Sandakan Tours and Trips

Malaysia is such a rich country with so much to offer from nature to history. The main reason I loved this trip was because it felt like it gave me a full experience of this beautiful country. From seeing Proboscis Monkeys in the wild to the beautiful sites like Georgetown, this trip had it all.

Borneo with Contiki was honestly one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. Our trip leader was amazing and made everything feel so easy and fun. I met such a great group of people, and seeing orangutans in the wild was something I’ll never forget. Every excursion was packed with adventure I had the best time!

The trip was full of adventure, animals, nature, good food and good vibes! Absolutely loved the included experiences and the optional extras. Our trip leader was amazing and well versed in Borneo, and made the trip beyond expectations.

An incredible two weeks on Borneo and the Malaysian peninsula. The first part of the trip involves several days of wildlife cruises, whilst staying deep in the jungle, to search for orangutans, elephants, crocodiles and various exotic birds. We were fortunate enough to spot lots of interesting animals under the guidance of our fantastic leader, Jeffry. The second half of the trip involves visiting various towns and cities on the peninsula, including Malacca, famous for its street market, Kuala Lumpur, and Georgetown, a colonial town on Penang Island. There are plenty of opportunities for tours, sampling traditional food and shopping. Finally, the tour moves onto Langkawi for a relaxing end to the holiday. This serene island, featuring pristine beaches, wonderful restaurants and vibrant nightlife allowed my group plentiful free time to enjoy another part of the country before flying home. A wonderful holiday that encapsulated everything Malaysia has to offer.

An amazing two weeks - first half spotting wildlife in the Borneo rainforest then a week on the mainland visiting colonial towns and modern cities. A perfect blend of two holidays merged into one. A full on itinerary but never felt too rushed, the hotels were mainly very good, the exception being the final hotel in Langkawi which in my opinion is in dire need of some refurbishement, a bit of a disappointment after the lovely hotel in Penang. Food was good with an exceptional group meal on the final night in Langkawi. Most trips were included in price only additional cost was the cable car and mangrove tour in Langawi both of which were worth doing. Melaka was great fun, a little bit bonkers and very lively night life, a real culture shock after our time in the simple lodges in the Borneo rainforest. We also took a 2nd trishaw tour in Penang to see the street art, not included in trip but we all really enjoyed it and saw a lot more than on foot as quite a big town. For a bit of luxury try the cocktails or afternoon tea at the Eastern and Oriental hotel in Penang (think Raffles in Singapore). A really lovely group of people helped make this one of my most memorable holidays. My first time on an organised tour but I'm a convert and this wont be my last.

What can I say - what an amazing trip. From start to finish we were incredibly lucky with what we saw and the encounters we had. Starting in Bako NP, we saw wild proboscis monkey and were treated to a rare sighting of a Colugo (flying lemur) taking flight over our heads during the day. On the way back on the boat, we were even treated to a viewing of pink dolphins. In Mulu, the caves were beautiful and great fun to walk through. Although we were supposedly there during the 'dry' season, climate change has made the weather much more unpredictable. We had lovely weather both mornings, but torrential rain in the afternoons and overnight, so much so that the bats stayed inside the cave on the first night. Patience and a willingness to walk in the rain with crossed fingers paid off on the second night, and we were treated to a spectacular bat exodus during sunset. The weather is very changeable in Mulu (and Borneo in general) so even if it looks as though it may be too wet for the bats, I would recommend heading to the viewing area anyway as you never know! Even in the rain, the air temperature is warm and you dry off quickly. Moving to Sabah, the highlights have to be the Kinabatangan River and Danum Valley. Both were so rich in wildlife and we had such amazing viewings in both locations. The Orangutan and Proboscis monkey sanctuaries are great and do fabulous work, but nothing compares to seeing these animals truly out in the wild. We were incredibly lucky with our sightings and saw not only the Borneo Big 5 (orangutan, proboscis monkey, crocodile, rhinoceros hornbill and pygmy elephant) but a huge array of other primates and birds (long and short tail macaques, gibbons, silver and red leaf monkeys, flying squirrels, owls, civets, slow loris, eagles, deer and many more) . Particularly in Danum Valley, take the opportunity to do as much as possible. There are a couple of places on the track and boardwalk that you can go independently providing the sun is up. A few of us in the group met up at 6am on both mornings in Danum and we were rewarded with a group of gibbons eating and playing in the trees on both mornings - a sight not repeated during the day. Seize every opportunity and just explore and enjoy.