Welcome to Borneo! Touch down in Sandakan on the north eastern coast of Borneo, where you’ll have time to either relax at your hotel or explore the city before for your wildlife adventure begins tomorrow.

You may like to visit Agnes Keith House, the former residence of an American author who wrote about her experiences living in British North Borneo, or Sim Sim Water Village, where houses are built on stilts over the water. Or maybe head to the Rainforest Discovery Centre to walk through the canopy and watch the birdlife.

Sandakan hotel

This morning you’ll be met at your hotel, before travelling by boat to Selingan Island, an important nesting site for green and hawksbill turtles. Enjoy the day swimming, snorkelling and relaxing on the island’s fabulous beaches.

After dinner, the park ranger will call everyone to the beach where you will have the chance to observe turtles laying their eggs, followed by a visit to the hatchery to see the babies, some of which may be ready to be released into the sea.

Turtle Island Resthouse

Lunch, dinner

This morning you’ll return to the mainland and travel to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, established in 1964 as a refuge for orphaned animals rescued from logging sites or being illegally kept as pets. Take the boardwalk through the forest to the feeding platform where you will have the chance to see these most graceful primates feed.

From the orangutan sanctuary you’ll visit the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, also home to rescued animals that cannot be returned to the wild, so now enjoying life in their large forested enclosures. Observe and admire these shy creatures, with their almost comically long tongues, used for extracting honey from bees nests!

Next, it’s a scenic drive through rustic countryside to Sukau, located in the Kinabatangan river basin, where you’ll head into the rainforest to your riverside lodge. After check-in, enjoy a late afternoon river cruise, in search of primates, bird life and other wildlife.

Sakau Rainforest Lodge (or similar)

Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Enjoy another wildlife cruise this morning, before heading back to Sandakan for lunch and a short city tour. After which, you’ll head to the airport for the roughly 1 hour flight to Kota Kinabalu.

Horizon Hotel (or similar)

Breakfast, lunch

This morning you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the local harbour, where you will board a speedboat to travel across to beautiful Gaya Island Resort for a taste of 5 star luxury.

For the next five nights you will be able to relax and enjoy this unique resort, set amongst mangroves, coral reefs and jungle. Treat yourself to a spa treatment, visit Gaya Island Resort Marine Centre or take a guided nature walk.

Gaya Island Resort

Breakfast

Goodbye Gaya Island, hello Singapore! After jetting back across to the mainland by speedboat, you’ll be driven to Kota Kinabalu Airport for your flight to Singapore.

After checking in to your hotel, head out to explore this incredible city. The excellent public transport system makes getting around a breeze. You may like to take in the views from the SkyBar at Marina Bay Sands, enjoy a Singapore Sling in the elegant surroundings of Raffles or stroll around the impressive Gardens by the Bay.

Paradox Merchant Court

Breakfast

You’ll be met at your hotel today, for the short drive to the airport to catch your flight home, on which you’ll have plenty of time to look back through your photos of your Singapore, Borneo and Gaya Island adventure.

Breakfast