Wonderfully Wild Family Adventure

Arrive in Kuala Lumpur and connect with your flight to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. Spend the next 3 nights at Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort and Spa. Located on one of Malaysia’s most beautiful beaches the Shangri-La Rasa Ria is a Turquoise family favourite with a plethora of activities to keep the children amused, a swimming pool paradise and spacious rooms – large enough to accommodate up to four in one room!

One of the biggest draws here is the designated pool for toddlers complete with a slide and the second pool with a larger slide for older children, plus there is plenty of space around the pools and gardens to fine your own space for you and your little family. The second biggest draw has to be the stunning beach located right in front of the resort – the waters are warm and shallow allowing the kids to walk in the water for miles without having to swim. A number of water sports are available from parasailing, fishing, paddle boarding, windsurfing, banana boat riding and kayaking. The resort can even arrange horse-riding down the beach!

The resort has a 54 acre nature reserve which runs a number of other nature related activities like Nocturnal Animal Watch, Jungle Walks, Bird Watching and Forest Garden Introduction are available to choose from and the kids will love feeding the fish, hens and goats at the Nature Interpretation Centre.

Stay: 3 nights in interconnecting Seaview Rooms at Shangri-La Rasa Ria, including breakfast

Transfer to the airport for your direct flight to Sandakan where on arrival you will be met and transferred to Sepilok Nature Resort (approx. 30-40 minutes).

This resort lies next door to the well-known Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre, where semi-wild orangutans roam freely. That makes it ultra-convenient for visiting the centre but the lack of physical barrier between the centre and the resort means it’s very possible you’ll spot orangutans swinging through the trees while you’re lolling in your hammock on your veranda.

However, don't visit today as you'll be heading there tomorrow. This afternoon you could visit the the Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary at Labuk Bay, or alternatively go to the nearby Rainforest Discovery Centre. The canopy bridges there will get you closer to nocturnal creatures like flying lemurs, flying foxes and slow loris.

Stay: 1 night in a Jungle Chalet including breakfast.

This morning your guide will transfer you to the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre for your first orang-utan encounter! From your viewing area on a wooden boardwalk, watch your children’s bewildered faces light up as the trees begin to shake and a flash of orange appears! Then embark on a boat journey through the jungle backwaters of the Kinabatangan River (Sabah’s longest river), for a wildlife spotting adventure like no other in Southeast Asia! The thickly forested river banks are home to proboscis monkeys, wild orang-utans, Borneo pygmy elephants, macaque monkeys and monitor lizards. The excitement in your boat will be palpable as the animals become visible through the rainforest camouflage, aided by the expert eyes of your guide – and some binoculars too! The birdlife is incredible – look out for eagles, egrets, hornbills and eager kingfishers, ready to dive into the water to fish! Your refuge for 2 nights is Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort, an eco-lodge with comfortable air-conditioned ensuite cabins, built under the jungle canopy. From dawn to dusk, you will never tire of ticking wildlife off your list!

Stay: 2 nights in one chalet at Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort including all meals and touring.

Journey from the jungle to the beach for 5 nights of Gaya Island escapism at Bunga Raya Island Resort. Alternatively, the hillside villas at Gaya Island Resort offer tropical island family chic!

Stay: 4 nights in a Deluxe Villa at Bunga Raya, including breakfast.