop at Laban Rata Guesthouse, where the rest of your afternoon is at leisure. Your focus should be on acclimatising and relaxing for the climb ahead, but there are a few short trails you can take to enjoy views of the mountain.

The big day! At 2am, you'll rise and commence your climb to the summit of Mount Kinabalu, using the moon and torchlight to help you along the trail. The climb will take around three hours, depending on your fitness and preferred pace, so you should reach the summit in plenty of time to witness sunrise, and uninterrupted views in all directions. After a break to soak it all in, head back down to the guesthouse in time for a very well earned breakfast, before the final descent for lunch and the onward journey by car and shared speedboat to Gaya Island.

Depart by shared speedboat to the mainland where you will be met and driven to the airport.