Wild Encounters of Borneo with Kuching

Welcome to Sandakan, your gateway to Borneo’s wildlife and rainforests. This coastal city in eastern Sabah sits between the Sulu Sea and rainforest, with markets, temples and waterfront streets shaped by its mix of Malay, Chinese and Indigenous cultures. After settling in, meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers for dinner. Over your first evening together, get to know the people you’ll be traveling with and hear from your Travel Director about the wildlife, landscapes and local communities that will shape your time in Borneo.

Start at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, your MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, where you’ll see orphaned orangutans and those once kept as pets learning the skills they need to return to the wild. Watch them feed on fruit, swing through the trees and view the nursery where younger orangutans practise for life in the rainforest. Continue to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center for a guided tour with founder and CEO Dr. Wong, whose work protects the world’s smallest bear. At the Rainforest Discovery Center in Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, walk suspension bridges and a 147 m (482 ft) canopy walkway, with giant trees and rare birds around you.

Discover Sandakan on a Heritage Walk, following local streets through the city’s markets, cafes and community spaces. Dive into Culture as you taste roti kosong, kueh and teh tarik, favorites you’ll see on menus and counters across the city. Transfer by boat to Kinabatangan Wetland Resort, your Stays with Stories experience, surrounded by mangroves and rainforest near the Kinabatangan River. Cruise along the river, taking in the changing views and watching the banks for signs of proboscis monkeys, hornbills and crocodiles. After dinner at the resort, join a night walk along the boardwalk to look for insects, frogs and other creatures active after dark.

Set out at first light on the Kinabatangan River, listening for the dawn chorus as the rainforest comes to life around you. Cruise to an oxbow lake, where still water, overhanging trees and wetland plants create a different view of this river system. Pass Kg Abai and hear about the Orang Sungai, the river people whose traditional way of life is tied to fishing, boats and the changing water levels. Return to the resort for free time before an afternoon cruise along the upper Kinabatangan, looking for pygmy elephants, mangrove species and other signs of life along the banks. After dinner, step back onto the boat for a night river safari, scanning the dark for slow lorises, tarsiers, civets and sleeping kingfishers.

Travel by boat back towards Sandakan, passing fishing villages where stilted homes, working boats and nets line the coast. At Agnes Keith House, step inside the restored home of the American writer who wrote about North Borneo before and after the Second World War, looking through its rooms, photographs and gardens. Next door, the English Tea House puts you in one of Sandakan’s best-known hilltop settings for lunch. The road to Kundasang takes you through rainforest, farmland and mountain roads, moving from the coast into Sabah’s highlands near Mount Kinabalu to your hotel for the night.

In the foothills of Mount Kinabalu, Kiau Village brings you into the world of Sabah’s coffee-growing Dusun community. Join your hosts for your Be My Guest experience, where fresh local coffee leads into a home-cooked lunch and conversation about village life. At Guas Nabalu, follow the coffee from plant to cup and taste the finished brew, before sampling local honey and browsing handmade pineapple jams, chutneys and juices. Pekan Nabalu gives you a chance to shop for local handicrafts, with views of Mount Kinabalu if the weather is clear. Kota Kinabalu brings you back to the coast, where you’ll visit the city mosque, pass Atkinson Clock Tower and stop at a local market. This evening, you could choose to explore the night market on foot with dinner.

Leave Kota Kinabalu for Ara Dinawan Island, a small island off Sabah’s coast where clear water, coral and white sand show you a softer side of Borneo. Spend the day close to the sea, with the option to kayak along the shoreline or snorkel above the reef, or simply stay on the beach. For lunch, enjoy a private beach barbecue with grilled seafood, chicken, fresh salads, tropical fruit and cold drinks served near the water. Return to Kota Kinabalu, then join your fellow travelers for dinner in the city.

Say goodbye to your Travel Director in Kota Kinabalu before flying to Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. On arrival, meet your new Travel Director and head into a city known for its riverfront streets, Chinese temples, mosques and old trading buildings. Walk through the center, seeing the cat statue, cat fountain, Chinese temple, river promenade and mosque, with a local lunch featuring Sarawak laksa, rich with spice, coconut and noodles. After checking in to your hotel, join your fellow travelers for dinner at a local restaurant.

Travel to Bako Village and continue by boat to Bako National Park, where rainforest, mangroves, beaches and rocky headlands create one of Sarawak’s most varied natural settings. Walk through the park, looking for proboscis monkeys, macaques, monitor lizards and birdlife as you explore trails shaped by jungle and coast. Return to Kuching for free time to enjoy the city at your own pace. This evening, you could choose to join an Optional Experience sunset cruise along the Sarawak River, with panoramic views of Kuching’s skyline and landmarks from the water.

Visit Semenggoh Wildlife Conservation Center, where rehabilitated orangutans live freely in the surrounding forest after being cared for and released. Watch for them moving through the trees and learn how the center supports their return to a more natural life. Continue to a Bidayuh longhouse, where your hosts welcome you with a home-cooked lunch and a community dance. Explore the longhouse and hear about Bidayuh traditions before you Dive into Culture, trying your hand at Sarawakian instruments with the community. Return to Kuching for time to rest before dinner at a local restaurant.

Say goodbye to Kuching and your fellow travelers as your time in Borneo comes to an end. Depending on your flight time, take one last look at Sarawak’s capital, from its riverfront streets to the cafes, temples and markets you’ve come to know. Your transfer takes you to the airport for your onward journey.