Malaysia Tours in January 2027

This tour was as advertised in terms of level of activity. It incorporated a variety of experiences & included interactions with local culture & give back to the local community through Planeterra. Participants came from different parts of the world & their ages covered a wide range, which offered the opportunity for cultural & personal exchanges throughout the trip. The sights & experiences offered were fascinating &, at times unique, despite & sometimes because of the heavy rain. The tour guide provided enough information about the places & people we encountered without being too talkative & he answered questions freely.

A wonderful small group experience with a focused itinerary that was still responsive to local conditions and group interests. There was a variety of food options and accommodations, from rustic to classy. A knowledgeable and conscientious CEO pulled it all together.

The experiences were incredible with the wildlife seen and the journey that was taken with people one has never met. We went in as strangers and came out as friends. The guide makes or breaks this type of trip. Our guide made it for us the best it could be.

A fantastic introduction to Sabah in Borneo. The trip was varied, pacey, full of fun and led by Bibiana who added a huge amount to the whole experience. Jungle, tropical beaches, homestay and local food and culture combined to provide a spicy introduction to Malaysian Borneo.

I picked the trip as it balanced wildlife and the culture. It was a good mix and highlighted the differences between Borneo and 'Malaya' parts. About the right time spent in both areas.

We knew December was the wettest month, but hearts sank when our first wildlife trip had to be abandoned as the river was too high for safety to take us there. However, our guides had a good backup plan and took us to the Sarawak Cultural Village where we were able to see some traditional longhouses and experience a display of spectacular tribal dances - including one of the group having a go with a blow pipe. We were lucky enough to see the bat exodus from Deer Cave at Mulu before the rain started again and forgot to stop. We were evacuated from our comfortable lodges while it was still daylight, wading through above-the-knee water to the restaurant. As it got darker, and the water deeper we expected to spend the night elsewhere than our comfortable beds. However, the rain did stop and the river stabilised so we were eventually boated back. The poor villagers further up the river didn't come off so easily in the worst floods for 14 years. All praise to the Garden Park staff and our guides for their excellent control of the situation, and their help to their neighbours as well as us. Don't forget your PONCHO! Preferably a discreet colour. A wading nature walk next day turned up a scorpion, various lizards and skinks as well as a Paradise Flycatcher and the sunshine brought back the butterflies. From the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary on, the mammals were amazing. The monkeys are real characters with such expressive faces and it was good to see so many mums and babies. Great photo opportunities. Sepilok was a mixed experience. The youngsters are kept the other side of a glass wall and they didn't care for the pouring rain much either - rolling around trying to don sacks and holding leaves over their heads in attempts to keep dry. Although it was disappointing to only see one adult orangutan, it demonstrated how successful the rehab programme has been as far fewer babies and adults are coming in for care. However, moving on to Danum Valley, our outing turned up a mother and youngster orangutan yards from the centre. And they didn't stop coming. Five in a couple of hours. Even the guides were amazed. In all we saw ten or eleven over the whole of the trip, just doing their own thing in the trees. We were lucky enough to see a herd of pygmy elephants on our Kinabatangan river cruises. Again, loads of babies. There were a lot of boats vying for the best position so unfortunately the disturbance to the animals from noise and diesel was to be regretted. The birds were spectacular here too, hornbills, hawks, eagles and little flowerpeckers in the garden as well as more butterflies. Take binoculars and a camera with a good zoom if you want to get any animal shots. You don't need huge lenses - I got some great shots with a compact. And discreet colour clothing. Pack light. It really is 'deal with your own luggage' on this one and there aren't big retail opportunities so small is beautiful.