Trip to Borneo and Cambodia in September 2019:

* Excellent selection of hotel/resort/lodge properties.
* All guides were high caliber.
* Almost all logistics of travel were handled very professionally and seamlessly.
* Almost all of the itinerary was excellent (see comments and suggestions below).
* The specialist photography guide that I requested for Siem Reap, Cambodia, was tops.
* We did have one instance where internal air travel was an issue due to a bizarre local regulation. It occurred at the only airport where there was not a representative from the Malaysian ground operator present. Phone support from their local “emergency” line was useless…but fortunately the drivers from our Danum Valley Rainforest Lodge were able to prevent us from being stranded (following lengthy negotiations with Malaysian Air).

Advice for other travelers:
* All travel sources indicate that the time to travel to Borneo is the dry season of March through October. However, I think that future clients should be advised that from July on, the annual and apparently regular burning of Indonesian fields creates significant haze and health risk in Borneo, Brunei and Kuala Lumpur. (The guide who met us at our first stop in Borneo provided us with face masks as the air quality warning index was above 200, some schools were closed, etc.). In addition to the health hazard, the haze significantly detracts from the natural beauty of Borneo’s jungles and rainforests (I believe we saw the sun once in 3 weeks), greatly diminishing the overall experience as well as my photography opportunities.
* The trail on one of our treks (Bako National Park) could hardly be called a trail…more like an off trail climb over significant roots and rocks…overly challenging in 100-degree-plus heat index…as well as a possible source of twisted ankles, falls, etc (we avoided physical harm).