Borneo Family Holiday

Welcome to Malaysia and arrive at Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah. This is an intriguing city located between the Borneo jungle and the South China Sea. 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. • Hotel – Dreamtel Hotel or similar (1 night) • Room Type – Based on leading Standard Rooms • Included Meals – No meals Optional Activities Kota Kinabalu - Sabah Museum entrance fee - MYR15 Special Information It is very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information for each member of your family. If you are going to be late please let the hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.  

Head for the beautiful Kinabalu National Park. There's plenty to see and do in this World Heritage-listed park. The Botanical Garden is an excellent showcase of the diverse plant life on the mountain, and flora from all over the park has been replanted here. The walk in the park takes about one hour. From here we head to the Poring Hot Springs with a scenic canopy walk and a quick dip in the springs themselves. Tonight you will spend the night in a reconstructed longhouse on the tea plantation. • Hotel – Sabah Tea Garden or similar (1 night) • Room Type – Rooms are twin/triple-share and have fans and shared bathrooms. • Included Meals – Breakfast Included Activities Mt Kinabalu National Park - Entrance Fee Mt Kinabalu National Park - Botanical Gardens Poring Hot Springs - Canopy Walk Optional Activities Kundasang - War Memorial - MYR10    

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 Arrive in the afternoon meet your hosts and learn a little more about KOPELs Organization 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. • Hotel – Kinabatangan Eco Camp or similar (1 night) • Room Type – Jungle Camp. • Included Meals – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included Activities Kinabatangan River - Afternoon wildlife cruise Sabah Tea Plantation - Tea factory tour Special Information For some departures throughout the year we will only spend 1 night in the Eco Camp and 1 night in the Village in accommodation with attached bathrooms due to availability. You will pack an overnight bag for the jungle camp and leave your main luggage at the KOPEL office. Stay in the jungle in a simple hut with basic facilities, including mosquito nets and cold bathing. You’ll be in deep jungle, so as not to disturb the wildlife, there is no generator and therefore little to no electricity at the camp. A torch, insect repellent and rain jacket are essential for tonight.

Wake up to the sounds of the jungle ready for a busy day. After breakfast you will 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 some wildlife. Before heading back on the boat for some more wildlife spotting. After dinner tonight, you will 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! • Hotel – Kinabatangan Eco Camp or similar (1 night) • Room Type – Jungle Camp. • Included Meals – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included Activities Kinabatangan - Night jungle walk Kinabatangan - Cooking class Kinabatangan River - Afternoon wildlife cruise Kinabatangan – Cultural Performance

Say goodbye to the Eco Camp and take a drive to Sandakan via the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary. These unique primates are not found elsewhere in the world! You will be in awe as they leapt from incredible heights to lower branches. We arrive in Sandakan in the afternoon. You will notice the strong Cantonese influence, seen in the lively harbourside 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! • Hotel – Sabah Hotel or similar (1 night) • Room Type – Borneo Wing Superior Room • Included Meals – Breakfast Included Activities Sepilok - Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary

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 diet of bananas and 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. • Hotel – Sabah Hotel or similar (1 night) • Room Type – Borneo Wing Superior Room • Included Meals – Breakfast Included Activities Sepilok - Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

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. • Hotel – Turtle Island (1 night) • Room Type – Chalet • Included Meals – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Special Information The accommodation on Turtle Island is very basic. Also, you will view the turtles as they come ashore which can be anytime during the night. This may mean quite a late night for the children, as at times they don't come in until after 10 pm. Groups will wait in the dining hall until the rangers call us. We suggest you bring with you some games, cards, art supplies or other items to keep the children entertained. A head torch is advised to see the full experience.

Today you will transfer to Sandakan airport and fly 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. Then drive to the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu to our seaside resort on Beringgis Beach. Take the opportunity to relax, have a swim, enjoy a drink and enjoy the sunset. • Hotel – Beringgis Beach Resort or similar (1 night) • Room Type – Deluxe Garden View • Included Meals – Breakfast Included Activities Sandakan - War Memorial

After breakfast, head out to Dinawan Island. The island is surrounded by reefs and sandbanks, and has pristine beaches, crystal clear water and unexplored forests to discover. You’ll have the full day to experience this slice of beauty, and the best thing is, it’s up to you what you do! Lunch will be included during the day and you’ll all get access to snorkelling equipment. Later in the evening, arrive back to your beach resort for a relaxing night. • Hotel – Beringgis Beach Resort or similar (1 night) • Room Type – Deluxe Garden View • Included Meals – Breakfast and Lunch Included Activities Dinawan Island - Day trip

Bid farewell to your patch of paradise and head back to Kota Kinabalu. We visit the Mari Mari Cultural Village in the morning and learn about the cultural history and tradition of Borneo’s various indigenous ethnic groups. In the evening, take the opportunity to relax, enjoy a drink and look back on the week's adventures with your family and fellow travellers for your final night. • Hotel – Dreamtel Hotel or similar (1 night) • Room Type –Standard Rooms • Included Meals – Breakfast and Lunch Included Activities Kota Kinabalu - Mari Mari Cultural Village

With no activities planned for today, you and your family are free to depart the accommodation at any time following check-out. • Included Meals – Breakfast You will love this trip – What is included Meals 10 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners Transport Bus, Minibus, Van Accommodation Hotel (4 nights), eco camp (2 nights), Resort (3 nights), chalet (1 night) Included activities Mt Kinabalu National Park - Entrance Fee Mt Kinabalu National Park - Botanical Gardens Poring Hot Springs - Canopy Walk Kinabatangan River - Afternoon wildlife cruise Sabah Tea Plantation - Tea factory tour Kinabatangan - Night jungle walk Kinabatangan - Cooking class Kinabatangan – Cultural Performance Sepilok - Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary Sepilok - Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre Sandakan - War Memorial Dinawan Island - Day trip Kota Kinabalu - Mari Mari Cultural Village Important notes • Group Size: Min 2, Max 17 • Please note that these trips are for adults and children travelling together and there must be at least one child under 18 with you. • Minimum age for children on this trip is 5 years old. • A discount of 10% applies on this trip to children 17 years and under at time of travel. • A single supplement is available on this trip with exception of Days 2 (Kinabalu National Park) and Days 4 & 5 (Jungle Camp) • Guaranteed Departures, Contact us for a quote: 2021, Jan: 3, 10 - Apr: 3,4,5,10,12 - Jun: 26,27,29 - Jul: 3,6,8,10,11,17,18,24,25,31 - Aug: 1,7,8,14 - Sep: 18,19,21,25,26 - Dec: 18,28,29 KINABATANGAN ECO CAMP - For some departures throughout the year we will only spend 1 night in the Eco Camp and 1 night in the Village in accommodation with attached bathrooms due to availability. WEATHER: Borneo is a tropical country so rain can be excepted at any time. The wet period in Borneo runs from November to February. Temperatures remain fairly constant year round with averages of 27-32°C/80-89°F and relative humidity of around 80%. Consider bringing a portable small neck fan with you to keep you and your family cool. HOTEL LOCATIONS: Many hotels outside of the big cities of Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan have been built so travellers can enjoy the countryside, forest/mountain views, where people can wake up to nature sounds not cars. Many of the hotels we use are in such locations and can be quite remote. So access to restaurants are limited. FOOD: Borneo’s food is known for being fairly mild, with high reliance on fresh fruit and vegetables. The cuisine is a mix of Thai, Malay and Indian. Cuisine staples include grilled fish, barbecued prawns, fried rice, noodles, and local vegetables seasoned with garlic, ginger, and rich sauces. Fish and chicken based soups with noodles cooked in a hot clay pot are very traditional.