We deal directly with each tour operator, which means we can guarantee you the best price. If within 24 hours of your booking you find the exact same tour elsewhere for a lower price, let us know and we'll refund you the difference!
Untamed Borneo
Duration
11 days
Site savings
$105
From
$3,385 USD
This trip starts off where the wild things are. You'll cycle to, and spend two nights in, the midst of Malaysia’s largest wildlife reserve, where you are sure to sight monkeys and teeming bird life. Next it’s on to a boat to cruise through the mangroves of the Kinabatagan River and hopefully sight proboscis monkeys, found only in Borneo. The tour will visit two different sanctuaries to see proboscis monkeys and orangutans up close before switching tracks and cycling off road. Then, from a position up high with spectacular views of Mount Kinabalu, you'll descend to the stunning coastline and are rewarded for all your efforts with a night at a luxurious resort.
- CategoryAdventurous
- TypeFully Guided
- Duration11 days
- Culture LevelOut There
- Skill Level3 - Intermediate
- Activity Level3 - Active
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainForested
- Distance154.1 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance18.6 miles
operated by
SpiceRoads Cycling
SpiceRoads CyclingQuick Stats
- Duration11 days
- Main DestinationMalaysia
- Distance154.1 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance18.6 miles
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainForested
Route Map (click to view larger image)
Itinerary Details
- Day 1Meet in Kota Kinabalu
Welcome to Kota Kinabalu—“KK” to locals—the vibrant capital of Sabah and the gateway to northern Borneo. After arriving at the airport, head to your hotel in the heart of the city. In the evening, attend the trip briefing and enjoy a welcome dinner.
If you arrive early, take the time to explore. Stroll along the Waterfront district, browse the lively stalls at the Filipino Market, or visit the Gaya Street Sunday Market (mornings only). Don’t miss the stunning City Mosque or the informative Sabah State Museum. KK is a buzzing coastal city with a rich heritage waiting to be discovered.- Promenade Hotel Kota Kinabalu
- Dinner
- Day 2Kota Kinabalu – Lahad Datu – Tabin Wildlife Reserve
A morning flight takes the group across Sabah to Lahad Datu, and once back on terra firma, have breakfast before you start cycling. It’s a quick drive to the starting point, and after making sure the bikes fit, you can begin the ride on a rolling dirt road to the Tabin Wildlife Reserve.
Spend the night in the middle of 123,000 hectares of tropical flora and fauna. This rainforest is also home to more than 220 species of birds, the three largest mammals of Sabah -- Borneo Pygmy Elephant, Sumatran Rhinoceros and Tembadau, nine species of primates, as well as three species of cats. You can take an evening jungle trek (weather permitting) and have a glimpse into the nocturnal life around you.
- 16.2 miles
- 98.4 ft
1,565 ft
1,466.5 ft - Tabin Wildlife Resort
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 3Tabin Wildlife Reserve Exploration
This morning, you set out on a short but thrilling cycling loop within Tabin Wildlife Reserve. The ride follows vehicle-width, loose gravel paths cutting through the jungle—so even though the distance isn’t long, the terrain keeps you engaged! Leaving the lodge, you pedal 3 km to a trailhead before hiking about 20 minutes into the forest to reach the Lipad Mud Volcano. This football field–sized pool of mineral-rich mud is a favourite natural lick for wildlife—and said to be great for your skin, so don’t hesitate to lather up.
Afterward, you backtrack slightly and switch to another jungle trail, cycling toward Lipad Waterfall. A short jungle hike brings you to the falls, where water cascades into a large pool framed by lush greenery—a perfect spot to relax before cycling back to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, indulge in a complimentary herbal foot soak and mud facial, then prepare for a post-dusk game drive to spot nocturnal wildlife. Keep your eyes peeled for owls, civets, slow lorises, and many more creatures of the night!- 6.8 miles
- 42.7 ft
915.4 ft
872.7 ft - Tabin Wildlife Resort
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 4Tabin Wildlife Reserve – Bilit
This morning, you leave Tabin Wildlife Reserve, retracing the route from Day 2 in reverse. Once you reach the main road, you hop into the van for a three-hour transfer to Bilit, a riverside village along the winding Kinabatangan River—Sabah’s longest river. The rainforest-covered river basin is home to one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Borneo.
In the afternoon, you board a motorboat for a leisurely cruise along the river, hoping to catch glimpses of the fascinating animals that inhabit its banks. Proboscis monkeys often steal the show with their distinctive, pendulous noses, but keep your eyes open for orangutans, pygmy elephants, saltwater crocodiles, monitor lizards, hornbills, and more. While wildlife sightings can’t be guaranteed, simply gliding through this untamed ecosystem is an unforgettable experience.- 16.2 miles
- -62.3 ft
1,463.3 ft
1,525.6 ft - BIlit Adventure Lodge
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 5Bilit - Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
- Day 6Sepilok - Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary - Telupid
Another day brings another chance to spot primates. In the morning, you take a short transfer from your jungle lodge to the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, a protected pocket within a palm oil plantation that’s been left wild so Borneo’s iconic long-nosed monkeys can thrive. You arrive in time for the morning feeding, when a parade of cheeky, blobby-nosed proboscis monkeys emerges from the forest to snack on food laid out for them, while you watch quietly from the viewing platform.
After the visit (as always, wildlife sightings can’t be guaranteed), you hop back on your bike for a 15 km ride toward the highway, where the support vehicle awaits for a two-hour transfer south to the small town of Telupid. Following lunch and a well-earned siesta to escape the midday heat, you head out again for a scenic late-afternoon ride through Tongod—the rural heart of Sabah—rolling past forest reserves, plantations, and fruit farms set among gentle hills.- 41.6 miles
- -3.3 ft
2,860.9 ft
2,864.2 ft - Resthouse IPS Telupid
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 7Telupid – Sabah Tea Garden
This morning’s ride is layered with history. During the Second World War, this part of Sabah was the route of the infamous Sandakan Death March, where Allied prisoners of war were forced through the jungle under brutal conditions. Much of the original forest has since given way to palm plantations, but a web of roads and trails now crisscrosses this solemn landscape, creating a surprisingly thrilling stretch of mountain biking.
After 17 km, you meet the support vehicle and transfer about 1.5 hours to the cool highlands of Ranau. The region is best known for the Sabah Tea Gardens, a vast estate of terraced tea fields carved into rolling hills. You head out for a short but playful off-road loop among the undulating rows of tea bushes, with Mount Kinabalu—Southeast Asia’s highest peak—rising dramatically in the distance. Tonight, you settle in at the tea estate’s resort.- 14.9 miles
- 36.1 ft
1,509.2 ft
1,473.1 ft - Sabah Tea Garden
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 8Sabah Tea Garden – Poring
You start the day with a tour of the Sabah organic tea factory, discovering how tea leaves are transformed from harvest to cup. Energised by the tea’s natural caffeine boost, you take a short transfer to avoid the highway before cycling west along gently rolling country roads, passing farms and villages along the way. With a bit of luck, you might spot a blooming Rafflesia—the world’s largest flower and a rare treasure of Borneo.
After 18 km, your ride concludes at Poring, a natural area famous for its thermal hot springs. Before sinking into the warm, soothing waters, you head to the Poring Canopy Walkway for an elevated stroll among the rainforest treetops, taking in the jungle from a whole new perspective.- 11.2 miles
- 413.4 ft
1,322.2 ft
908.8 ft - Sutera Sanctuary Lodges
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 9Poring – Kundasang
Today is all about Southeast Asia’s tallest peak, Mount Kinabalu, soaring 4,095 meters (13,435 feet) above sea level. Your destination is the hill station of Kundasang, one of the best spots to take in the sheer scale and beauty of this majestic mountain. Leaving Poring in the support vehicle, you head south for about an hour to reach your cycling starting point.
Once on your bike, you follow a short but invigourating highland route along paved country roads that wind their way to Kundasang. Villages, vegetable farms, and patches of forest pass by as the rolling hills of western Sabah rise and fall around you. The ride culminates at your hotel, where Mount Kinabalu dominates the skyline from an exceptionally photogenic vantage point. You pause to enjoy the crisp mountain air, gazing up at the towering peak as wisps of cloud cling to its summit—a truly breathtaking moment.- 9.3 miles
- 3,156.2 ft
3,635.2 ft
479 ft - Perkasa Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 10Kundasang – Pantai Dalit Beach
You leave behind the cool, misty mountains of Kundasang for the balmy, sun-kissed beach of Pantai Dalit. In the morning, you bid farewell to Mount Kinabalu and transfer 1.5 hours to your cycling start point on the coastal plains of west Sabah. Your 25 km ride takes you through lively agricultural districts along the Tamparuli and Tuaran rivers. Along the way, you stop by a peaceful Malay-Chinese temple crowned with a colorful multi-storied pagoda before ending your ride at a beach resort overlooking the azure waters of the South China Sea.
The afternoon is yours to enjoy — dip your toes in the powdery sands of Pantai Dalit Beach, indulge in a soothing massage, or unwind by the pool. In the evening, you gather for a farewell dinner to celebrate your east-to-west traverse of Sabah!- 14.9 miles
- 49.2 ft
360.9 ft
311.7 ft - Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 11Pantai Dalit Beach - Kota Kinabalu