In 2010 with the help of World Expeditions we put together a 4 week trip to Borneo, which included the ascent of Kinabalu, trekking the headhunters trail and shooting rapids in a longboat.

However one of the highlights was the Rejang River Tour. The combination of the superbly opulent teak and brass appointments of the boat together with food and service of the highest quality and the exposure to the real Borneo was really remarkable.

Our ship’s guide, Louis Jap, through daily excursions into the hinterland, introduced us to the history and tribal culture of this part of Borneo. We trekked in the jungle. We visited longhouses, participated in a wonderful village Muslim wedding, where we appeared to blend in seamlessly with the rest of the guests. We transferred to smaller boats to sail small tributaries to see the early morning wildlife. We visited a remote jungle boarding school and medical centre, and had regular evening entertainment from local school children and dancers as we moored up for the night.

The ships crew welcomed us back to the boat after each excursion with hot towels and drinks – and took our footwear to clean before we could soil the deck. When we were cruising we could just relax with our 20 fellow passengers and have all our needs attended to.

This is only a taste of a trip, which certainly exceeded our expectations by a country mile!!