Duration(in days): 8
From: Kota Kinabalu
To: Lahad Datu
See more ideas for: Borneo | Malaysia
Explore the natural beauty and amazing wildlife with our Family Borneo adventure. Starting with a couple of days at the beach in Kota Kinabalu, you’ll soon head south to visit the orangutan and sun bear sanctuaries in Sepilok. After spending the morning with these magnificent creatures, head to the Kinabatangan River, where kids will love looking out for proboscis monkeys and wild orangutans in the trees and enjoy night cruises on the lookout for rare pygmy elephants along the riverbank. Head even deeper into the rainforest with a visit to Danum Valley, where you can hike through the 100-million-year-old jungle learning about the plants, insects and mammals that thrive in this virgin forest. For the ultimate family trip to Borneo, this week-long itinerary is ideal.
This itinerary can be tailored to suit your requirements please contact one of our consultants to start planning your dream trip.
On arrival in Kota Kinabalu you will be met at the airport and driven to your hotel, where you will check in for two nights.
Today is yours to explore at leisure – why not enjoy a day at the beach before having dinner at the night market later this evening.
After breakfast, you’ll be driven to the airport for a short flight to Sandakan. On arrival, you’ll be taken to your hotel where you’ll check in for one night. Spend the rest of the day at leisure.
After breakfast, you’ll head to the world’s largest orangutan rehabilitation centre, where you can watch these beautiful animals at feeding time, as they get to work on a pile of bananas and papaya. After spending some time with the orangutans, you can head next door to visit the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre where 36 bears are cared for. After your morning with the animals you’ll be driven south towards the Kinabatangan River, making the last part of the journey by boat as you approach the lodge, where you will check in for two nights.
After lunch, the adventure begins! Take a cruise down the river, looking out for proboscis monkeys, wild orangutans and macaques before dinner in the lodge in the evening. As night falls you’ll take a night safari into the jungle for crocodiles, nocturnal mammals and interesting insects.
This morning you’ll wake up to a cacophony of gibbon and hornbill calls, rousing you in time to take an early morning cruise on the oxbow lake, where you can look for colourful birds in the tranquil morning air. Spend the rest of the day at leisure enjoying the lodge’s facilities before head out on an evening cruise, where you can keep a lookout for rare pygmy elephants and clouds of fireflies along the riverbanks.
After breakfast, you’ll travel to the lush landscape of Danum Valley, a thick virgin rainforest area of Borneo. The last couple of hours drive are on unsealed road but once you reach this jungle paradise, you’ll know the bumpy journey was worth it!
On arrival at the lodge you can enjoy an afternoon walk on the canopy trail, 130 metres high where the 100-million-year-old rainforest is humming with life. After dinner, board one of the open top 4WD vehicles for a night spotlighting tour – you could spot samba deer, leopards and a colourful array of insects and frogs in the twilight.
A morning chorus of birds, insects and monkeys will wake you early, ready for a morning hike along the View Point Trail to the morbidly fascinating Coffin Cliff - a 200-year-old local burial site where coffins dangle from the edge of the rocks. The end of the trail showcases spectacular views over an ocean of million-year-old jungle – truly one of the best sights in Borneo.
On the way back, you can enjoy a dip in the waterfalls before spending the afternoon at leisure in the lodge. You could head out on one of the optional activities like tubing on the Danum River, or simply relax in the lodge, taking in the fresh air and serenity. In the evening, you’ll take a nature walk in the forest to learn about the plants and insects that come to life in the evening hours.
Sadly, your amazing family trip through Borneo has come to an end – today after breakfast, you’ll be driven to Lahad Datu Airport where you can catch your onwards flight.
Borneo is wet between November and February but the temperatures remain pretty constant year-round. From May to September the days are generally dry and warm but rain still isn’t unheard of – this is a tropical island after all!
If you'd like to get a feel for this trip, read our blog post Luxury Borneo with kids: jungles, beaches and monkeys - written by one of our consultants who's been there
This itinerary is purely a suggestion, and can be tailor-made to your requirements, so please contact us with your dates and requests and we’ll put together a bespoke quotation for you.