Borneo Family Holiday

9 Days | Discover Borneo on a wild family adventure.

4.9 out of 5 based on 72 reviews submitted.
Family
Wildlife
From
USD $1,448
View dates and book

Travel to Borneo on an 9-day family adventure and discover the curious wildlife and spectacular landscapes of the region. Learn how orphaned orangutans are rehabilitated back into the wild, swim among colourful fish, watch baby green turtles take wobbly steps towards the waterfront and relax on sandy beaches. Along the way you'll make friends, try some delicious cuisine and forge some incredible memories. With all of the essentials included, and plenty of free time to explore at your own pace, you and your family will fall in love with the unique animals, lush ecosystem and sandy islands of Borneo.

Trip overview

Map of Borneo Family Holiday including Malaysia
Start
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Finish
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Theme
Family, Wildlife
Destinations
Malaysia
Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Style
Original
Ages
Min 5
Group size
Min 2 - Max 16
Trip code
TMFG
This trip generates 54 kg of CO2-e per person per day.
We offset these emissions on your behalf. But we know that is not enough, so we also have a carbon reduction target.

Why you'll love this trip
  • Take a leisurely walk along the scenic canopy walkway at Poring Hot Springs.
  • Stay overnight among the birds and beasts of the jungle, right next to an oxbow lake, at Kinabatangan Eco Camp.
  • Visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and, if you're lucky, watch baby orangutans learn to swing in a special enclosure.
  • Enjoy a special opportunity to watch protected turtle hatchlings scatter across the beach to the water under the cover of night.

Is this trip right for you?
  • There's a wide range of accommodation on this trip, from hotels and guesthouses to jungle camps. Some may be a little more basic than your standard Intrepid hotel, but their unique location and close proximity to wildlife is what makes them special.
  • There are a few days that we cover long distances with some travelling times of 4–5 hours. A little bit of patience will go a long way towards your enjoyment of this beautiful land!
  • Travelling light is essential, as there is a strict 15 kg maximum luggage limit due to the internal flight. Excess luggage will incur extra fees.

Itinerary

Map of Borneo Family Holiday including Malaysia

Inclusions

Meals

8 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners

Transport

Bus, Minibus, Plane

Accommodation

Hotel (4 nights), Longhouse (1 night), Jungle Camp (2 nights) Chalet (1 night)

Activities
  • Poring Hot Springs - Canopy Walk
  • Poring Hot Springs - Poring Conservation Fee
  • 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
  • Turtle Island - Turtle Night Nesting viewing
  • Sandakan - War Memorial
Add on activities
  • Kota Kinabalu - Sabah Museum entrance fee - MYR15
  • Kota Kinabalu - Mari Mari Cultural Village (Entrance) - MYR100
  • Kinabatangan - Tree Planting - MYR25
  • Sepilok - Sun Bear Conservation Centre - MYR50
  • Turtle Island - Turtle Nest Adoption Program - MYR150

Dates and availability

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Important notes

01. Please note that these trips are for adults and children travelling together and there must be at least one child under 18 with you.
02. Minimum age for children on this trip is 5 years old.
03. A discount of 10% applies on this trip to children 17 years and under at time of travel.
04. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Days 02 (Sabah Tea Garden) , Days 3 & 4 (Jungle Camp) and Day 7 (Turtle Island) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
05. 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.
06. Borneo is a tropical country so rain can be expected 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.
November to February is monsoon season for Selingan (Turtle Island) so if travelling during this time you should expect big waves and choppy seas. In cases of extreme weather, the trip to Selingan may be cancelled and alternative arrangements made. 
07. 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.
08. 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.
09. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest information on travelling in Eastern Sabah before your departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all areas of your itinerary. Further information can be found in our "Safety" section of the Essential Trip Information. You can find links to prominent government travel advisories our Travel Alerts page https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/travel-alerts

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Read Essential Trip Information

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 based on 72 reviews submitted.
Reviews are from travellers who have completed their trip and want to share their experience. We show all reviews, but may remove any that include profanity or inappropriate content, are unrelated to the trip or reveal personal details.

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David · Traveled September 2023
Amazing family holiday. Worked very well with a 6 and 8 year old.
Review submitted 02 Oct 2023

Mark · Traveled September 2023
If you’re lucky enough to get Ben your guarantee to have an experience of a life time. Bring a personal fan, umbrella, tropical bug spray, brimmed hat, binoculars, a decent camera with long lens, top notch cold water bottle and a great attitude.
Review submitted 30 Sep 2023

Anne-Maree · Traveled September 2023
This trip was an adventure . We enjoyed seeing all the animals. My favourites were The Proboscus monkeys, Orangutans and the turtles. It was a once in a lifetime trip to Turtle Island to see the baby turtles hatch. Amazing. There is some long days travelling in the beginning so be prepared for that. Ben was a great guide and so couldn’t fault him. So helpful , fun for the kids and enthusiastic.
Review submitted 04 Oct 2023

emma · Traveled September 2023
A great family trip. Our kids loved the stay in the longhouse and in the jungle at the Eco Camp. They also enjoyed the boat trips along the Kinabatangan River, especially when we saw juvenile proboscis monkeys. Our guide Phillis was very kind, knowledgeable and helpful. The guides at the KOPAL jungle Eco Camp were also great and introduced the kids to a great board game with dice. Turtle Island was amazing as was the Sepilok Orangutan Rehab Centre.
Review submitted 15 Oct 2023

NATASHA · Traveled September 2023
I'm a frequent and independent traveller, but this trip blew me and my 11-year-old son away. We could not have seen and experienced so much on our own and we had a great small group of 7 adults and 6 young people (5-14) with a guide that had the ability accommodate everyone. Our highlights were the things not advertised: tropical storms on river cruise (fishing boat), turtles hatching in the wild, kids playing soccer with local children, kids running through jungle dying to get a leach attached to them and some very basic, but comfortable, accommodation with a bit of lux halfway. Good to say we also see and experience everything advertised. Cannot say enough about this trip.
Review submitted 03 Dec 2023
Borneo Family Holiday
From
USD $1,448