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Highlights
Enjoy an epic bike ride through the Iban heartland
Cycle from the coast inland, passing rivers, waterfalls, mountains, and lush forest along the way.
Learn about the dynasty of the White Rajahs and the warring headhunters who used to clash here.
Stay in welcoming Dayak longhouses deep in the countryside, sampling fresh local food.
Visit old military forts, ancient churches, and other sites that played a part in the history of the island.
Want to immerse yourself in the history and culture of Borneo while exploring the island by bike? The Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour is a one of a kind look into the epic past and present beauty of Borneo.
The Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour leads you deep into the Iban heartland, an area that rose from White Rajah rule and clashes with warring headhunters in the 1800s. You’ll cycle through the buzzing main square of Kuching, ride on a quiet longboat along flowing rivers, and pedal high into mountains with incredible views.
The Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour will take you to old military forts, like Fort Alice and Fort Margherita. Learn about their storied pasts and the people who created them before riding off past pepper farms and rice paddies. You’ll spend nights in local longhouses renowned for their genuine hospitality, tasting fresh fruit of a million varieties and local seafood.
The Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour not only connects you with Borneo’s past, but also introduces you to locals who can share with you what present-day life is like in this paradise.
Want to immerse yourself in the history and culture of Borneo while exploring the island by bike? The Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour is a one of a kind look into the epic past and present beauty of Borneo.
The Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour leads you deep into the Iban heartland, an area that rose from White Rajah rule and clashes with warring headhunters in the 1800s. You’ll cycle through the buzzing main square of Kuching, ride on a quiet longboat along flowing rivers, and pedal high into mountains with incredible views.
The Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour will take you to old military forts, like Fort Alice and Fort Margherita. Learn about their storied pasts and the people who created them before riding off past pepper farms and rice paddies. You’ll spend nights in local longhouses renowned for their genuine hospitality, tasting fresh fruit of a million varieties and local seafood.
The Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour not only connects you with Borneo’s past, but also introduces you to locals who can share with you what present-day life is like in this paradise.
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Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Kuching, Heritage Trail ride
You made it to Borneo! You’ll have some time to settle in your hotel before meeting your group and guide for the first adventure of your Borneo cycling tour. You’ll pedal off through the lovely main square of the old part of the city, getting a chance to peruse the Main Bazaar. Cross the river on a sampan ferry steered with oars to reach Fort Margherita, built by Charles Brooke in 1879 and named after his wife. Don’t worry, those cannons aren’t loaded anymore! Then, it’s off for a sunset dinner on the bank of the Sarawak River.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Kuching
Distance: 12 km
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 Boat to Beliong and Ride to Asajaya
After a quick transfer out, to avoid the busy traffic of Kuching, you will take a traditional sampan boat to cross the Sarawak River to reach an isolated mangrove island of Beliong. Very near to Kuching, yet isolated on an island, Beliong is home to three vibrant communities, each with their own cultural expressions. More recently, the impressive Chinese temple there has become a local attraction for devotees and local tourists. Perhaps lesser well known are the numerous trails that link the various communities and the numerous orchards, farms and plantations on the island. You will ride through partially gravel roads at a steady pace through mangroves, paddy fields, and Malay fishing villages. Stop to marvel at Beliong Temple before crossing the Sabang River on another wooden boat transfer. You’ll drop by a local fishing market and take photos of the catches of the day. Enjoy the scenic ride on a combination of tarmac road and gravel back lane as you cycle along the river bunds along the South China Sea coastline. Stop at the small buzzling town of Asajaya for lunch before riding to a comfortable Malay homestay at Sadong Jaya. Enjoy the home cooked Bugis Malay dinner at one of the traditional timber Malay village houses.
Overnight Location: Homestay at Sadong Jaya.
Distance: 41km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 Asajaya to Maludam National Park
The road is all flat throughout the day as you continue our ride up the coastway. Along the way, you cross two major Borneo rivers, one over a huge bridge and the other using a unique community car ferry. You will end the cycling today by riding into the Kampung Hilir Maludam, a peaceful Malay fishing village, where you’ll check into a local hotel. You will leave our bikes at the hotel and take a 45-minute boat ride to the little-visited Maludam National Park in search of big-nose proboscis monkeys, and if you are lucky, you may have a chance to sight the endangered Red Banded Langur. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the quaint Malay fishing village that is famous for its jellyfish and dried fish processing. In the evening, walk to the old town area for some local dinner.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Maludam National Park
Distance: 58 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 Transfer to Debak – Iban Longhouse – Betong
After an early breakfast, you take a drive on a scenic road along the coast, and after a ferry crossing into the outpost town of Pusa, you head westward into the interior of Borneo as you enter the Iban communities territory. At the small rustic town of Debak, you get back in the saddle, and you can enjoy the great view of the rainforest dotted with small scale pepper farms, rice fields, and rubber plantations. As you slowly ride into the heartland of the Iban tribe, you will discover more and more longhouse settlements lining the side of the road. The main sources of income in the interior is rubber tapping and pepper planting. You’ll see raw rubber being dried in front of the longhouse as well as pepper processing! After a good stint of pedaling,you disembark at an authentic century-old longhouse and drop in to visit one of the oldest Iban longhouses in the region to walk through their rich history and learn more about their descendants which still plays an important part in the social and political life in Sarawak. You then continue cycling through secondary forests and rubber and palm plantations, taking in the fresh air and peaceful natural surroundings and enter into the township of Betong for a well deserved lunch at a good local coffee-shop! Visit Fort Lily (1855), built to fortify this ‘outstation’. Lily has seen considerable action in the turbulent times when Iban chief Rentap challenged the Rajah; some of the cannon used in the skirmishes are preserved in the Betong District Office. Overnight is at a local comfortable 2-Stars standard hotel.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Betong
Distance: 48 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 Transfer to Sri Aman – Ride to Lingga – Boat to Banting
Today starts with a van ride upcountry and then a ride towards the Kalimatan border. You’ll pass quite a few longhouses along the route, marking this as the Iban heartland. Follow the Lemanak River to a lake nestled into the hills, where it’s time to set off by boat to the Batang Ai Resort. Spend the rest of the day relaxing as you like and enjoying the weather.
Overnight Location: Banting Longhouse
Distance: 49 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 Return to Sri Aman – Fort Alice – Transfer to Kuching
Your last full day cycling through Borneo begins with a scenic ride through the countryside that flanks the border with Indonesia. Mountain views spoil you along the way! Enjoy lunch at Engkillili before a transfer to Kuching arrives. Enjoy the relaxing ride back and then settle in for dinner at Topspot Food Center in Kuching, a delicious mix of the best food in Sarawak. The ambiance isn’t quite on point and it’s not fancy, but the food is worth writing home about!
Overnight Location: Hotel in Kuching
Distance: 30 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 Goodbye, Borneo!
Enjoy a final breakfast before your cycling tour of Borneo concludes. If you’re not in a rush, feel free to book an extra excursion or a few extra nights.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast
Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour Price and Dates
This guided cycling tour of Borneo is run as a fixed-departure tour where you’d be joining a group.Prices below are per person sharing a double or a triple room:
Start
Finish
Duration
Spaces Left
Price
Accommodation on the Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour
This tour is based in 3 and 3.5-star hotels, traditional longhouses, and resorts. The lodges offer unique rooms with great locations. Rooms are double occupancy, and single travellers will pay a supplement.
In some cases, the accommodation listed below may need to be substituted for other, comparable accommodations.
Single Rooms and Solo Travelers
You can pay a supplement of MYR908 have a private room in a hotel. Contact us and we can try and match single travellers up where possible.
What’s Included in the Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour?
Meals
6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 6 dinners are included, as well as drinks and snacks each day.
Accommodations
Accommodation for 6 nights is included.
Transportation during the Tour
This tour includes all the necessary transfers, as well as airport pick up and drop off.
Also Included
- English-speaking guide
- Entrance fees to national parks and historical sites
Not included
- Travel insurance
- Travel to and from Kuching
- Lunches and dinners or drinks and snacks not previously mentioned
- Tourist taxes if applicable
- Personal equipment
Optional Extras
- Bike rental including helmet – MYR460 per bike
- Any additional nights before or after tour
- How hard is the Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour?
- Do I need a visa to travel to Malaysia?
- Are meals included on the Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour?
- Do I need insurance?
- How do I get to Kuching to start this tour?
- Is the Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour guided?
- Where does the Headhunter’s Heartland Biking Tour end?
- Are equipment rentals included?
- Do I need special vaccines to travel to Malaysia?
- Are there any travel restrictions for Malaysia?
- When is the best time to travel to Malaysia for this tour?
We rate this tour as a 3 / 5. You will cycle between about 30 and 60 kilometres per day along both paved roads and off-road trails. You should be reasonably fit and comfortable on a bike to get the most out of this tour.
Check with your local country about visa requirements. You can also try this website, though you should verify with your government. Note that this tour takes place in a state of Malaysia on Borneo, so you should research your visa requirements accordingly.
Yes. 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 6 dinners are included. Drinks and snacks each day are also included.
Yes. You will need to acquire travel insurance that covers cycling. Get your Travel Insurance.
You can fly directly into the Kuching International Airport, where you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel.
Yes, you will have an English-speaking guide for the duration of the tour.
The tour ends in Kuching, where you will be transferred to the airport.
Bikes and helmets are not included but are available as an optional extra. You can rent Java mountain bikes with front suspension for this tour during the booking process. These bikes are available in two sizes (15’’ and 17’’).
Check with your family doctor.
Please check with your local government about travel restrictions before you book your tour. This map from the US Department of State provides an overview of the current status in countries around the globe. The UK‘s Foreign Office and Government of Canada also provide advice on foreign travel. Note that the travel advice may change depending on your nationality.
The best time to travel to Borneo for the Sarawak Rainforest Bike Tour is January, February, March, May, October, November, or December. Borneo’s dry season is from March through October, so note that tours during other parts of the year may be particularly rainy.
Customer Ratings
Paradesa Borneo is a boutique adventure tour operator in Borneo, allowing guests to explore the rural areas and natural wilderness of Borneo. Their tours go off the beaten path, showcasing the best of Borneo’s beauty.
Paradesa prefers to take you away from well-trodden tourist attractions and into the incredible natural world. They focus on responsible and sustainable travel in all endeavors.
Paradesa has cultivated meaningful relationships with locals, supporting their environmental initiatives and using their tours to contribute to the local economy. These partnerships make for amazing cultural exchanges and exceptional authenticity in their adventures.
