Today, you take the first step on your adventure to Borneo. Departure is from your chosen airport, and the flights include connecting flights along the way.

You will land in the Malaysian part of Borneo, in the north-western state of Sarawak. Your driver will be ready to take you to your hotel in Sarawak’s capital, Kuching. Check in and enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. You can choose to explore the city or relax with a refreshing dip in the hotel’s pool – the choice is yours.

Kuching will be your base for a multitude of experiences waiting for you in the coming days. Interestingly, Kuching, which means cat in Malay, has a special affinity for cats, reflected in its numerous cat statues around the city. It’s a charming melting pot of cultures, as seen in its architecture, ranging from colonial buildings to traditional Malaysian houses.

Beautifully located along the Sarawak River, Kuching offers an almost mile-long promenade that invites you to immerse yourself in local life with all sorts of shops and restaurants. In the evening, it’s lovely to stroll along the promenade and settle down at one of the many eateries tempting you with everything from international favourites to local delicacies, such as the flavourful laksa soup and noodle dish kolo mee.

Whilst savouring your breakfast, look forward to an exciting day beginning with a cultural city tour of Kuching.

Your guide will first take you to the lively streets of Chinatown, where you can be tempted by enticing aromas from a great selection of charming restaurants and visit the colourful Tua Pek Kong Temple. From here, head to the top of one of the city’s landmarks, the Civic Centre, where you can enjoy panoramic views over Kuching, with the Sarawak River and the hilly landscape in the background. One of the city’s major attractions awaits you at the golden domed city mosque, a symbol of Kuching’s religious diversity. Then, continue to the old town, offering sensory delights with its colourful, narrow streets filled with textile shops and spice traders.

The tour concludes at the riverfront, where Kuching’s history comes to life through the majestic buildings, such as the Pavilion and the Old Courthouse, from the era of the White Rajahs who ruled the state of Sarawak from 1841 to 1946.

The rest of the day is at your leisure. You can further explore Kuching on your own or relax by the hotel pool with a good book or a refreshing dip. In the evening, it’s easy to find one of the city’s cosy restaurants for your evening meal.

Today offers your first encounter with Borneo’s captivating nature and wildlife. You’ll be going on a full-day excursion to Sarawak’s oldest national park, Bako National Park, which, despite being one of Sarawak’s smallest, is remarkable for its seven distinct ecosystems, along with a wealth of wildlife, waterfalls, and untouched beaches.

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up and drive you to Bako Fishing Village, where you’ll take a traditional longboat along the river to the national park. Along the way, you might be lucky enough to spot estuarine crocodiles and sea eagles before you arrive at the park itself.

Upon arrival, you’ll set off on the extensive trail system through the rainforest, where you can explore the park’s diverse vegetation, ranging from mangrove to tropical swamp, rocky, and beach vegetation. Keep your eyes peeled for the park’s unique wildlife, which includes silvered langurs, long-tailed macaques, bearded pigs, monitor lizards, and a plethora of bird species. In Bako’s rainforest, you might also be fortunate enough to witness Borneo’s red proboscis monkeys showing off their noses – after all, the larger the nose, the more attractive a proboscis monkey male is considered among females.

The fascinating thing about wildlife is that there’s never a guarantee of what you’ll encounter. However, with the expert help of your skilled guide, who knows the rainforest and animals’ movements inside and out, your chances of finding the many creatures are significantly enhanced. And you’re really in for a treat, as the feeling of discovering an animal in its natural habitat deep in the rainforest is nearly indescribable.

After a few eventful hours, you’ll sail back along the river and then be driven to your hotel in Kuching – now with memories of Sarawak’s unique nature and wildlife in your luggage.

No excursions are planned for today, giving you the perfect opportunity to reflect on what you need.

You can let the impressions of the past few days settle by relaxing at the hotel and spicing up the day with exquisite meals from one of the nearby restaurants. Alternatively, if you’re still craving experiences, you can embark on one of our optional tours, which you can read much more about below.

You will now leave Sarawak and fly north to Borneo’s northernmost state, Sabah, where its magical rainforests await.

Upon arrival, your driver will be ready to take you to your lodge in the town of Sepilok. Here, you can refresh yourself with a dip in the pool as you settle at the edge of the rainforest before dinner is served with views of the lush surroundings.

Afterwards, it’s time to awaken your sense of adventure, as the first chapter in Borneo’s unrivalled nature begins. You will visit the Rainforest Discovery Centre to experience and learn about the rainforest’s impressive biodiversity. With a torch in hand, you’ll be guided through a well-maintained trail system in the Kabili-Sepilok reserve, where the nocturnal creatures of the rainforest stir. If luck is on your side, you may admire fascinating wildlife up close, such as flying squirrels, slow lorises, and adorable tarsiers.

After an exciting walk in the dark, it’s time to return to the lodge for a good night’s sleep.

Today, the journey continues to the rainforest along the Kinabatangan River, home to incredible biodiversity. The rainforest here is considered one of the world’s richest ecosystems, greatly supported by the flowing river.

After breakfast, your driver will pick you up, and along the way, you’ll stop at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Here lies one of the tour’s major highlights, as you come face to face with Borneo’s perhaps most-famous residents, the orangutans. These great apes, also known as ‘forest people,’ are one of the many reasons to visit Borneo – and for good reason. Few experiences are more fascinating than observing a species that, in many ways, resembles a primitive version of ourselves.

During your visit, you will be introduced to the centre’s admirable work in rescuing, rehabilitating, and preparing orangutans for re-release into their natural environment. You’ll have the opportunity to observe orangutans returning to the centre in the rainforest reserve during feeding sessions, providing a rare insight into the orangutans’ social hierarchy.

From the world of orangutans, you’ll move to the neighbouring centre, the Sun Bear Conservation Centre, where you’ll encounter the sun bear. This species is the world’s smallest bear, characterised by its short black fur and a light, crescent-shaped mark on its chest – resembling a sunrise, hence the name sun bear. The centre plays a central role in efforts to ensure that the sun bear has a future in its natural habitat in Borneo’s rainforests.

After the visit, you’ll be transported to the Kinabatangan River, where you’ll check into your lodge amidst Sabah’s enchanting rainforest. Hold off on unpacking for now, as upon arrival, you’ll embark on a river safari to familiarise yourself with the new surroundings. Surrounded by the lush green canopy, keep your eyes and ears keenly attentive in the fading daylight, as the forest is teeming with an impressive array of wildlife, including quirky proboscis monkeys, wild orangutans, and the world’s smallest elephant, the pygmy elephant.

As night falls, it’s time to sail back to the lodge, where you can reflect on the day’s many adventures while dinner is served.

You will wake up early to the mesmerising sounds of the rainforest, preparing for the morning’s boat trip, which will take you along the winding Kinabatangan River to Kelenanap Oxbow Lake.

As you step aboard the small boat, sit back and soak in the tranquil atmosphere of the rainforest while gently cruising at sunrise. The scenery unfolds like a fairy tale, with breathtaking vistas at every turn. The river’s meandering course winds through dense jungle, where the calls of roaring monkeys and singing birds create a unique soundscape.

Upon reaching Kelenanap Oxbow Lake, the serene waters offer a peaceful moment for you to truly immerse yourself in the lush surroundings, almost indistinguishable from one another. The lake is home to an impressive array of birdlife, including colourful species like hornbills and kingfishers, so keep a sharp eye out.

As your appetite begins to make its presence felt, the journey back to the lodge begins along the same route. With the daylight now more robust, you might spot animals and plants that you missed earlier in the morning.

Back at the lodge, it’s time for a well-prepared breakfast, which you can enjoy at leisure amidst the restaurant’s scenic surroundings. Following this, a walk awaits along the lodge’s wooden boardwalks, where, together with your guide, you can listen to the rainforest birdsong and search for reptiles along the forest floor. Afterwards, some peaceful hours on your own at the lodge lie ahead.

Late in the afternoon, you’ll be invited for another boat trip before day turns into night. As the boat glides onward, your guide shares insights about the rainforest and helps you spot its flora and fauna surrounding you. Once again, you might be fortunate enough to witness the rainforest’s remarkable wildlife, such as the saltwater crocodile surfacing in the water or the silvered langur swinging from branch to branch in the treetops.

After an eventful day, you will sail back to the lodge. Here, you can look forward to another authentic meal before your hut calls for the night.

Leisurely enjoy your last morning in the magical rainforest by the Kinabatangan River before it’s time to bid farewell.

After breakfast, you’ll be driven to the Gomantong Caves – an impressive cave system shaped over thousands of years. Today, these caves stand as a testament to nature’s forces, with an imposing ceiling height of up to 295 feet, providing ample room for colonies of over a hundred thousand bats and swiftlets. The latter are particularly remarkable, as their nests are composed of hardened saliva and are used in the Chinese delicacy bird’s nest soup, which comes at a rather steep price.

From the majestic caves, you will be driven to Sandakan, from where you will fly to Sabah’s capital, Kota Kinabalu.

Upon arrival in Kota Kinabalu, your driver will be ready to take you to your hotel. Here, you will check in and have the rest of the day at your leisure. You can explore the city or relax at the hotel, perhaps with a dip in the hotel’s pool.

In the evening, Kota Kinabalu transforms into a culinary hotspot, best experienced in the city’s harbour area, which comes alive with restaurants and street food stalls. Here, you can savour everything from freshly caught fish and seafood to authentic Malaysian dishes.

Today, no excursions are planned, providing you with a perfect opportunity to reflect on what you might need before your travel adventure draws to a close.

You can let the impressions of the journey sink in while relaxing by the hotel’s inviting pool, or set out on new adventures on your own or as a guest on one of our thrilling optional tours.

You’re staying in the heart of Kota Kinabalu, giving you the perfect opportunity to experience the city’s modern urban life, with its excellent shopping centres and cultural landmarks like the beautiful city mosque. Venture beyond the city limits, where unforgettable experiences await in the Kinabalu Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, or in the marine national park, Tunku Abdul Rahman, where you can snorkel in crystal-clear waters.

Before heading to bed, why not visit one of the many restaurants at Anjung Samudera Waterfront? Enjoy your dinner with a view of the water and watch the sun set over the sea as you reflect on the myriad of experiences from your journey through Borneo’s treasure trove of nature and wildlife.

Now it’s time to bid farewell to Borneo, but you can carry the memories of your tour with you forever.

In good time before your flight, you will be picked up from your hotel and driven to the airport, where you will fly towards Europe with connecting flights along the way.

After a memorable tour, you will land at your chosen airport.