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Wild Yoga Jungle Adventure - Borneo Tours
Connecting to nature, connecting to self.
10 Days/9 Nights from $2950 Twin Share
2019: June 8th
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This tour brings together two passionate women each with a similar mission to protect and preserve our precious environment and to nurture ourselves and others as we travel and contribute.
This 10-day Wild Yoga Adventure will be a journey of discovery, immersion and yoga practice as we connect with ourselves, each other and the incredible jungles and people of Borneo.
The tour offers balancing for mind, body and soul and igniting your spirit of adventure.
We'll explore the 'must-see' tourist destinations in Kuching and Mulu National Park with expert local guides whilst introducing you to some hidden treasures that only the locals really know about.
KUCHING
Kuching's blended culture offers the wisdom of traditional Chinese herbalists and the expert touch of tribal masseuses. Explore local cuisine ranging from jungle fern to stylish fusion food set with a backdrop of a cobblestone, riverside promenade to rival Europe.
MULU
Mulu World Heritage Area's pristine jungle wilderness is a perfect setting for our daily practice of yoga and meditation. Unwind and restore deeply as we soak up nature's rhythm in the most perfect outdoor 'studio' you can imagine. Absolute bliss.
TOUR SUMMARY
The tour starts in Kuching and finishes in Kota Kinabalu, leaving you to explore Sabah or fly direct to a variety of destinations (including Perth). Flights to Kuching are available through Malaysian Airlines, Malindo Air and Air Asia via Kuala Lumpur daily and Scoot Airlines and Singapore Airlines via Singapore.
Package inclusions:
Kuching experiences: Escorted tours of Bako National Park, Semonggoh Wildlife Centre, volunteering with Project Orangutan,at Matang Rehabilitation Sanctuary, all breakfasts, daily yoga/meditation session.
Mulu National Park Experiences: Escorted tours of Deer and Lang Cave, bat exodus, sunrise longboat ride, yoga and picnic breakfast at Clearwater Pool, overnight retreat at jungle camp.
Transport & Flights: All internal flights and associated transfers in Kuching,Mulu and Kota Kinabalu.
Accommodation: In Kuching we'll stay and undertake our daily practice in the beautiful the Marian Boutique Lodging House, a recently renovated heritage building with sweeping views of Sarawak and an easy stroll to the waterfront promenade and bustling tin merchants of Carpenter Street. Whilst in Mulu World Heritage Area we'll sleep in spacious bungalows under the rainforest canopy at Mulu National Park. In Kota Kinabalu we'll stay in comfortable lodgings in the heart of town.
Meals: all breakfasts and select meals.
Please note that the itinerary is subject to change depending on weather and other variables.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1
Kuching:
Meet Up Borneo Style
Kuching is a beautiful old city, interlaced with quaint back streets and boasting a riverside promenade that rivals the lively riverfronts of Europe.
Kuching’s streets are alive with the aroma of street foods, colourful wares and the smiles of the super-friendly locals.
Our hotel is situated amongst the bustling traders and Chinese Temples near Kuching’s Main Bazar.
It also just a short walk to the riverside promenade of Sarawak River, a great place to take a stroll at any-time of day or night.
If you arrive early, check out the tin merchants in Carpenter Street, visit one of the many local museums or simply take a seat near the river and chat with the locals as you watch the world go by.
Enjoy a sunset welcome drink at our boutique riverside hotel as we brief you on our adventures ahead.
Day 2
Semenggoh Wildlife Sanctuary and optional river kayaking
Depart 8am for a full or half day of Borneo at its best. Kick start the day with a visit to Semenggoh Wildlife Sanctuary to witness orangutans in a relatively natural setting.
Semenggoh was established more than 40 years ago as a rehabilitation center for endangered animals and now has expanded to become a research facility into orangutan biology and behavior, providing vital information to safeguard the orangutans’ precarious future.
Semenggoh also provides a successful breeding environment for orangutans unable to be rehabilitated into the wild.
We’ll have the chance to see the sanctuary’s semi-wild orangutans, ranging from heart-meltingly cute infants and boisterous adolescents to the powerful male adults, as they enjoy life in a secure natural habitat.
From Semenggoh we return to town for a practice of yoga or for those that would like to experience more of Borneo your journey continues further out of the city to embark on a kayak journey along the Sungai Sarawak Kiri River.
You'll stop at scenic locations for swimming, sightseeing and a traditional longhouse lunch at a Bidayuh Village. You’ll be amazed at the ambiance, pristine beauty and sense of isolation of this river, only an hour from the State capital.
For those choosing to kayak you'll return to town around 4pm for a free night in the beautiful city of Kuching
Day 3
Behind the scenes with Project Orangutan, Matang Rehabilitation Sanctuary
The dedicated staff and volunteers at Matang are committed to the care and rehabilitation of endangered Bornean wildlife.
You'll have the opportunity to get behind the scenes and learn what is required to keep this valuable volunteer project at Matang afloat.
Warning – you may find yourself smitten by the endearing nature of the resident orangutans.
Project Orangutan is a conservation company helping to save and protect the endangered wildlife on Borneo.
They specialise in ethical volunteering and tourism experiences working with the magnificent orangutan and other protected species such as the clouded leopard, binturong, sun bear and false gharial, among others.
As we join the Project Orangutan team for the day we have an exceptional opportunity to gain a behind-the-scenes insight into orangutan conservation and rehabilitation.
We will have the chance to spend time with experts in the field, who will be happy to share their experiences and knowledge as they orientate us with the centre’s residents and facilities.
After lunch it’s our turn to help out, whether it’s making ‘toys’ for orangutans, building infrastructure or ‘mucking-out’ living quarters – yep, we roll our sleeves up and get down and dirty in our effort to provide real support to the centre, rather than a tokenistic volunteering gesture.
Day 4
Free Day
Today is a free day to enjoy at your leisure.
We can provide as little or as much help as you need to ensure this day turns out just the way you planned.
Here's just a few options if you feel like getting out and exploring what Kuching has to offer.
Bako National Park provides the perfect introduction to your wildlife encounter with regular sightings of the proboscis monkey, long-tailed macaque, silver leaf monkey and wild boar. Explore the park via a network of trails.
Market Tour and Cooking Class. Learn how to cook real Sarawak food in a traditional setting with skilled and friendly instructors who can share the secrets of Sarawak cooking to you in a fun atmosphere.
You’ll visit the bustling food markets of Kuching for a guided tour and to purchase fresh produce for the day. Back at the cafe you'll get hands-on experience to create some unique Sarawakian dishes.
Each class can be adapted to a variety of food preferences to suit your individual tastes and dietary requirements.
Tribal Massage. Experience a tribal massage, wander the back streets of Kuching, relax by the hotel pool or cross the river and visit the Orchid Gardens.
Day 5
Mulu World Heritage Area
It's time to back your bags and get ready for the next leg of your journey as we travel into the heart of Borneo and Malaysia’s iconic world heritage area, Mulu National Park.
With no roads into this area you can expect a pristine wilderness full of all the weird and wonderful things that awarded it UNESCO World Heritage status in all four criteria.
On arrival we’ll head straight out on our afternoon tour. Enjoy an easy 2.7 km walk to Lang and Deer Caves.
As you saunter through the rainforest and by jungle steams your guide will regal you with captivating stories of the plants and wildlife you encounter, and the traditional roles and customs for people who live in the jungle.
Lang Cave is possibly the most stunning cave in Mulu with a low ceiling that makes spotting the swiftlet and bats nesting in the bell-holes easy. It is adorned with lavishly decorated walls of shawls, layers of rim stone pools and spectacular stalagmites and stalactites.
Not far away is the jaw-dropping Deer Cave. With a cathedral-like cavern snaking two kilometres under the earth and a ceiling never lower than 90m high, Deer Cave is the biggest show-cave in the world.
Its cavernous reaches are also home to around three million wrinkle-lipped bats that emerge from the cave most evenings around sunset.
We time our walk to witness the phenomenon of these bats streaming from the cave entrance – a stand-out scene in David Attenborough’s Planet Earth series 1.
Watching the bats swirl through the sky in meandering rivers of black is a truly heart- stopping experience.
From within the cave you can also visit the ‘Garden Of Eden’, one of the most pristine collapsed cave systems in the world.
Witness its dazzling beauty by peering through a 30-metre column of water streaming from above, like a giant shower for the jungle gods.
It will be late when we return and, although the pathway is lit, the scout and brownie guide rules of ‘be prepared’ are advisable in the jungle, so bring your torch.
Day 6
Sunrise longboat to Clearwater Pool for yoga and picnic breakfast
Clearwater and Cave of Wind Tour (optional extra)
Travel by longboat along the forest edge past waking villages to the stunning Clearwater Pool Picnic area at the foot of one of the largest caves in the world.
Any boat ride on these rivers is like a meditation in nature but sunrise adds a whole other level to the experience.
You can’t help but feel alive, relaxed and complete as Mother Nature soothes your very soul with her beauty.
Our journey takes us to our own private paradise where we'll enjoy our morning yoga practice, a swim and a tropical breakfast spread well before any travellers arrive.
From here you can choose to join a cave tour or cruise back past local longhouse craft market before returning to the park.
Cave of Wind and Clearwater Cave (This showcase or adventure cave tour are optional extras and must be booked prior to travel)
Visit the Cave of Wind and explore the lavishly decorated halls of King Chamber, adorned with stalactites, stalagmites, flowrocks, helitites and rock corals and explore the ancient underground river passage of Clearwater Cave.
Carved out by mother nature across the millennia and with widths in excess of 50 metres you’ll get a taste of the 220km of winding underground passages ahead of us.
Free afternoon
You'll have a free afternoon to unwind and explore the parks varies self-guided walks, visit Paku waterfall or take part in another afternoons wellness session.
Our accommodation in Mulu is perched under forest canopy and embraced by a series of self-guided walks trails through the rainforest.
You may choose to walk, rest or swim. Here’s your chance to breathe out, ah, you’re here, among one of the world’s most treasured natural environments.
7pm-9pm night-walk (optional)
In the evening you can take part in a leisurely night walk on the walk trails around camp headquarters. This two-hour guided tour will give you an insight into nocturnal jungle life.
Immerse yourself in the sounds of the rainforest, interpret the cacophony of jungle noises, watch the courtship dance of the firefly, search for luminescent fungi and scorpion and perhaps spot an elusive marsupial or two.
Every night is different and there is plenty of opportunity to take part in a few night walks or venture out on your own while in Mulu.
Day 7
Jungle trek and overnight camp
Yoga Practice under the rainforest canopy and free morning
AFTERNOON
Our 10km trek to our overnight camp is a beautiful walk past waterfalls, across meandering rivers through the world heritage area national park.
Lead by local guides we'll follow old trails under the forest canopy until we reach our camp overlooking the rushing waters of Sungia Paku.
Here we'll set up camp for the night, enjoy nature's massage under the waterfall and unwind by an open fire under the night skies.
Porters are available on request to carry your backpack (up to 20kg) for a nominal charge or travel light and store your luggage in the park managed security room.
Day 8
Jungle trek and sunset river cruise
Rise and shine with the local wildlife for a morning yoga practice amidst nature.
Energise with nourishing breakfast and a refreshing dip in the river before returning to Mulu HQ.
Our return journey travels under the rainforest canopy, over river crossings and past Paku Waterfall.
We'll travel at a leisurely pace with time to swim and absorb the mystical jungle around us.
We'll arrive back early afternoon in time in plenty of time to enjoy our last evening on the rivers of Mulu with sunset boat cruise.
Day 9/10
Good-bye Mulu
Hello Kota Kinabalu
The next morning is our last breakfast in the national park as we pack and prepare for our flight to Kota Kinabalu and the last leg or our journey together.
We hope that your final days trekking and travelling in Borneo provide the perfect opportunity to reflect on your journey, your contribution to the people, wildlife and lands of Sarawak and to solidify the friendships of the like-minded travellers drawn to Borneo Ethical Adventures.
Together we will have enjoyed travel experiences that enrich mind, body and soul, both for travellers and those whose paths we cross.
Kota Kinabalu provides the perfect setting for a final night with our group.
Enjoy a cocktail as you watch the sunset over the South China Sea, treat yourself to a massage or shop at the sunset market for you last minute gifts.
We look forward to sharing this world with you.
Why Choose a Wild Yoga Adventure with Borneo Ethical Adventures?
Discover the Heart of Borneo
Borneo Ethical Adventures has built its business through connections established by its founder Alison Pritchard, who fell in love with Borneo and its people after living and working in Borneo’s Mulu National Park.
Alison now partners with local businesses and people who share her ethos for protection and contribution.
In doing so, she assures you of an authentic and meaningful journey into the mesmerising heart of Borneo.
For more info on Alison, Borneo Ethical Adventures and the groups we support as we travel view About Us and Partnerships
Your Wild Yoga Teacher
Fiona Galloway is a Fremantle based yoga teacher sharing regular classes and workshops in Perth & Regional WA, and nature-based retreats in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and beyond.
As an experienced yoga teacher and bodyworker for 16 years, Fiona instills a deeply intuitive and grounded approach into her teaching.
When you practice with Fiona, you can trust completely that you are in safe hands.
Her personal yoga journey has seen her training with the Sivananda Yoga Vendanta Organisation (Canada, 2001) and Victor Chng of Yin Yoga in Asia (from 2009), and her teaching now inspired by many other teachers and mentors along the way.
The gift of a health crisis in 2011 also delivered her great learning and insight into yoga as a means of deep healing, and she is now subsequently passionate about sharing this with others and supporting them in creating positive transformations to their bodies, minds and lives.
Your Supportive Practice
Fiona also has a passion for connecting people to nature as a pathway to connecting them back to themselves.
The yoga you experience with her will support you in stepping away from any intensity and stresses of daily life and allow you to be guided to slow down, relax and let go, while tuning into the
rejuvenating rhythms of the natural world around you.
The Yoga shared will be suitable for beginner to intermediate students, merging both hatha and yin yoga and integrating simple and effective relaxation and meditation techniques.
BYO yoga mat is a must, as is a sarong for covering over in relaxation (and for a makeshift yoga strap, unless you have one of your own) and a towel or similar to form a cushion to sit on. If you have a yoga block, please also feel free to bring one along.
We looks forward to sharing this transformative Wild Yoga Jungle Adventure with you!
Returning refreshed and renewed is absolutely guaranteed!!
2019: June 8th
Kuching-Mulu- Kota Kinabalu
10D/9N
from $2,950 p.p. twin share
Impressions from this tour
