Orang-utans & Jungles

Day 1
Depart London on the scheduled Malaysian Airlines overnight flight via Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu.

Day 2
Today there is time to rest and recuperate next to the beach or swimming pool, before the trip briefing this afternoon/evening.

Day 3
Today is a free day with the opportunity to explore Kota Kinabalu with its tribal artefacts on display at the Sabah Museum or view the Islamic architecture at the State Mosque. The nearby islands of the Abdul Rahman Marine Park are great for swimming and snorkelling and a popular option. Your tour leader can advise you on all the options available.

Day 4
In the 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 to 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 educational video about the work of the rehabilitation centre. We will also visit the nearby Rainforest Discovery Centre specialising in environmental education. Here we can climb onto the canopy walkways 28 metres up in the trees and search for animals and birds. Here there are fantastic bird watching opportunities: Hornbills and the Borneo Bristlehead are often seen, and an array of displays highlights the island's diverse flora. Orang-utans can also be spotted during the fruiting season. There is a small fee to use the swimming pool.

Day 5
We transfer to our jungle lodge located in the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, which is undoubtedly one of the main attractions of the trip. The sanctuary is cut by the great Kinabatangan River, the 3rd longest river in Borneo and our lodge is the entry point to an astonishing area of wildlife. The area is home to 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 one of 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 will take an afternoon river cruise.

Day 6
Early this morning we will take a dawn wildlife walk to see the jungle creatures waking up in the forest canopy. After breakfast, we will then trek out to an ox-bow lake and forest rehabilitation site for tree planting. In the afternoon, we will take to the river on a cruise to spot more wildlife and if we are lucky a crocodile or two. We will also have the opportunity for a jungle night walk with possibilities of seeing scorpions, night owl and even western tarsiers (optional).

Day 7
Today we drive to the Sabah Tea Plantation (approx 3 hours) en-route we stop at the bizarre Gomantong caves. The caves are a major source of the swiftlet bird nests that are a Chinese delicacy. Every day, when in season, workers climb large ropes 100 or 150 feet up to the roof of the caves to collect the valuable nests. 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. Tonight we sleep in a traditional style Rungus, bamboo longhouse.

Day 8
For those early risers there is a beautiful sunrise on Mt Kinabalu to enjoy with a cup of tea. We will have a tour of the plantation factory and learn about tea production on the only organic tea farm in Borneo. We will then take a guided walk around the plantation past the tea bushes and jungle and over the gentle sloping terrain. There is an obstacle and low ropes course where its possible to swim (all optional). This evening you may have the opportunity to see and even join in the traditional dances of the Rungus Tribe (optional).

Day 9
After breakfast we head back towards Kota Kinabalu via Poring hot springs which has water temperatures ranging between 49 to 60 degrees celcius and one can enjoy a refreshing dip in the swimming pool or soak in the steaming sulphurous water channelled from the hot springs into tiled pools and tubs. We will stop at the Kundasang War Memorial which commemorates Prisoners of War who died during the infamous death marches during World War II. The memorial is made up of four gardens, the Australian, English, Malaysian and the Contemplation Garden that represent the different nationalities.

Day 10
Today is a free day, the nearby Mari Mari cultural village is one option on offer, it is made up of several traditional homes and longhouses from Sabah's main ethnic groups. Here we can learn about bamboo cooking on open fires, bounce on a traditional trampoline made from bamboo and be treated to tribal henna tattoos. Another popular option is to drive for an hour to the tranquil Kiulu valley where there is fun white water rafting, (grade 1-2) on the Kiulu River suitable for first timers.

Day 11
After breakfast we make a 3 hour bus and boat transfer to Pulau Tiga Island which was made famous by the original American reality TV 'Survivor' series. You can either relax at the beach or get into the water to snorkel or dive on the coral reefs around the island. These are home to a variety of marine life including, schools of colourful coral fish and sea turtles. There are many trails of various distances throughout the island. 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' bubbling fine silty mud. These are believed to contain natural healing elements for the skin.

Day 12
This is free day allowing time to explore the island or just relax. A half day snorkel trip to Snake and Sand islands is included during our stay to see some of the many species of fish that inhabit the area.

Day 13
We spend our final morning on the island before returning to Kota Kinabalu this afternoon for some final souvenir shopping and its bustling Filipino market.

Day 14
Fly to London.