2028 Scouting Expedition
14-day photography expedition · June 27–July 10, 2028 · first edition
Borneo Photography Expedition
Mount Kinabalu · Kinabatangan River · Danum Valley · with Mulu + Kuching & Bako extensions
€6,799 per person
Max 6 photographers
13 nights / 14 days
First-edition scouting departure
🚀 First-edition scouting expedition
This is a professionally organised scouting departure. The route, accommodation, transport and major photographic anchors are researched in advance, while roughly 30% of the photographic schedule remains responsive to weather, wildlife, light, recent sightings and discoveries on the ground. The expedition is not built around guarantees or a checklist. It is built around giving ourselves time in exceptional places.
Neil's take
From Neil
"I want Borneo to feel less like a luxury tour and more like a small group of friends heading somewhere extraordinary with cameras. The organisation will happen quietly underneath: drivers, boats, guides, rooms and backup plans. What I want you to feel is the adventure — mist lifting from Kinabalu, a river disappearing into rainforest, the excitement of searching for a genuinely wild orangutan and the freedom to stay when the photography is working. We will spend money where it improves the photographs and the experience, not simply where it makes the trip look expensive."
Wild means wild
No baiting. No staged feeding. No guaranteed species. We put ourselves in excellent habitat with skilled local naturalists, give the wildlife time, and accept that the forest decides what happens.
What you'll photograph
Mountains, river wildlife and ancient rainforest
Kinabalu & highland atmosphere
Mountain layers, agricultural foregrounds, mist, changing tropical weather, montane forest and the landscape around Kundasang and Mesilau.
Wild rainforest wildlife
Wild orangutan opportunity, primates, hornbills, birds, reptiles, insects and whatever else Borneo chooses to reveal — never staged, never guaranteed.
Kinabatangan from the river
Dawn mist, reflected light, proboscis monkeys, river landscapes and extended wildlife photography from a boat configured with photographers in mind.
Primary rainforest & details
Danum Valley's forest layers, giant trees, shafts of light, streams, fungi, macro subjects and selected night wildlife sessions.
Itinerary architecture
Three photographic worlds — with time to work properly
1
Jun 27
Kota Kinabalu arrival & welcome
A deliberately low-pressure arrival day. Settle in, recover from long-haul travel, meet the group and prepare equipment. If arrivals and energy align, an optional waterfront or Tanjung Aru session can ease us into Borneo.
2
Jun 28
Kota Kinabalu → Kundasang / Mesilau
We drive into the Crocker Range and toward Mount Kinabalu, allowing worthwhile unscripted stops if conditions justify them. The evening becomes our first mountain recce.
3
Jun 29
Kinabalu — dawn, forest & weather
First serious mountain morning for Kinabalu and the surrounding highland landscape. Montane forest and intimate work fill part of the day, with a substantial midday recovery before evening light.
4
Jun 30
Mesilau & Kundasang — responsive landscape day
A second mountain dawn gives us weather insurance. Agriculture, layered hills and local landscapes broaden the visual story. Astro remains opportunistic; if we shoot late, the following sunrise is not compulsory.
5
Jul 1
Kundasang → Kinabatangan
A genuine transfer day. We accept the road time because four nights on the Kinabatangan justify the journey. If arrival timing allows, our first evening river session begins the wildlife chapter.
6
Jul 2
Kinabatangan — dawn & evening river
River mist, proboscis monkeys, hornbills, wild orangutan possibility and whatever else is active. Midday is deliberately used for breakfast, backups and rest.
7
Jul 3
Extended photography boat
Our major river day. The goal is a dedicated or photography-focused boat arrangement with enough space for lenses and the freedom to let wildlife, tributaries and light dictate the timing.
8
Jul 4
Kinabatangan & Gomantong
A softer morning protects energy before an afternoon around Gomantong Forest Reserve and caves: wild primate opportunity, cave ecology, bats and extraordinary atmosphere.
9
Jul 5
Final river → Danum Valley
One final Kinabatangan dawn before travelling through Lahad Datu into Danum Valley. The transfer may be long and rough in places; the payoff is four nights inside one of Borneo's great primary rainforest landscapes.
10
Jul 6
Danum — wild orangutan & primary forest
We begin learning the forest with local naturalists: recent wildlife signs, towering dipterocarps, forest layers and the possibility of genuinely wild orangutans. A selected night walk may follow after proper downtime.
11
Jul 7
Danum — canopy, birds & night wildlife
Conditions decide whether the emphasis is canopy, wildlife or atmospheric forest. Specialist guiding and access are prioritised over luxury accommodation.
12
Jul 8
Danum — 70/30 responsive day
The most deliberately flexible day of the expedition. We respond to recent sightings, mist, bird activity, subjects we have missed and the energy of the group. A protected recovery period remains part of the plan.
13
Jul 9
Final Danum morning → Kota Kinabalu
A final rainforest session before leaving Danum, travelling back through Lahad Datu and flying to Kota Kinabalu where practical. The final hotel night is deliberately retained so nobody has to connect internationally straight out of the rainforest.
14
Jul 10
Sabah expedition finale
Breakfast, a proper farewell and independent departures. Photographers joining the Sarawak post-extension continue with Neil to Kuching for the final chapter.
Optional modules
Arrive early for Mulu. Stay late for Kuching & Bako. Or simply join Sabah.
Pre-extension · June 22–26, 2028
Gunung Mulu Photography Extension — 4 nights / 5 days
Caves, rainforest, river and the Deer Cave bat exodus create a completely different opening chapter before Sabah. Four nights give us weather insurance rather than treating Mulu as a rushed sightseeing stop.
Deer Cave + Lang Cave
Two realistic bat-exodus opportunities
Wind + Clearwater caves by longboat
Melinau River and rainforest photography
Night forest / macro opportunities
Mulu → Kota Kinabalu transition managed with the group
Price: €1,895 per person, twin-share. The extension is being designed to remain viable with one participant where supplier rates permit; when only one guest joins, twin-sharing with Neil may be used by mutual agreement.
Post-extension · July 10–13, 2028
Kuching & Bako Photography Extension — 3 nights / 4 days
A deliberately different epilogue: city, river, food and coastal rainforest rather than another inland wildlife block. One night inside Bako protects the dawn and late-afternoon periods that day-trippers usually surrender.
Kuching Waterfront, river boats and blue hour
Markets, shophouses, food and travel photography
Overnight inside Bako National Park
Wild proboscis monkeys and coastal forest
Sandstone coast, mangrove and sea
Early / late Bako photography rather than a day-trip schedule
Price: €1,595 per person, twin-share. The extension is being designed to remain viable with one participant where supplier rates permit; when only one guest joins, twin-sharing with Neil may be used by mutual agreement.
The rhythm of the expedition
Adventure where it earns its place. Recovery where it matters.
70% researched structure
The bases, transfers, access and major photographic opportunities are organised in advance. We know why a location has earned several nights before the group gets there.
30% responsive freedom
Wildlife, rain, mist, light, recent sightings and local-guide intelligence can change the emphasis. Flexibility is a feature, not a planning failure.
A transfer has to be worth it — not necessarily short
Some road days will be long and parts of the Danum journey may be rough. We accept that when the destination justifies it rather than adding unnecessary hotels simply to soften the drive.
Late night can replace dawn
A wonderful night-wildlife or astro session is allowed to be enough. We do not accumulate sleep debt simply because another sunrise exists.
Main expedition inclusions
Included
- ✅13 nights twin-share accommodation
- ✅Photography leadership, field tuition and researched photographic programme
- ✅Ground transport throughout the main Sabah itinerary
- ✅Planned Lahad Datu → Kota Kinabalu domestic flight with appropriate baggage allowance
- ✅Kinabatangan river cruises and planned photography-focused boat arrangements
- ✅Danum Valley guiding / core activities and selected specialist access
- ✅Gomantong and planned conservation / park access where included in supplier packages
- ✅Meals automatically included by remote rainforest lodge / field-centre packages
Not included
- ❌International airfare to / from Borneo
- ❌Meals in Kota Kinabalu, Kundasang and other locations where they are not part of a remote package
- ❌Alcoholic drinks and personal refreshments
- ❌Travel and medical insurance
- ❌Visas / entry formalities where applicable
- ❌Personal spending, laundry, spa treatments and gratuities
- ❌Mulu and Kuching/Bako extensions
- ❌Single supplement
Small groups. Wild places. No luxury-tour theatre.
The organisation happens quietly underneath. The lived experience is intended to feel closer to a group of photographers travelling somewhere extraordinary together — with strong local partners, a researched framework and enough freedom to follow the photograph.
Read participant stories →Is this expedition right for you?
Photography first. Adventure welcome. Luxury optional.
✅ This trip is for you if…
- ✅You care more about photographic opportunity than luxury branding
- ✅You understand that the best wildlife encounters cannot be guaranteed
- ✅You are comfortable with humidity, boats, forest trails and occasional long road days
- ✅You enjoy early starts when the light or wildlife genuinely earns them
- ✅You value flexibility when weather or recent sightings change the plan
- ✅You want a small-group adventure rather than a conventional escorted tour
❌ This trip isn't for you if…
- ❌You need every hour fixed months in advance
- ❌You expect five-star accommodation to be the point of the trip
- ❌You need guaranteed orangutan, elephant or other wildlife sightings
- ❌You strongly dislike long transfers, rougher roads or simple field accommodation
- ❌You want baited / staged wildlife or drone photography included
Questions
Before you register interest
Do I need to book Mulu or Kuching & Bako?
No. The 14-day Sabah expedition is designed to begin and end cleanly in Kota Kinabalu. Mulu and Kuching/Bako are completely optional modules with separate pricing.
What if only one person books an extension?
The intention is to keep both extensions viable with one participant where final supplier economics allow. In that situation Neil and the participant may share a twin room by mutual agreement. If additional photographers later join, rooming is reorganised so participants share with one another first.
Are meals included?
Meals that are automatically part of remote rainforest lodge or field-centre packages are included. In Kota Kinabalu, Kundasang and other places where we have straightforward restaurant choice, most meals are intentionally left out so participants can choose what and how much they want to spend.
Will we definitely photograph orangutans?
No — and that is deliberate. This expedition prioritises genuinely wild encounters. We spend meaningful time in excellent habitat with experienced naturalists, but orangutans, elephants and every other wild species decide where they will be. We create opportunity, not guarantees.
How demanding is the trip?
Moderate overall, but adventurous. Expect tropical heat and humidity, boats, forest trails, early starts and several substantial road transfers. This is not a strenuous trekking expedition, and recovery periods are deliberately protected after demanding sessions.
Why are some transfer days long?
Because we prefer fewer strong photographic bases over constant hotel changes. A long transfer is acceptable when it buys us three or four nights somewhere exceptional. We would rather make one meaningful journey than add an intermediate overnight that contributes little photographically.
What does scouting expedition mean?
The logistics and core route are professionally researched and organised, but this is the first edition. Some exact viewpoints, timings, wildlife strategies and alternatives are intentionally being refined on the ground. Roughly 70% is structured; the remaining 30% gives us the freedom to respond to Borneo rather than force Borneo to follow a script.
What does the €6,799 price cover?
The main expedition price is €6,799 per person, twin-share. It includes 13 nights accommodation, the planned Sabah ground transport and domestic flight, Neil's photography leadership and tuition, the core Kinabatangan river programme, Danum Valley activities and guiding, and meals that are automatically included by remote rainforest packages. International flights, most meals outside remote packages, insurance, personal spending, the optional extensions and any single supplement are separate.
Borneo Photography Expedition · June / July 2028
14 days. 4–6 photographers. Mulu before it. Sarawak after it.
€6,799 per person · twin-share