Others

Poring Hot Springs - Canopy Walk Poring Hot Springs - Conservation Fee Kinabatangan River - Afternoon Wildlife Cruise Sabah Tea Plantation - Tea factory tour Kinabatangan - Night jungle walk Kinabatangan - Cooking class Kinabatangan – Cultural Performance Sepilok - Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre Turtle Island - Turtle Night Nesting viewing Sandakan - War Memorial

Accommodation

GENERAL ROOMING CONFIGURATIONS: Family of two: All family groupings of two will be accommodated in a twin room. Family of three: Wherever possible we will put you in a triple room. Please be aware that in some places triple rooms are in short supply. This means that a triple room will often be a twin room with a rollaway bed or mattress on the floor. Where triple rooms aren’t available it will be at your discretion which of your family takes the single room. Family of four or more: You will most likely be accommodated in two twin rooms. Where possible, we will accommodate your family in a quadruple room. While we do our very best to ensure that family groups are roomed close together (in some cases, we can arrange adjoining rooms), we can’t guarantee this. Most family holidays occur during peak season and we sometimes have little to no control over the exact placement of rooms within a hotel. Please be understanding if we are unable to room your family in immediate proximity of one another. Hotel (4 nights), Longhouse (1 night), Jungle Camp (2 nights) Chalet (1 night)

Meals

8 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners

Transport

Bus , Minibus , Plane

Guide

All Intrepid Family trips are accompanied by one of our group leaders. The aim of the group leader is to assist your family to take the hassle out of your travels and help you have the best trip possible. Your leader will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for fun things to do and see - for both kids and parents, recommend great local eating venues that will even get the kids trying new things, and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. Our leaders are not babysitters on this trip - we leave that to you (the experts), but they will make sure that group members of all ages are able to explore their destination safely and with as much fun as possible. Our group leaders are not responsible for looking after children at any time and children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times throughout this itinerary.

Not included:

Insurance

Travel Insurance is not included

Flights

International flights are not included

Others

Other activities and services are not included

Optional

Other activities and services are not included

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Kota Kinabalu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Kota Kinabalu

Selamat datang! Welcome to Malaysia. Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, is an intriguing city located between the Borneo jungle and the South China Sea. Having survived WWII bombings, KK (as it’s commonly known) has a charm unique to the frontier town. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 5 pm at your hotel. Here you will meet your leader and fellow family travellers. Following the meeting, perhaps head out with your fellow families to the waterfront market. Here you’ll find smoky stalls serving up grilled meat and fish and heaps of local delicacies. If you arrive with significant time before the welcome meeting, you can immerse yourself in history at the Sabah State Museum or explore the islands off Kota Kinabalu which are excellent for swimming or snorkelling.
Day 2 Day 2: Poring Hot Springs
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Poring Hot Springs

Head to the Poring Hot Springs to enjoy a scenic canopy walk and relaxing swim in the springs themselves, which the kids will love. The entrance to the hot pools themselves is optional as there are a few pools to choose from. Parents and older children may enjoy the hot pools while younger children will prefer the slide pool. You get to choose on the day. Tonight you will spend the night in a reconstructed longhouse on the tea plantation. Rooms are twin/triple-share and have fans and shared bathrooms.
Day 3 Day 3: Kinabatangan River
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Kinabatangan River

This morning we visit a Sabah Tea Factory and learn the process of tea leaves before saying goodbye to the mountain and heading into the jungle. Travel by private bus to Batu Puteh, a small village on the banks of the Kinabatangan River (approximately 5 hours). Your hosts for the night are the local community-run conservation organization KOPEL whose aim is to provide villagers with the means of making a sustainable living from the forest. KOPEL are responsible for a reforestation project in which the community are actively involved in growing seedlings and replanting back degraded forested areas. Arrive in the afternoon meet your hosts and learn a little more about KOPELs work, before jumping in a boat and heading upriver to your accommodation in the jungle (approximately 30 minutes). This afternoon, you’ll head out on a sunset cruise up the river in search of wildlife, including macaques, wild orangutan and proboscis monkeys. Be prepared for an adventure! Return to your jungle camp by an oxbow lake, freshen up for dinner and afterwards, let the cicadas sing you to sleep.
Day 4 Day 4: Kinabatangan River
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Kinabatangan River

Wake up to the sounds of the jungle ready for a busy day. After breakfast you’ll head upriver to the village where you take a walk around the village to learn more about the life of the local people. For lunch, it’s all hands-on deck as you partake in a fun traditional cooking class, eating the fruits of your labour for lunch! The afternoon is free to relax, enjoy some boardgames or keep spotting wildlife, before heading back on the boat for another trip on the river. After dinner tonight, you’ll don headtorches and head out into the jungle for a night walk in search of insects and nocturnal animals. See what happens to the jungle at night, and what creatures come out to play!
Day 5 Day 5: Sandakan
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Sandakan

Say goodbye to your Eco Camp and take a drive to Sandakan. On arrival, you will notice the strong Cantonese influence, seen in the lively harborside market, the many Chinese temples and the local cuisine. Here there is free time to catch up on your essentials, like laundry and banking, as well as to explore the city. Otherwise, just spend some time relaxing by the pool!
Day 6 Day 6: Sandakan/Sepilok
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Sandakan/Sepilok

Today is an exciting day and a favourite with the kids – here come the orangutans! It’s a 45-minute drive by minibus to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. The centre was set up to help re-introduce these wonderful creatures back into the wild after a life of domestication or having been orphaned. From the viewing platform, you can see these charming creatures as they swing into view and eat a supplementary balanced diet of fruit, vegetables or milk, laid out for them twice a day. Human contact must be kept to a minimum and it’s essential that you follow the instructions of the park, as directed by your leader, but you are free to snap plenty of photographs. You will also have the privilege of viewing a nursery where you can view young orangutans as they learn how to climb on a specially constructed jungle gym. The viewing area is behind one-way glass so as not to disturb the animals. Heading back to Sandakan you will have the afternoon free.
Day 7 Day 7: Turtle Island
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Turtle Island

Leave your large bags at the hotel and transfer to a nearby jetty, then board a speedboat bound for Turtle Island. Travel past small fishing villages and bamboo fish traps, arriving at Turtle Island Marine Park after about an hour. The rest of the day is free for you to soak up the island life. Relax on the beach and take a swim or perhaps hire some snorkelling gear and investigate the underwater world. Under the cover of darkness, watch as giant green turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs under the moonlight. Witness the island researchers release protected hatchlings and guide them in their frantic dash to the ocean. It’s a moving experience that is bound to be rewarding for you and your family, but please be aware that this is a very delicate environment and you must follow instructions from your leader and the local rangers to ensure minimal impact on the turtles. Spend the night on this beautiful island – even though the accommodation is quite basic, this will be a memorable experience.
Day 8 Day 8: Kota Kinabalu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Kota Kinabalu

Today you will transfer back to the mainland. Once back in Sandakan the group will have the opportunity to visit the War Memorial before heading to the airport and for your flight back to Kota Kinabalu (approximately 1 hour). Keep in mind that the luggage allowance for this flight is only 15 kg, and any excess baggage may incur a further charge. Back at your hotel in Kota Kinabalu you will have time to relax before heading out for a last night optional dinner.
Day 9 Day 9: Kota Kinabalu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Kota Kinabalu

With no activities planned for today, you and your family are free to depart the accommodation at any time following check-out.

9 days tour

Borneo Family Holiday (5 Destinations)

This tour includes:

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Itinerary of your trip Borneo Family Holiday (5 Destinations)

Day 1: Kota Kinabalu

Day 2: Poring Hot Springs

Day 3: Kinabatangan River

Day 4: Kinabatangan River

Day 5: Sandakan

Day 6: Sandakan/Sepilok

Day 7: Turtle Island

Day 8: Kota Kinabalu

Day 9: Kota Kinabalu

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