On arrival in Kuching International Airport, the capital of the state of Sarawak you will be met by an English-speaking representative and transfer to your hotel. Please note: Early check in is not included. If your flight arrives in the morning and you wish to arrange this, please speak to your reservations consultant. An informal Welcome Dinner will be held on Day 1. If you miss this due to your arrival time, all information will be provided to you at breakfast the following morning. Additional night's before and after your tour can be arranged.

Discover Sarawak's diverse culture and the strong influence of China on the state's culture. Get an overview at the small Chinese History Museum on Kuching's waterfront before continuing to Chinatown to see the traditional merchant houses. Pay a visit to a 'sinseh' (Chinese medicine man) and hear about his work before continuing to a 'hio chek' (ceremonial shop), where you'll hear about the custom of worshipping your ancestors. Finally, visit a 'Pak Tik' - a tin smithing shop where you'll be able to try your hand at this art. Continue to Gambier Street, where you'll sample a local dish and hear about the use of spices in Malay cooking. Stop by the impressive Borneo Cultures Museum before a relaxed sampan ride across Kuching’s river to visit a Malay village. Discover the astonishing contrast between the bustling city and the quiet village just across the water.

Drive around 40 minutes out to the small Malay village of Bako, where you'll board a boat to reach Bako National Park on the peninsula, just 20 minutes across the water. Explore the park on foot with a guide – one of Borneo’s most biodiverse areas, the diversity of flora and fauna here is incredible, and easily accessible. Follow trails along streams, past caves and across plateaus, keeping an eye out for wild boar, macaques, monitor lizards and, if you’re lucky, a proboscis monkey! Return to Kuching for dinner. Please note: The treks around Bako National Park are of varying difficulty, with some being over boardwalk and others up and down more uneven surfaces. The longest trek is 1 and a half hours each way. If you wish, you may stay at the café area as all treks return to this point. Treks will be decided on the day of your visit according to suitability and availability.

This morning you have the opportunity to meet Borneo’s most famous native, the orangutan! Drive 40 minutes to Semenggoh, where we visit a centre dedicated to the rehabilitation of rescued or orphaned young orangutans – here they are taught how to survive in the wild. The area you are visiting is where the orangutans are released after their training, to live freely in the nature reserve, so please bear in mind that even at the feeding time, it is not guaranteed that you will spot a resident. Continue to Sri Aman, stopping to visit a local market, a pepper plantation and the village of Lachau en route. Arrive into Sri Aman in the late afternoon and check into your hotel. You may wish to join a guided stroll of the town of Sri Aman, taking in Fort Alice and the majestic Tze Yin Khor Chinese temple. Dinner will be at a local restaurant. Please note: We recommend packing a smaller bag for your 2-night stay in Sri Aman. Your main luggage will be kept in safe storage at the hotel in Kuching, and you will pick it up on your return. Your hotel in Sri Aman is simpler than in Kuching, but is clean, comfortable, and the only suitable option for our clients in this more remote area.

Today you will discover more about Borneo’s native Iban people, renowned for their former practice of headhunting. After breakfast, drive approximately 1 hour to the jetty. Here, board a traditional Iban longboat for a 45-minute cruise along the Lemanak River to a longhouse, where you will have the chance to meet an Iban community. Witness a performance of a traditional ceremony and tribal dance. If weather permits, Iban locals will demonstrate their traditional cooking style (food steamed in bamboo over an open fire). After lunch, return to Sri Aman, where the rest of the day is at leisure. Please note: It is customary to bring some gifts for the Iban longhouse people, which can be divided by the number of families. Our guide can assist you during one of the stops en-route to buy some suitable presents.

After breakfast, check-out and return to Kuching, with a stop en-route for lunch at a local café. Transfer to your hotel in Kuching for check-in. This evening, meet your guide in the hotel lobby before dinner.

Transfer a short distance to the airport and fly over to Borneo’s other Malay state, Sabah, and the vibrant city of Kota Kinabalu. On arrival, the rest of the day is at leisure until dinner. Please note that today a light lunch will be provided on the flight only, due to the flight time. The typical flight time is 12.50-14.20 but may vary according to the local schedule.

Enjoy a walking tour of this fascinating city. Begin your explorations at the Sabah State Museum, where you can learn about the state’s diverse cultural and natural heritage, before exploring some of the city’s beautiful architecture, including the Blue Mosque surrounded by reflecting pools and Chinese Temple to Kwan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. Browse the piles of wares at the Handicraft Market and spice bazaar before strolling through the oldest part of the city. Lunch will be at a local restaurant before returning to the hotel for an afternoon at leisure.

Take a 2-hour drive along the ridges of the Crocker range to reach Kinabalu Park, at the foot of Mt Kinabalu, Borneo’s highest mountain (4,095m). Spend the day exploring the beauty of Kinabalu Park, Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. With four climatic zones, the Park boasts one of the richest collections of biodiversity in the world, housing and protecting more than 4,500 species of flora and fauna. Join a guided walk along one of the forest trails to get a first-hand impression of the Park, its plants and birdlife. Visit the Mountain Garden with its collection of orchids and plants that are unique to Kinabalu. Depart the park after lunch and return to Kota Kinabalu.

Transfer approx. 15 minutes to the airport for your early 1-hour flight to Sandakan. Pay your respects at the Sandakan Memorial Park, which commemorates the suffering of British and Australian prisoners of war held during the WWII Japanese occupation. Continue into Sandakan itself and tour the city, passing the William Pryer and Sandakan Liberation monuments. Stop at the English Tea House before continuing to the Agnes Keith Museum, a historic house which tells the story of colonial life in North Borneo during the British Administration, and the impact of the subsequent Japanese occupation in WWII. This afternoon, transfer to your hotel in the countryside, close to the rainforest. Please note: it is recommended to pack a smaller bag for your 3-night stay in Sandakan and the Kinabatangan River. Your main luggage will be kept in safe storage at the hotel in Kota Kinabalu, and you will pick it up on your return.

This morning, check out of your hotel and head to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, where you will learn all about the orangutans undergoing a rehabilitation program to return to the wild. You'll also visit the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre to visit the world’s smallest bear and learn about the conservation efforts to protect them. Drive further into the countryside. Embark your boat (usually noon) and cruise to your jungle lodge, where we enjoy lunch before checking into our rooms. Later, join an evening 'safari' cruise along the Kinabatangan River to spot some of the abundant wildlife. The waterway sustains one of the world’s richest ecosystems, including 10 species of primates. As the sun sets, look out for the fireflies that illuminate the forest. Return to the lodge for dinner. Afterwards, you may like to wander around the lodge's boardwalk, keeping an eye out for nocturnal wildlife. Please note: The boat transfer/river cruise will be on a shared basis, and you may have other travellers on the boat with you. Jungle Lodge – please be aware the eco-lodge is a simple facility, but is clean and comfortable, is the best option in the area for those who love to stay close to nature and is in a position where it can be easy to spot local wildlife. Most rooms are equipped with a ceiling fan rather than air conditioning.

The early morning is a good time to spot wildlife activity. Embark on a pre-breakfast cruise to the Oxbow Lake, looking out for wildlife or simply enjoying the peaceful ambience. Return to the lodge for breakfast. Return to the lodge and enjoy some time at leisure to nap or explore. Take a final wildlife cruise this evening, in search of hornbills, pygmy elephants and orangutans, before returning to the lodge for dinner.

Return to Sandakan by boat for lunch at a local restaurant before transferring to the airport to fly back to Kota Kinabalu. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner.

Any time before your flight is at leisure and breakfast will be included. You will be transferred 15 minutes from your hotel to Kota Kinabalu International Airport, according to the departure time of your international flight. Late check-out is not included. Additional night's before and after your tour can be arranged.