An Equatorial Adventure across North Borneo

Board Coral Geographer from 4:00pm and settle into your stateroom to relax as we set sail across the South China Sea. Join the Captain’s welcome drinks and meet your crew and fellow guests as the sun sets. 

Nestled in the Philippine archipelago that forms part of the Coral Triangle, this morning we arrive to Harka Piloto Island, known as the ‘Centre of Marine Biodiversity of the World’ and ‘the Amazon of the Oceans.’ With the highest concentration of marine species in the world, here we will swim, snorkel and dive, exploring this underwater wonderland.  Enjoy lunch onboard before our afternoon expedition to Silonay Conservation Ecopark. The community here plant mangrove seedlings around the villages, knowing that these trees form a strong protective barrier between them and storm surges. Enjoy a short boardwalk stroll into the heart of the mangrove forest as we learn more about the importance of these mangroves and the direct impacts they have on the livelihoods of the local villagers. 

Adventure scale: Low to moderate – Walking tour of Mangrove Ecopark along wooden boardwalks that can be slippery in wet weather.  

The province of Marinduque is a heart-shaped island situated between Tayabas Bay and the Sibuyan Sea and is considered the geodetic centre of the Philippines. Marinduque boasts an intriguing and eclectic history as the site of the first American concentration camp during the Philippine-American War, and features an array of architecturally diverse heritage houses and places of worship.  As we arrive this morning be greeted with a local ‘Putungan Welcome’, a tradition in Marinduque where guests are serenaded with songs, pictures, flowers and coins.  In Marinduque, locals participate in a unique version of the crucifixion of Christ known as the Mariones Festival, where participants don heavy wooden masks and thick handmade armour. We will visit the master craftsmen who create these unique cultural artifacts and learn about the ‘suffering’ of Christ as perceived by the Marinduquians.  Following this, we will explore the cultural town, visiting the century-old Boac Cathedral, the Marinduque National Museum, and the Boac Central Market.  After lunch, snorkel and dive the spectacular waters of Baltazar Island of the Tres Reyes chain. 

Adventure scale: Low to moderate – Walking across uneven terrain, free time wandering Boac town.

Culion Island is surrounded by 41 minor islands, forming part of the Calamian group. It was a former leprosarium, starting in 1906 under American colonial rule and continuing through the American Commonwealth of the Philippines era. Although leprosy on the island was eradicated in the 1980s, it was officially declared a leprosy-free area by the World Health Organization in 2006. In 2017, the Philippine National Commission for UNESCO began preparing the dossier for Culion’s Leprosy documentary heritage. By 2018, the Culion Leprosy Archives were officially inscribed on the Memory of the World Register. Explore the heritage of Culion with a guided tour of the island, where architecture from the 1900s and earlier remains intact. We’ll visit the Culion Museum, Archives, and Church, as well as the preserved structures built by the leper colony. Discover the rich history, ongoing research, and the enduring legacy of the people who live here. 

Adventure scale: Moderate – Uphill walking and stairs.

It’s an early start this morning as we explore the UNESCO-listed Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park, a New Seven Wonder of Nature. Discover St. Paul’s Underground River Cave, over 24km long, showcasing stunning limestone karst formations and an underground river. Traverse the peninsula via overland transfer for this unique experience.  Alternatively, enjoy a self-guided exploration of one of the Philippines most visited towns. 

Adventure scale: Moderate – stepping into and out of small local boats.

This is our last opportunity to enjoy the remote reefs and sand cays of the Philippines before heading to Malaysian Borneo. Spend the morning swimming or snorkelling in turquoise waters. 

Your first entry into Malaysian Borneo, is Sandakan. Travel to the famed Sepilok area where you will spend the morning at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre feeding platform before engaging with the dedicated team at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. There is the option for you to take a leisurely 2 km walk to explore the unique flora and fauna of the Rainforest Discovery centre.  On return to the ship, we’ll stop at the Sandakan War Memorial, the site of a former 1945 Japanese POW camp and the start of the Ranau Death Marches. 

Adventure scale: Moderate – Walking along boardwalks and uneven forest trails.

This morning travel by air-conditioned bus to a Rungus longhouse, sample local delicacies and learn more about their unique way of life. 

Adventure scale: Moderate – Walking along uneven forest trails.

Arrive to Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state on the northern part of the island of Borneo.  Following our mid-morning arrival to the Port, take advantage of Port to town transfers for your self-exploration of this engaging city flanked by rainforest and beaches.  This evening, take a local transfer to the Mari Mari Cultural Village for tonight’s cultural feast event. Set amidst the exotic jungle, we will dine in a traditional longhouse and experience the cultural traditions of five ethnic groups in Sabah: Rungus, Bajau, Murut, Dusun, and Lundayeh. Witness cultural performances, market-style interactions, and traditional dress, and engage with locals from each ethnic group as they showcase their traditions, including bamboo fire starting, rice wine making, tree bark clothing, blowpipe demonstrations, henna tribal tattoos, and tinkling (also known as bamboo dance). 

Adventure scale: Easy – Self exploration.

Today we enter Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. With the same family line ruling Brunei for over six centuries, the peak of the Sultanate of Brunei occurred between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate. It was offered the opportunity to join Malaysia as a state in 1963, but opted out of the Federation due to a disagreement on the amount of its oil income that would have to be given to the central government in Kuala Lumpur.  Brunei’s independence was achieved in 1984.  Explore the city on a guided tour visiting Kampung Ayer, a floating coastal water village. Enjoy photo stops and visits at the following locations, the Royal Ceremonial Hall, Parliament House, tomb of the fifth Sultan of Brunei – Sultan Bolkiah (1485 -1524), the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, Brunei Museum, Royal Regalia Museum, the Water Village, and the Sultan’s Palace (Istana Nurul Iman). The city tour can be offered as a walking tour with slight adjustment to the sites visited. 

Adventure scale: Easy – Moderate – Walking along uneven boardwalks and accessing small local boats. 

Miri is a coastal city in north-western Sarawak, Malaysia, located near the border of Brunei, on the island of Borneo. Miri was founded in 1910 when the first oil well was drilled by Royal Dutch Shell and quickly flourished to become the administrative centre of the northern region of Sarawak by 1929. Miri was the first landing point of Japanese troops in Borneo and the subsequent Japanese occupation led Miri to become a target of allied air raids, leading to the destruction of the oil refinery facilities in Miri.  Visit Niah Caves once home to the Penan tribe, the original inhabitants of the area and acknowledged to have ancestry going back to more than 60,000 years. The Niah Caves is also regarded as a sacred natural site by the surrounding Indigenous communities. 

Adventure scale: A Moderate and Hard option is available.  Up to 3km walking along uneven, wet boardwalks and accessing small local boats. 

Today we spend a relaxing day at sea as we travel to Kuching.

During World War II, Kuching was occupied by Japanese forces from 1942 to 1945. After the formation of Malaysia in 1963, Kuching retained its status as state capital and was granted city status in 1988. Kuching is now a major food destination and a member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network under the field of gastronomy.  Depart Coral Geographer early this morning ready to explore the vibrant city of Kuching for the next 2 days.   Kuching is a culturally and architecturally rich city that is easily walkable and very atmospheric. On a morning orientation walking tour of downtown Kuching, discover the waterfront shopping, where English is widely spoken and there are handicrafts readily available. Savour the unique produce and flavours of the Orang Ulu people before exploring Kuching the newly completed Borneo Cultures Museum and the Islamic Heritage Museum. 

Tomorrow, join a morning expedition to Semenggoh Nature Reserve, keep a look out for orangutans. All the orangutans at Semenggoh Wildlife Centre have either been saved from the illegal pet industry, are orphaned here because their mothers were killed, or injured in the wild and they unable to survive on their own. We will enjoy an easy walk along forest paths (with slightly uneven ground) to meet rangers at feeding platforms and watch as the orangutans enjoy a variety of food including fruit, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, coconut, and hardboiled eggs.  Subject to weather and convenient tides there is the option of a guided exploration of open trails surrounding Bako National Park Headquarters for active and mobile guests. 

Adventure scale: Easy – Moderate – Walking along uneven boardwalks. 

Today we spend two relaxing days at sea as we travel to Singapore. 

Arrive in Singapore ready to disembark Coral Geographer at 8:00am. Bid farewell to new-found friends, the Master and crew.