ITINERARY:
MAIN TOUR:
Day 1 – Arrival day – 09th June
Plan on arriving at Kota Kinabalu in the morning of the 09th June. Most flights will go overnight to Kuala Lumpur and then an onward connection to Kota Kinabalu, where you will be met at the airport and transferred to a hotel in the town. If time permits, we may be able to fit in some local birding this afternoon. A nearby park can offer us views of Blue-naped Parrot and Long-tailed Parakeet and if we are lucky maybe Dusky Munia. Moving to an area of wet grasslands we can look for Striated Grassbird, Cinnamon Bittern, and Buff-banded Rail, Javan Pond Heron and maybe Oriental Pratincole. Our tour starts with dinner tonight.
Overnight Kota Kinabalu: D.

Day 2 – Kotu Kinabalu – 10th June
This morning we will drive 5 minutes down to the jetty to take a small boat the 20 minutes crossing to a small Island. Our intention is to try and se a few species that we will not get on the rest of the tour. The main target is the Philippine Megapode, also known as Tabon Scrubfowl, a species that forages on the ground among the leaf litter. With luck we can find this sometimes elusive bird, as well as Mangrove Blue Flycatcher and Mangrove Whistler, and we have chances to see Pied Imperial Pigeon flying over the forest here. We will then return to the mainland for lunch and then go out in the later afternoon to look for Malaysian Plover and perhaps a late sandplover, or other shorebird such as Terek Sandpiper or Pacific Golden Plover. With possibilities of Collared Kingfisher we will then move to an area of pools where the beautiful Nankeen Night Heron can sometimes be found roosting during the day. Wandering Whistling Ducks may also be present as well as the more skulking White-browed Crake and among the smaller birds in the surrounding scrub we can look for Ashy Tailorbird, Zebra Dove, Blue-throated Bee-eater, Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker, Pink-necked and Imperial Green Pigeons, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Olive-backed Sunbird and Lesser Coucal. We could also see Black-backed Swamphen a recent split before departing back to our hotel in Kota Kinabalu.  After our fabulous first day we will be ready for an early morning departure tomorrow. 
Overnight Kota Kinabalu. B,L,D

Day 3 – Tambunan Rafflesia Forest Reserve – Crocker Range – Mount Kinabalu – 11th June
Today we will have an early morning start to visit the Tambunan Rafflesia Forest Reserve. Situated in the Crocker Mountain Range and named after the Rafflesia one of the world’s largest and most magnificent flowering plants. The leathery petals can reach over 90 centimetres across and the plant is pollinated by flies and gives off a strong smell of rotting flesh. This stunning plant only blooms for a few days in each year so if we are lucky and there is one in bloom we will of course take a look. Our first port of call in this mountain range is an area where a night light attracts hundreds of moths. These are fascinating in themselves with numerous varieties and colours. These moths in turn attract feeding birds and first thing in the morning it is possible to get wonderful photos of some amazing species. We can hope to see Bornean Treepie, Chestnut-headed and Sunda Laughingthrushes, Little Pied Flycatcher, Indigo Flycatcher, Chestnut-crested Yuhina, Blyth’s Shrike-Babbler, Grey-headed Babbler and with luck the beautiful Bornean Green Magpie or Temminck’s Sunbird. Just a short walk down the road we will try for Red-breasted and Crimson-headed Partridges within the Bamboo forest. We should also be able to get good looks at Snowy-browed Flycatcher and more Sunda Laughingthrushes. Moving down the road further can check out several Pitcher Plants and look for species such as Golden-naped, Bornean, Mountain and Golden-whiskered Barbets, Little Cuckoo-Dove, Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike and Bornean Leafbird, before transfering to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Kinabalu National Park for a three-night stay: B, L, D

Days 4 & 5 – Mount Kinabalu National Park – 12th, 13th June
We will have 2 full days to explore this fabulous park. Dominated by the 4,101 metre Mount Kinabalu and surrounded by lush forested slopes this habitat holds an amazing variety of montane and sub-montane fauna and flora. During our time at Mount Kinabalu we will be able to enjoy the cool climate while birding along the open roadsides. Driving into the highlands we will search for more endemic and near endemic birds including Bornean Whistling-Thrush, Whitehead’s Broadbill, Everett’s Thrush, Bare-headed Laughingthrush, Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Spiderhunter or Bornean Forktail and we may get second chances of Red-breasted and Crimson-headed Partridges.  Fruithunter would be a great find and we can hope for Bornean Stubtail, Mountain Wren Babbler and the skulking Bornean Shortwing. birding at times can be frustrating and difficult but we will keep looking and hope to find species such as Mountain and Bornean Barbets, Bornean Green Magpie, Eye-browed Jungle-Flycatcher, Bornean Whistler, Chestnut-crested Yuhina, Mountain Leaf-warbler, Yellow-breasted Warbler, Bornean Crested and Pale-faced Bulbuls, Bornean Swiftlet, Mountain Imperial-pigeon, Bornean STreepie, Black-capped White-eye, Maroon and Checker-throated Woodpeckers, Black-and-crimson Oriole, Sunda Cuckoo-Shrike, Grey-throated Minivet, Mountain Wren-Babbler, Grey-throated Babbler, White-browed Shrike-Babbler, Sunda, Bare-headed Laughingthrush, Mountain Tailorbird, Sunda Bush-Warbler, White-throated Fantail, Temminck’s Babbler, Golden-naped Barbet, Snowy-browed, Indigo and Little Pied Flycatchers. The whole area is also good for orchids, tree shrews and squirrels including the tiny Whitehead’s Pygmy Squirrel.
Nights by Kinabalu National Park: B, L, D

Day 6 – Poring Hot Spring – Sepilok – 14th June
This morning we will depart for some lowland birding and totally different species at the Poring Hot Springs. Here we have chances to see the stunning Black-and-yellow Broadbill, alongside Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Short-tailed Babbler, Malaysian Blue-Flycatcher and both Bornean and Little Spiderhunter. With luck maybe even the elusive Hose’s Broadbill or Chestnut-capped Thrush. Other birds more likely include Chestnut-breasted Malkhoha, Red-throated Barbet, Greater Green Leafbird, Crimson Sunbird, Black-headed Bulbul, Buff-rumped Woodpecker, Fulvous-chested Jungle Flycatcher and overhead maybe Crested Goshawk or Crested Serpent Eagle. After some final birding we’ll pack up and drive east to Sepilok for a two night stay. We should arrive in time for some initial exploration of the lowland primary forest right beside our lodge. Among some of the birds we could see are Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Thick-billed and Little Green Pigeons, Grey-and-buff Woodpecker, the huge White-bellied Woodpecker, Hooded Pitta, Lesser Cuckoo-Shrike, Blue-eared Barbet, Violet Cuckoo, Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot, Blue-throated Bee-eater and Little Spiderhunter. Night Sepilok Jungle Resort: B, L, D

Day 7 – Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre – 15th June
We will spend today around the Rainforest Discovery Centre which protects a patch of lowland rainforest and is home to a huge variety of sought-after birds and mammals including wild Orangutan’s. Here we can enjoy birding from one of Malaysia’s only Canopy walkways with superb large observation towers that allow eye level viewing of the tree tops. It is possible to get incredible views of many species and together with the forest trail system below we will be able search for wealth of interesting species. The incredible Bornean Bristlehead lives here and we will attempt to find this enigmatic bird. Of course there will be many more species to vie for our attention and amongst the mixed flocks we could find Red-naped Trogon and Diard’s Trogons, Black-and-yellow Broadbill, Banded Broadbill, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Long-tailed Parakeet, Raffles’s and Black-bellied Malkoha, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, Whiskered Treeswift, Buff-necked, Buff-rumped, White-bellied, Maroon, Banded and Rufous Woodpeckers, the huge Great Slaty Woodpecker, Gold-whiskered Barbet, Black-crowned Pitta, Greater Green Leafbird, White-crowned Shama, Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike, Rufous-tailed Tailorbird, Olive-winged Bulbul, Spectacled Spiderhunter, and Bornean Black Magpie. With time around our lodge and more open areas we could also add Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Van Hasselt’s Sunbird, Thick-billed Spiderhunter, Dusky Munia, Yellow-bellied Prinia and possibly Red-billed Malkoha, Banded and Rufous-collared Kingfishers, and Silver-rumped Needletails flying over. We will also have a 2 hour night walk where we could encounter some of the forest’s night creatures such as Slow Loris, Horsefield’s Tarsier, Lesser Mouse Deer, and even Malay Civet.
Night Sepilok Jungle Resort: B, L, D

Days 8 & 9 – Sepilok – Sukau, Kinabatangan – 16th, 17th June
After a final morning’s birding trying to catch up with any key species we may have missed, we will head south to Sabah’s longest river the Kinabatangan. Along the way to our lodge, we’ll hope to stop at Gomantong Cave, a huge limestone cavern that is home to literally millions of swiftlets and bats. The edible nests have been collected as a luxury food for hundreds of years, and although we won’t witness it, it is quite a spectacle to see them emerge in staggering numbers at dusk, being pursued by Bat Hawks. This is also a good area to look for Orangutans and we will keep an eye out for this spectacular and iconic primate. Once we get to the Kinabatangan river we will transfer the short distance by boat to our lovely lodge. All of our birding here is done by boat and we will have multiple trips which include before breakfast, after breakfast and late afternoon to explore the river and its tributaries. Navigating the wide-open river allows us to get views of up 8 species of hornbill, which is all of Sabah’s hornbills. There are many rare and special species here with some that require stealth and silence to find such as the much sought after Bornean Ground Cuckoo. We will concentrate our efforts to find the highly endangered Storm’s Stork, plus Lesser Adjutant, Purple Heron, Hooded Pitta, Lesser Fish Eagle, Blue-eared and Stork-billed Kingfishers, Scarlet-rumped Trogon, Oriental Dollarbird, Black-and-yellow Broadbill, Black-and-red Broadbill, Chestnut-necklaced Partridge, Rufous and Great Slaty Woodpeckers, Common Hill Myna, Green Imperial, Little Green and Cinnamon-headed Green Pigeons. Raptors are well represented and we can find Lesser Fish Eagle, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Changeable and Wallace’s Hawk-Eagles, Jerdon’s Baza and Bat Hawk. The forest edges are simply full of birds, but also plenty of really interesting mammals including many primates with numerous large troops of the Proboscis Monkeys as well as Silver Leaf Monkeys, Bornean Gibbons, Long-tailed Macaques and with luck Orangutan. This is also one of the best places to see Bornean Pygmy Elephant, but we need a lot of luck as they only visit the river edge on occasions. On one night we will also go out on a night spotlighting trip. It is possible to find Buffy Fish-Owl, Oriental Bay Owl, Large Frogmouth and mammals such as Malay Civet or even a Flat-headed Cat.
 2 Nights Borneo Nature Lodge: B,L,D

Day 10 – Kinabatangan – Lahad Datu – 18th June
Today after our final morning boat ride on the river we will make our way to Lahad Datu with a few birding stops along the way, and depending on arrival time we may have some afternoon birding in Lahad Datu area. We will spend the night here.
Night Lahad Datu B,L,D

Day 11 – Depart Main Tour – 19th June
Today we will do the morning birding at the nearby Mt Silam, where we have opportunities to add a few more species. Both Blue-banded and Bornean Banded Pittas are here but both can be very hard to see. Scarlet-backed Sunbird is present as well as Long-billed Spiderhunter, Lesser Green Leafbird, Bold-striped Tit-Babbler, Plaintive Cuckoo, Black-throated Oriole, Large Woodshrike, Verditer Flycatcher, Sooty-capped Babbler and Banded Woodpecker. We will head to town for lunch and then afterwards those leaving will go to the small local airport for the flight back to Kota Kinabalu, while those going on to Borneo Rainforest Lodge will meet the lodge transfer and head off to luxury! For those going back to Kota Kinabalu we will book you into a city hotel where your tour will finish with dinner tonight. Plan your international departing flight for the following day 20th June. For anyone not doing the extension to the Danum valley, there will be an option to visit the Bulwer’s Pheasant hide on the 20th. This will require staying an additional night on the 20th and planning your international flight for the 21st. For more details on the Pheasant hide, please see day 15.
B, L, D

EXTENSION:

Days 11 – 13 – Borneo Rainforest Lodge – 19th, 20th, 21st June
For those going on this special extension we will head for the famous Borneo Rainforest Lodge set in the heart of the wonderful Danum Valley where we stay for three nights. Danum Valley represents one of the most important nature reserves in Asia and staying at our wonderful lodge located on a bend in the Segama River enables us to search for some of the 270 species of birds including many Bornean specialities that have been recorded here. The lush forest abounds with wildlife and we only have to open our doors to begin our adventure. Searching around the lodge and along the entrance road as well as excellent forest trails will produce too many species to mention but some of the highlights we will be looking for include Great Argus and Crested Fireback, Jerdon’s Baza, Blue-headed, Blue-banded, Black-crowned, Hooded and Bornean Banded Pittas, maybe with luck even the elusive Giant Pitta. We have another chance for the Bornean Bristlehead plus Rhinoceros, Bushy-crested, Wreathed, Helmeted and Wrinkled Hornbills, Chestnut-necklaced Partridge, Rufous-collared, Oriental Dwarf and Blue-banded Kingfishers, Blue-throated Bee-eater, Diard’s and Red-naped Trogons, Blue-crowned Hanging-parrot, five species of malkoha including Chestnut-breasted, Raffles’s and Red-billed Malkohas, Crested Jay, lots of woodpeckers such as Great Slaty, Maroon, Olive-backed, Orange-backed and Crimson-winged, plus the tiny Rufous Piculet. In forest clearings we will check the canopy and dead tree tops for pigeons that are often attracted to the bare treetops with a good chance of the rare Large Green-pigeon amongst the commoner Thick-billed, Pink-necked, Cinnamon-headed, Little Green Pigeons and Jambu Fruit-dove, plus Wallace’s Hawk-Eagle and Bornean Falconet. We will keep a look out for mixed species flocks that could hold both Green and Banded Broadbills, Yellow-crowned, Red-throated, Gold-whiskered and Brown Barbets, Violet Cuckoo, Lesser Cuckooshrike, Little Bronze-cuckoo, Hairy-backed and Finsch’s Bulbuls, Yellow-eared, Long-billed and Thick-billed Spiderhunters, Pygmy White-eye, Chestnut-backed Scimitar-Babbler, and Rufous-chested Flycatcher and lower in the understory birds such as Black-capped and Short-tailed Babblers, Striped, Bornean and possibly Black-throated Wren-babbler, Horsfield’s, Ferruginous, Sooty-capped, Black-capped, Chestnut-rumped, Chestnut-winged, Scaly-crowned, Rufous-fronted Babblers, Striped and Fluffy-backed Tit-babblers. Near the river maybe Maroon-breasted Philentoma, Brown Fulvetta and Spotted Fantail amongst others, and if we are really lucky maybe the spectacular endemic Bornean Ground-Cuckoo, while an opportunity for a night excursion could produce the rare Oriental Bay Owl, plus Reddish Scops-owl, Brown Wood-owl, Buffy Fish-owl or even Blyth’s and Large Frogmouths. We can also try spotlighting some of the shyer mammals found here such as Horsfield’s Tarsier, Red Giant Flying Squirrel, Greater Mouse Deer, Bornean Gibbon, Orangutan, Bornean Pygmy Elephant, Common Palm Civet, Colugo, Banded Linsang or even a Clouded Leopard or Leopard Cat.
Nights Borneo Rainforest Lodge: B, L, D

Day 14 – Borneo Rainforest Lodge – Kotu Kinabalu – 22nd June
Today we have a final morning’s birding around the lodge or entrance road to look for any new species. And then after lunch we will return to the town of Lahad Datu for our flight back to Kota Kinabalu where we will finish with a farewell dinner in our city hotel.
Night Hotel in Kota Kinabalu: B, L, D

Day 15 – Departure day – Or Bulwer’s Pheasant hide – 23rd June
Today you will take your international flight. Note most flights tend to go via Kuala Lumpur. Breakfast will be included. For those who have opted to do the Bulwer’s Pheasant hide, this extra day will require a 4.30am start in order to get to the hide 2hrs away at 06.30am. A snack type breakfast and lunch will be included and it is likely that you will be in the hide until early or mid afternoon, depending on what time this beautiful pheasant wants to put in an appearance. The hide is very comfortable and has plenty of room for viewing for a whole group. There is a proper toilet outside and a kitchen where we can make coffee or provide some cold drinks. This is an incredible experience and superb for photography. Not only is it the best place and maybe only place in the world you can see this pheasant, it also attracts other birds such as Crested Partridge, Bornean Banded Pitta, Rufous-chested and Dayak Blue Flycatcher, Panan Bulbul, Grey-throated Babbler, Temminck’s Babbler and White-crowned Shama. Once satisfied with this amazing spectacle we will take the 2hr drive back to Kota Kinabalu for dinner and spend one more night before your international departures for the following day 24th of June. Price for this extra day is £275.00 and includes transportation (2hrs) each way, breakfast, lunch, admission to private hide, dinner and night in hotel in Kota Kinabalu. 
Night Kota Kinabalu. B, L, D