Sunlight through the trees

Sabah Sojourn

Trip code
SSJ001

If Sarawak is Malaysian Borneo’s cultural heart, Sabah is its wild side – with deep, dark swathes of rainforest unmarred by development, and rich reserves of wildlife waiting to be discovered.

This itinerary focusses on Borneo’s natural wonders, from its famous flame-haired orangutans and big-nosed proboscis monkeys to its towering tropical trees and mind-boggling array of exotic plants.

Pricing

Price based on 4* accommodation
From
$5,377
pp
Price based on 5* accommodation
From
$6,140
pp
Let us help plan your vacation and make it perfect for you

Key facts

13 days / 12 nights
Take in the vastness of the rainforest as you watch sunrise over the Danum Valley and trek to a viewpoint on the Coffin Cliffs
Get an introduction to Bornean food culture with an evening meal at Kota Kinabalu’s Filipino Market and a cooking class at a village family’s home
Get up-close and personal with Borneo’s animals with eight different wildlife experiences, including three conservation center visits, several river cruises, a night walk through the Tabin rainforest and an after-dark safari by 4x4
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MAP LEFT MAP RIGHT DAY 4-5 KINABATANGAN RIVER DAY 3 SEPILOK DAY 11-14 DAY 1-2, 10-13 KOTA KINABALU DAY 6-7 TABIN DAY 8-9 DANUM VALLEY
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DAY 4-5 KINABATANGAN RIVER DAY 3 SEPILOK DAY 11-14 DAY 1-2, 10-13 KOTA KINABALU DAY 6-7 TABIN DAY 8-9 DANUM VALLEY

Transport in detail

Transfers will be by private car and boat, with two internal flights (from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan [for Sepilok], and from Lahad Datu [for Danum Valley] to Kota Kinabalu)

What's great

Rainforests come in all shapes and sizes, and this trip will give you the chance to experience and learn about three very different forests

You’ll stay in comfortable accommodation throughout, including the spectacular Borneo Rainforest Lodge in the Danum Valley

What with six nights in the rainforest and two visits to wildlife sanctuaries, you’ll have the best possible chance of spotting rare animals

After all that adventure, you’ll have a few days to wind down with some relaxing beach time

Things to consider

Though you’ll certainly see plenty of wildlife on this itinerary, there’s no guaranteeing what!

There’s a fair bit of hiking involved in this trip, so you’ll need a moderate level of fitness

Even if you’re traveling in the “dry” season, always expect rain in a rainforest!

The experience

This trip focusses on Sabah, the heart of Malaysian Borneo’s wildlife, but we can easily extend your trip to include Sarawak: packed with indigenous culture, super street-food, and colonial history. In the end, it’s up to you.

Day 1-2

Kota Kinabalu

We’ll get right out there and say it: Kota Kinabalu’s no beauty queen – but Sabah's biggest city has plenty of charm for those who look. A good place to start is the local markets. KK has garnered something of a reputation for its excellent street food, from curry crab to coconut jam on toast, and the treats on offer at the huge and colorful Filipino Market are seemingly endless. Once you’ve satisfied your cravings, there are all sorts of day trip opportunities on offer — including tea plantation visits, stand-up paddleboarding, countryside cycling, and some of the finest tropical islands in the whole of Southeast Asia.

Kota Kinabalu by night

Highlights

Head to the top of Signal Hill for incredible views over the city

Check out the Sunday market and Chinese coffee shops along Gaya Street

Have dinner at the city’s huge and bustling Filipino Night Market

Kota Kinabalu food market

Day 3

Sepilok

Sepilok is Malaysian Borneo’s conservation command center, and its trio of sanctuaries are leading the way when it comes to preserving this island’s precious wildlife. You’ll visit all three of them and learn how they work together, watching rescued orangutans and sun bears on the road to recovery, and taking to the treetops on a canopy walk to spot monkeys and birds. Borneo has already lost half its rainforests – a third within the past three decades – and projects like these are all that stand between the remainder and extinction. It’s a sobering thought, but by supporting the amazing work being done here you get to see these incredible creatures – and be part of the solution.

Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre

Highlights

Learn about the endangered Bornean sun bear at the conservation center

Walk through the treetops on the Rainforest Discovery Center’s canopy walkway

Meet orangutans in recovery at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Center

Orangutan at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

The finer detail

  • Breakfast every day
  • Seven lunches: one at your lodge in Sepilok; one at your lodge on the Kinabatangan River; two at your lodge in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve; three at your lodge in Danum Valley
  • Seven dinners: one at KK’s Filipino night market; two at your lodge on the Kinabatangan River; two at your lodge in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve; two at your lodge in Danum Valley
  • Three half-day experiences: visit the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center; a plant walk at the Rainforest Discovery Center; visit Sepilok’s Orangutan Rehabilitation Center
  • One evening experience: street food tour of KK’s Filipino night market
  • Two night stay on the Kinabatangan River including wildlife spotting activities
  • Two night stay in Tabin Wildlife Reserve including wildlife spotting and jungle activities
  • Two night stay in Danum Valley including wildlife spotting and jungle activities
  • All accommodation
  • All entrance fees to sites included in guided experiences
  • All domestic transfers and transport

Day 1:
Car transfer from Kota Kinabalu Airport to hotel (20 minutes)

Day 3:
Car transfer to Kota Kinabalu Airport (20 minutes)
Domestic flight to Sandakan (40 minutes)
Car transfer from Sandakan to Sepilok (25 minutes)

Day 4:
Car transfer to the Kinabatangan River (2.5 hours)

Day 6:
Car transfer to Lahad Datu (3 hours)
Car transfer on unsealed roads to Tabin Wildlife Reserve (1.5 hours)

Day 8:
Car transfer on unsealed roads to Lahad Datu (1.5 hours)
Car transfer on unsealed roads to Danum Valley (2.5 hours)

Day 10:
Car transfer on unsealed roads to Lahad Datu (2.5 hours)
Domestic flight to Kota Kinabalu (55 minutes)
Car transfer to beach (1 hour)

Day 13:
Car transfer to Kota Kinabalu Airport (1 hour)

  • International flights
  • Any necessary visas
  • Any lunches or dinners unless stated
  • Entrance fees to any sites not included in guided experiences
  • Tipping and personal expenses
  • Tourist taxes & any National Park fees