点评:This fall, my husband and I went on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Borneo—thoughtfully curated by the incredible Unearth Adventure team. If you are considering a trip to Borneo, I highly recommend going with Unearth Adventure.
After deciding on Borneo, we spent months researching wildlife tour operators. What immediately stood out about Unearth Adventure was their intentionally designed, wildlife-focused itinerary, their small-group, eco-conscious approach, and the way they seamlessly blend experienced group leaders with exceptional local guides who stay with you throughout the journey, alongside area-specific experts. Every detail felt purposeful and the result was something truly special.
From the very beginning, co-founder Nick Royal—who we met over video calls multiple times ahead of the trip—made us feel confident in our decision. As someone who typically enjoys handling all of the logistics of planning trips, it was a refreshing change to have the Unearth Adventure team handle everything. From our initial call, Nick expertly guided us through the planning process—handling almost everything for us while advising on flights and packing lists. Once we stepped off the plane in Borneo, everything from lodging and meals to transportation and excursions was taken care of. This truly allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in the experience and simply enjoy the journey.
Traveling in a small group made the experience feel intimate and flexible, and the pacing never felt rushed despite how much we were able to see and do. The trip is ideal for travelers who prioritize wildlife and conservation, are comfortable with moderate activity in heat and humidity, and appreciate small-group travel with comfortable (but not luxury resort-style) accommodations.
Our group leaders, Nick and Sonny, were both a wealth of knowledge, and we learned so much about Borneo and its unique wildlife, diverse ecosystems, and rich biodiversity. They also helped us immensely with honing our wildlife photography skills, as we purchased a camera specifically for this trip. Our local guide, Theo—who stayed with us throughout the entire journey—made the experience extraordinary. His knowledge, passion, and attentiveness ensured that we didn’t miss a single wildlife sighting, and we learned so much from him along the way.
Over 11 days, we explored Borneo and every day was an adventure. We were lucky to witness 31 different mammal species (and nearly 100 avian and raptor species) in their natural habitats—many of which are endemic to Borneo only.
In Sepilok, we learned about conservation at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre during a private tour with the sanctuary’s founder Dr Wong; watched baby and adult orangutans up close at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre; and experienced both day and night walks at the Rainforest Discovery Centre, spotting a tarsier, flying squirrels, orangutans, a viper, and more.
Kinabatangan was the highlight of the trip for us, as we enjoyed cruising down the river in search of wildlife. We felt incredibly fortunate to spend a full afternoon observing endangered pygmy elephants (with only about 1,000 remaining in the wild). But every morning, afternoon, and night cruise was special—spotting proboscis monkey, macaques, orangutans, saltwater crocodiles, and so many birds (including multiple species of hornbills). We also visited the Gomantong caves, where we hiked up to witness over one million bats exiting the caves at dusk while hornbills and birds of prey hunted.
At Danum Valley Field Centre, we took multiple hikes and night drives through the lush rainforest, spending intimate time observing red leaf monkeys, gibbons, and orangutans. One morning, we were awakened by our guides when a male elephant made its way through the center grounds, giving us the unique opportunity to safely track it through the rainforest and observe it from a distance.
Our final stop at Tabin Wildlife Reserve was spent spotting numerous orangutans and small mammals on safari, including leopard cat, slow loris, civet, porcupine, and large flying fox. After days of wildlife viewing in the heat and humidity, swimming at the Lipid Waterfall was the perfect way to end the trip.
Even in very remote areas, we always felt safe, well supported, and incredibly well cared for by the guides and team. Accommodations throughout the trip were comfortable and thoughtfully selected given the locations, and meals were consistently good.
We are forever changed by our 11 days in Borneo, and it would not have been the same without Unearth Adventure. Whether returning to Borneo or exploring a completely new destination, we would absolutely (and hope to) travel with them again. Given the level of expertise, access to wildlife, seamless logistics, and overall experience, the trip felt incredibly well worth it for the price, which we found competitive for the area. If your priority is meaningful wildlife encounters, conservation-focused travel, small-group experiences, and an expertly run itinerary, I cannot recommend Unearth Adventure enough.
翻译:今年秋天,我和丈夫踏上了毕生难忘的婆罗洲之旅——这趟旅程由卓越的Unearth Adventure团队精心策划。如果您正计划前往婆罗洲,我强烈推荐Unearth Adventure。
决定前往婆罗洲后,我们花了几个月的时间研究野生动物旅游公司。Unearth Adventure最吸引我们的地方在于他们精心设计的、以野生动物为中心的行程,小团出行、环保理念,以及他们将经验丰富的领队与全程陪伴的优秀当地向导和当地专家完美融合。每一个细节都经过深思熟虑,最终呈现出一段真正难忘的旅程。
从一开始,联合创始人Nick Royal——我们在出发前多次通过视频通话与他见面——就让我们对自己的选择充满信心。我通常喜欢自己安排旅行的各种细节,所以Unearth Adventure团队全权负责一切,让我们感到非常轻松愉快。从我们第一次通话开始,Nick 就以专业的指导带领我们完成了整个行程规划——他几乎包办了一切,并为我们推荐航班和行李清单。抵达婆罗洲后,从住宿、餐饮到交通和游览,所有安排都已妥善安排。这让我们能够真正全身心地投入到旅程中,尽情享受这段体验。
小团旅行让整个行程既亲密又灵活,尽管我们游览了很多地方,体验了很多活动,但节奏始终保持轻松惬意。这趟旅行非常适合那些重视野生动物和自然保护、能够适应炎热潮湿天气下适度活动、并且喜欢小团旅行和舒适(而非豪华度假村式)住宿的旅行者。
我们的领队 Nick 和 Sonny 知识渊博,让我们对婆罗洲及其独特的野生动物、多样化的生态系统和丰富的生物多样性有了更深入的了解。他们还极大地帮助我们提升了野生动物摄影技巧,因为我们特意为这次旅行购买了一台相机。我们的当地向导西奥全程陪伴我们,让这次旅行体验非凡。他渊博的知识、饱满的热情和细致入微的照顾,确保我们不错过任何野生动物的踪迹,我们也从他身上学到了很多。
在为期11天的旅程中,我们探索了婆罗洲,每一天都是一次冒险。我们有幸在它们的自然栖息地目睹了31种不同的哺乳动物(以及近100种鸟类和猛禽),其中许多都是婆罗洲特有的物种。
在西必洛,我们参加了婆罗洲太阳熊保育中心的私人导览,聆听了保育工作的创始人黄博士的讲解;在西必洛猩猩康复中心近距离观察了幼年和成年猩猩;并在雨林探索中心体验了日间和夜间徒步,看到了眼镜猴、飞鼠、猩猩、蝰蛇等等。
京那巴当岸河之旅是我们此行的亮点,我们乘船沿河而下,寻找野生动物的踪迹,其乐无穷。我们无比幸运地用一整个下午的时间观察濒危的侏儒象(野生侏儒象仅存约1000头)。但每天的清晨、午后和夜晚的游船之旅都令人难忘——我们看到了长鼻猴、猕猴、猩猩、咸水鳄以及种类繁多的鸟类(包括多种犀鸟)。我们还参观了哥曼东洞穴,徒步攀登,在黄昏时分亲眼目睹了超过一百万只蝙蝠从洞穴中飞出,而犀鸟和猛禽则在一旁捕猎。
在达努姆谷野外研究中心,我们多次徒步和夜间驱车穿越茂密的热带雨林,近距离观察红叶猴、长臂猿和猩猩。一天清晨,我们的向导叫醒了我们,一头雄象正穿过保护区。这让我们有机会安全地追踪它穿过雨林,并远距离观察它。
我们在塔宾野生动物保护区的最后一站,进行了一次精彩的野生动物观赏之旅,看到了许多猩猩和小哺乳动物,包括豹猫、懒猴、灵猫、豪猪和大狐蝠。在炎热潮湿的环境中观赏了数日的野生动物后,在脂质瀑布游泳是结束此次旅程的完美方式。
即使在非常偏远的地区,我们也始终感到安全,并得到了向导和团队的悉心照顾。整个旅程中的住宿舒适,并且根据当地情况精心挑选,餐食也始终美味可口。
我们在婆罗洲的11天彻底改变了我们的人生,如果没有Unearth Adventure的陪伴,这一切都将截然不同。无论将来是重返婆罗洲,还是探索全新的目的地,我们都一定会(并且希望)再次与他们同行。考虑到向导的专业水平、观赏野生动物的机会、顺畅的行程安排以及整体体验,这次旅行物超所值,而且价格在当地也很有竞争力。如果您最看重的是与野生动物的深度接触,Unearth Adventure 注重环境保护,提供小团体体验,并精心安排行程,我强烈推荐这家旅行社。