Arrive Kota Kinabalu (KK) prior to 9 April

8 April
Pre-tour
Accommodation: Koto Kinabalu

Day 1
9 April 2011
An early start today as our destination is the Tambunan Rafflesia Centre, situated in the Crocker Range behind Kota Kinabalu, about two hours from KK.

This area is good for several Borneo endemics; these include Bornean and mountain barbets and Bornean leafbird. Species, which might be difficult at Mount Kinabalu but which we have a chance for here include fruit-hunter, Whitehead’s spiderhunter, cinerous and Bornean bulbuls (both recent splits), Blyth’s hawk-eagle and Temminck’s sunbird. En route to and from the Centre, we’ll be on the lookout for another Bornean endemic, the white-fronted falconet, which likes to perch on the top of tall trees on dead branches.

If we are lucky, there may be rafflesia blooming at the Centre. This parasitic species boasts the largest flower of any plant on Earth. 

We’ll spend most of the day along the road near the Rafflesia Centre before heading to our accommodation on Mount Kinabalu in the afternoon.
Overnight: Mount Kinabalu

Day 2 & 3
10 & 11 April 2011
We’ll spend the next two days birding the trails around the park headquarters and up to Timphon Gate.

Some of the more difficult endemics to see on the mountain include the three dreaded Whitehead’s: spiderhunter, trogan and broadbill; as well as Everett’s thrush, Bonean stubtail, bared-headed laughing-thrush, crimson-headed and red-breasted partridges, mountain wren-babbler and mountain serpent-eagle.

Not all the endemic or near endemics are bothersome. Around the accommodation are the more confiding Bornean treepie, chestnut-hooded and Sunda laughing-thrushes, short-tailed green magpie, eye-browed jungle-flycatcher, black-sided flowerpecker, Bornean whistling-thrush, Bornean forktail, Bornean whistler, golden-naped barbet, chestnut-crested yuhina.

Other good non-endemics on Kinabalu include grey-throated and Temminck’sbabblers, snowy-browed and indigo flycatchers and pygmy-blue flycatcher, mountain tailorbird, white-browed shortwing, black-capped white-eye, black and crimson oriole, and checker-throated and maroon woodpeckers.
Overnight: Mount Kinabalu

Day 4
12 April
Poring Hot Springs
We’ll take a short drive (about 45 minutes) to lower altitudes at Poring Hot Springs. It will be warmer and more humid than the pleasant temperatures higher up the mountain.  Here we have a chance for rufous-collared and banded kingfishers, red-throated and gold-whiskered barbets, crimson-winged, buff-rumped and buff-necked woodpeckers. Black-bellied, red-billed and chestnut-breasted malkolas, black and yellow and banded broadbills; and rufous-crowned babbler. More vexing birds at Poring include blue-banded pitta, Hose’s broadbill, white-necked and grey-headed babbler.
Overnight: Mount Kinabalu

Day 5
13 April 2011
Mesilu
Today we head up higher on the other side of Mount Kinabalu (about 40 minutes drive). We have a bit of a climb to see the friendly bush-warbler; however, it is not as steep or as far as the main summit trail and nor does it have the volume of tourist traffic that the summit trail sees. We’ll also be after pale-faced and cinerous bulbuls, mountain black-eye, mountain leaf-warbler and Sunda bush-warbler. Mammals in this area include red-leaf monkey, Whitehead’s pygmy-squirrel, lesser gymnure, mountain tree-shrew and if we are extremely lucky, banded linsang.
Overnight: Mount Kinabalu

Day 6
14 April 2011
Mount Kinabalu to Sandakan
We’ll bird the park headquarters area again this morning before heading to Sandakan. This is about a four-hour drive but a more productive use of time than returning to Kota Kinabalu (2 hours drive) and flying. We arrive at Sepilok Forest Edge B & B late afternoon and there may still be enough light for some afternoon birding around the lodge. Birds that can be seen here include little green pigeon, chestnut-rumped babbler, yellow-eared spiderhunter, rufous-collared kingfisher, bold-striped tit-babbler and brown boobook.
Overnight: Sepilok Forest Edge B & B

Day 7
15 April 2011
Sepilok Forest
We will spend today in the lowland rainforest of Sepilok. The canopy walkway is good for some species, including the much sought after Bornean bristlehead.

This forest is alive with woodpeckers. We could see buff-necked, white-bellied, great slaty, rufous, orange-backed, grey and buff woodpeckers and rufous piculet.

Other great species here include velvet-fronted nuthatch, short-tailed, black-capped, white-chested babblers, fluffy-backed tit-babbler, Diard’s and red-naped trogans, Bornean black-magpie, black and crimson pitta, blue-eared kingfisher, white-crowned sharma and rhinoceros hornbill.

At dusk we’ll watch the giant red flying squirrels emerge from their hollows and glide from tree to tree.
Overnight: Sepilok Forest Edge B & B

Day 8
16 April
Sandikan to Kinabatangan River
We’ll spend the morning chasing whatever we are missing. Anyone wishing to visit the nearby Sepilok Orang utan Rehabilitation Centre may do so. After lunch we head to Gomatong Caves. These famous caves are home to a mass of breeding swiftlets. While nest harvesting is done judiciously, it is not for the faint-hearted. Here we will see edible-nest, black-nest, mossy-nest and glossy swiftlets nesting in abundance.

The area is also good for black, wreathed and white-crowned hornbills. At dusk the bat hawks should be waiting to ambush the bats as they pour out of the caves. We’ll then move on to our lodge on the Kinabatangan River near Sukau.
Overnight: Bilit River Lodge

Day 9 & 10
17 & 18 April 2011
Kinabatangan River
We spend the next two days in boats on the mighty Kinabatangan River. Key birds here are Storm’s stork — a rare jungle-inhabiting stork, and the skulking Bornean ground cuckoo. The pitta possibilities include hooded, black and crimson and giant pittas. The river is also a great place to see stork-billed, rufous-banded and blue-eared kingfishers, black and red broadbill and a host of hornbills including helmeted, black, wrinkled, bushy-crested and rhinoceros. We also have a chance for lesser fish-eagle, Wallace’s hawk-eagle and buffy fish-owl. Memorable mammals are at home along the river. Who can forget the Bornean pygmy elephants crossing the river in front of us on our 2008 tour? Or the heart-breaking orang-utans with their young ones, and the proboscis monkeys lounging in trees along the river? Long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques and silvered langurs, common palm civets and leopard cat are other mammals we may see.
Overnight: Bilit River Lodge

Day 11
19 April
Kinabatangan River to Gomatang Caves area to Lahad Datu
An early departure this morning sees us returning to Gomatang Caves area to bird along the entrance road. En route we’ll keep an eye out for white-fronted falconet. The entrance road to the caves can be good for many species including white-crowned, black, wreathed, oriental pied hornbills; black and crimson pitta, maroon-breasted philentoma, Raffles’ malkoha, brown barbet, black-throated babbler and Diard’s trogan.  Orang-utan and maroon langur are possible here. We’ll bird here most of the morning before heading to Lahad Datu for lunch. After lunch we’ll collect our drivers and 4WDs for the drive to the Danum Valley. We’ll arrive at Borneo Rainforest Lodge late afternoon, perhaps in time for a little birding around the lodge before dinner
Overnight: Borneo Rainforest Lodge

Day 12, 13, 14
20, 21, 22 April
Danum Valley
For the next three days we’ll bird the lowland rainforests of the famous Danum Valley, perhaps Borneo’s premier birding destination. The valley contains many sought after and difficult species. These include giant, blue-banded, blue-headed pittas; Bornean ground babbler, black-throated wren-babbler, chestnut backed scimitar-babbler, chestnut-naped forktail, Bornean bristlehead, great argus, jambu fruit-dove, large frogmouth and pygmy white-eye.

Other notable species that are more readily seen here include crested fireback, whiskered treeswift, red-naped and scarlet-rumped trogans, blue-banded kingfisher, rhinoceros and helmeted hornbills, green broadbill, gold-whiskered and yellow-crowned barbets, crested jay, yellow-rumped and yellow-breasted flowerpeckers, grey-breasted and streaky-breasted spiderhunters, Asian paradise flycatcher, banded and black and yellow broadbills, grey and buff and crimson-winged woodpeckers, Bornean blue and large-billed blue flycatchers.

A host of babblers and bulbuls occur in Danum Valley. Some of the more interesting species of bulbuls to look out for include hairy-backed, Finsch’s straw-headed, grey-bellied, black and white and scaly-breasted. There are too many babblers to mention. We’ll be on the lookout for the streaky-breasted flowerpecker, a new species to science that was discovered on the canopy walk.

We have a chance for some fantastic mammals in the valley. Possibilities include orang-utan, maroon langur, Bornean gibbon, lesser mouse deer, Bornean muntjuc, Thomas’s flying squirrel, western tarsier, plain pygmy squirrel, Malay and common palm civet, bearded pig, giant squirrel and Provost’s squirrel. We’ll take a night spotlighting tour organised by the lodge.

Night birds possible include brown wood-owl and buffy fish-owl. We have plenty to keep us occupied for three days in this very comfortable lodge.
Overnight: Borneo Rainforest Lodge

Day 15
April 23
Danum Valley to Lahad Datu
We leave Borneo Rainforest Lodge this morning for the drive back to Lahad Datu and our flights out in the afternoon, saying goodbye to one of the great bird and mammal destinations on Earth.

End of tour

Cost: $7,950.00 AUD
Single supplement: TBA

We fly from Lahad Datu back to Kota Kinabalu, arriving KK at 12.50 am on 23 April. This flight is included in the cost of the tour.

Costs include guiding, twin share accommodation from 9 April to 22 April, meals from dinner 8 April (pre-tour) to lunch 23 April, internal flight, park entrance fees and camera fees (one stills camera per person).

Price does not include international airfares, insurance, alcohol, mini bar charges, laundry, phone calls etc, or camera and video camera fees, other than the one stills camera per person included in the cost. Also not included is the property owner's entrance charge to see a rafflesia, usually 20 RM per person, (about $6 AUD) should we get that opportunity.

tour leader: Philip Maher & local guides