Borneo Wildlife Adventure: Orangutans, Kinabalu & Sipadan

Today you explore Kota Kinabalu and its beautiful surroundings. You might take a boat out to the idyllic islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, just offshore, to snorkel over coral reefs, swim from white-sand beaches and relax amid tropical greenery, a lovely first taste of Borneo's marine life. Alternatively, or afterwards, you explore the city itself: the bustling central and waterfront markets piled with tropical fruit and fish, the striking City Mosque seeming to float on its lagoon, and a cultural village such as Mari Mari, where you learn about Sabah's diverse indigenous peoples, their longhouses, crafts and customs. The variety and warmth are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your hotel, perhaps for another glorious sunset. This evening, savour fresh Bornean seafood. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to mighty Mount Kinabalu.

Today you journey inland and upward to mighty Mount Kinabalu, Southeast Asia's highest peak and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its jagged granite summit towering over northern Borneo. You drive up through changing landscapes to Kinabalu Park at the mountain's foot, where the cool, fresh air is a welcome change; you walk its rainforest trails, alive with pitcher plants, wild orchids, rhododendrons and birds found nowhere else, and take in breathtaking views of the great peak, cloud permitting. You visit the nearby Poring Hot Springs, soaking in their soothing mineral waters and, for the adventurous, walking the canopy walkway suspended high among the rainforest trees. The scale and biodiversity are majestic. As the day ends, you settle into your lodge near the park, amid cool mountain air. This evening, enjoy a hearty highland dinner. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to the orangutans of Sepilok.

Today you travel to Sepilok, near Sandakan on Sabah's east coast, for one of the most moving wildlife encounters on earth. At the world-renowned Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, which cares for orphaned and rescued orangutans and returns them to the wild, you watch from boardwalks and platforms as these gentle, intelligent red apes swing through the rainforest canopy and gather at feeding platforms, often mothers with playful youngsters, so hauntingly like ourselves. Next door, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre protects the world's smallest bear, and the nearby Rainforest Discovery Centre offers superb birdwatching and a canopy walkway. The intimacy and emotion are profound. As the day ends, you settle into your lodge near Sepilok, surrounded by rainforest. This evening, savour dinner amid the sounds of the jungle. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to the wildlife-rich Kinabatangan River.

Today you journey deep into the wild, transferring to the legendary Kinabatangan River, whose jungle-fringed banks form one of the richest wildlife corridors in all of Asia. You reach your rainforest lodge by road and boat, settling into your riverside retreat surrounded by ancient forest and the constant chorus of the jungle. In the late afternoon you set out on your first river cruise, drifting quietly along the water in search of wildlife as the day cools: the extraordinary big-nosed proboscis monkeys found only in Borneo, troops of macaques and langurs settling to roost, wild orangutans, hornbills, kingfishers and, perhaps, crocodiles basking on the banks. After dark, a night walk or cruise reveals more. The abundance of wildlife is thrilling. As the day ends, you dine at the lodge amid the jungle sounds. Rest well, deep in the rainforest of Borneo.

Today is devoted to the extraordinary wildlife of the Kinabatangan, with cruises at dawn and dusk when animals are most active. In the misty early morning you glide along the river and its quiet tributaries, watching proboscis monkeys leap between the trees, orangutans building nests in the canopy, macaques and langurs, and a dazzling array of birds, from oriental darters and storks to eight kinds of hornbill flapping overhead. Between cruises you relax at the lodge or take a guided rainforest walk in search of smaller creatures, orchids and the world's largest flower, the rafflesia. With luck, you may glimpse a herd of rare Bornean pygmy elephants along the banks. The richness of life is extraordinary. As the day ends, an evening cruise or night walk reveals fireflies and nocturnal wildlife. Rest well, savouring the wild Kinabatangan.

Today you journey south to the coast at Semporna, gateway to one of the world's greatest marine destinations, the fabled reefs around the island of Sipadan. You transfer by road and boat to this dazzling seascape of turquoise water and coral islands. Snorkelling or diving in the warm, crystal-clear sea, you swim among green and hawksbill turtles, swirling tornadoes of barracuda and jackfish, reef sharks and vast coral gardens in a blaze of colour, amid some of the richest marine biodiversity on earth (Sipadan itself is strictly protected, and dive permits are limited to preserve its magic). You relax on white-sand beaches between swims. The underwater world is spectacular. As the day ends, you return to your accommodation near Semporna, exhilarated by the marine life. This evening, savour fresh seafood. Rest well, reflecting on your wild Borneo journey.

After a final morning by the sea in Sabah, perhaps a last snorkel or a relaxed breakfast overlooking the water, you are transferred to Tawau airport for your onward flight and departure from Malaysian Borneo. You leave having experienced the wild heart of Borneo, the moving orangutans of Sepilok and the world's smallest sun bears, the proboscis monkeys, hornbills and wild beauty of the Kinabatangan River, mighty Mount Kinabalu towering over the rainforest, and the turtles, sharks and dazzling reefs of Sipadan and Semporna. The images stay vivid long after you land, an orangutan mother cradling her baby, a big-nosed proboscis monkey leaping through the canopy, the cloud-wreathed summit of Kinabalu, and a green turtle gliding over the coral. Borneo offers wildlife, adventure and wild natural beauty in abundance, and you depart moved, exhilarated and already dreaming of a return to wild Malaysia.