Borneo Family Holiday

Selamat datang! Welcome to Malaysia. Your adventure begins in Kota Kinabalu – the capital of Sabah, located between the Borneo jungle and the South China Sea. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 5 pm at your hotel to meet your leader and fellow family travellers. After, maybe head out to the waterfront market to wander the smoky stalls serving up grilled meat and fish. If you arrive early, you can immerse yourself in history at the Sabah State Museum or explore the islands off Kota Kinabalu, excellent for swimming or snorkelling.

This morning, explore Tanjung Aru Beach on a stand-up paddle board. Paddle at your own pace as you explore hidden coves, soak in the beautiful landscape and learn about the vibrant marine life from your guide. Then, the rest of today is free for you and your family to explore Kota Kinabalu at your own pace. Maybe stroll through the bustling markets or visit the waterfront Kota Kinabalu City Mosque.

After breakfast, travel to the Poring Hot Springs for a scenic canopy walk. As you walk through the rainforest, take in the surrounding views of giant bamboo trees and learn about the hot sulphur spring baths, which were first developed by the Japanese during World War II. When you reach the baths, enjoy a refreshing dip in the natural rock pools, slide down the slippery rockslides (often a favourite for the kids) or soak in the sulphurous water channelled from the hot springs into tiled pools. Tonight, settle into your accommodation – a reconstructed longhouse on the tea plantation.

Travel by private bus to Kampung Batu Puteh – a small village on the banks of the Kinabatangan River. Your hosts for the night are the leaders of KOPEL – a local community-run conservation organisation whose aim is to provide villagers with a sustainable living from the forest. Leading a reforestation project, KOPEL and the community are actively involved in growing seedlings and replanting degraded forested areas. Meet your hosts and learn a little more about KOPELs work before jumping in a boat and heading upriver to your accommodation in the jungle. This afternoon, you’ll head out on a sunset cruise up the river in search of wildlife, including macaques, wild orangutan and proboscis monkeys. After, return to your jungle camp by an oxbow lake, have dinner and let the cicadas sing you to sleep.

Wake up to the sounds of the jungle this morning. After breakfast, you’ll head upriver to the village to walk around and learn more about the life of the local people. For lunch, it’s all hands-on deck as you partake in a fun traditional cooking class, eating the fruits of your labour for lunch. The afternoon is free to relax, play some boardgames or head out in search of more wildlife, before heading back on the boat for another trip on the river. After dinner tonight, grab your headtorches and head into the jungle for a night walk, looking out for the local nocturnal animals.

Say goodbye to your Eco Camp and drive to Sandakan and visit the Sandakan War Memorial. When you arrive, you’ll notice the strong Cantonese influence, seen in the lively harborside market, the many Chinese temples and the local cuisine. You’ll have some free time to catch up on laundry, bank runs, lunch – or just go and explore at your own pace! This afternoon, why not just chill out at the pool?

Leave your large bags at the hotel, then board a speedboat bound for Turtle Island. Travel past small fishing villages and bamboo fish traps, arriving at Turtle Island Marine Park. The rest of the day is free for you to soak up island life. Relax on the beach or dive under the clear water and investigate the underwater world. Later, under the cover of darkness, watch as giant green turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs under the moonlight. Witness the island researchers release protected hatchlings and guide them in their frantic dash to the ocean. This amazing experience is bound to be rewarding for you and your family, but please be aware 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. Spend the night on this beautiful island – even though the accommodation is quite basic, this will be a memorable experience.