Sarawak Secrets with Santubong Mangrove Cruise

Meet upon arrival at the Airport and transfer to hotel in the city of Kuching. Explore on your own the quaint city by foot or take a sampan (boat) along the Sarawak River.

Between 07.30hrs – 07.45hrs, transfer to the meeting point to join Best of Kuching Tours by bike. This unique bike tour covers 85% of Kuching’s “sights” and much more! In this ultimate Kuching tour, explore the culture of the city’s heritage zone with visits to temples and monuments. Take a ride across the Sarawak River on a traditional ‘sampan’ boat and then cycle through rural kampongs (villages). After that, indulge in local street food in Kubah Ria, the open-air market. After the tour, drop the bike at the drop off point (Kuching Waterfront). 

The rest of the day will be at leisure to explore on your own this quaint City. Overnight at Kuching hotel. 

Depart for Saloma Village Stay, the original Bidayuh longhouse at the top of the hill to experience how the natives live and witness traditions that have been passed down through generations. Afterwards, proceed with the visit to the local Ala-resort Christian missionary primary boarding school (Sk. St Bernard, Sadir) and also the basket/mat weaver’s house. 

*All the food served is either grown locally in the family farm or collected/sourced from the jungle/wild.

This morning, trek to the waterfall hike (35 min) for a refreshing swim or just to marvel at mother nature’s creation. You will also be introduced to the local flora & wild herbs and their various uses. Trek back to Saloma Village stay for lunch before returning to Kuching. 

This morning, depart to the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre located in the Semenggoh Nature Reserve which covers an area of 740 acres of tropical rainforest, is a wildlife rehabilitation centre and sanctuary dedicated to the preservation and rehabilitation of orangutans. Enjoy the intriguing sight of orangutans, one of Borneo’s endangered rare species, emerging from their natural rainforest habitat during feeding times. As the orangutans are free to roam in the surrounding forest, there may be occasions when they do not appear, especially during the forest fruiting season. Return to hotel afterwards. 

Late afternoon, depart to enjoy a boat ride to the estuarine of Santubong River and the Salak Rivers. The saline mangroves have an extensive network of waterways and tidal creeks, go in search of diverse wildlife including proboscis monkeys, long-tailed macaques, monitor lizards, estuarine crocodiles (crocodylus porosus) and birds. At dusk, search for fireflies as the boat proceeds further upriver where fireflies gather at night. Enjoy the subdued resplendent twinkling of the beetles flying about and around the branches of the mangrove trees. Return to Kuching. 

Explore Bako National Park, a 16 sq.km of primary forest and wildlife and its natural beauty of rocks and cliffs. There are 25 types of vegetation ranging from lush cliffs and lowland dipterocarp forests to almost desert-like scrubs on the upper plateau. Observe up close wild orchids, pitcher plants and look out for proboscis monkeys, bearded pigs, and hundreds of bird species. There are numbers of trails exploring the park with several indented sandy bays providing excellent swimming grounds. Return to Kuching City in the afternoon or transfer to Kuching airport for your onward departure flight (recommended flight to be after 1900 hrs)

• Bako National Park tour may not operate between Nov–Feb due to wet weather conditions. It may be replaced by the Gunung Gading National Park.