ORANG-UTANS & TURTLES FAMILY HOLIDAY

Itinerary

• Flight Inclusive itinerary
• Land Only itinerary

Day 1

Depart London on the scheduled Malaysian Airlines overnight flight via Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu.

Day 2

Arrive Kota Kinabalu. The rest of day is free to relax. Those not flying with the group from London will meet us at the hotel during the day. On arrival there is time to rest and recuperate on the tropical beach and by the swimming pool.

Day 3

Free day with the opportunity to swim, visit the city, or take an optional excursion to a nearby adventure park with go-karting, an obstacle course, and for the more adventurous a high and low ropes course and climbing wall is available.

Day 4

In the early morning we take the short flight to the East coast of Sabah, to the city of Sandakan, gateway to the extraordinary wildlife of the region. If we are lucky we can see majestic Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in South East Asia, awaken from the mists out of the window of our plane. We then transfer onto a jet boat that takes us to Pulau Seligan, otherwise knows as 'Turtle Island', set in a protected marine reserve the island is home to one of the oldest wildlife traditions on earth. For thousands of years turtles have been returning to where they were born to repeat the cycle of life. We learn about the major threats to these incredible creatures and what is being done to help them. In the evening, in the company of a park ranger we hope to see a mother laying her new eggs in the white sand. Although the nestings are frequent all year round it should be noted there are seasonal peaks and sometimes the turtles may not come ashore until late at night, and very occasionally not at all.

Day 5

We return to Sandakan and continue onto to what is undoubtedly one of the main attractions of the trip, the world famous Sepilok Orang-utan Sanctuary, 20km from Sandakan. Set up in 1964 in a 43sq km reserve, it is the largest orang-utan sanctuary in the world and rehabilitates orphans and captured orang-utans into the wild. We visit the informative park headquarters and the orang-utans at feeding time. After the feeding we can watch an informative video about the work of the rehabilitation centre. We then return to Sandakan for lunch and in the afternoon begin our boat journey to our riverside lodge at Sukau village. Located in the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, cut by the great Kinabatangan River, the area is home to an astonishing array of wildlife. There are ten primates, four of which are endemic to Borneo and there are four colobines - proboscis monkey, silvered langur, maroon langur and grey langur. It has the highest concentration of proboscis monkeys and orang-utans in Malaysian Borneo. Other wildlife includes bornean gibbon, asian pygmy elephants, long tailed macaques, sun bears, large cats and barking deer. There are also over 200 species of birds including hornbills, eagles, herons, kingfishers, oriental darters, night jars, flowerpeckers and spider hunters. We take jungle walks and river cruises during the day, and there is a marked walking trail behind the lodg

Day 6

This morning we visit the bizarre Gomontong caves. The caves are a major source of the swiftlet bird nests that are a Chinese delicacy. Everyday when in season workers climb large ropes 100 or 150 feet up to the roof of the caves to collect the valuable nests. After marveling at the sight of the caves, and smell of the bats, we continue on another afternoon wildlife cruise, including a visit to an ox-bow lake and forest rehabilitation site for tree planting After dinner there is an optional exciting night time river safari where if we are lucky crocodiles can sometimes be spotted.

Day 7

We leave the Sukau lodge after breakfast and continue by road to Borneo's only tea plantation. The tea plantation is set in the cooler foothills of Mt Kinabalu, this stunning location boasts pristine rainforest and rivers to explore and cool off in. We sleep in twin private rooms in a communal 'longhouse' under mosquito nets.

Day 8

For those early risers there is a stupendous sunrise on Mt.Kinabalu to enjoy with a cup of tea. Today there is time to partake in any of the numerous activities available. There is an obstacle and ropes course and a riverside bar-b-q area as well as optional blowpipe lessons. For the more adventurous there are also bikes for rent and river trekking tours. In the evening there will be traditional dancing, music and storytelling.

Day 9

After breakfast we head back to Kota Kinabalu, en-route we will stop, if lucky, to view the largest flower in the world, the Rafflesia and visit the local 'tamu' or market. In the afternoon there is easy tubing or white water rafting, grade 1-2.

Day 10

After breakfast we make a 2 hour bus and jet boat transfer to Pulau Tiga Island, made famous by the original 'Survivor' TV series. You can either relax at the beach or there is the option to snorkel or dive on the coral reefs that surround the island which are home to varied marine life including, schools of colourful coral fish and sea turtles.

Day 11 - 12

There is free time to explore the islands pristine jungles by its many walking trails of various distances. Birds are plentiful including white pied hornbills, curious chicken-like megapodes and the soaring sea eagles. Macaque monkeys and monitor lizards are commonly seen. Just beyond the resort are small mud volcanoes that are now dormant but are believed to contain natural healing elements for the skin.

Day 13

Return to Kota Kinabalu where the afternoon is free to tour the souvenir shops and bustling Philippino market. Otherwise relax by the hotel pool and use the day rooms provided. Late afternoon transfer to the airport for overnight flight via Kuala Lumpur to London Heathrow.

Day 14

Arrive London.