Borneo Encompassed — Self-Launched

Fly into Kota Kinabalu (BKI) and settle in. KK is compact and walkable — grab a dorm or budget room in the Gaya Street/Waterfront area. Sort your essentials today: withdraw ringgit, buy a local SIM (Celcom/Digi, ~£8 for 30GB), and confirm your Mt Kinabalu climb permit slot with Sutera Sanctuary Lodges (book this weeks ahead). Evening: eat at the Gaya Street night market or the Filipino market for cheap seafood and noodles.

🚌Airport bus/taxi to city centre (~£5)

🛏Hostel dorm in KK city centre (~£10/night)

• →Gaya Street night market
• →Filipino market seafood dinner
• →Buy local SIM and top up cash

Take a shared minivan or bus from KK's Inanam bus terminal to Kinabalu Park HQ at Kundasang (~2 hrs, ~£6). Check into a budget guesthouse in Kundasang village. Spend the afternoon acclimatising: walk the park nature trails, then head to Poring Hot Springs for a soak and the rainforest canopy walkway (~£3 entry + ~£3 canopy). Sleep low and early — tomorrow is the big climb.

🚌Shared minivan KK to Kundasang (~£6)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Kundasang (~£14/night)

• →Kinabalu Park nature trails
• →Poring Hot Springs
• →Canopy walkway

Start the summit ascent from Timpohon Gate with a packed lunch. The first day's climb to Laban Rata (3,272m) typically takes 5–7 hours on a steep staircase of steps and roots — pace yourself. Your climb package (booked directly with Sutera Sanctuary Lodges) includes mountain guide, permit, insurance and dorm-style accommodation plus buffet dinner. Note: the 2D1N climb package itself costs ~£300–£380 depending on dorm vs private and group size — budget for that in your activities total.

🚌Walk from park HQ to Timpohon Gate

🛏Laban Rata dorm (multi-share, included in climb package)

• →Timpohon Gate trailhead
• →Ascend to Laban Rata (3,272m)
• →Buffet dinner at Laban Rata

Rise at 2–3am for the summit push (2.5–4 hrs) to reach Low's Peak in time for sunrise — a genuine highlight. Descend back to Laban Rata for breakfast, then continue down to park HQ for lunch. Collect your summit certificate, then catch a shared van or bus back to KK. Treat yourself to a proper meal and a cold drink.

🚌Shared minivan Kundasang to KK (~£6)

🛏Hostel dorm in KK city centre (~£10/night)

• →Summit Mt Kinabalu at sunrise
• →Descend to park HQ
• →Summit certificate

Travel by bus/minivan down the coast to Beaufort, a small colonial palm-oil town. In the afternoon book a Klias River wildlife cruise — the classic spot for proboscis monkeys, macaques, monitor lizards and, at dusk, fireflies and riverboat meals. Cruises depart from the Klias jetty ~30 min away; join a group tour locally for a fraction of private prices.

🚌Local bus KK to Beaufort (~£4); shared van to Klias jetty

🛏Guesthouse/homestay in Beaufort (~£12/night)

• →Klias River wildlife cruise
• →Proboscis monkey & firefly spotting
• →Riverside dinner

Ride Sabah's historic North Borneo Railway from Beaufort to Tenom — a scenic morning train through jungle, rivers and paddy (~2 hrs, ~£2). Explore Tenom town (famous for its coffee), then visit the Murut Cultural Centre to learn about longhouse traditions and the famous lansaran. Return to Beaufort by minivan/shared taxi. Adventure alternative: hop off early for a Padas River rafting trip (grade III–IV, ~£35 booked locally).

🚌Train Beaufort to Tenom (~£2); return by minivan (~£4)

🛏Guesthouse/homestay in Beaufort (~£12/night)

• →Beaufort–Tenom jungle railway
• →Murut Cultural Centre
• →Optional Padas River rafting

Take a shared van to Menumbok port, then the public ferry/speedboat to Labuan island, and a short hop flight onward to Miri (MASwings ~£25–40). From Miri fly to Mulu (very limited seats — book early, ~£25). Arrive at Mulu HQ, register and pay park entry (~£8). In the evening, join the optional guided night walk on the boardwalks around HQ to spot insects, frogs and glowing fungi.

🚌Shared van to Menumbok; ferry; MASwings flights (~£50–65 total)

🛏Mulu park lodge dorm or nearby budget homestay (~£16/night)

• →Menumbok–Labuan ferry
• →Fly to Mulu via Miri
• →Optional night walk on HQ boardwalk

Join the official park-guided cave tours (mandatory for the show caves). Morning: boat upriver to Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave, then swim in the crystal-clear spring water emerging from the mountain. Afternoon: walk the boardwalk to Lang Cave and mighty Deer Cave — the world's largest cave passage — and take a seat in the amphitheatre for the nightly exodus of ~3 million bats at dusk. Optional stop at a Penan morning market for handicrafts.

🚌Longboat to cave entrances (included in park tour)

🛏Mulu park lodge dorm or nearby budget homestay (~£16/night)

• →Wind Cave & Clearwater Cave tour
• →Clearwater spring swim
• →Deer Cave & Lang Cave
• →Deer Cave bat exodus at dusk

Optionally join the early mist guided walk on Mulu's canopy skywalk — the world's longest tree-based canopy walk (~2 hrs, ~£12). Then fly Mulu to Kota Kinabalu via Miri (~£35). On arrival take a short boat from KK's jetty to Pulau Sepanggar, a small rainforest-covered island with white sand and turquoise water. Stay in a simple hill lodge nestled in the trees with sea views and KK's lights twinkling across the water.

🚌Flight Mulu–KK (~£35); boat to Sepanggar (~£8)

🛏Island hill lodge, Sepanggar (~£25/night)

• →Mulu canopy skywalk (optional)
• →Fly to Kota Kinabalu
• →Boat transfer to Sepanggar Island

A relaxed island morning: snorkel the clear shallows, swim, and read in the shade. After lunch take the boat back to KK. This is a useful rest day before the second half of the trip. Use it to book onward flights to Miri/Sarawak and your Iban longhouse homestay on the Skrang or Lemanak river.

🚌Boat Sepanggar to KK (~£8)

🛏Hostel dorm in KK city centre (~£10/night)

• →Snorkelling
• →Island beach time
• →Return boat to KK
• →Book Sarawak transport & longhouse stay

Fly Kota Kinabalu to Miri on AirAsia/MASwings (~£30–45, ~55 min). Miri is the gateway to Sarawak's northern national parks and the staging point for Mulu onward trips. Check into a budget guesthouse near the city centre, then explore the night market for kolo mee and Sarawak laksa. If time allows, take a day trip to Niah Caves (a UNESCO-listed archaeological site with a 40,000-year human history) — public buses run from Miri's Pujut Corner terminal.

🚌Flight KK–Miri (~£35); local bus for Niah (~£3)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Miri (~£14/night)

• →Fly to Miri
• →Miri night market
• →Optional Niah Caves day trip

Two valid routes here depending on your interests: either loop back to Mulu for more caving (Miri–Mulu flight ~£25), or head for the Iban longhouse region. For the longhouse experience, travel by van from Miri/Kuching to a jetty on the Skrang or Lemanak River and be met by the longboat that carries you upriver to an authentic Iban longhouse (bilek family rooms). Most travellers base this leg out of Kuching or Sri Aman — see Day 13.

🚌Local van/bus (~£8); longboat (~£10 shared)

🛏Riverside guesthouse or en-route homestay (~£14/night)

• →Fly to Mulu (optional)
• →Overland transfer toward longhouse region
• →Longboat upriver

Spend the day and night in a traditional Iban longhouse, ideally arranged through a community-homestay or a small local operator (book direct, not via a big agency). Meet your host family, learn about beadwork, blowpipes and the old headhunting traditions, share a home-cooked dinner, and join in rice wine (tuak) and a welcome dance in the ruai (communal gallery). Sleep in a family room in the longhouse — multi-share, mats and mosquito nets provided.

🚌Longboat from jetty (~£10 shared)

🛏Iban longhouse, multi-share (~£20 including meals)

• →Tour of the longhouse
• →Beachcraft, blowpipe & weaving demo
• →Traditional Iban dinner
• →Evening dance & tuak

Morning longboat back to the jetty, then travel overland (shared van/bus, ~4–5 hrs, ~£10) to Kuching, Sarawak's charming riverside capital. Check into a budget guesthouse near the Waterfront. Evening stroll along the Kuching Waterfront and cross the river by tambang (small wooden ferry, ~£0.40) for a taste of old Kuching.

🚌Shared van/bus to Kuching (~£10); tambang (~£0.40)

🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Kuching (~£13/night)

• →Longboat & overland transfer to Kuching
• →Kuching Waterfront walk
• →Tambang river crossing

Full day of wildlife: morning trip to Semenggoh Wildlife Centre for the semi-wild orangutan feeding (public bus from Kuching, ~£1, entry ~£3), then head to Bako National Park by bus to Kampung Bako and a boat across the estuary (~£1 + boat ~£12 shared). Hike Bako's trails — proboscis monkeys, bearded pigs, and the famous sea-stack rock formations. Return to Kuching in the evening.

🚌Public bus to Semenggoh (~£1) + Bako (~£1); shared boat (~£12)

🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Kuching (~£13/night)

• →Semenggoh orangutan feeding
• →Bako National Park boat & hikes
• →Proboscis monkey spotting
• →Beach at Bako

Last morning in Kuching: visit the Sarawak Museum, the Sunday market (if it's the weekend), or pick up a final Sarawak laksa. Fly out from Kuching (KCH) — direct links to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Kota Kinabalu. Borneo Encompassed, self-launched — done.

🚌Taxi/Grab to Kuching airport (~£6)

🛏—

• →Sarawak Museum
• →Kuching market visit
• →Departure from KCH