Product Description
Highlights
Spend three-and-a-half days trekking in one of the most pristine self-contained environments on earth, parts of which are still yet to be explored.. Begin your adventure with a homestay with a Dusun family in Tambunan, including a local cycling tour to a house filled with skulls culled by headhunters of yore.. The myriad waterways that flow into the basin’s Maliau River have created dozens of known waterfalls. Take in their hidden beauty during your trek, including the seven gorgeous tiers of Maliau Waterfall.. Wonder at the bizarre flora that has adapted to this environment, like ‘ant plants’ that survive and grow by feeding on the waste of ants that live in their compartments.
Overview
Deep in the heart of Borneo’s Sabah lies a land so wild, rugged and isolated that its beauty has been seen by few people. Welcome to the glorious Maliau Basin, a circle of lush forest and waterways rimmed on all sides by steep cliffs and embankments. Our new 8-day Expedition takes you into this protected, restricted-access area to discover wild orchids and cascading waterfalls set in forest so green it seems to glow. With a homestay in a historic village and a well-earned night in a hotel bookending a three-and-a-half-day trek, this trip is for people seeking active adventure, natural splendour and a personal challenge.
Breakfast Included: 7 Lunches Included: 5 Dinner Included: 5
Kota Kinabalu
Selamat datang! Welcome to Borneo, Malaysia. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm on day 1 at the hotel. If you arrive early, you can immerse yourself in history of this intriguing city between the Borneo jungle and the South China Sea at the Sabah State Museum.
Tambunan
Bid farewell to the modernity of Kota Kinabalu and make the approximately 2-hour private transfer to tonight’s homestay, located in the district of Tambunan. Arrive in Sunsuron Village and meet your Dusun hosts. While the government counts the Dusun people as part of the larger Kadazandusun indigenous group, they have a culture distinct from the Kadazan people. In the afternoon, explore the village on a cycling tour. Visit a traditional bamboo house, a memorial stone and a house that contains skulls that remain from the Sabah headhunters of old. After your cycle, cool off with a dip in a local river. This evening, feast on delicious Malaysian food.
Tambunan - Maliau Basin Conservation Area
Rise early for a sunrise hike at 5.45 am. Take a gentle incline to the 700-metre-tall summit of a small mountain that overlooks the village. Pass by tropical vegetation, plantations and fruit trees on this pleasant 1-hour hike. Return to the village for breakfast, then collect your things and depart for the Maliau Basin Conservation Area by private vehicle. The journey will take around 6 hours, so it’s a good idea to have a book, podcast or some questions ready for your leader about the history of the area to pass the time. Arrive in the basin by 4 pm and settle in at the Study Centre, a research base where you will spend tonight in dormitory-style accommodation. Later head to the Maliau Observation Tower. From here you’ll enjoy panoramic views over the area you’ll spend the next several days exploring.
Maliau Basin Conservation Area (Trek)
After breakfast, make the 45-minute drive to the starting point for your trek. Your trekking adventure begins with the most difficult portion, a seven-and-a-half-kilometre hike, uphill to the rim of basin (elevation 1300 metres). Depending on conditions, the time spent hiking today will be around 6 hours. Hike over dense detritus while surrounded by towering trees, looking out for incredible insects, flowers and mammal species that live among them. Today you will encounter your first set of metal ladders, there will be quite a few of these over the next couple of days. These are not for the novice trekker, you will need to have an adventurous spirit. These ladders are fixed to the ground, rock or tree trunks which help you to climb the steep terrain. Some of these ladders along the trail can be almost at a 90 degree angle. There are also fallen tree trunks used to cross the rivers. While the going will be tough, you’ll be rewarded by the immense beauty of the environment. If time permits, it may be possible to stop at terraced Giluk Falls or cascading Takob Akob Falls. Arrive at Nepenthes Camp in the late afternoon or early evening.
Maliau Basin Conservation Area (Trek)
Today brings a (slightly) easier portion of your trek. While the trail covers a similar distance (seven kilometres), the terrain is mostly flat. This portion of the trek is expected to take 5 hours at most. As today will be less challenging, take the time to really absorb the beauty of your surroundings. Walk through thick dipterocarpaceae forest and look out for bulbous fungi, the orange bark of the tristaniopsis trees and wild orchids. Take a break at Ginseng Falls, a mixture of layered and cascading streams hidden in a forest clearing.
Maliau Basin Conservation Area (Trek)
Today’s trek is a 4—5-hour round trip to Maliau Waterfall, returning to Ginseng Camp in the evening. This 10-kilometre hike follows a relatively gentle trail to the seven-tiered falls. Listen out for the calls of Borneo gibbons, which are plentiful in the area (though hard to spot). Depending on recent rainfall, you may hear the thunder of the falls before you see them. The highest tier is 28-meters-tall, with each section set a fair distance forward from the last, making this a captivating sight.
Maliau Basin Conservation Area (Trek) - Kota KInabalu
Set off in the morning and begin the final leg of the six-kilometre trek to Agathis Camp (approximately 5—6 hours). Arrive at the camp hut at around 1 pm. Make the return drive by private vehicle to Kota Kinabalu and arrive at the hotel by 7 pm. Treat yourself to a shower, then choose whether to join your group for an optional dinner.
Kota KInabalu
Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast.
