by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 7:00 AM ET, Thu April 5, 2018

Backyard Travel launched a new tour of Malaysian Borneo that allows travelers to mingle with orangutans and explore the underworld caves of Mulu.

The 12-night tour, called Close Encounters of the Wild Kind, is designed to showcase all of the sites and attractions that make the region such an unforgettable one-of-a-kind experience, according to the boutique tour operator, which specializes in insider trips through Asia.

Beyond orangutans and caving, the new trip offers participants a chance to chat with the Iban people and learn about their way of life, as well soak in hot springs at Kinabalu National Park that are located in the shadow of Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Southeast Asia.

Additional highlights of the journey include exploring Malaysian Borneo's only organic tea plantation and spending two full days exploring the wilds and wetlands of Borneo in Kinabatangan. The area is home to a unique ecosystem and participants will get to see it all through river safaris, during which there will likely be monkeys, elephants, hornbills and gibbons sightings.

"There's always a huge demand for tours that bring travelers face-to-face with the endemic wildlife of Borneo," Maeve Nolan, general manager of Backyard Travel, said according to Lonely Planet. "While we've made the island's natural attractions a focus of this new tour, we've also given travelers city adventures, immersive cultural experiences and unstructured leisure time, to provide a rounded journey that delights at every turn."

The tour cost is $2378 per person. That price does not include flights.

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