Sabah Adventure

Selamat datang! Welcome to Borneo, Malaysia. Your adventure begins in Kota Kinabalu with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you arrive early, why not immerse yourself in the history of the city that sits between the Borneo jungle and the South China Sea at the Sabah State Museum. You can also visit the Mari Mari Cultural Village, or perhaps explore the islands off Kota Kinabalu – excellent for swimming and snorkelling. Tonight, why not head out with your group for a welcome dinner – your leader will have the best recommendations for local eats.

Today, travel by minivan to a Dusun village that sits within the gorgeous hills in the shadow of Mt Kinabalu – the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea. Our guides on Mt Kinabalu are local Dusun people, known for being wonderfully warm and friendly. While here, you'll have the opportunity to learn about their way of life and spend a night in the village. Depending on the weather, you might take a hike through the surrounding fruit and rubber plantations. Your leader can point you in the direction of the river to cool off afterwards. To ensure your share the business around the community, you’ll split up and stay in a couple of different family homes. All the homes are in waking distance from each other, and you’ll usually have other group members with you at each home. Enjoy a cultural performance in the village tonight after dinner.

This morning, say goodbye to your new friends from the village and travel into the unspoiled wilderness of the World Heritage-Listed Kinabalu National Park. Take some time to enjoy the surroundings and prepare for the climb ahead. There are nature trails through the lowland tropical forest and a Botanic Garden to explore. Or, you can just relax and enjoy the cooler climate. Your leader will provide a safety briefing for tomorrow and assist with any last minute questions. Stay overnight at Kinabalu Park in a lodge with shared bathrooms. Nestled among the lowland forests, this is the perfect place to chill-out before the climb.

Rise early and take a quick drive to Timpohon Gate to begin the climb up Mt Kinabalu. It's not an easy trek as it is uphill all the way, and you’ll need to be prepared to tackle a trail made of steep steps that vary considerably in size. You may get quite hot but remember that the top of the mountain can be deceptively cold. There's no rush, so take your time and enjoy the scenic environment – this is an area that boasts a remarkable variety of plant life, including about 1000 species of orchid and the carnivorous pitcher plant. You’ll cover 6 km on the first day (approximately 4 to 6 hours) and stop at a rest house near Laban Rata (3272 m high) for the night. Tonight will be an early night, so you're ready for the final ascent early in the morning.

Rise around 2 am this morning to catch the sunrise at the summit of Mt Kinabalu (4095 m). It's difficult walking, but you'll feel a huge sense of achievement when you make it. The view from the summit is incredible – the jungles of Borneo in one direction, the South China Sea in the other, making every inch of the climb worthwhile. The temperature can change very quickly up on the mountain, so bring clothes for all weather conditions. The climb from Laban Rata to the summit takes 2 to 4 hours and due to the altitude, can be hard going even for the very fit. The first section from Laban Rata is along man-made steps through vegetation. When you’re clear of the tree line, you’ll be walking up a series of wooden steps all the way to the final check point at Sayat Sayat. After witnessing the sunrise, return to Laban Rata for a well-earned breakfast, then descend the mountain (approximately 3 to 6 hours) for lunch at the bottom. Once everyone is down from the mountain, you’ll continue on to Poring Hot Springs by bus. Tonight, you’ll stay at a hostel located right inside the springs complex, with a light and airy lounge room for you to relax.

Poring Hot Springs is an ideal place to kick back for a day to recuperate after the mountain climb. These pools were developed by the Japanese during World War II, where warm sulphur water – believed to have healing properties for the skin – is piped into several man made open-air hot tubs. During school and public holidays it gets very busy here with local visitors. Depending on the time of year it might be possible to see the Rafflesia flower nearby. Rafflesia’s are the world’s largest flower and can grow up to a metre in size! Today, there are also a number of optional activities to choose from. There are graded paths leading through rich lowland forest to mountain rivers, waterfalls and bat caves, with birds and other wildlife often seen along the trail. A walkway in the tree canopy provides magnificent views or there's also a visit the enchanting butterfly farm. 

Today, you’ll journey by private bus into the steamy rainforest to Bilit – a small village on the banks of the Kinabatangan River. Take a short boat ride to the comfortable jungle lodge where you’ll spend the night. The lodge is located right on the riverbanks and is a good place to spot wildlife. In the early evening as the sun sets, head out on a motorised boat in search of macaques, orangutan, proboscis monkeys and, if you’re lucky, maybe even pygmy elephants! In the evening, take a night walk in search of nocturnal wildlife, like civets, owls and the rare slow loris. Rubber boots and leech socks are available to hire.

This morning, take another early boat safari in search of wildlife – different species come out at different times of the day, so keep your eyes peeled! After breakfast, say goodbye to your jungle lodge and hit the road in a private minivan to the coastal city of Sandakan. Visit Sandakan War Memorial and gain an insight into the Sandakan's past at its War Memorial, built on the site of a Japanese Prisoners of War camp. This site also marks the starting point of the tragic Sandakan Death Marches, on which 2400 POWs were forced to walk through the jungles of Borneo. By the end of the march, only six Australians survived, and that was because they had managed to escape.

This morning, leave your large bags at the hotel and walk 15 minutes to a nearby jetty. Travel by speedboat, past small fishing villages and bamboo fish traps, to Turtle Island Marine Park. Here, green turtles come ashore to lay their eggs every night of the year! In the afternoon, there will be some time for swimming, snorkelling or lazing about on the beach. Snorkelling gear is available for hire. In the evening, you’ll join a select group of visitors and an expert local ranger to see the giant green turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs under the moonlight. Watch the rangers as they release protected hatchlings and guide them in their frantic dash to the ocean. This is a moving experience that could inspire you to join the turtle nest adoption program, with a certificate of adoption and updates on the development of your nest. Beware that this is a very delicate environment, and you must follow instructions from your leader and the local rangers to ensure minimal impact on the turtles.

After breakfast, return to the mainland, collect your bags and continue by minibus to a guesthouse located near the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. The centre was set up to help reintroduce these wonderful creatures back into the wild after a life of domestication or having been orphaned. From the viewing platform, you can watch and photograph these charming creatures as they swing into view and eat the supplementary diet of fruit that is laid out for them twice a day. Human contact must be kept to a minimum and it's essential that you follow the instructions of the park, as directed by your leader. Also included is a new nursery where you can view young orangutans as they learn how to climb on a specially constructed jungle gym. The viewing area is behind one-way glass, so as not to disturb the animals. To see more of Borneo’s creatures, there’s the option to visit the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center. Here, rescued sun bears that have spent many years mistreated and locked away in cages are cared for, with hopes of rehabilitation and reintroduction into the wild. A 30-minute walk from your guesthouse is the Rainforest Discovery Centre, which also has a 620 m long, 28 m high canopy walkway with spectacular views of rainforest giants.

There are no activities planned after breakfast today and your adventure comes to an end. You're free to leave at any time after check out. If you'd like to extend your stay, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation. Flights depart most days from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu or Kuala Lumpur.