5 independent reviews for Sarawak family holiday
Reviews for Sarawak family holiday
Gareth Davies review 14 Apr 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
There were several highlights to our trip. Taking in the sunset in Kuching, while listening to to the calls to prayer. Kayaking through the rain Forrest and watching the Proboscis Monkeys above our tree houses to name a few. But the one the whole family agree on is seeing the Orangutan at Semengoh and their graceful but effortless swings from branch to branch.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Insect repellent is essential!! And be prepared for the additional cost of the travel vaccinations which can add up considerably for a family of 4. Also, ask questions about the itinerary to make sure you’ve got the right kit.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Absolutely. The local employees were fabulous and made our trip really special. Their knowledge was fantastic. The food tasting and use of local transport such as the boats trips was special. In addition, witnessing the amount of plastic in the oceans and waterways was saddening but highlighted the need to do more. My children now have an increased awareness of how vulnerable nature is.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
This was a once in a lifetime vacation for the whole family which has changed the way we will look at nature and our impact on it. The itinerary was well planned and executed well. The accommodation was a good standard, although some areas were getting a little tired. Our only minor criticism would be that the itinerary could be a little more detailed in terms of duration of activities, level of difficulty, and equipment required.Steven Brown review 23 Aug 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Elephants crossing the Kinabantangan river. Flying squirrels in full flight. Asian water monitor lizards in the swimming pool.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be clear on average daily costs as it ranges from almost nothing when in the rainforest to something far greater when in a nicer hotel.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, all the guides were local and the food didn't appear to be imported.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Outstanding.Ilan Oppenheim review 8 May 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Hike through the rainforest2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Check carefully the hotel infrastructure to manage your expectations3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
No. I guess the vast part of the money goes to the agency in the UK as we've not seen any investment in infrastructure. Not sure how much the driver or local guys are paid, there is no transparency about that. The hotel we've stayed does not seem to care about sustainable investment, nor was there any contact with local people who we could see will benefit from our stay. The hotel in the rainforest is very run down and out of shape with no investment at all, seems the money is passed on directly to the owner who is somewhere else...4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Great time, great memory, totally overpriced.Read the operator's response here:
Hi Ilan, and thank you for taking your time to submit your review. I was very pleased to now that overall your family has had a wonderful time exploring Borneo and that you have all enjoyed your rainforest experience.
It's a shame you haven't felt that your vacation benefitted local community. We pride ourselves in providing our customers with local experiences that benefit both the travelers and local people in the destination. All accommodation we book is locally run and provides employment for the local people; we use services of local drivers and guides with their in-depth knowledge of the local areas.
We were sorry you felt the hotel you stayed at was run down. We must appreciate that it has been closed for over two years so I imagine that it will take a while to get back up to speed with things such as the general decor and maintenance of the place. They have no doubt lost a lot of staff as the impact on the travel industry has been so huge and therefore things are running much more slowly as they start picking up. The good news is that they are currently
operating at 100% occupancy and we are hoping that it will improve soon now that visitors are returning.
Thank you for your feedback, Ilan, it is much appreciated and will help both us and our local partners make sure our future customers enjoy their vacations in Borneo. I am especially pleased that we've settled the issues you've raised and that you would trust us to book your next family adventure!
Best wishes,
Ceri
Nicole Jordan review 5 Sep 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The best part of our vacation was the time we spent in Sarawak, Borneo. Kuching is a peaceful and beautiful city situated on a river. The company there looked after us and helped us discover the wonderful wildlife of Borneo. Traveling in Maylasia mainland was a bit hit and miss,an example being was a journey which should have taken 6 hours took 14 hours with us arriving on a beach at 8:30 at night with not a clue where our accomodation was.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Sarawak is very laid back and easy. You really don't need a 3rd party travel agent as the locals are helpful and you can book through the hotels once you have arrived.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, in Sarawak all our guides were from local tribes and seemed very proud of their country. Conservation unfortunately in mainland Malaysia does seem to be a priority.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
It was a busy vacation with plenty to see and do. There were some great highlights such as the frog hunting in Sarawak but also some really frustrating parts such as landing in Perhentian Island in the dark after traveling all day.Read the operator's response here:
Thank you so much for your comments Nicole, we're delighted that on the whole you had a really memorable family vacation to Borneo. We're so pleased that your time on the 'Sarawak with the Family' itinerary went very well and our local partners and guides looked after you well and helped you discover the wonderful wildlife of Borneo!
For your additional time in mainland Malaysia, we're sorry to hear about your experience for your transfer to the island as this isn't what we would expect, as discussed on your return we are currently looking into this further to understand why this happened and to prevent it
from happening again in the future. Best wishes, Fiona
Danielle Fieller review 8 Nov 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Arriving at Bako National Park (via an exhilarating boat ride), wading on to the un-spoilt beach and then seeing hibiscus monkey's swinging through the trees.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Malaysian Borneo, centered around Kuching, is a brilliant way for families with younger children to get a taste of all tha the country has to offer. Nothing is more than an 40 minute drive from the delightful city - jungle, orangutangs, monkeys, frogs and stunning beach.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
All our guides were local, passionate about their country and knowledgeable about protecting their environment.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Holiday Reviews
You can trust Responsible Travel reviews because, unlike many other schemes, reviews can ONLY be written by people who we have verified have been on the holidays. In addition, we don't run these holidays ourselves - our only interest is giving you the best independent advice.
