Kick off in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah’s coastal capital, which everyone just calls KK. Being right by the water, it takes its seafood seriously, and the easiest way to get involved is the Filipino Night Market. You’ll go with a guide on an evening walk, so turn up hungry. Not into fish? You’ll still eat well. Grab a pineapple bun that’s weirdly fluffy and crunchy at the same time, or go for some satay, which comes with the usual Malaysian argument about who does it best (you can be the judge).

You’ll head out to Mari Mari Cultural Village, about 25 minutes from KK. It’s outdoors with people showing you how things are done rather than leaving you to read signs in a glass display case.

Today, you'll leave Kota Kinabalu and head up into Kinabalu National Park, a UNESCO-listed park built around Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Southeast Asia. You’re not here to summit today, but it's an impressive natural sight from ground level all the same. Your guide will take you through the Botanical Gardens, where more than 5,000 plant species have been recorded in the wider park. Later, you’ll visit the Kundasang War Memorial, a quiet, moving place dedicated to the British and Australian prisoners of war who died after being held at Sandakan, and the local peoplewho suffered or lost their lives helping them. Tonight, you stay overnight in the national park.

You'll break up the road trip to Sepilok with stops at Sabah Tea Plantation, one of the last certified organic plantations in Malaysia. You'll also get to stretch your legs at Poring Hot Springs and Kipungit Waterfall.

It's not just about the orangutans in Sepilok (although you will see them very soon!). You'll learn about Borneo's WWII history at the Sandakan Memorial Park, and discover more about the British colonial rule at Agnes Keith house, home of the author who wrote autobiographical accounts during the mid-20th Century.

And then, yes, you meet the local celebrities. Sun bears snuffling around for snacks, and orangutans up in the canopy, with the occasional chaotic entrance when they decide it’s fruit time at the feeding platform.

Leaving Sepilok behind, you'll journey on to Kinabatangan River. Known as the ‘corridor of life’ for the sheer diversity of wildlife, the river snakes through rainforest rich in species. This is one of your best chances to see Borneo animals in their natural habitat – the forested floodplain is a designated wildlife sanctuary. Animals congregate along the riverbanks, so you won't need to wait long before you see something peeking between the trees from your boat. Proboscis monkeys, macaques, gibbons, orangutans, pygmy elephants and an impressive array of birdlife all call this section of the forest home. Your guide will take you out morning, noon and night for the best chance at filling out your Borneo bingo card. In between safaris, relax in your resort. You never know, the wildlife may even come to you.

Depart Borneo and head to mainland Malaysia and its capital, Kuala Lumpur. From its modest beginnings as a tin-mining town, KL served as the capital of British Malaysia before finally becoming the cosmopolitan powerhouse it is today. Today, it's home to people from all over the world, and its architecture, religious buildings and food reflect that. Your guide will point everything out to you on a walking tour, including plenty of stops at street food stalls. As the evening approaches, head up to the observation deck and skybridge of the Petronas Twin Towers and watch as night draws in and the city lights flicker on. Descending back to street level, you’ll see the KLCC Lake Symphony water fountain show, before setting out into the night to explore KL’s nightlife. We recommend REXKL– a converted cinema that is now home to pop-up poster stores, clothing shops and microbreweries (try their lemongrass IPA) or Japan Alor for rows of streetfood stalls – ideal for picking out your dinner.

You drive north from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, an island hooked up to the mainland by two long sea bridges. It’s a proper mix of influences – Malay, Chinese, Indian and European threads tangled together.

In George Town, the old shophouses sit alongside temples, mosques and churches, all UNESCO-protected. Your guide will tell you the city's story as you walk, pointing out the street art that’s become a core part of the city's identity, including work by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic.

Then it's time to get eating. On an evening food tour you’ll hop between local spots for classics like char koay teow stir-fried flat noodles and of course, more satay.