Itinerary Details
MT Sobek: Borneo Family Adventure
Day 1 Arrive in Kota Kinabalu
Welcome to Borneo! Upon arrival in Kota Kinabalu International Airport, meet your MT Sobek guide and driver at the arrivals hall and transfer to the hotel. Spend the rest of the day relaxing or exploring Kota Kinabalu, a coastal city in Malaysian Borneo known for its bustling markets, modern boardwalks, beaches, and waterfront esplanade. Tonight you are treated to a sumptuous welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort
(D)
Day 2 Experience Murut Hospitality in Orou Sapulot
4.5-hour transfer
Transfer to Orou Sapulot and on to Labang village, where you are immersed in local culture with the Muruts, the last of the ethnic groups in Sabah to renounce headhunting. After lunch at Orou Sapulot, embark on a short walk to discover the virtually unexplored Tinahas Caves, with an underground stream and beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations. Return to camp for a refreshing swim in the river. Enjoy a traditional Murut meal for dinner and admire the starry sky before falling asleep on a stretcher hammock to the sounds of the jungle.
Accommodation: MT Sobek Camp – Pungiton Camp
(B, L, D)
Day 3 Explore Orou Sapulot
After an early breakfast, spend the morning swimming at the hidden, multi-tiered Kabulongou Waterfall, accessed via some easy jungle trekking. Later, continue to a modern village house at Romol Village. This longhouse sits high above a valley, overlooking the forest and surrounding areas. Spend the afternoon learning about local traditions and customs, and have the opportunity to participate in community work with villagers, such as planting trees on their farm or teaching English to the local children. Tonight, feast on traditional Murut food while enjoying cultural dance performances.
Accommodation: Modern Longhouse – Orou Sapulot
(B, L, D)
Day 4 Make Your Way to Sepilok
4-hour private van transfer and 1-hour flight
After breakfast, say goodbye to your lovely Murut hosts and return to Kota Kinabalu, then transfer to the airport for a flight to Sandakan. Upon arrival, meet your driver, who transfers you to Sepilok Nature Resort. This quaint collection of wooden chalets surrounding a lake is set in an impressive landscaped area of manicured lawns and hills. After dinner, retire for the night.
Accommodation: Sepilok Nature Resort
(B, L, D)
Day 5 Be Amazed by the Wildlife of Borneo
30-minute private van transfer and 2-hour boat transfer
Wildlife-watching, dusk river cruise and forest walk
Walk to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, a wildlife conservation and research center for the world's smallest bear. After a private tour, visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre to meet rescued orangutans being trained to survive again in the wild. Transfer to Sandakan for lunch, then boat to the Kinabatangan River, home to Borneo's highest concentration of fauna; look for orangutans, pygmy elephants, hornbills, and proboscis monkeys. After settling into your riverfront chalet, take a dusk wildlife-watching river cruise. Follow dinner at the lodge with an optional night walk in search of nocturnal forest residents!
Accommodation: Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort
(B, L, D)
Day 6 Take River Safari Cruises & Help Restoration Efforts
Two 1.5-hour river cruises
Spend today exploring the remarkably biodiverse, 340-mile-long Kinabatangan River, a haven for native wildlife. Start with an early-morning river safari cruise, and then visit a local village where you are treated to a home-cooked breakfast. Next, tour a local forest restoration project site and participate in tree planting while learning about the community's restoration efforts. After lunch and a rest, embark on another river cruise searching for wildlife just before a magical sunset. Seek even more critters on another night walk or river cruise after dinner at the resort.
Accommodation: Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort
(B, L, D)
Day 7 Enjoy a Gaya Island Beach Day¬¬—and Date Night
2-hour boat transfer, 30 minute private van transfer and 1-hour flight
Beach activities
Rise early for breakfast and your journey to Gaya Island, via Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu. Spend the afternoon seaside, snorkeling, kayaking, or going for a jungle walk. Come evening, resort staff take the kids for fun activities while the parents have a romantic seaside dinner on their own!
Accommodation: Bunga Raya Island Resort
(B, L, D)
Day 8 Discover Gaya Island
Relish an entire day on the remarkably biodiverse Gaya Island, a natural conservation area rife with jungle and marine life. Spend hours at your leisure, relaxing at the beach, lounging at the resort, or exploring the island. Tonight celebrate your memorable Borneo adventure with a group farewell dinner.
Accommodation: Bunga Raya Island Resort
(B, L, D)
Day 9 Depart from Kota Kinabalu
After breakfast and a relaxing morning on Gaya Island, say goodbye to the group and depart to the Kota Kinabalu airport for your flight back home.
(B)
