Borneo Family Holiday Comfort

Selamat datang! Welcome to Malaysia. When you arrive to Sandakan Airport, you’ll be collected by a local representative and transferred to your hotel. There will be a welcome meeting at 5 pm tonight to meet your group leader and other families and be briefed on the next few days activities. Afterwards sit down to enjoy a delicious dinner and get ready for the exciting adventure ahead.

Today is a highlight for many, visiting the region's prized residents at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. In the nursery you can view young orangutans as they learn how to climb on a specially constructed jungle gym. To see more of Borneo’s creatures, there’s the option to visit the newly opened Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center. Here rescued Sun Bears that have spent many years being mistreated and locked away in cages are cared for, with hopes of rehabilitation and reintroduction into the wild. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy by the pool or exploring the local area.

After breakfast, drive to Kinabatangan River to your jungle lodge beside the river, ideal for taking in the lush surrounds. The Kinabatangan River is a protected forest reserve, containing some of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Borneo. In the afternoon, board a river cruise, hopefully spotting some of the more exotic local creatures. Wild elephants seldom reveal themselves, but crocodiles, macaques, wild orangutan, proboscis monkeys, hornbills and kingfishers are more easily seen. After this short adventure, return to the lodge to enjoy dinner.

Be woken by the call of a Bornean gibbon or hornbill before taking an eary morning cruise down the river. Keep an eye out for proboscis monkeys, Borneo gibbons, long tail macaques and pig tail macaques and see if you can spot the differences between each species. Then you’ll visit our Intrepid Foundation partner, RESPonsible Elephant Conservation Trust (RESPECT) to learn about the important work they’re doing and help plant some grass for the pygmy elephants. Enjoy some free time to relax in the afternoon before heading out again in the evening on another river cruise to spot more wildlife.

After breakfast, travel 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 (if the weather’s right), have your camera ready to capture the views of Mt Kinabalu. From here, maybe visit the Kundasang War Memorial to learn about the Sandakan Death Marches or walk through the memorial gardens. Tonight, settle into your wooden cabin and take in the views of Mount Kinabalu from your doorstep.

This morning, continue west and stop off enroute at a local home in a Dusun village. The Dusun people are wonderfully welcoming, and here you'll have the chance to learn about their culture as you sample local dishes. If you are lucky, you may get to sample linopot, a tasty snack featuring rice tightly wrapped inside a leaf. Join a guided half day village walk that includes a visit to the local bee farm and see coffee being produced at a local factory. You’ll also meet the women from Everything Pineapple, a business that's known for its delicious pineapple products. This NGO empowers local women to reach new heights socially and financially and has some of the best jam you’ll ever taste. Then continue on to the beautiful Dinawan Island. Surrounded by reefs and sandbanks, the island is known for rich its marine life, popular snorkelling spots and commitment to eco-tourism. After checking into your villa tents, you’ll have the rest of the day to explore the island or simply relax and enjoy one of the many activities offered by the resort.

After breakfast, you and your family will learn more about the marine ecosystem on the island and the importance of the coral to marine biodiversity. Then, swap the indoor classroom for an outdoor one on a one-hour snorkelling trip with a marine biologist. Take a boat out to the nearby house reef to have a closer look at the types of corals, the habitat, signs of damage and healing and observe and identify different types of marine life with your specialist. This is a fun way for the entire family to explore this beautiful part of the world and your kids are bound to love it! Head back to the shore in the afternoon for some free time to enjoy at your own pace. Maybe soak up the beauty of the coast for another few hours or take out a couple of kayaks for some more fun on the water.