Today you fly to Kuching on Borneo.

After arriving in Kuching, a transfer takes you to your hotel in the city centre. Depending on your arrival time, take a first walk or relax in your room or by the pool. In the evening you get to know your fellow travellers at a welcome dinner in a nearby restaurant. 2 nights in Kuching. (D) (Distance: approx. 40 km; driving time: approx. 45 min)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast Riverside Majestic – Puteri Wing is centrally located in Kuching right on the Sarawak River; the waterfront, Sarawak Museum and bazaar are within walking distance. It has an outdoor pool with sun terrace, a fitness centre and several restaurants. The rooms have air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV, safe and tea and coffee facilities.

Today you dive into Sarawak’s cuisine. At a local market you discover fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, meat and the region’s typical herbs. In a cooking class with a local chef you prepare Sarawak specialities – the menu depends on the season and ingredients – and learn about traditional preparation methods. You then enjoy the dishes together for lunch. The afternoon is yours: stroll along the waterfront or through the old town; your guide will gladly give you tips for the evening. (B/L) (Distance: approx. 10 km; driving time: approx. 30 min)

Early in the morning you travel by minibus to the fishing village of Bako and on by boat to Bako National Park, the oldest national park in Sarawak. In just 27 km², mangroves, coastline, sandstone formations and rainforest alternate. With luck you see proboscis monkeys, found only on Borneo, as well as other monkeys, birds and lizards (wildlife sightings depend on nature). On a moderate hike over boardwalks, steps and partly steep, root-covered sections – sure-footedness is required – you explore the park and have lunch in the national park. Then you drive to Damai Beach, where you stay three nights in a beach hotel right by the sea. 3 nights at Damai Beach. (B/L) (Distance: approx. 45 km; driving time: approx. 1 hr)

3 nights · Double room · With breakfast Damai Lagoon Resort lies on Damai Bay against the backdrop of Mount Santubong, surrounded by rainforest, just steps from the beach. It has an infinity pool, two restaurants, two bars and a café; the modern rooms have air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, minibar and smart TV.

Up numerous steps you reach the Fairy Caves, one of Sarawak’s best-known cave systems, with high chambers, striking limestone formations said to resemble fairy-tale figures, and shafts of daylight. You learn how the karst landscapes were formed. Through rice fields and forests you drive to the village of Annah Rais of the Bidayuh, an indigenous people of Sarawak. The longhouse is one of the largest in the region and is still home to several families. On a tour you learn about history, ways of living and daily life and see relics such as the “Cannon of Peace” and a skull collection from the headhunting era. For lunch the villagers serve you a home-cooked meal. In the afternoon you return to Damai Beach. (B/L) (Distance: approx. 215 km; driving time: approx. 4 hrs)

At the foot of Mount Santubong you visit the Sarawak Cultural Village, an award-winning open-air museum. Faithfully reconstructed houses show the dwellings of the main ethnic groups – such as the Iban longhouse, the Bidayuh roundhouse and the houses of the Orang Ulu with their wood carvings, beadwork and the sape lute. People in traditional dress demonstrate crafts, games and daily tasks and tell you about customs and beliefs. You stay at the cultural village for lunch. You spend the afternoon by the sea or at the resort. (B/L)

After breakfast you fly in about 1.5 hours from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu and check into your centrally located hotel. In the evening you take a short city walk and visit the night market right by the water – among food stalls and stands, famous for freshly prepared seafood. 1 night in Kota Kinabalu. (B) (Distance: approx. 50 km; driving time: approx. 1.5 hrs)

1 night · Double room · With breakfast Le Méridien is located in the heart of Kota Kinabalu, a few minutes’ walk from the waterfront, night market and old town. It has a restaurant with sea views, a lobby bar, a spa, a fitness area and an outdoor pool; the modern rooms have air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV, minibar and private bathroom.

Today is all about slowing down: enjoy your hotel, stroll along the waterfront or explore Kota Kinabalu on your own. Optionally you can take a boat to Gaya Island for snorkelling and relaxing on the beach, with lunch (bookable locally, from approx. MYR 535 p.p.). In the afternoon you move to a 5-star beach resort set in around 25 hectares of gardens, with a spa, several restaurants and bars and a large pool landscape by the sea. 2 nights at the beach resort near Kota Kinabalu. (B) (Distance: approx. 40 km; driving time: approx. 1 hr)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort & Spa lies on Pantai Dalit beach, about 40 minutes outside Kota Kinabalu, between rainforest and a long sandy beach. It offers several restaurants and bars, tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course, water sports, bike rental, its own nature reserve, a large spa and an extensive outdoor pool.

The day is yours: on the beach, on a walk by the water or in your resort’s pool landscape. Your guide is sure to have a tip or two. (B)

After breakfast you fly in about 50 minutes to Sandakan, crossing the mountains around Kinabalu, Borneo’s highest peak. After check-in you take a walk with your guide through this former trading town. Then you have free time; you end the day with dinner at the hotel. 1 night in Sandakan. (B/D) (Distance: approx. 80 km; driving time: approx. 1.5 hrs)

1 night · Double room · With breakfast Ormond Sandakan is located in the heart of Sandakan by the harbour, near Sandakan Harbour Mall and many restaurants. It has a restaurant, a bar, a fitness area and an outdoor pool overlooking the coast. The modern rooms with large windows have air conditioning, TV, free Wi-Fi and bathroom with hairdryer.

You drive to Sepilok, about 25 km away, in the Kabili-Sepilok rainforest reserve. At the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, orphaned, injured or rescued animals are prepared for life in the wild; at feeding time you may see them up close. At the neighbouring Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, sun bears, the world’s smallest bear species, are cared for and released where possible. After lunch at your lodge you walk along raised walkways through the rainforest canopy in the late afternoon, looking out for birds and small mammals. 1 night in Sepilok. (B/L) (Distance: approx. 30 km; driving time: approx. 45 min)

1 night · Double room · With breakfast In Sepilok you stay in a lodge on the edge of the rainforest.

In the late morning you drive to the Kinabatangan, Sabah’s longest river. Floodplain forests, swamps and mangroves make the region one of the most species-rich on Borneo. After checking into the lodge you go on your first river safari and, with luck, already spot birds and monkeys. In the evening you have dinner together at the lodge. 2 nights on the Kinabatangan. (B/D) (Distance: approx. 105 km; driving time: approx. 2 hrs)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast On the Kinabatangan you stay in a riverside lodge.

Very early on a river safari you experience the rainforest waking up. You look out for proboscis monkeys, found only on Borneo, and with luck for wild orangutans or Bornean pygmy elephants (wildlife sightings depend on nature). After breakfast and free time you meet for lunch at the lodge. In the late afternoon you head out on the water once more before ending the evening with dinner together. (B/L/D)

You drive to Sandakan airport and fly in about 3 hours to Kuala Lumpur; a transfer takes you to your hotel in the centre. The rest of the day is yours: temples, markets and futuristic buildings such as the roughly 452-metre Petronas Twin Towers, which you can also visit inside. Try the varied cuisine of the food stalls and end the trip with a drink at a sky bar. 1 night in Kuala Lumpur. (B) (Distance: approx. 170 km; driving time: approx. 3 hrs)

1 night · Double room · With breakfast Capri by Fraser is located in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur’s central shopping and entertainment district. On the roof terrace there is an infinity pool with city views, plus a restaurant and a fitness centre. The modern rooms have TV, free Wi-Fi and seating area.

After breakfast a transfer takes you to Kuala Lumpur airport for your flight home – or you extend your stay. (B) (Distance: approx. 60 km; driving time: approx. 1 hr)

With unforgettable memories, you land back home today.