Borneo Adventure

Begin your trip with complimentary airport lounge access before your flight out to Borneo.

On touching down in Kuching, a private transfer will see you to your boutique, all-suite accommodation. Housed in a 19th-century shophouse, it’s perfectly positioned in the old town, with wide windows and verandahs opening onto views out over the river. While you might want to relax after your flight, be sure to take in the city’s old-world charm; narrow streets lead between historic Chinese shops and colonial townhouses alike. It’s all tucked away on the banks of the Sarawak River.

Stay: The Hilton Kuching (Superior)

Today, your private driver will bring you through rice fields, rural villages and virgin rainforest to arrive at Lubok Antu where a ferry lake hop will bring you to your jungle-fringed longhouse. Weather and time permitting, you’ll get your bearings with a guided nature walk, taking in the exotic verdure and local wildlife, including Borneo’s highest density of wild orangutans. You’ll also settle in to enjoy a full-board menu of local delicacies, The next day, a private longboat cruise will see you wind along narrow tributaries to arrive at a traditional tribal house. Here, you’ll get a taste of the local culture with lunch, performances and a blowpipe demonstration.

Stay: Aiman Batang Ai Resort & Retreat (Superior)

After breakfast, retrace your bow wake with a return ferry jaunt. You’ll then again be met by a private driver for the journey back through palm plantations to Kuching and the colonial charm of your hotel. Along the way, you’ll stop for an included lunch at a small town – the chance to sample rural Malaysian life. On arrival, perhaps take some time to acquaint yourself with the city’s spectacular cultural diversity. There’s everything from South Indian mosques to Chinese dragon temples.

Stay: The Hilton Kuching (Superior)

Fly from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu, where a transfer will take you to the Le Meridien hotel. Check in and spend the rest of the day at leisure, exploring the town's burgeoning creative scene and tucking into some of Borneo's tastiest street food. The waterfront makes for happy strolls, and there are few better ways to end the day than with a glass or two of something local as the often-fiery sunset lights up the evening sky.

Stay: Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu

This morning, a further domestic flight will see you to Sandakan on Borneo’s northern tip.  While your hotel is all contemporary slick – it features spectacular bay views from its infinity pool – this is a delightfully rustic town. You’ll wander between bustling markets and atmospheric fishing villages where stilted houses are built over the water. There’s also a poignant garden memorial to the WWII allied soldiers that perished in the region.

Stay: Four Points Sandakan (Standard)

Your guide will meet you at your hotel this morning before bringing you to the town’s jetty for your boat transfer to Selingan Turtle Island Park. On arrival, you’ll register with the park HQ before settling into your chalet and enjoying the chance to relax on the white-sand beaches, perhaps swimming and snorkelling in the crystal-clear waters. Then, after indulging with the full-board dining, it’s time for the main event. You’ll be brought down to watch the turtles lay their eggs before helping the rangers bring their precious cargo to the hatchery. There’s even the possibility of releasing the babies into the open sea.

Stay: Selingan Island Resort (Basic)

Your return ferry hop will bring you back to Sandakan and a drive to the nearby orangutan rehabilitation centre. You’ll begin with a feeding session before enjoying a topical forest walk to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, home to the world’s smallest bear. A riverboat will then bring you up the Kinabatangan and into the heart of the rainforest – the dramatic setting for your dark-timber chalet. Keep your eyes pealed for silver leaf monkeys, Bornean gibbons and wild orangutans. Then, after continuing your full-board dining, a night river cruise will showcase a spectacular firefly display before a boardwalk stroll brings you among the local nocturnal wildlife, from snakes to chirping birds.

Stay: Abai Jungle Lodge (Basic)

Waking up to the sounds of the rainforest, you’ll set off on a cruise on the Pitas Oxbow Lake, keeping your eye out for pygmy elephants stopping for a drink. After breakfast, you'll have the chance to join the locals with a tree-planting project before tucking into a traditional lunch prepared by the villagers. After a cruise up the river to Sukau village offers the chance to spot proboscis monkeys, you’ll then settle into your stilted chalet to enjoy the pretty waterside views. Then, before an included dinner, you’ll venture out once more on a winding tributary cruise to take in everything from crocodiles and otters to wild cats and tropical birds.

Stay: Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge (Basic)

Waking up to the gibbons’ calls, you’ll stop for an included lunch and a visit to the edible birds’ nests of the Gomantong Cave. Then continue, by road, to Sandakan and your flight to Kota Kinabalu. Here, a private transfer will see you to the white sands and tropical forests of your luxury spa resort, all private balconies and opulent styling. In between the beach relaxation, there’s superb snorkelling among reef-fringed islands and excellent trekking at nearby Mt. Kinablu – Malaysia’s highest mountain. There are even pristine nature walks on your doorstep along with a water sports programme that ranges from kayaking and wake boarding to windsurfing and jet skiing. 

Stay: Shangri-la Rasa Ria (Superior)

After breakfast, a final private transfer will see you to the airport for your overnight flight home.