Sabah Highlights Adventure 7D/6N

Enjoy a week-long journey immersed in pristine natural surroundings and rich culture in Sabah starting your trip in Kota Kinabalu on Day 1 with free time to see the Mari Mari Cultural village or the Sabah Museum. Embark on a snorkelling trip on Day 2 to Tunku Abdul Rahman marine park. On Day 3, head to Mount Kinabalu National Park for a full day of nature hikes, canopy walks and hot springs. Then sleep overnight at a picturesque and peaceful tea plantation.  On Days 4&5, travel deep into the heart of Sabah to an adventure lodge on the banks of the Kinabatangan River listening to the sounds of nature, with an optional night walk. Take river cruises and hike to view wildlife. Day 6 brings us to the Gomantong Caves and Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, an experience you’ll never forget. Your trip will come to an end on Day 7 in Sandakan.  

You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel located in downtown Kota Kinabalu. The day is free to explore the city and its surroundings. We recommend making a visit to the Mari Mari Cultural village, Garama River or the nearby Sabah Museum.

Today, your guide will meet you at your hotel between 8:00 - 8:15am to collect your insurance details and give you a short briefing about your trip. You will then transfer down to Jesselton point to catch a boat out to Tunku Abdul Rahman NP.  The park was gazetted in 1974 and is now a rich home of various types of coral, marine turtles and myriads of colourful fish. We will spend the day aboard a shared boat to go snorkelling in these clear waters in some of the best spots and also stop at some of the white sand islands along the way. Have lunch and then return back to the hotel by mid afternoon.

Today we will head out to the cooler climes of Kinabalu Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's one of the most important ecological sites in the world with between 5000-6000 species of plants, 326 different birds and 100 mammalian species. We will hit the lower trails on a guided tour of the park. After we have visited the park we will travel to the nearby Poring Hot Springs. Here there are a series of pools from hot to cold that you can bathe in. We will also take to the treetops on a canopy walk to get a bird’s eye view of the rainforest canopy. There may be time to explore some of the self-guided trails, visit the butterfly or orchid garden. We then travel onwards to the Sabah Tea Plantation. This is the only organic tea plantation in Malaysia.  

Wake early for majestic views of Mount Kinabalu and the mist laden tea plantation. There is the option to visit the tea factory and do some tea sampling before your transfer from the Sabah Tea plantation to the Kinabatangan region, a journey of about 5-6 hours. The Kinabatangan is the longest river in Sabah. It is well known for its variety of wildlife especially mammals. We will stay in a lodge located right on the banks of the river amongst rainforest wetlands. In the early evening we will take a dusk wildlife cruise. If you are lucky you may see wild orangutans, crocodiles, proboscis, silver leaf and macaque monkeys. In the evening there is an optional night walk in search of fascinating jungle insects.

Wake to the sound of hornbills and take to the river on a dawn river cruise, your eagle-eyed guide will point wildlife out to you but it’s a great idea to bring some binoculars. After breakfast we take a trek out to a nearby area rich with flora and fauna. Have lunch at the lodge and in the afternoon we have one more chance to enjoy this rich eco system on an afternoon cruise. Have a relaxing dinner tonight and rest up after a day full of activity.

Say goodbye to our friendly hosts and meet your guide for the day. Our first stop is the nearby Gomantong caves.  These caves are well known for their edible swiftlets nests that are harvested for bird’s nest soup. It is an ancient tradition but nowadays there is a strict control on how many nests can be taken. It is a favourite filming site of David Attenborough due to the rich eco system contained within the caves – beware it’s a bit smelly! Our journey continues onwards to Sepilok. This afternoon we will visit the famous Sepilok Orangutan sanctuary to see these lovable animals up close. We will also visit the nursery where young orphan Orangutans are taught how to climb so that they can be released back into the wild. Other options are the nearby Sunbear centre and rainforest discovery centre which can all be reached on foot from our hotel.

This morning you will be transferred to the airport or hotel in Sandakan as your adventure comes to an end.