The Best of Borneo: Orangutans and Rainforests

Further wildlife encounters include the Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Centre, where orangutans are fed from a forest platform, and a visit to the Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Stilted boardwalks and river cruises along the Kinabatangan River bring the chance to spot elusive pygmy elephants, kingfishers and hornbills. The lodging is as much in the wild as beside it, with riverside and jungle lodges providing a front-row seat to the natural surroundings.

The final days are spent near Kota Kinabalu again at the Rasa Ria Nature Reserve, where rainforest trails meet the sea, offering a gentler pace and options like horse riding or a spa. The tour combines time on foot, by boat and occasional short flights, giving a layered view of Sabah’s wildlife and landscape that some will find quietly absorbing.