Highlights of our Malaysia holiday:
Our tailor-made Malaysian vacation to Borneo includes Kota Kinabalu, Kinabalu National Park, Tenom, Selingan Island, Sipadan Island, and encounters with Orang Utan, turtles, white water rafting and diving or snorkelling.

We will greet you at the airport, ensuring you a smooth transfer to your hotel, after which you can rest or do your own thing for the rest of the day.

Clear Waters
After breakfast, your guide meet you to drive you to your embarkation point for your short boat trip to Sapi island, where you will be free to spend your day snorkelling , swimming, walking or lazing on the fine sand. A barbecue lunch will be served on the beach. Your return trip to Kota kinabalu will be at around 15:30.

Off to the forest

Next day we will drive along the Crocker ridge to the hot springs of Poring, passing through countryside villages with stops at the finest viewpoints including a break at Pekan Nabalu for the view of Mount Kinabalu. You will be able to enjoy the rare delight of the elevated walkway though the forest canopy, affording unusual perspectives of the wildlife, after which we will descend to the hot springs, at which you can take advantage of the theraputic properties of the waters, and indulge yourself with a relaxed bath, followed by a visit to the butterfly farm. After lunch we will go to the visitor centre at Kinabalu National Park, and the orchid collection at the mountain garden, many species of which are unique.

The following day we will again drive out from Kota Kinabalu, passing through tropical lowland forest to the Rafflesia Centre, dedicated to the worlds largest flower. It is unlikely, of course, though not impossible, that you will fortunate enough to see the metre-wide bloom, but we shall be able to see the canonball-like buds of the plant hiding in the primary forest. After lunch we will journey through the hills and valleys to the Murut Cultural village, to learn about the history and lifestyle of the Murut people, and later visit Tenom Agricultural Park to visit the spice garden, orchid garden, bee farm and other attractions. Dinner will be served at the park where you'll also spend the night.

An early morning start will see us arrive at Tenom railway station for the 08:00 train to Pangi. Today is all about white -water rafting (grade 3-4) and, after a safety briefing and donning your safety equipment, it will be time to pick up your paddle and go for it. If it is your first time, you may find it just a little scary at first, but will soon find yourself thrilled at the the journey through the rapids. Later, another train will take you to Beaufort, passing the Padas gorge and the villages of the padas river, followed by a drive through scenic countryside back to Kota kinabalu.

Turtle beach
Early next day, we will pick you up for a transfer to Kota Kinabalu airport for a short flight to Sandakan. from there a car will take you to the port for the 1 hour crossing to Selingan island. Once you have checked-in to your chalet, your time will be your own to relax and enjoy the beauty of this island until after lunch, when you will be taken to a protected nesting site for turtles. For the purpose of protection, turtle eggs are taken to the hatchery until they are ready to be released to the sea.

Orang Utan
Next day, and its back to the mainland to continue your adventure, with a visit to the Sepilok Orang Utan sactuary, where you can experience a close encounter with the remarkable creatures. The park's facilities also provides for an in-depth understanding of the issues surrounding this endangered species and the tireless work of the centre to protect and preserve its habitat. After lunch, we travel to Lower Kinabatangan, during wich you may be lucky enough to see monkeys crossing the road. Upon arrival, you can check-in to your chalet and have some lunch, before setting off in the afternoon for a cruiseup Kinabatangan river, to search out some wildlife, and,in particular the rare proboscis monkeys.

The following morning will see us take another cruise in search of the wildlife of the riverbank, and after lunch we will return to Sandakan and a city sightseeing tour, with visits to the rotary obsevation tower and the Puu jih syh Chinese buddhist temple, overlooking the bay. You will the be driven to the airport for the return flight to Kota kinabalu.

Dive in !
Another day, another island, and this time its Sipadan, world famous among the diving and snorkling fraternity as one of the worlds top dive sites, with time enough for two dives, and some snorkelling. Later we will return to the town of Semporna on the mainland wher you spend the rest of the day.

All good things come to an end, and today you can get up at a leisurely pace, and takes you for your flight from Tawau via Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur, where you will be able to connect with your onward or homebound flight.

Meals: 9 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 4 dinner
Guides: as specified