Sarett Nature Center

Nothing stirs images and fantasies of exotic rain forest cultures and wildlife like Borneo. On this trip you will be exploring rich rain forests, the villages of ancient people and the protected slopes of the highest mountain in Southeast Asia. This trip is designed as an active nature and culture experience based from comfortable ecolodges and tourist hotels. Your itinerary will include three of Malaysia's most cherished national parks, and wilderness travel by foot and by boat.

Activities: hiking & some boating & snorkeling

ITINERARY

Day 1 - Wed. April 7 - Depart Sarett for our flights to Borneo.

Day 2 - Thu. April 8 - In flight - Lose a day - Inflight meals.

Day 3 - Fri. April 9 - Welcome to Borneo.
We arrive Kuching this morning and transfer to our home for the next 4 nights, the Grand Margherita Hotel Kuching. This afternoon we explore highlights of Kuching, among them the world-renowned Sarawak Museum and a delightful walk along the Kuching Waterfront. Dinner is on your own tonight. Our hotel is located on the Sarawak River, has an outdoor pool and several restaurants.

Day 4 - Sat. April 10 - Bako National Park & Wildlife Safari.
This morning we drive to a Bako fishing village and continue by speedboat to Bako National Park which offers a superb opportunity to see wildlife in its natural surroundings. Possible sightings include Proboscis monkeys, monitor lizards, bearded pigs, silver leaf monkeys and more than one hundred species of birds. The bio-zones found here include tropical rainforest, mangrove swamp forest, kerangas (heath forest), cliff and beach vegetations. Special plants found along the trails include the several species of pitcher plants and wild orchids. Our trail ends at a beautiful secluded swimming beach.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5 - Sun. April 11 - Annah Rais Badayuh Longhouse.
We travel to the Bidayuh Longhouse for a day of cultural demonstrations. Enjoy a pleasant drive into the countryside with the backdrop of undulating limestone hills and valleys covered with the greenery of rainforest. The Annah Rais Longhouses was built 200 years ago and still stands with its unique architecture built largely of bamboo, wood and leaves. Walk around the many wooden longhouses connected by bridges and plank walks. Visit the 'head house' where heads taken in the olden days are ceremoniously kept and witness the daily activities of the longhouses people. The Bidayuhs are absolutely warm and gentle people whose previous generation once lived as farmers and believed in animism. Lunch at the longhouse and then return to Kuching. The remainder of the day is at your leisure.
Meals :Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6 - Mon. April 12 - Orangutan Center.
This morning, drive to Semenggok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. It’s a 30 minute drive and then a 20 minute walk through the forest reserve to the feeding platform. Enjoy the sight of the orangutans swaying in the trees as they come down for feeding. Continue the drive through the rainforest, pepper, rubber and cocoa plants, and visit a farmers’ market before we return to our hotel. The afternoon and evening are at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast , Lunch
An optional tour to the Sarawak Cultural Village ($) is offered this afternoon. See details on the Passenger Reservation Form.

Day 7 - Tue. April 13 - Kuching/Miri.
After breakfast transfer to the airport for our onward flight to Miri, headquarters for the visit to Niah National Park. Miri faces the South China sea and is located on the Miri River, about 27 km from the Sultanate of Brunei. Upon arrival we are transferred to the Park City Everly Hotel, our home for the next 2 nights.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 8 - Wed. - April 14 - Niah.
This morning we drive to Niah National Park through oil palm plantations, local pepper farms and villages. We will have lunch in the canteen, and then take the longboat across the river to visit the Niah Museum. The oldest human remains were found in Niah, making the park one of the most important archaeological sites of the world. On a tour of the cave you will see the age-old remnants of bird’s nest harvesting equipment (now a government controlled activity).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 - Thu. April 15 - Mulu.
A short nature walk before breakfast- and then return to Miri airport for your afternoon flight to Mulu. We will have lunch before setting off on a visit to the Deer and Lang Caves. After visiting the caves, we will await the exit of the bats on the observation platform outside. Our home for the next 2 nights is the Royal Mulu Resort, designed in the style of ethnic longhouses.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 10 - Fri. April 16 - Mulu.
Today we visit the Wind and Clearwater Caves. The upriver longboat journey takes about 35 minutes. On the way, stop at the Penan settlement to see the interesting handicrafts made by this semi-nomadic tribe. We visit the King’s Chamber in the Wind Cave and walk along the plank walk flanking the limestone cliff to the Clearwater Cave. A picnic lunch is served at the Clearwater rest house. Time to relax and swim in the natural pool before returning to the resort.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 11 - Sat. April 17 - Kota Kinabalu.
After breakfast we depart for our flight to Kota Kinabalu, the capital city of Sabah, and are transferred to our beachfront hotel, Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort. An orientation tour this afternoon includes the Sabah Museum, Tanjung Aru beach, hawker stalls and Sembulan water village.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 12 - Sun. April 18 - Kinabalu National Park/Poring.
We drive through paddy fields and Dusun villages, over the ridges of the Crocker Range to the foothills of Mt. Kinabalu to arrive at the park headquarters. Stop at the Visitor Centre & Mountain Garden; home to some of the 24 species of flowering rhododendrons, 10 species of carnivorous pitcher plants, 1,400 species of orchids, 600 species of ferns, 40 species of oak trees and 300 species of birds. We continue to Poring’s treetop canopy walkways suspended 130 feet above the forest before returning to our hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 13 - Mon. April 19 - Sepilok and Sukau.
Transfer to the airport for our morning flight to Sandakan, then transfer to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Trek ten minutes through the rainforest on a wooden plankwalk to witness the feeding of the orangutans. Continue to Sandakan jetty for a two hour boat ride to Sukau Rainforest Lodge along Sabah's longest river, Kinabatangan, and view birds and wildlife in virgin mangrove, wetland and rainforest habitats. In the late afternoon, take a two hour river cruise in search of some of the ten local primate species, including Proboscis monkeys, as they settle down on treetops along the Kinabatangan River. Return for a solar heated hot shower, a candlelit dinner and a slide show conducted by naturalist guide. Spend the next 2 nights at the Sukau Rainforest Lodge.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14 - Tue. April 20 - Oxbow Lakes and Sukau.
Wake up to the calls of gibbons and hornbills. Take a 6:00 am morning river cruise up the Kinabatangan River to view more birds and wildlife. Proceed to the Kelenanap Oxbow Lake for a short jungle walk (if weather permits), truly experiencing the wilderness of Borneo. You also have the option to participate in a conservation project by planting trees in 64 acres of adopted land. Later, another river cruise for more wildlife. After dinner, you can take an optional night cruise in hopes of spotting nocturnal animals, such as crocodiles and birds.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 15 - Wed. April 21 - Sandakan/Kota Kinabalu.
After breakfast, return to Sandakan by boat. Enjoy lunch in Sandakan before proceeding to the airport for your flight to Kota Kinabalu. Upon arrival in Kota Kinabalu, you will be met and transferred to the Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 16 - Thu. April 22 - Kota Kinabalu – USA.
Transfer to the airport for the flight back home. Gain back the day you lost. Arrive Chicago early a.m. Day 17, April 23. You will be back at Sarett Nature Center mid-morning April 23.
Meals: Breakfast and inflight meals

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

COST: $6,995.00 per person, double occupancy FROM Sarett Nature Center, Single Supplement: $700.00 Cost includes air taxes and fuel surcharges of $490.00 (subject to change)

RESERVATIONS for this tour are made by Travel Leaders/ Ludlow Travel Service, 1800 Pipestone, Benton Harbor, MI on behalf of Sarett Nature Center. Space is limited to 15 participants. Reservations are accepted on a first come first served basis with receipt of deposit and completed Passenger Reservation Form.

DEPOSIT: $650.00 per person - cash or check. Please make your check payable to Travel Leaders and mail to Sarett Nature Center, 2300 Benton Center Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022.

A SECOND DEPOSIT of $800 is due November 20, 2009.

FINAL PAYMENT: due January 15, 2010. A final payment invoice will be sent in in mid- December.

COST - shown are the cash/check costs. In the event you wish to pay by credit card you must add 3% to the cost shown. Costs are based on the air fares and land rates in effect at time of printing (July 2009) and are based on the present value of the Malaysian Ringgit in relation to the US Dollar. In the event of increases due to currency fluctuation, air fare increases, fuel surcharges or tax increases, the costs must be passed on to the passenger .

CANCELLATIONS and REFUNDS: In the event a participant must cancel, the following penalties apply:                    |
                   To November 20.......................$200.00pp
                   Nov 21- January 14..................$1450.00pp
                   Effective January15..................No refund

TRAVEL INSURANCE IS MANDATORY for this trip.You may purchase Access America Insurance or select your own insurance carrier. We must be provided with the name of the insurance company and policy number no later than time of final payment. When purchasing Access America Insurance, pre-existing medical conditions will only be covered if insurance is purchased within 14 days of deposit for the total cost of the tour.

PASSPORT: A U.S. PASSPORT, valid for 6 months upon return of this tour, is required. It must have at least 1 blank visa page. US citizens traveling as tourists do not require a visa for Borneo at this time.

HEALTH: You must be in good health, able bodied and open minded to enjoy this adventure. There are no compulsory health requirements at present, however it is advisable that typhoid, polio, tetanus and hepatitis A are up to date. We recommend that you consult with your physician for your own personal needs.

RESPONSIBILITY

Travel Leaders/ Ludlow Travel has contracted the services of Journeys International and Singapore Airlines for the operation of this tour. Travel Leaders/ Ludlow Travel acts as an agent for passengers & the above named suppliers, airlines, hotels, transportation and other services supplied in this tour. Sarett Nature Center and Travel Leaders /Ludlow Travel reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to make changes in the itinerary and hotels should that become necessary, and are not responsible to any person for expenses, loss of time, money or happenings resulting from a change of tour scheduling. Sarett Nature Center and Travel Leaders/ Ludlow Travel reserve the right to accept, decline or retain any person as a member of the tour, and are not responsible for any losses or damages of personal property, injuries, expenses or damages incurred or claimed by any tour member.

INCLUDED IN COST:

Roundtrip van transportation from Sarett Nature Center to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
Flights on Singapore Airlines from Chicago to Kuching, returning from Kota Kinabalu
Air taxes and fuel surcharges of $490 (subj. to chg.)
Flights within Borneo at $515.00 (subj.to chg.)
Transfers, excursions and activities per itinerary
Accommodations with private facilities for 13 nights as follows:
       4 nights Kuching - April 9, 10, 11, 12
       2 nights Miri - April 13, 14
       2 nights Mulu - April 15, 16
       3 nights Kota Kinabalu - April 17,18, 21
       2 nights Sukau Rain Forest - April 19, 20
Park and entry fees and local taxes.
28 meals: 13 breakfasts, 12 lunches, 3 dinners.
Nature excursions & sightseeing as per iti nerary
Experienced English speaking guides throughout
Luggage transfer of 1 suitcase per person.
Sarett Group Leader, Dianne Braybrook

Not included: Meals not noted as included, gratuities for guides, drivers and maid service at hotels, beverages (except tea/coffee at meals), personal items i.e. laundry etc., airport departure taxes not included with air tickets, any services not included in itinerary, any costs incurred due to canceled or delayed flights, acts of nature or other happenings beyond the control of the tour operator. i.e. If a trip must be extended or an itinerary modified due to weather, road conditions, political or civil disputes..etc, all associated costs including non recoverable costs are not included. You must obtain travel insurance to cover such costs.

For Reservations and Information CALL Sarett Nature Center: 269 927-4832 or Travel Leaders/Ludlow Travel: 269 925-0777

SARETT NATURE CENTER
2300 Benton Center Road
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
( 269) 927-4832

SARETT HOURS: Nature Center Building
                                  Tuesday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
                                  Saturday 10:00 AM-5:00 PM
                                  Sunday 1:00-5:00 PM
                                  Phone: (269)927-4832

e-mail us

Our trails are open dawn to dusk every day.

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