The Great Red Ape Expedition

Day 1: Adelaide – Kuala Lumpur
Saturday 31 July
Depart Adelaide with Malaysian Airlines at 3.00pm, arriving into Kuala Lumpur at 9.00pm.
You will be met on arrival and taken to the Concorde Hotel.

Day 2: Kuala Lumpur
Sunday 1 August
After breakfast you will be taken out to Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary.  This elephant sanctuary helps protect local elephants by relocating them from areas where there is conflict between the wild elephants and
humans.  The Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary continues to educate locals on the correct steps to protect their farms whilst supporting wildlife conservation.
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 3: Kuala Lumpur – Kota Kinabalu
Monday 2 August
Today we are going to visit Melawati Hill at Kuala Selangor.  Here we will be able to see Several groups of
Silver-Leafed Monkeys (or Langurs) and Long-Tailed Macaques.
In the evening we will be transferred to the airport for our flight to Kota Kinabalu.
Depart Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines at 7.50pm, arriving into Kota Kinabalu at 10.25pm.
Upon arrival in Kota Kinabalu you are met and transferred to the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru where you will meet your tour leader.
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 4:  Kota Kinabalu – Shangri-La Rasa Ria Orang-utan Centre
Tuesday 3 August
This morning we will visit the Orang-utan Centre at Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort.  There are no plans for the rest of the day.
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 5: Sandakan – Sepilok
Wednesday 4 August
We transfer to the airport for a short morning flight to Sandakan. On arrival, we proceed to Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre. At this centre we walk on wooden boardwalks for 10 minutes through the rainforest, where we witness the morning feeding of orang-utans. This is then followed by a video presentation that tells us about these amazing apes. In the afternoon we enjoy a short tour of Sandakan town, which includes a visit to the water village, the local market, a Chinese temple and the Australian War Memorial. We stay a night at a jungle lodge in Sepilok.
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 6: Labuk Bay
Thursday 5 August
Transfer to Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, where we will see Borneo’s indigenous proboscis monkeys. This privately-owned sanctuary located within an oil palm estate gives us the chance to get up close and personal with these animals. We have arranged an afternoon river cruise to further observe the monkeys and birds in the area. We stay overnight at the sanctuary. The accommodation is basic, but clean and comfortable.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner

Day 7: Sukau
Friday 6 August
We travel to Sandakan jetty for a boat journey along Sabah's longest river, the Kinabatangan, to Sukau Rainforest Lodge. En route we have opportunities to spot birds and other wildlife in virgin mangrove, wetland and rainforest habitats. After settling in at our accommodation, we set off in the late afternoon and take a river cruise on a motorised boat to look out for some of the 10 primate species that live in this area. A highlight is spotting proboscis monkeys, often seen on the treetops along the river. Wild orang-utans, long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques, monitor lizards and various species of hornbills and kingfishers are also often sighted. If you are lucky, you may even see some wild Borneo elephants, recently identified as a unique sub-species of the Asian elephant. We return to our lodge for a solar heated hot shower, a candle lit dinner and a slide show conducted by our resident naturalist.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner

Day 8: Sukau
Saturday 7 August
As early as 7.30am, we will depart for the Orang Utan Study Site. Orang Utan, the local name for these red apes, are usually active in the early morning or late afternoon. Accompanied by our nature guides, who are also trained research assistants with vast knowledge on Orang Utan and conservation work, you will trek the jungle to look for the red apes. This educational programme gives you an insight of conservation effort with the involvement of local communities to protect these red apes. The programme includes interpretation of Orang Utan ecology and the habitat, conservation effort to protect the species, their habitat and the floodplain including scientific studies, reforestation initiative to connect degraded forest and to increase tree species as food source for the Orang Utan and possibility to encounter with wild Orang Utans. Although there are Orang Utans habituated in the study site, we do not guarantee sighting because they are wild and roam around freely. 

If the time permits, in the afternoon we can enjoy another river boat ride in the search for more wildlife. After dinner there is an optional night safari cruise (at additional cost), which gives us a chance of spotting some of the many nocturnal species of animals that inhabit the area.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner

Day 9: Danum Valley
Sunday 8 August
This morning, we travel overland for 27 kilometres to Gomantong Caves. We need to walk 20 minutes through the rainforest to get to the cave entrance. Your guide will then brief you on the cave's fauna that includes bats, swifts and crabs among others, and explain their contribution to maintaining a balanced ecology and significance to the local economy. When in season, we can witness the collecting of birds' nests by the local people, using bamboo ladders and poles. These nests, made of the birds' saliva, are a culinary delicacy in Asia. We then drive for two hours to Lahad Datu for lunch and continue for another 83 kilometres through selectively logged forest, cocoa and softwood plantations before arriving at Borneo Rainforest Lodge, located beside the Danum River on the edge of 438 square kilometres of undisturbed lowland rainforest. This area is home to an incredible variety and diversity of wildlife with over 275 species of birds and 110 species of mammals recorded, not to mention the abundant plant life. Many of these species are critically endangered and the reality is that you will probably not see animals such as Sumatran rhinoceros, but a stay at Borneo Rainforest Lodge for a couple of nights is sure to be a major highlight for any nature lover. There is irony in the fact that this wildlife reserve is created out of a huge logging concession area. Apart from the wildlife spotting opportunities, Borneo Rainforest Lodge is a first class nature resort complete with all the usual luxuries and your stay will be a memorable one. This afternoon we get to explore nature trails and walk along the Riverside Trail, in search of wildlife. Please remember that you need to wear

strong and comfortable footwear and be prepared for leeches, especially if it is wet. In the evening we see a slide presentation on the Danum Valley area, before taking a night drive (weather permitting) through the rainforest in search some of the area’s many nocturnal species, including civet, flying squirrel, porcupine, sambar deer and leopard cat. If we are incredibly lucky, we may be able to see slow loris or clouded leopard.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner

Day 10: Danum Valley
Monday 9 August
Today we explore other parts of the park. Before breakfast, we go on an early morning bird walk. We spend the whole day exploring the forest for birds and mammals. Following a path leading up to an escarpment lined with ancient burial coffins (Coffin Cliff), we also trek to a waterfall and enjoy a dip in refreshing rock pools. After lunch at the lodge we enjoy a jungle walk through trails leading to a canopy walkway.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner

Day 11: Kota Kinabalu
Tuesday 10 August
After a morning trek and a last chance to do more wildlife spotting, we return to the lodge for lunch. We then transfer back to Lahad Datu, where we catch our flight back to Kota Kinabalu.  On arrival you will be transferred to the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru.  The evening is at leisure.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch

Day 12: Kota Kinabalu – Adelaide
Wednesday 11 August
Today you have a free day to explore Kota Kinabalu until mid afternoon when you will be transferred to the airport.

Depart Kota Kinabalu with Malaysia Airlines at 5.30pm, arriving into Kuala Lumpur at 7.55pm.
Depart Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines at 9.50pm, arriving into Adelaide at 6.15am the following morning.
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 13: Adelaide
Thursday 12 August
Arrive into Adelaide at 6.15am.