Borneo is best-known for its orangutans, but Kuching is all about the humble mog. No-one knows how the city got its name (kucing is Malay for cat), but as you explore its backstreets by bike, you’ll see that the locals have enthusiastically embraced the theme! Along the way, learn about the city’s colonial history, dating back to when this was an independent kingdom ruled by the “White Rajahs”. Then, cross the Sarawak River with your bikes and compare city life with the laid-back, rural streets and wooden houses of a traditional Malay Village. Kuching is renowned for is street food, from crimson Sarawak laksa to rainbow-colored layer cake, so be sure to hit the market before you leave.

There was a time when the name Borneo was synonymous with fearsome headhunting tribes. Those days have passed, but the Iban people have retained many of their (less fearsome) practices. Indeed, their traditional way of life preserves a sense of community that most developed societies lost long ago. Traveling by boat, you’ll head deep into the forest to meet them, joining in with the locals as they feed livestock, weave mats and baskets, or gather food in the jungle. The Iban still live in huge longhouses where up to 30 families sleep under one roof, and spending the night here is one of our absolute highlights of life in Borneo. Just be sure to bring your earplugs!

Your next stop introduces yet another different side of Borneo: the subterranean world of Mulu National Park. Forget dark, damp holes in the ground — here you’ll be exploring a wonderland of vast caverns, towering stalagmites and huge cascades of stalactites — all connected by boardwalks and trails through the rainforest. Though it’s best-known for its caves, Mulu’s attractions aren’t all underground, and you’ll also get to walk through the treetops on an elevated canopy walk, watch the spectacular exodus of bats from the mouth of Deer Cave at sunset, and experience jungle trekking by day and by night — two experiences that couldn’t be more different.

Today you’ll take a day trip through jungle and paddy fields to Kinabalu National Park. En route, visit Sabah Tea Gardens, Borneo’s only organic tea farm, for a tour and tea tasting.

Next stop is Poring Hot Spring, a geothermal spa first developed by the Japanese during WWII, where you can brave the 40-meter-high canopy walk with a chance to spot canopy dwelling animals, like tree shrews or red leaf monkeys.

After lunch, you’ll continue to Kinabalu National Park for a jungle walk with a local naturalist. Kinabalu is home to more plant species than Europe and North America combined, including over 700 types of orchids, and your guide will be an invaluable source of flora and fauna knowledge.

Home to orangutan, sun bear and rainforest protection initiatives, Sepilok is the nerve center of conservation in Malaysian Borneo, and the very best place to learn about the amazing work being done to save one of the planet’s oldest and most important ecosystems. Arriving in the evening, you’ll start with a guided night walk through the rainforest, where you’ll stand a chance of spotting jungle cats, deer, and all manner of bugs and spiders. The main event comes the next morning, when you’ll get to tour the sun bear and orangutan sanctuaries and see some of these critically endangered animals on the road to recovery.

If you haven’t managed to spot any animals in the wild yet (and we’d be incredibly surprised if you hadn’t!) this is your chance: the Kinabatangan River is among the most diverse habitats on Earth. To maximize your wildlife-watching, you’ll river cruise at different times of day: early morning to see all manner of tropical bird life; daytime to spot monkeys, crocs and elephants; after dark to search for civet cats, wild cattle and deer. Spending the night at a riverside lodge, surrounded by the sounds of the jungle, is an unforgettable experience — and you’ll also get a chance to meet the local indigenous people, the Orang Sungai, who live off what they can fish from the river.

It’s a bit of a slog to your final stop, but we promise it’s worth it! After a succession of planes, boats and automobiles, you’ll find yourself on Gaya Island: a bona fide tropical gem with beaches to rival any in Southeast Asia, and coral reefs more dazzlingly diverse than almost anywhere else in the world. Head out with your snorkel or book a scuba diving trip, and enter a neon-colored world of bright orange clownfish, rippling anemones, acid-bright nudibranchs and blacktipped reef sharks. Then, go hiking into the rainforest or book a kayaking tour of the mangrove swamps. Just be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to relax and enjoy the fabulous beaches of this beautiful tropical gem.