Experience an intense jungle exploration on the island of Borneo. Travel on the river through the rainforest and then to the reefs and beaches of this huge island. The name conjures images of exploration and south sea adventure, and you won’t be disappointed with what you can discover.

Asia Travel Specialist’s Borneo – Rainforests, Rivers and Reefs tour is a deep dive into Sabah, where there are some of the best jungle lodges in Asia along with the busy port of Kota Kinabalu and an inviting coastline.

We don’t rush the Borneo experience. There’s five nights in different jungle lodges, allowing a way to get in to the rhythms of the rainforest and an intimate wildlife adventure.

See orang utan, sun bears and proboscis monkeys which are all endangered species. As well as brightly coloured tropical bird life by the river and on canopy walkways. Take boat trips and dusk and night walks with rangers. There’s something different every day.

Then wash off the steamy jungle with a few nights on the beach. Snorkel by reefs and swim in azure seas. All the while you can taste the flavours of the forest and the fusion cuisine of Malaysia.

Borneo Rainforests, Rivers and Reefs – Tour Highlights

• 5 nights in jungle lodges for a deep exploration

• See Orang utans at Sepilok

• Guided jungle explorations on the Kinbatangan River

• See the treetops on a canopy walkway

• Borneo beach break to finish the journey

Suggested Itinerary – We customise this for you

Day 1 – To Borneo

Depart to Malaysia and the island of Borneo. If you’d like to break the journey a little in Kuala Lumpur and get a bit of cosmopolitan city action, let us know and we’ll arrange a stylish city layover with some cool experiences.

Day 2 – Borneo and Kota Kinabalu

Land in Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah state on the north of this magical huge island. Kota Kinabalu is now a modern and thriving city, which is the gateway to the tropical coast and the jungle interior.

Stay in the heart of the city and head out on a private guided tour of this harbour city.  head out into the wonderful night market with a guide. End at the busy waterfront night market where you can barter for handicrafts and see the street food market. A dinner of fresh local seafood rounds off your first night on the island of Borneo

Meals: Dinner

Hotel: Horizon Hotel

Day 3 – Kota Kinabalu

Have a free day in Kota Kinabalu. Plenty of time to relax at the hotel and in town. You might like to take a boat trip down the coast.

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Horizon Hotel

Day 4 – Into the jungle, orang utans and sun bears

It’s a varied and long day today into the precious rainforest of Borneo and to encounter orang utans at Sepilok Research centre. In this semi-wild environment you can see rescued orang utans and maybe get to see them feeding. It’s a great way to see these wonderful endangered apes – once known as the wild man of Borneo – in a well preserved environment.

Next door is the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Around 30 rare sun bears live in this part of the forest which is dedicated to their conservation and animal welfare. It’s extremely difficult to see both these species in the wild, and the conservation centres are doing great work in showcasing and preserving these wonderful animals.

The journey into the jungle continues down the Kinbatangan River. Float under huge trees, away from civilisation into a primeval land.

After about an hour, arrive at Abai Jungle Lodge, your base for the night. Relax with lunch and an afternoon siesta in the heat of the day. The sights and sounds of the rainforest surround the lodge.

As the afternoon fades into evening, head back out on the river to spot proboscis monkeys, a jungle walk to experience the nocturnal life with an expert lodge guide.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Lodge: Abai Lodge

Day 5 – Kinbatangan River

It’s an unforgettable experience to head back into the rainforest at dawn, to hear the chorus of birds and see the wildlife when most active. Your guide will also take you to a local village to see an ancient way of life and add a bit to the jungle by planting a tree. Take lunch in the village and taste the pure foods of the forest.

The journey continues upriver to Sukau and your next jungle lodge retreat at Kinbatangan Riverside Lodge for the next 2 nights. Have another chill and siesta, no need to rush things on jungle time. Then in the afternoon you can join a boat trip on the Mennangui River in search of proboscis monkeys. These primates are found nowhere else on Earth.

Relax with dinner and the night in the jungle under the patchwork of stars.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Lodge: Kinbatangan Riverside Lodge

Day 6 – Kinbatangan River

Wake to the sound of gibbons, hornbills and the calls of the jungle. Around here, time seems to stand still. Spend the day by the lodge and on the river, exploring the nature of Borneo.

Take a boat trip to an ox bow lake, and along the Kinbatangan River, which is the longest river on the island of Borneo and among the best places to see the extraordinary variety of life.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Lodge: Kinbatangan Riverside Lodge

Day 7 – Danum Valley

Depart on roads through the rainforest, to the Danum Valley. This is a large area of lowland forest where some rare species may be seen and where 275 species of bird have been recorded.

Arrive at Borneo Rainforest Lodge, your base for 2 nights in Danum. Later in the afternoon you’ll be taken on the boardwalk trail and into the canopy walkway. It’s thrilling to see the rainforest at the top of the trees, to see birds and monkeys not visible from below and to see how far the tree line spreads.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Lodge: Borneo Rainforest Lodge

Day 8 – Danum Valley

If you’re up for an adventurous and rewarding day on jungle trails, join the rangers and head to somewhere unique.

The eerily-named Coffin Trail leads to an ancient burial site, with a climb up to a wonderful lookout spot. After lunch back at the lodge, the Segama Trail invites further exploration and more wildlife, with a refreshing dip in a waterfall pool.  A night walk reveals more surprises of the rainforest.

Lodge: Borneo Rainforest Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9 – To the beach

There will be a chance to get back up to the canopy walkway this morning, and say farewells to the birds and wildlife of the rainforest.

Enjoy a lazy morning at the lodge and take lunch before an afternoon flight back to Kota Kinablau. The city may come as a shock to the system, so Asia Travel Specialist invite you to head straight out to the coast.

Time to wash off the steamy jungle with some ‘R n R’ in the luxury Shangri-la Rasa Ria resort. It’s where the rainforest meets the sea.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Hotel: Shangri-la Rasa Ria

Days 10 to 12 – To the beach

Enjoy days of beach bliss and swimming in the South China Sea. This area is amazing for diving and snorkelling, a region of wild coastline away from the crowds.

Hotel: Shangri-la Rasa Ria

Meals: Breakfast

Day 13 – Depart

Transfer to Kota Kinabalu and look out across the jungle as you fly away, a part of the natural world which you will now know well, and love.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 14 – Arrive home

Touch down from a wild adventure.