Borneo Wildlife Photo Tour 2019
About the tourStraddling the equator and located in Southeast Asia, Borneo is the World’s third largest island. This land of jungle and rainforest contains a staggering array of biodiversity. 11,000 species of plants, including over 700 types of trees is just the beginning of the life here. Red-haired orangutans swing through those trees, monkeys and macaques seemingly cavort everywhere and there are well over 350 species of birds which call Borneo home. Add to this an endless variety of butterflies, moths and other insects that float through the air here, and you’ve got a place like no other on Earth.
We’ll concentrate on seeing and photographing the orangutans and other primates found on Borneo but we’ll also enjoy the mountains, jungles, rivers, bird and insect life, and we’ll photograph as much of this diversity as possible. I promise that this tropical eden will enchant you at every turn, and you’ll come away not only with awesome images but with a renewed sense of amazement regarding the nature and life of planet Earth. We’ll be visiting Malaysian Borneo (not Indonesian Borneo - the island is split by these 2 nations). Malaysia is a VERY modern, and extremely friendly country with excellent infrastructure and very high standards regarding cleanliness and services. This is NOT a hard-core jungle-walk expedition of any sort. Often we’ll be staying in modern hotels very near to the primate action and we’ll walk out on flat boardwalks in order to see and photograph the animals. We’ll be traveling by comfortable mini-van on good roads to get from place to place. Forget anything you may have heard about this part of the world. Malaysia is one of the safest, most stable and easiest to manage places anywhere. And it's filled with unique wildlife simply waiting to be photographed. This is a wildlife photo tour, which means we’ll be traveling together and I will be photographing alongside you. Most of our time will be spent at sanctuaries where primates and other animals are protected and easy to get close to. One-on-one image review, and group critique sessions are optional as space and time allow.
Group Size Best of all we go as a small group of only 6 participants and me, your leader. You won’t find a better instructor to participant ratio on any similar tour anywhere! ItineraryOctober 2
Fly into Singapore International Airport (which means you will most likely need to leave your home town on Oct. 1, 2019). Take a taxi to the nearby hotel. We meet this evening at the hotel in Singapore and spend this one night here just to get settled. October 3-9 On October 3rd, we’ll move on by commercial jet flight to Sandakan, Borneo (flight is included in trip cost). For the next 7 days and 6 nights (all accommodations and transportation included in trip cost) we’ll have a rental van at our disposal and I’ll be driving as we explore the state of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. October 9-12 On October 9th, we’ll take a commercial jet flight to Kuching, Borneo (flight is included in trip cost). For the next 3 days and 3 nights (all accommodations included in trip cost) we will be in the Kuching area. We will get around Kuching by taxi/private driver. This ground transportation is covered as part of your tuition as we explore the state of Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo. October 12 On October 12th we'll fly together to Singapore and take taxi's (shared expense) to our familiar hotel. 3 nights lodging in Singapore is included in trip cost. October 13-14 We have 2 full days to explore the treasures of Singapore including visits to the world-class zoo and the world's largest walk-in aviary at Larong Bird Park. October 15 Check out of Singapore hotel and fly home this day. |
About you
You should have a reasonable sense of adventure for this tour. Yes, some of our lodges will be downright luxurious, but some will also be somewhat "rustic." Traveling all the way to Borneo will be tiresome and you should be flexible, open-minded, and ready for some things, no matter how meticulously planned, to get changed up "on-the-fly." We will always be safe and we will always try our best to get you amazing wildlife photos and experiences and we will have fun!
All levels of photographers are welcome on my tours, from the beginner to the seasoned pro. You should be reasonably fit and able to walk for some distance (up to a mile) over sometimes rough terrain for this trip. There aren’t any long hikes on this tour, but we will be walking up lots of steep, uneven steps and across outdoor areas in order to capture our photos. The tropical, equatorial heat is intense and you should be prepared for it. CostWhen: October 2-15, 2019
Where: Based out of Sepilok & Kuching, Malaysia and Singapore Cost: $6,695/person (+ $395 single supplement) Limit: Min. 3 participants, max. 6 participants Tuition Includes:
Not included in tour cost: Roundtrip airfare from your home town to Singapore, meals (unless provided by our hotel or lodge), drinks, camera fees at photo sites, excess baggage fees, tips, Items of a personal nature such as phone calls, laundry services, etc. PaymentPersonal checks are preferred for all payments.
An in-depth welcome packet will be sent to you after receipt of a $1,000 trip deposit. Deposits and any personal check payments should be sent to: Don Mammoser 12503 Venable Creek Street Parker CO 80134 Especially for this trip: I highly recommend trip insurance. Please read my policies page before sending any money 
Young Proboscis Monkey, Borneo
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