Today, you will embark on your adventure in Kuala Lumpur and Borneo. Your departure will be from your chosen airport, with connecting flights along the way.

Welcome to Malaysia’s vibrant capital, Kuala Lumpur, a city where modern marvels and rich cultural history meet in an explosion of colours, sounds, and scents throughout the urban landscape.

Upon arrival at the international airport, located just outside Kuala Lumpur, you’ll pass through immigration and collect your luggage. Your driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall with a TourCompass sign, ready to take you to your hotel in central Kuala Lumpur.

After checking in, the hotel pool offers a relaxing start to your journey, a perfect way to acclimatise after a long flight. In the evening, you can explore the vicinity of your hotel, where everything is within easy reach, including an impressive array of dining options.

Then, enjoy a well-deserved night’s sleep before Kuala Lumpur’s attractions call you in the morning.

With your hotel situated in the bustling heart of the city, you’re perfectly positioned to plan your days at your own pace and according to your interests. Just around the corner awaits a wealth of luxurious shopping malls and bustling night markets. Within walking distance are Kuala Lumpur’s landmark, the iconic Petronas Towers, standing tall like two brilliant beacons of steel and glass. While they reflect the daylight by day, they sparkle like diamonds in the evening, offering a majestic sight best viewed from one of the city’s many sky bars.

As you wander through Kuala Lumpur on foot, you can experience each neighbourhood with its unique character. Here, stories are told of a city with extraordinary cultural diversity and harmony, where Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures live side by side. This creates a vibrant tapestry of colourful traditions and modern innovations, which you can explore by visiting the historical Sultan Abdul Samad building, now used for contemporary politics. This unique blend of ancient customs and modern lifestyle makes Kuala Lumpur one of Asia’s most exciting cities.

You can also pause and immerse yourself in Kuala Lumpur’s green oasis, the Perdana Botanical Gardens. Here, you’ll enjoy a tranquil atmosphere amongst many fragrant flowers and an impressive birdlife. Another remarkable natural experience awaits at Batu Caves, just outside the city centre. Here, you’ll find a vast limestone cave adorned with colourful Hindu temples, well-guarded by the gigantic Lord Murugan statue. Climbing the many rainbow-coloured steps to the top, while gradually enveloped by the cool cave air and history’s whispers, is an experience worthy of a place in your memory book.

In the evening, the air is filled with enticing aromas from the many street food stalls near your hotel, where juicy satay skewers are grilled over open flames. The characteristic scent of freshly squeezed lime may also tempt you to try some of the local cuisine’s spicy soups, with their signature tangy twist.

Today, the tour continues as you leave the sights of Kuala Lumpur behind and fly onwards to the world’s third largest island, Borneo. The island is predominantly Indonesian in the south, while the small country of Brunei sits between the two Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak in the north, offering a plethora of spectacular nature and wildlife experiences.

Upon arrival in Borneo’s northernmost state, Sabah, your driver will be waiting to take you to your lodge in the town of Sepilok. Here, you can refresh yourself with a dip in the pool while you settle into the edge of the rainforest before dinner is served with views of the lush surroundings.

It’s time to awaken your sense of adventure, as the first chapter of 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 forest’s nocturnal creatures stir. If luck is on your side, you might admire the fascinating wildlife up close, such as flying squirrels, slow lorises, and adorable tarsiers.

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

Today, the journey continues into the rainforest along the Kinabatangan River, which boasts incredible biodiversity. The rainforest here is considered one of the world’s richest ecosystems, greatly aided by the flowing river.

After breakfast, your driver will pick you up, and you’ll make a stop at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Here lies one of the tour’s major highlights – meeting Borneo’s perhaps most renowned inhabitants, the orangutans. These great apes, or orangutans, are one of many reasons to visit Borneo – and rightly so. Few experiences are as fascinating as observing a species that resembles a primitive version of ourselves in so many ways.

During your visit, you’ll be introduced to the centre’s admirable work in rescuing, rehabilitating, and preparing orangutans to be reintroduced into their natural environment. You’ll have the opportunity to observe orangutans returning to the centre in the rainforest reserve during feeding sessions, offering you a rare insight into the social hierarchy of these primates.

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

After the visit, you will be driven to the Kinabatangan River, where you’ll check into your lodge in Sabah’s magical rainforest. You’ll have to wait a bit to unpack, as upon arrival, you’ll go on a safari along the river to get acquainted with your new surroundings. Surrounded by the rainforest’s green canopy, keep your ears and eyes open in the fading light of day, for here lies an impressive array of wildlife, including quirky proboscis monkeys, wild orangutans, and the world’s smallest elephant, the pygmy elephant.

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

You will wake up early to the enchanting sounds of the rainforest, ready to embark on a morning river cruise, taking you through the winding paths of the Kinabatangan River to Kelenanap Oxbow Lake.

As you board the small boat, you can lean back and revel in the serene atmosphere of the rainforest as you gently sail away at sunrise. The landscape around you is like something out of a fairy tale, with scenes that can leave anyone breathless. The river meanders through dense rainforest, where roaring monkeys and chirping birds create a unique soundscape.

Upon reaching Kelenanap Oxbow Lake, the tranquil waters offer a quiet moment for you to truly immerse yourself in the green surroundings, which seem to blend seamlessly into each other. The lake is home to an impressive array of birdlife, including colourful species such as hornbills and kingfishers, so be sure to keep a keen eye.

As the appetite begins to stir, the journey takes you back to the lodge along the same paths. The daylight is now stronger, and you’ll likely 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 leisurely in the restaurant’s scenic surroundings. Afterwards, a walk along the lodge’s wooden walkways awaits, where with your guide, you can listen to the rainforest’s birdsong and keep an eye out for reptiles on the forest floor. Following this, a couple of peaceful hours await you on your own back at the lodge.

Later in the afternoon, you’re invited on another boat trip just before day turns to night. As the boat chugs along, your guide shares insights about the rainforest and helps you spot its surrounding flora and fauna. You might again be lucky enough to witness the rainforest’s unique wildlife, whether it be the appearance of the saltwater crocodile in the water or the silver langur swinging from branch to branch in the treetops.

After an eventful day, you will be sailed back to the lodge. Here, you can look forward to yet another authentic meal before the hut beckons for the night.

At your own pace, you will enjoy your final morning in the enchanting rainforest by the Kinabatangan River before it’s time to bid farewell.

After breakfast, you will be driven to the Gomantong Caves, an impressive cave system that has formed over millennia. Today, the caves stand as a testament to nature’s power, with an impressive ceiling height of up to 295 feet, providing ample space for the resident colonies of over a hundred thousand bats and swiftlets. The latter are particularly remarkable, as their nests are made of hardened saliva and are used in the Chinese delicacy bird’s nest soup, which is quite a pricey dish.

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

Upon arrival, your driver is ready to take you to your hotel. Here, you will check in and have the rest of the day at your leisure, allowing you to explore the city or relax with a refreshing dip in the hotel’s pool.

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

Today, no excursions are planned, so you have the perfect opportunity to tune in to what you need before your travel adventure comes to an end.

You can let the experiences of the journey settle in as you relax by the inviting hotel pool, or you can set out on new adventures on your own or as a guest on one of our exciting optional tours.

With your base in central Kota Kinabalu, you will have ample opportunity to experience the city’s vibrant urban life, with several good shopping centres and cultural institutions, such as the beautiful city mosque. You can also venture beyond the city limits, where unforgettable experiences await in Kinabalu Park, listed on the UNESCO world heritage list due to its vast diversity of plants, or in the marine national park, Tunku Abdul Rahman, where you’ll find world-class snorkelling in crystal-clear waters.

Before bedtime, you can settle down at one of the many restaurants at the Anjung Samudera Waterfront. Here, you can dine with a view of the water and watch the sun’s rays set over the sea while reflecting on the many experiences of the journey.

It’s time to say goodbye to Borneo and Malaysia, but you’ll carry the memories of your adventure with you for a lifetime.

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

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