Exotic Borneo   Wildlife, Cultural, Landscape Tour & Workshops March 27th – April 8th 2017   13 days, 12 nights   $6,349 – Loyalty discounts apply   Nick Melidonis and Aaron Dowling   Information Evening, Mon August 22nd  7-8.30 pm , Nick's home, Fremantle WA   Please email Nick at [email protected] to reserve a place

(All photos in this article by Nick Melidonis)   Enjoy an extraordinary experience in a fabled jungle-clad land that has captured the imagination of explorers and adventurers for centuries. Master photographer Nick Melidonis and 2016 WA Photographer of the Year,  Aaron Dowling together with expert local guides, will introduce you to the exotic highlights of Borneo, visiting the prime viewing areas for orangutans, proboscis monkeys and other wildlife in both Sarawak and Sabah in this tropical paradise in comfort. This is a rare opportunity to see and learn how to capture powerful images in an area that is fast disappearing while enjoying the cultural richness of the region. Non photographers will also enjoy this rich diversity of experiences while still learning to enduring memories.   A melting pot of indigenous peoples, cultures, and traditions, Borneo is set amid a landscape that ranges from the world’s oldest rainforest to the highest mountain in Southeast Asia. Your Exotic Borneo experience includes visits and boat trips to spectacular national parks, longhouses and ethnic villages to capture striking landscapes and portraits of the colourful inhabitants as well as stunning wildlife.   Tour minimum 8, maximum 15 participants       Tour highlights include: Discover the colonial splendours of the White Raja era in the colourful capital Kuching.  Explore the Sarawak River as far as the South China Sea and visit old, historic villages on stilts.  Visit a traditional bamboo longhouse.  Marvel at the antics of the orangutans in their tropical jungle sanctuaries in the prime viewing locations in both Sarawak and Sabah.  Enjoy a day at Bako National Park, home to flora and fauna you simply cannot see anywhere but Borneo.  Get up close to the strange and exotic proboscis monkeys at a private sanctuary in Sabah.  Relax at the Cultural Village which showcases Sarawak’s unique and diverse cultures and traditions.  Unwind at a beach resort with its sandy beaches fringed with tropical palms.  Enjoy a comfortable stay and an experience at an eco- retreat in the river and jungles of Borneo   Not just a photography tour, but also a sound educational experience to learn by doing with professional feedback Our aim on this tour is not to only take you to great locations and have an amazing experience, but to provide a full learning experience and memories you can take away as a reminder of your time in Borneo. So how do we do this? Provide a personalised assessment of your current skills and equipment and personal needs, designed to assist us to help you get the most out of the tour.  A hands on workshop will be held early in the tour, where we will learn and practice the techniques that we will be using throughout the tour. Two review and critique sessions will be held throughout the tour, giving us and others the opportunity to see through others eyes and provide valuable feedback that will assist in the remainder of the tour. We will provide reference cards that you can refer to throughout the tour to assist you in your photography to help ensure that you get those shots you are after. Following the tour, you will be provided with a video reminder of your time in Borneo. Video tutorials will be produced using two images from each participant. Nick and Aaron will record the post processing techniques and our thought process as we edit these images. All of these videos will be made available to each participant on the tour.   Don’t Miss This Tour of a Lifetime

 

 

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Itinerary

 

Days 1 to 5

With Kuching as our home base for the first 5 nights of the tour we’ll set off and explore this amazing area.

• A hands-on workshop to prepare you for the amazing 12 days of photography ahead.
• City and river tours of the colourful and charming city of Kuching
• A day trip to Bako National park, taking in beautiful river landscapes and wildlife.
• Two visits to Orangutan Rehabilitation Centres 
• Village and longhouse tours taking in the traditional culture.
• A wildlife rehabilitation centre, with opportunities to photograph many animals up close and personal.

 

Days 6 & 7

On day 6 we transfer from Kuching to Damai Beach, where we will spend a couple of nights in a luxury resort with a beautiful beach at our door step.

• Visit a cultural village in the foothills of the legendary Mount Santubong and fronting the South China Sea.
• Take a boat trip to the mouth of the Santubong and Salak Rivers, entering the tributaries of the Kuching Wetlands National Park, with opportunity to see and photograph a wide variety of wildlife.
• Run a photo review and critique session. 
• Relax in the idyllic surrounds of Damai Beach.

 

 

Day 8 & 9

On day 8 we transfer to the airport for an early flight to Kota Kinabalu (Sabah), then connect to Sandakan, where we will spend the next two nights in a resort at Sepilok. 

• Visit the Sandakan Memorial Park, dedicated to those who died in the infamous Sandakan death marches in WW II.
• Take a trip to a private sanctuary to see the Proboscis monkey in Labuk Bay.
• Visit the Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre, where we will walk amongst the jungle tree tops and the beautiful botanical gardens.

 

Day 10 & 11

We will spend the next two nights in a Riverside Lodge, giving us easy access to the wonders of the water systems in the area and some amazing wildlife. 

• A visit to the Sepilok Orangutan sanctuary, where the orangutans are rehabilitated and released in the wild. 
• A boat trip along the Kinabatangan River delta in search of proboscis moneys, birds and reptiles. 
• A boat trip to the Menanggul River in search of proboscis monkeys, birds and other wildlife and with any luck we may see some pygmy elephants. 
• We’ll run another photo review and critique session. 

 

 

Day 12

We return to Sandakan by boat and arrive to a panoramic view of Sandakan at the Puh Juh Syh Chinese Buddhist Temple. We then transfer to Sandakan airport for our flight out to Kota Kinabalu. This evening we celebrate our time in Borneo with a Farewell Dinner. 

 

Day 13

The tour ends today following breakfast and we continue with our own arrangements for our flights home or onwards to our next destination. 

Inclusions

• All airport transfers
• All tours and activities in the itinerary
• Internal flights in the itinerary
• Many meals throughout the tour (not all)
• 12 nights’ accommodation
• All photographic tuition
• Video reminder of the tours (provided approximately 6 weeks following the tour)
• Videos showing the editing of two images from each guest on the tour

Exclusions

• Flights to and from Borneo
• Beverages
• Tours and activities not included in the itinerary
• Travel Insurance, this is a requirement for attendance on the tour (please see our travel agent)
   
• Any relevant visas for Malaysia
   

 

 

Tour Costs

$6349.00 AUD per person Based twin share **For Guests Travelling in Pairs
Single Supplement: $650.00 AUD for those requesting a room on their own
 

A $300 discount is offered per person that have previously attended photography tours with Aaron Dowling or Nick Melidonis.
 

RESERVE YOUR PLACE

A deposit of $1000.00 AUD is required to secure your place which is refundable if the tour does not go ahead (minimum requirement of 8 participants). 

 

Bookings 

Travel Agent

For bookings and enquiries please contact the sole booking agent:

Our World Travel  AFTA and ATAS Accredited

Nick Missikos (Owner/Manager) Shop 1/113 Royal Street, EAST PERTH

Ph: 08 9221 9977   Fax: 08 9221 5577    Store email: [email protected]

 

 

Please contact Aaron Dowling or Nick Melidonis for full details and any questions about the tour. 

Aaron Dowling
e-mail: [email protected]
phone: 0477 704 608

Nick Melidonis
e-mail: [email protected]
phone: 0418 912 156