Great Apes & Beach Escapes
Itinerary
Day 1 – Kota Kinabalu: Gateway to Sabah
This bustling coastal city at the foot of the immense Mount Kinabalu is the starting point for your journey through Sabah. On arrival, you’ll be transferred to your central hotel close to the restaurants and colourful markets of the city. Kota Kinabalu is a relatively modern city with many western influences and a whole host of delicious local food to try. Head down to the waterfront for dinner with a view as the sun sets across the bay.
Day 2 – Explore Kinabalu National Park
Today you’ll explore Kinabalu National Park – Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to Mount Kinabalu, Southeast Asia’s highest peak. The park is a haven for nature and outdoor lovers. Over 5,000 plant species can be found here and it’s a birdwatcher’s paradise, with colourful hornbills and mountain species you won’t see elsewhere. You’ll brave the heights of the rainforest canopy walkway 100 feet above the forest floor, wander through the colourful butterfly garden and take a dip in one of the hot mineral springs.
Day 3 – Visit Sepilok Orangutan Centre & travel to the Kinabatangan River
Next you’ll be collected from your hotel and transferred to the airport for the short 45 minute flight to Sandakan. Borneo is the land of orangutans, and the very best place to see and learn all about them is at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. This morning you’ll join a small group and travel to Sepilok, where a guide will answer any questions you may have about the park’s hairy inhabitants. At feeding time you’ll find yourself at a safe distance, yet incredibly close to the endearing primates. You’ll also stop in at a Sunbear Sanctuary nearby, where you can see these unique, endangered bears.
After your visit to Sepilok you’ll climb into a boat and journey along the Kinabatangan River – Sabah’s longest river. No other spot in Borneo features such a wide variety of wild animals: monkeys, monitor lizards, crocodiles, sunbears, hundreds of species of tropical birds, and if you’re lucky you may even see wild pygmy elephants!
Your base for the next two nights is a charming, wooden lodge on the banks of the river. You’ll have some time to relax before your first wildlife cruise in the late afternoon, where you’ll watch the animals come to life as the sun goes down. In the evening you’ll have dinner back at your lodge, and fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle.
Day 4 – Wildlife spotting on the Kinabatangan River
You’ll probably wake up when the gibbon monkeys and hornbills do…they’ll make sure of that! It’ll be an early start anyway as you set out on your first cruise of the day – heading to a nearby lake as the animals begin to wake up around its shores. After breakfast back at the lodge, you can choose to relax for a while on the porch or head out on a nature walk to some nearby caves. As the sun begins to set, the final jungle cruise of your trip will head out, and you can take one more chance at spotting the unique Borneo wildlife. You’ll return to the lodge for another night in this unique setting.
Day 5 – Return to Sepilok
After breakfast depart your riverside lodge and return to Sandakan by road. You’ll stop for lunch in a local restaurant before continuing to your comfortable overnight accommodation near Sepilok.
Days 6 – 8 – Castaway beach on Lankayan Island
Today you will be transferred to the jetty for your boat transfer to Lankayan Island. The crossing takes around 90 minutes and will usually leave around 10am. Lankayan Island is a secluded paradise hidden away in the tropical Sulu Sea just north of Sandakan, and the perfect place to rest up after your travels through Borneo. Spend your days relaxing on the white sandy beaches or swimming and snorkelling in the crystal clear sea. Lankayan is a breeding ground for sea turtles and if you’re lucky, you can witness a nest of baby turtles being released into the sea. You will be staying in a seafront bungalow right on the beach. All your meals are included and are served at the restaurant, which boasts an amazingly beautiful open-air wooden terrace.
Day 9 – Depart Borneo
It’s the last day of your compact Borneo holiday. You will leave the island at 7am and head back to Sandakan, where you’ll hop in a taxi to the airport for your flight back home.
If 3 nights is not long enough on the beach, ask your Travel Specialist to extend your stay by a night or two. If you have more time to spare and would like to see more of this fascinating country you could combine this itinerary with our Explore the Wild Heart of Borneo trip that focuses on the west of Borneo.
Accommodation
