Borneo's Orangutans and Rainforest Adventure with Kota Kinabalu extension

Fly overnight to Sandakan in Borneo, via Kuala Lumpur.

You’ll arrive in Sandakan, where you’ll meet your local guide and transfer to the Sabah Hotel for a two-night stay. A welcome dinner is included at the hotel this evening.

Join your tour manager this morning for an included visit to the Rainforest Discovery Centre, where you’ll be met by a sea of scents and colours. Enjoy a guided walk along raised platforms on the rainforest floor, past fragrant orchids and colourful tropical flora, then head up slowly into the canopy where you'll have a bird’s eye view of this wonderful environment. With luck, you may catch a glimpse of the rhinoceros hornbill or perhaps even a swinging orangutan looking for some wild fruit!

The tour will then continue to the remote Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, where you’ll have the chance to observe the unique proboscis monkey. While walking across the hanging platforms, you'll get to to view the monkeys up close as they feed and play. Look out for the distinctive males, who have pot bellies and large dangling noses, as well as silver leaf monkeys and macaques. Lunch will be enjoyed at a local restaurant afterwards.

This evening, you may wish to join the once-in-a-lifetime optional night walk back at the Rainforest Discovery Centre in search of nocturnal wildlife. With an experienced park ranger and a 'spotter' at the helm, you'll be led through the darkness, seeking out rare species that you wouldn't normally get a chance to see during the day. Keep an eye out for flying squirrels, sleeping kingfishers and slow loris monkeys.

Today an undoubted highlight awaits as you visit the world-renowned Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, dedicated to the protection of the species that is closest to our own. Watch the feeding of the primates and stroll through the forest on the marked trails, before visiting the equally fascinating Sun Bear Conservation Centre, where the smallest of the world’s ursine species live in protected open-air enclosures. You can observe these creatures from one of the viewing platforms before having lunch at a local restaurant.

You’ll then head further into the jungle for a two-night stay on the bank of the languid Kinabatangan River, at the Borneo Natural Bilit Resort, with its hardwood walkways and its riverside cabins. After arriving, you'll set off on on a two-hour boat river cruise with a guide, spotting wildlife like oranguatans, monkeys and birds as you go.

Awaken early to the sounds of the jungle, and spend another day discovering its wonders. Cruise to Pitas Oxbow Lake to watch monkeys and pygmy elephants at play, and enjoy a second exciting afternoon cruise followed by a guided tour around the nearby village. The best chances to spot the Pygmy elephants are from March to October in the dry season.

Transfer to your hotel in the Ranau district for a two night stay amongst pristine nature, surrounded by breathtaking landscapes of Kundasang and Mt. Kinabalu.

You’ll have the morning to explore the tea plantation and learn about the product of rainforest tea before journeying to the famous Poring Hot Springs. Enjoy an included lunch at a local restaurant, before spending an afternoon at the springs, where in addition to the chance to take a dip in the therapeutic waters you can explore the jungle trail of walkways through the rainforest canopy.

Please note: the walk up to the rainforest canopy at Poring Springs will cover uneven terrain and is unlikely to be suitable for those with limited mobility. It is optional and there are plenty of other activities here to enjoy should you find this too much.  

Journey deep into the UNESCO-listed Kinabalu National Park this morning, a forested paradise home to several unique species of orchid, 5,000 species of plants, over 300 types of resident and migratory birds, as well as 100 species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Here you’ll enjoy a scenic hike through moderate elevation, of about 3kms, before pausing at the park’s headquarters, with its beautiful Mountain Garden Collection, then continue to the Shangri La Rasa Ria Resort.

Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure at the resort, perhaps spent lazing by the pools or on the beach, indulging in a spa treatment or two, enjoying the selection of water sports or perhaps a round on the championship golf-course (activities payable locally).

Please note: Throughout your time in Kota Kinabalu, you’ll have a representative only during transfers and excursions, not on leisure days. A 24/7 contact number will be provided for emergency use during your time here.

Enjoy a sumptuous day at leisure at the resort, or join the optional Mari Mari Cultural Village excursion. Those who join the optional excursion will get a fascinating glimpse and gain insights into the history, lifestyle and culture of the indigenous Borneo tribes with the help of a local guide. During the excursion, you'll sample traditional food and drink before watching a performance and enjoying an included lunch. Five ethnic tribes call this village home, and live, for the most part, as they did hundreds of years ago.

Spend another relaxing day at leisure, with a selection of dining options and the attractions of Kota Kinabalu.

Enjoy a final day at leisure, no doubt reflecting on a wonderful adventure.

Another free day awaits, and you’ll have more time to finish your holiday the way to you want to. If you haven’t already, why not stop at the hotel’s expansive putting green for a round or two of golf or take a stroll around the area’s verdant nearby lakes?  

It’s your last full day in Borneo, and you’ll have one last chance to cross any remaining activities off your wish-list. If you’re keen for more wildlife-spotting adventure, venture into the hotel’s onsite Rasa Ria Nature Reserve, a 64-acre site which is home to more than 90 bird species, reptiles and colourful plant life. Alternatively, you can venture into Kota Kinabalu for some self-guided exploration. 

This afternoon, after breakfast and a leisurely morning at the hotel, check out and head to the airport for your overnight return flight to the UK. 

Arrive back home early this morning at the end of an unforgettable wildlife-spotting holiday.