Luxury tour of Borneo - Absolute Asia Tours

On arrival in Malaysia, you'll be met by your private guide, who will accompany you to your hotel.

Take to the skies for a particularly impressive view of KL's skyline on a short private pleasure flight, over and around its iconic skyscrapers. Your pilot will draw your attention to famous landmarks including the KL Tower, Merdeka Square, National Stadium and of course the distinctive Petronas Twin Towers. It’s just a six minute flight, so keep your camera close at hand! The rest of your day will be at leisure until early evening, when you'll make your own way to the Petronas Twin Towers in time for sunset. Your ticket will provide access to the Observation Deck on level 86, and to the glass-walled Skybridge which connects the two towers, 170 metres above the ground! Soak in the panoramic views and watch the sun set over the city, before an evening at leisure, looking forward to tomorrow's adventure into Borneo.

Transfer to Borneo’s Sabah state, arriving at the Sandakan Yacht Club Jetty for the cruise to Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort, passing Berhala Island with its prominent sandstone cliffs. Your afternoon is at leisure until 4pm, when tea, coffee and local snacks will be served to set you up for a late afternoon river expedition in an open-topped boat. Look for wildlife with the help of your guide, and with any luck witness the impressive gathering of fireflies that frequently lights up the dusk. Return to the resort for dinner before venturing out on a guided night walk on the boardwalk around the lodge, spotting for nocturnal wildlife.

Prepare to be woken early by the hooting calls of gibbons and hornbills! At least you'll be up in time for an early boat trip to spot the river’s colourful (and noisy) birds, and wildlife foraging on the riverbanks. Enjoy your own pre-breakfast snack in the pristine natural setting of an ox-bow lake, before stopping off at a small fishing village to meet the Orang Sungai (‘people of the river’), an indigenous group which lives along several of Sabah’s riverways. Head back to Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort for breakfast, after which the remainder of your day is at leisure. If you wish, take further wildlife-spotting trips in the late afternoon and after dark.

Head deep into Danum Valley to find the Borneo Rainforest Lodge, which provides surprisingly luxurious accommodation for such an isolated location. The lodge is dedicated to wildlife spotting, with a long canopy walkway through the surrounding jungle, and seated viewing platforms where you can get comfortable and observe the wildlife in peace. There are also opportunities for excellent jungle trekking, specialised bird watching, outstanding photography, and messing about on the Danum River. Your visit will plunge you straight into the rainforest, with a guided walk along the lodge’s boardwalk nature trail and the superb canopy walkway. After dinner, join a night drive through a rainforest alive with sound, as you learn how to spot nocturnal animals such as civet cats, flying squirrels, tree frogs and Samba deer.

Early risers can take a pre-breakfast canopy walk for a fascinating bird’s eye view of the rainforest as its daytime residents noisily assert themselves while the sun rises. After breakfast on the veranda, hike the ‘Coffin Trail’, which leads to a 200 year old burial site created by an indigenous tribe. The route takes in a spectacular viewpoint which overlooks miles of horizon-spanning rainforest - a rare and precious sight, these days, even in the tropics. After lunch back at the lodge, explore one of the excellent forest nature trails for many wildlife-spotting opportunities, and the opportunity to take a dip in one of the forest’s natural pools or waterfalls. For a more boisterous alternative, spend the afternoon 'tubing' down the Danum River. In the evening, you can choose to join a night drive or walk through the forest.

Take an early afternoon flight from Lahad Datu to Kota Kinabalu where, on arrival, you will be driven to your hotel.

Journey by car and shared speedboat to Pulau Tiga. Time to kick off your shoes and sink your toes into the sand!

Your days will be at leisure to relax on the beach and make the most of the hotel's facilities.

Depart by shared speedboat to the mainland where you will be met and driven to the airport.