Backyard Tour
Backyard Tour
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Backyard Tour is a social enterprise based in Kuching that designs unique, personalized trips for travelers looking for an authentic experience with the rural communities of Sarawak.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
40 reviews
Excellent
40
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0
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RainbirdM
Kent, UK119 contributions
Aug 2019
We recently took part in the Be One With Nature day trip which included a hike through rainforest to a beautiful waterfall, watching our guide Lawrence cook a traditional meal in Bamboo over a camp fire, a swim in the waterfall pool and a hike back via a second waterfall. It was our first day in Borneo having landed the evening before, and it couldn’t have been a better introduction to this beautiful county, it’s rain forest and traditions. The lunch was fantastic, the grilled cat fish delicious and the bamboo cooked chicken and rice all lovely. We saw various rainforest plants of interest, loved the walk, and the swim in the pool was cooling and refreshing. Abbie was very interesting and knowledgeable telling us a lot of interesting information about Borneo and the culture. We started the walk from a remote village, which was interesting to see, and love that each tour provides a donation to local culture. A great day out which we would highly recommend.
Written 5 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review! Glad to know that you had a good time with us.
Written 7 September 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Vivelise
Sydney, Australia9 contributions
Jul 2016 • Friends
This is a truly special experience that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in sustainable, authentic, and ethical tourism. Visiting Kiding village was a real privilege and only made possible through the incredible teamwork of Abbie and Dawson. The community of Kiding welcomed us and opened their homes. The surrounding countryside is breathtaking, and the hikes to the waterfalls are the stuff great memories are made of.
Written 9 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
Thank you for such a positive review which will only motivate us to work even harder to improve the experiences in each of our trip. We are delighted to know that you have enjoyed the trip just as much as we did while hosting your group. We hope to be able to host you again should you decide to visit Kuching in the future. Thank you for the wonderful memories.
Sincerely
Dawson
Written 16 August 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
StephenStocks
Dubai, United Arab Emirates103 contributions
Mar 2017 • Family
Whenever I travel to an unfamiliar destination (such as Sarawak) I prefer to book a private tour, to get an in-depth and personal insight into the destination. I selected Backyard Tours for this reason, and was so glad I did.
From the very first interaction, I had the most positive impression. I organised two day-tours just 48 hours before I flew to Kuching with my family. My emails were answered immediately (within just a few minutes) by Abbie, and within a couple of hours everything was organised and confirmed. Really great pre-trip service.
Now to the tours themselves. I was travelling with my family (wife and two children aged 8 and 4). The first day we visited the Serikin border market, fairy caves and wind caves. The children loved the cave experience, particularly seeing the thousands of resident bats! We then did a cruise of the Bau lake.
The second day was the real highlight. After visiting the Semenggoh Orang Utan reserve first thing in the morning, we travelled to a remote village in the border region. Upon arrival at the village we picked up a local guide and trekked about 30-40 minutes through the jungle to a remote waterfall. Amazing scenery and experience all round. At the waterfall our children loved swimming in the natural pool. It was a real paradise location, completely unspoilt and free of tourists, with lush jungle vegetation and fruit growing in profusion.
Whilst we swam, a fantastic local lunch in tribal style was cooked, comprising chicken, catfish, local vegetables and rice, which all of us enjoyed, even our youngest son who has been known to be rather picky!
The service and guiding by Abbie and her fiance was of the highest standard, and throughout they took the best care of us. Their vehicle, a Land Cruiser, was perfect for comfortable travel.
On this holiday we travelled widely around Malaysia, and I can confidently say that the time spent with Backyard Tours was the undoubted highlight. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
From the very first interaction, I had the most positive impression. I organised two day-tours just 48 hours before I flew to Kuching with my family. My emails were answered immediately (within just a few minutes) by Abbie, and within a couple of hours everything was organised and confirmed. Really great pre-trip service.
Now to the tours themselves. I was travelling with my family (wife and two children aged 8 and 4). The first day we visited the Serikin border market, fairy caves and wind caves. The children loved the cave experience, particularly seeing the thousands of resident bats! We then did a cruise of the Bau lake.
The second day was the real highlight. After visiting the Semenggoh Orang Utan reserve first thing in the morning, we travelled to a remote village in the border region. Upon arrival at the village we picked up a local guide and trekked about 30-40 minutes through the jungle to a remote waterfall. Amazing scenery and experience all round. At the waterfall our children loved swimming in the natural pool. It was a real paradise location, completely unspoilt and free of tourists, with lush jungle vegetation and fruit growing in profusion.
Whilst we swam, a fantastic local lunch in tribal style was cooked, comprising chicken, catfish, local vegetables and rice, which all of us enjoyed, even our youngest son who has been known to be rather picky!
The service and guiding by Abbie and her fiance was of the highest standard, and throughout they took the best care of us. Their vehicle, a Land Cruiser, was perfect for comfortable travel.
On this holiday we travelled widely around Malaysia, and I can confidently say that the time spent with Backyard Tours was the undoubted highlight. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Written 2 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for such a positive reviews and we're glad that you have enjoyed your trip with us because we sure had a good time showing you around our backyards. Your review will keep us motivated to provide even better experiences for future travellers.
Sincerely
Dawson
Written 18 June 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ivychongwee
Boston, MA1 contribution
Sept 2016 • Friends
The visit to Bidayuh Annah Rais Longhouses, 100 km south of Kuching at the foot of the
Borneo Highlands was well organised by our capable, cheerful and courteous guide, Ms Abbie Hosanna. Her passion for her Bidayuh(Land Dayaks) heritage and culture, and knowledge of her "backyard " was impressive.
When we arrived we were greeted with small glasses of rice wine, Tuak at the information booth.Abbie led us past the traditional longhouses still home to the community.We viewed the famous Borneo skulls from their 'head hunting' past.
Included in the package was delicious home cooked meal by Ms Karum. We sampled ethnic dishes such as stir fried jungle vegetables, "paku", freshly harvested from her backyard.She also served her specially brewed Tuak . We also drank a traditional tea, Bakah Baras, made from a special tree found there. The final touch to the Bidayuh adventure was putting on Ms Karum's traditional tribal costume for memorable photos.
Good job, Abbie for your quick responses to our emails and patience in tailoring this tour to accommodate our tight schedule.
Borneo Highlands was well organised by our capable, cheerful and courteous guide, Ms Abbie Hosanna. Her passion for her Bidayuh(Land Dayaks) heritage and culture, and knowledge of her "backyard " was impressive.
When we arrived we were greeted with small glasses of rice wine, Tuak at the information booth.Abbie led us past the traditional longhouses still home to the community.We viewed the famous Borneo skulls from their 'head hunting' past.
Included in the package was delicious home cooked meal by Ms Karum. We sampled ethnic dishes such as stir fried jungle vegetables, "paku", freshly harvested from her backyard.She also served her specially brewed Tuak . We also drank a traditional tea, Bakah Baras, made from a special tree found there. The final touch to the Bidayuh adventure was putting on Ms Karum's traditional tribal costume for memorable photos.
Good job, Abbie for your quick responses to our emails and patience in tailoring this tour to accommodate our tight schedule.
Written 9 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Ivy for such a lovely review. We are glad you, Siew and Woon have a good short time with us.
Written 23 September 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LeeMing
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia5 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
It's an eye-opening experience to explore the nature during the hike and the hike was ended with a spectacular view of the waterfall. Enjoyed a nice local meal cooked on the spot by the waterfall. Highly recommend this trip and note that it's a project run by a non-profit team to lift the local rural youths out of poverty by providing them job opportunities through eco-tourism, so why not support them? :-)
Written 2 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aryanti Y
7 contributions
Apr 2017 • Friends
Thank you BackyarTour for your trip for us. Its very memorable for me. Fun and enjoyable. I get knowledge more closure about Kuching's nature. Hope you will be on a best track. Me hoping more interesting place if i have chance to repeat trip in Sarawak again. 😘
Good luck backyard tour.
Good luck backyard tour.
Written 19 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Aryanti,
Thank you for your honest review. We have more 'backyards' to discover, so hope to see you again next time!
Written 21 April 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
AMAquino
4 contributions
Oct 2016 • Friends
We chose Backyard Tours as it offered a tour that met our requirements-a preview of authentic village life in just a day and an easy type of tour without much trekking and is not too tiring. We got what we wanted, gained so much insight from the Begu Village and Anna Rais Longhouse tour.
What is amazing about Backyard Tours is that this started as one of the project proposals by young students sponsored by an organization and eventually became a small business with a social entrepreneurship framework. Dawson and Abbie were those students. For the Begu Tour they collaborated with farmers to take us around-not the usual type of farmers but young, sporty-looking guys who love social media aside from farming. They cooked us a truly delicious meal on bamboo over fire.
Backyard Tours, according to the young owners, continues to develop its tour programs tapping the indigenous groups as Abbie comes from the Bidayuh tribe herself.
What is amazing about Backyard Tours is that this started as one of the project proposals by young students sponsored by an organization and eventually became a small business with a social entrepreneurship framework. Dawson and Abbie were those students. For the Begu Tour they collaborated with farmers to take us around-not the usual type of farmers but young, sporty-looking guys who love social media aside from farming. They cooked us a truly delicious meal on bamboo over fire.
Backyard Tours, according to the young owners, continues to develop its tour programs tapping the indigenous groups as Abbie comes from the Bidayuh tribe herself.
Written 27 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
Thank you for such a positive review which will no doubt spur us on to work even harder to ensure the best authentic experience for our future guests. We are glad that you've enjoyed your day with us and we hope to see you again in the future!
Sincerely
Dawson
Written 10 January 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sagar A
3 contributions
Jul 2016 • Friends
Recently completed the Kampung Kiding tour with Backyard Tours, It was just an amazing experience. Spent five days in Kidding and Backyard Tours were so helpful in translation and making sure all our needs were met. They went above and beyond to ensure that we were well looked after and to ensure we got most out of the tour. They even organised extra activities organised with the collaboration of the locals. Simply amazing and would recommend them to anyone who is even remotely interested.
Written 14 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
Thank you for such a positive review, it will motivate us to do even better for our future guests. We have also had a wonderful time hosting you at Kiding village and we are glad to know that you've enjoyed your stay with us as well. We hope to see you again in the future!
Regards
Dawson
Written 17 July 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JohnPatrice S
7 contributions
Jun 2016
Backyard tour is an excellent concept where rural community members are trained to share their environment and culture with visitors. Dawson and Abbi took us from Kuching in their comfortable airconditioned 4wd, providing some tasty local snacks on the way. Our first stop was the Semenggoh Orangutan Centre where orangs live in the wild and come in twice daily for food. It was fascinating to see the orangs in their own environment. We stayed for plenty of time to enjoy them and take photos.
Then we stopped near Begu Village to see a Rafflesia flower - a huge flower that only blooms for a few days a year. The local guides were proud to share their insight and had the added value of practising their English skills.
After driving up higher into the mountain forrests we stopped at Parang Village, where we met with the village chief and took a short walk to a waterfall for a refreshing swim and a delectible lunch of local village food. A little treck further up the creek had us arrive at a plunge pool. The water is cool as it's fresh off the mountain. We rested at the chief's home while we waited for some rain to pass then headed back to Kuching, stopping to buy some fruit from a market on the way. Harry was our local guide and also did a great job.... it was his first time guiding through his village.
Everyone was friendly and helpful and we felt as if we had really been welcomed into the village by people who loved to share.
From the drive and professionalism we experienced with Dawson and Abbi and their team today, we would unreservedly recommend Backyard Tour to others. Not only do you get off the beaten track, but get to make a small difference in the lives of the people who guide you.
Then we stopped near Begu Village to see a Rafflesia flower - a huge flower that only blooms for a few days a year. The local guides were proud to share their insight and had the added value of practising their English skills.
After driving up higher into the mountain forrests we stopped at Parang Village, where we met with the village chief and took a short walk to a waterfall for a refreshing swim and a delectible lunch of local village food. A little treck further up the creek had us arrive at a plunge pool. The water is cool as it's fresh off the mountain. We rested at the chief's home while we waited for some rain to pass then headed back to Kuching, stopping to buy some fruit from a market on the way. Harry was our local guide and also did a great job.... it was his first time guiding through his village.
Everyone was friendly and helpful and we felt as if we had really been welcomed into the village by people who loved to share.
From the drive and professionalism we experienced with Dawson and Abbi and their team today, we would unreservedly recommend Backyard Tour to others. Not only do you get off the beaten track, but get to make a small difference in the lives of the people who guide you.
Written 22 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for such a wonderful review and we are honored to have been given the opportunity to bring you around our real 'backyards'. We hope that you have thoroughly enjoyed yourself throughout the trip and have had a wonderful experience learning about the local communities here in Kuching. We look forward to your future visit and again, thank you for giving us and the locals the opportunity to show your group what we are capable of.
Sincerely
Dawson
Written 26 June 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
sabrinatra
Dresden, Germany60 contributions
Aug 2015 • Couples
The trip was well-organized by Daniel who give us all necessary information about itinerary. Our two days were full of new experiences. We asked if it is possible to do Sepilok in the morning on our first day and they arranged it for us. Afterwards we had a homestay at a locals house and they were really friendly to us. We went with them to a couple of waterfalls, walking through the jungle and to places where there are no tourists at all. They showed us how they normally cooked and we could also try on some traditional clothes of the Bidayu. We liked it a lot and can really recommend the tour to people who are interested in tours to experience nature and the locals life - far away from mass tourism.
Written 26 April 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Sabrina,
Good to hear about you again and thank you for your review. I guess the Sepilok you mentioned is actually Semenggoh Orang-Utan Centre? But anyhow, thank you very much for such a supporting review.
Written 28 April 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Is there any fun activity to do in Kampung Git? Like build our own rakit?
Written 22 September 2016
Hi, we currently do not offer any activity in Git village. However, feel free to check out our latest tour offerings at our website or send us an e-mail to set up a custom tour :)
Written 17 October 2016
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.