5 Days Maliau Basin Adventure, Sabah
Duration: 5 Days 4 Nights
Attraction Cover: Agathis Camp, Night Safari, Camel Trophy Camp, Giluk Falls (optional), Luba Camp, Maliau Basin Falls
Tour Description:
Day 1 (Lunch and Dinner)
Pick up guest at Tawau Airport. Proceed on 4-wheels drive to the Maliau Basin Security Gate, 180km away. Weather permitting, journey will take about 5 hours.
Stop at Tibow for lunch. Proceed to Maliau Basin Security Gate.
Drive on to Agathis Camp, 26km away for the night stay. Settle in and enjoy the surrounding environment.
Weather permitting, go on a night drive in search of nocturnal animals. Possible encounter/sightings of Sambar Deers, Bearded Pigs, Malay Civets, Flying Squirrels and Borneo’s Wild Ox, the Banteng.
Day 2 (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
After breakfast, begin the 7km trekking through the rainforest to reach the Camel Trophy Camp. This will take about 6 hours of trekking over the rim of the Basin. The first two hours is the most challenging uphill trek for this adventure.
Stop for packed lunch and relax enjoying the surrounding rich vegetation. Arrive at the Camel Trophy Camp. Settle in.
Option A Walk to the Giluk Falls about 1 hour away and back to Camel Trophy Camp. A dip in the pool is possible or walk to the spectacular, about 100m in height (10 storey building) Takob-Akob Falls which is about 2 hours away and back.
Option B Enjoy the surroundings at the Camel Trophy Camp. Have a swim at a nearby stream.
Dinner. Settle in for the night.
Day 3 (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
After breakfast, start trekking through heath/montane forest and further down through highland dipterocarp forest for roughly about 5 hours to reach the Luba Camp, about 8km away.
The first few kilometers upon entering the heath forest discover the abundance of Nepenthes plants or locally referred to as “Monkey Cup” and wild orchids.
At the helicopter pad near Luba Camp, enjoy the full view of the Maliau Basin rim which is about 25km in diameter (slightly bigger than the Island of Singapore).
Settle in and enjoy the panoramic view of the Maliau Basin.
Descend for about one hour to the highlight of the adventure i.e. the Maliau Basin Falls. Have a picnic and take out a camera to snap beautiful shots and enjoy a dip in the falls.
Trek uphill back to the Luba Camp for dinner and settle in for the night.
Day 4 (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
After breakfast, trek along the forest making a loop back to the Agathis Camp. This will take about 6 – 8 hours.
Settle in at the Agathis Camp for the last night of the adventure in the forest.After dinner, weather permitting, a second night drive looking for nocturnal animals.
Day 5 (Breakfast)
After breakfast, drive back to Tawau, through the Maliau Basin Security Gate.