Borneo Trip – Need Additional People
Hi all. We are planning a return trip to Borneo next April/May. We are organizing the trip through AA Borneo again since they did such a great job last trip. My wife and I are looking for 2 to 3 more people to join us so that we can lower the costs and increase the fun! The dates are relatively firm since Deramakot is now getting wildly popular and we need to book our flights soon since we are using miles. But, I am sure there is a bit of flexibility if I get some interest in the next couple of weeks.
This will be an “Everything and Anything” trip. Meaning, we don’t plan on just focusing on birds, or mammals, or herps. We hope to see lots of all 3 actually.
Here is the current itinerary:
– Pickup at KK hotel (April 22)
– 6 nights Deramakot (April 22 to 27)
– 2 nights Sepilok Nature Resort (April 28 & 29)
– 3 nights Kingabatangan Wetlands Resort (April 30 to May 2)
– 4 nights Borneo Rainforest Lodge (May 3 to May 6)
– Fly from Lehad Datu back to KK (May 6)
We will have a private guide at all locations and expect to see some incredible wildlife. I have an idea of activities that we would do at all locations but nothing is finalized yet so there is flexibility there.
Please let me know if anyone is interested and I can supply more details or answer any questions that folks may have.
Thanks
Alan
16 Comments
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Mike Robinson
I thought I had already. Left aa response but it doesn’t seem to babe there! My question would be the same as Jo. Hard for Clouded Leopard? Interested if so. aTB Mike
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Alan D
Hi Jo and Mike. Thanks for the interest.
I guess it depends on what you mean by “Hard” for Clouded Leopards. We certainly plan to do night drives every night at Deramakot. When we there there last spring we usually were out until Midnight give or take. Mike did mention in passing that “all night” trips were really tough on him and the drivers and they weren’t keen to do that anymore. But, in our experience Mike is very flexible and probably would work with us so a couple longer nights to maybe 2AM would be OK with us if it was OK with AA Borneo. However, we also want to spend time looking for Tarsier on a couple trails at night which would cut into driving time. So, I wanted to throw that out there. We whiffed on Tarsier last time and I don’t want that to happen again 🙂
Jo, you are right that BRL is much more expensive than DVFC. But, we are high maintenance creatures at this point in our travels and like ending the trip at a more upscale lodge with private rooms/baths. AA Borneo booked for us last time and got better rates than we were quoted direct. Now, with that said there is no reason why we couldn’t part ways in Lahad Datu and travel to different locations in Danum since that is the last leg of the trip. That could work just fine in my mind.
While we do sort of have a set itinerary, we would obviously work with anyone who wanted to join us so that we had a trip that worked for everyone. Feel free to ask more questions if you have them.
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Alan D
Hi Jon. Yes, I hear the same. We are also planning a night walk to two at the Rainforest Discovery Center in Sepilok and there is a chance there as well I am told. Since the weather can be hit or miss (mostly miss on our last trip) we want to try a bit all all locations. Heck, we whiffed on Gibbons last trip too. So, there are lots of reasons to go back!
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jo dale
Thanks Alan, I have responded to your PM on Safaritalk.net.
The leopard would be the top priority for me. We were frequently out until 3 am at Deramakot, it’s a hard slog, especially when we ultimately dipped the leopard :(.
It should be possible for those who want to do a shorter night to be dropped back at the rooms half way through as we typically started off in one direction and then back via the camp and out along the road on the other side. But if the issue is that Mike and the other guides are not prepared to be out so late then that’sa bit of a blow to the quest for that leopard!
I had a great sighting of tarsier on the kinabatangan and one at DVFC on my previous trip. No luck at Deramakot or sepilok.
Gibbons were heard at Deramakot and DVFC but we only had a distant view of them at DVFC. I had excellent views of gibbon at Tabin on my first visit.
Definitely let me have the details and I’ll give it some thought.
Thanks
Jo
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Mike Robinson
It sounds as if we are all interested though like Jo the Leopard is the absolute top priority for me having tried once before in Tabin. Could we perhaps carry on discussion directly by email? Mine is mike@nwbirds.co.uk
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Mike Gordon
Hey guys, for me its no issue being out till 3am every night (except 1st and last). The problem is having to get up again looking for Birds the next day. My advice would be, if you get 5 or 6 pax for the deramakot part, then just add an extra guide and driver. between 5-6 people it doesnt make a huge difference, and it offers most flexibilty for everyone.
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JeffB
If it is useful to follow up by email I can be reached at Mere.Rush@yahoo.com. Appreciate all places may be taken. Jeff
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Sjef Ollers
Hi Alan,
Apologies for the late response (we were out on a trip), but me and my wife are also interested (if space is still available) and willing to be high-maintenance creatures if needed, so we are fine with BRL :),
Could you please contact me at olpa [at] vmail.me ?
Best wishes,
Sjef
Sjef -
Mike Collard
Alan,
Can we chat by email please re your trip; I have tried to contact AA Borneo through the web site( without success after seeing a tweet by Mike ) as I am looking to arrange a birding/ mammal trip this year for my wife and I and preferably April – July
Regards/ Mike
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kittykat23uk
Hi Alan
Will you be going hard for clouded leopard? In other words, doing long night drives? I could well be interested if so. Though I’m not sure I’d want the expense of BRL, as DVFC is just as good. But please send me the details and I’ll give it some thought.
Thanks
Jo