Basix
Real Borneo
4.9
Excellent
82 reviews
10 days
Start
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Finish
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Trip Code
TMYM
Min Age
18
Trip Size
1 - 16
Physical Rating
Meals
8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners
Transport
Private vehicle, Boat
Accommodation
Hotel (3 nights), Bamboo Hut (1 night), Jungle Lodge (dormitory room) (3 nights), Guesthouse (Multi-share) (2 nights)
From £734(10 days)
Trip Informations
Why you’ll love this trip
Get the opportunity to meet our closest redheaded relatives at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and watch these gentle giants as they go about their day.
Hike to and from the rural village of Ratau, where you’ll mingle with the locals, take part in a cooking class, learn how to play the Gong and sleep in a traditional bamboo hut.
Take not one, not two but three river cruises on the Kinabatangan River to spot local wildlife – look out for pygmy elephants, crocodiles, flying squirrels and proboscis monkeys among the teeming birdlife.
Take a snorkelling excursion to Pandan Pandan Island, where you’ll have multiple opportunities to dive under the clear waters and look for sea turtles, fish life, colourful corals and rays. Then, kick back on the warm sands and lap up the sun!
Meet the rescued sun bears at the Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Sepilok and learn about how this organisation works to rescue, protect, rehabilitate and hopefully reintroduce the sun bears back into the wild after they were mistreated.
Is this trip right for you?
Accommodation on this trip is on a multi-share/twin basis. Solo travellers will share a room with other travellers of the same gender. You’ll get the chance to stay in a variety of accommodation on this trip, from village huts and jungle lodges to hostels and hotels. It can be basic, but it’s always comfortable. A single supplement is only available on the hotel nights in Kota Kinabalu.
Accommodation on this trip is on a multi-share/twin basis. Solo travellers will share a room with other travellers of the same gender. You’ll get the chance to stay in a variety of accommodation on this trip, from village huts and jungle lodges to hostels and hotels. It can be basic, but it’s always comfortable. A single supplement is only available on the hotel nights in Kota Kinabalu.
Itinerary
See orangutans, sleep in the jungle and go snorkelling off an island’s coast
Travel across the biodiverse Sabah region, immersing yourself in nature and learning about the island’s Indigenous cultures on a 10-day journey through the seldom-travelled-to Borneo. From orangutan encounters and bamboo hut homestays to village trekking and sea snorkelling, you’ll find a nature lover’s paradise! Where else can you spot pygmy elephants on a riverbank one day and see proboscis monkeys the next (not to mention slow lorises, flying foxes and rescued sun bears). Treat yourself to this incredible trip in the shadow of rainforest-clad mountains, on the warm sands of islands and in the middle of the serene jungle.
Inclusions
Meals
8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners
Transport
Private vehicle, Boat
Accommodation
Hotel (3 nights), Bamboo Hut (1 night), Jungle Lodge (dormitory room) (3 nights), Guesthouse (Multi-share) (2 nights)
Included activities
Kiulu - Cooking Class
Kiulu - Village Trek (2 days / 1 night)
Kiulu - Cultural Activities
Kiulu - Dusun Martial Art Show
Sepilok - Night Walk at Rainforest Discovery Centre
Sepilok - Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
Sepilok - Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
Kinabatangan River - Afternoon Wildlife Cruise
Kinabatangan River - Night Jungle Walk
Kinabatangan River - Morning Wildlife Cruise
Pandan Pandan Island - Snorkelling Excursion
Optional activities
Kota Kinabalu - Sabah Museum entrance fee - MYR15
Kundasang - Kundasang War Memorial - MYR15
Kinabatangan River - Batik Painting - MYR65
Kinabatangan River - Tree Planting - MYR250
Kinabatangan River - Rubber Boot Rental - MYR12
Kinabatangan River - Cooking Class (min. 2 participants) - MYR150
Kinabatangan River - Grass Planting - MYR200
Kinabatangan River - Ox-Bow Lake Trekking - MYR25
Kota Kinabalu - Koisaan Cultural Village (Entrance) - MYR65
Kota Kinabalu - PADI Discover Scuba Diving (Minimum 2 people) - MYR485
Kota Kinabalu - Tunku Abdul National Marine Park Snorkelling Trip (Minimum 2 people) - MYR345
Dates and availability
Starting
Ending
Remaining
Prices From
















Important notes
1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement is only available on Days 1 and 9 and is subject to availability. All other nights you’ll be in shared accommodation. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. 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
Reviews (82)
5 stars
73
4 stars
7
3 stars
1
2 stars
1
Eleonore
Sep 10, 2025
I enjoyed the trip! We saw a lot of animals in wildlife (twice the chance to see the elephants!). Everything is well planned and a big + if Felix is your tour guide!
Eva
Aug 26, 2025
What a trip! If you have Felix as a leader, you’re going to have an amazing time. He goes above and beyond for your group and is passionate, kind and very knowledgable. He knows so much about wildlife and birds, and we were lucky enough to see 4 of the big 5.
Laura
Aug 26, 2025
An amazing trip encompassing amazing culture, food and wildlife! We were very lucky to see many birds and animals including a wild orangutan. Our group of likeminded people was great! And our trip leader, Felix was so organised, knowledgeable and approachable. Would definitely recommend!
Samuel
Aug 16, 2025
My first time on an Intrepid trip and I loved every minute of it. Our guide was fantastic and the itinerary gave us memories for life
William
Aug 16, 2025
I was a little unsure of doing this trip as I'm usually more of a city person, but I'm happy I decided to get out of my comfort zone! It was so exciting to see all of the animals and the food was unexpectedly super delicious!
Gemma
Aug 12, 2025
My Partner and I joined the 18-35 Real Borneo trip. We absolutely loved the experience. We felt we saw everything we possibly could within the 10 days. Our leader was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, providing us overall, with a fun experience. We would absolutely recommend and look forward to booking another trip.
Claire
Aug 12, 2025
We had a fantastic time on the Real Borneo trip. Our leader Jeffry was fantastic and we were very lucky to tick off the Borneo Big 5 during our river cruises. Would definitely recommend.
Farran
Aug 05, 2025
A brilliant trip, with an amazing guide and unforgettable experiences. Chi Chi went above and beyond to make this one of the most incredible experiences.
Rachel
Aug 01, 2025
Such an incredible trip made even better with my leader Felix and everyone that was part of my group! We saw such amazing wildlife and learnt so much about Borneo. I will remember this forever and would recommend this to anyone!
James
Jul 30, 2025
Amazing trip of a lifetime. Can’t recommend intrepid enough, they take all the stress out of booking an experience for yourself and I have done more than one and there guides are always excellent.
Friends and Family Travel is an agent of Intrepid Travel. All Trip content and associated images are copyright of Intrepid Travel.
You are protected
Contact Information
Call us at
0208 058 4003
Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM GMT.
Contact our customer support
contact@friendsandfamily.travel
We’ll get back to you within 24 hours.

© 2024 Friends and Family Travel | All rights reserved.