18 to 35s Real Borneo

Selamat Datang! Welcome to Borneo. You’ll kick things off in the coastal city of Sandakan with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive with time to spare, spend the day exploring this city’s culture on the Heritage Trail or visit the Sandakan War Memorial or Agnes Keith House. Sandakan has a great food scene, too, so tonight, maybe grab your new travel companions and eat dinner together at a local restaurant to get better acquainted – your leader will have the best recommendations.

This morning, you'll visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and meet the world’s cutest redheads. These beautiful creatures will tug on your heartstrings as you watch them going about their daily business (eating bananas and hanging upside down). Swing by the nursery where young orangutans learn to climb on a specially constructed jungle gym and grab a selfie with them in the background if you can! Later, spend some time at the Sun Bear Conservation Centre, where staff rescue and take care of the once-mistreated sun bears with the hopes of rehabilitating and reintroducing them into the wild. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Sepilok and Sandakan further. Maybe head to Sepilok’s Rainforest Discovery Centre, Malaysia’s most educational nature park, which features a 620 m long, 28 m high canopy walkway with spectacular views of the giant rainforest trees. At night, you can look out for slow lorises, tarsiers and flying squirrels!

Enjoy a free morning in Sandakan before you make the journey to tonight’s jungle lodge near the banks of the Kinabatangan River. When you’ve settled into your lodge, you’ll hit the water for a river cruise. Keep an eye out for wild orangutans, proboscis monkeys and maybe even a few pygmy elephants.

This morning, wake up to the sounds of the jungle and have some breakfast before setting out for your first of two included river cruises today. Keep your eyes peeled, and you might be lucky enough to spot short and long-tail macaques, a variety of birds, including hornbills and kingfishers, crocodiles or reptiles like snakes and frogs. After a spot of lunch, you’ll hit the water again and continue your search along the river’s waters for wildlife and jungle scenery. Tonight take a night walk with your leader, looking for nocturnal birds, insects and other wildlife that come alive after sunset. You’ll have dinner together at your lodge.

After breakfast, leave your jungle oasis and embark on the overland journey to Kundasang – a little town that sits in the shadow of Mount Kinabalu. This is a long drive, so have your favourite book or travel games ready. When you arrive in Kundasang and if the weather is right, have your camera ready, capturing the views of Mt Kinabalu. From here, maybe visit the Kundasang War Memorial to learn about the Sandakan Death Marches. Sit in reflection in the solemn memorial gardens or simply take in the serene view of the fields below.

This morning you’ll drive to Pukak in Kiulu Valley – a small area in Kiulu named after the bamboo that grows on the riverbanks. This will be the starting point of your trek to Kampung Ratau (Ratau Village), where you’ll spend the night among the locals. After your hike this afternoon, participate in cultural activities – learn how to work with beads, join the group for some traditional fishing, take a cooking class to learn how to prepare the local food (which you’ll enjoy later for dinner) and take a Gong class. In your traditional bamboo hut, you’ll fall asleep to the peaceful sounds of the village and its natural surroundings.

This morning, you’ll have breakfast in the village before continuing your trek through rural Kiulu, winding your way towards Lokub. When you arrive, you’ll be treated to a traditional cultural dance and Dusun martial art show over lunch. After, continue by private vehicle to Kinarut, where you'll have some free time to relax when you arrive.