Sabah Adventure
From AUD $3735
Small Group
Demanding
Rating
(20 reviews)
Sabah Adventure
11 days
Small Group
Moderate
Demanding
English
Experience Overview
Get to know a land of natural beauty and rare wildlife on this Borneo adventure through Sabah. With its collection of unique animals, ancient traditions, tribal villages, rescued orangutans and scenic views, Sabah has something for everyone.
Highlights
- Climb Mt Kinabalu – the literal pinnacle of all treks in South East Asia – with local guides whose families have trekked the mountain for generations. Watch the sunrise at the peak after a morning hike and spot diverse flora and fauna along the way.
- Spend time getting to know the unique wildlife of Borneo at conservation sanctuaries for orangutans and sun bears.
- Join a local ranger to witness the life cycle of sea turtles, who come ashore on Turtle Island to lay their eggs on the beach. At night, you’ll watch the hatchlings make a dash down the beach on their way to their new life.
- Cruise down the Kinabatangan River and search for wildlife in this rich and unique jungle ecosystem – if you’re lucky, you may see wild pygmy elephants!
- Spend two nights in a Dusun village in the shadow of Mt Kinabalu – the highest mountain between the Himalayas and Papua New Guinea. Spend time with your friendly hosts, explore a local vegetable farm and watch a cultural performance.
Trip Details
11 days
Private mini van, River boat, Speed boat
Small Group
English
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Sandakan, Malaysia
Moderate
Explorer
Demanding
Itinerary
Optional Activities:
- Kota Kinabalu - Tunku Abdul National Marine Park Snorkeling Trip (min. 2 - without transport) per person (345 MYR)
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Included Activities:
- Dusun Village - Guided village walk
- Dusun Village - Cultural performance
- Dusun Village – Local Vegetable Farm Visit
Accommodation:
- Homestay (Number of Nights: 1)
Included Activities:
- Kundasang - Market Visit
- Poring Hot Spring (Slide Pool)
Optional Activities:
- Kundasang - War Memorial (Entrance Fee) (15 MYR)
- Poring Hot Springs - Hot Springs (Open Bath Tub) - (3 hours) (10 MYR)
- Poring Hot Springs - Canopy Walk (10 MYR)
- Poring Hotspring (Entrance Fee) (50 MYR)
Accommodation:
- Homestay (Number of Nights: 1)
Included Activities:
- Mt Kinabalu National Park - Mt Kinabalu Climb
Accommodation:
- Hostel (Number of Nights: 1)
Optional Activities:
- Poring Hot Spring (Entrance) (50 MYR)
- Walai Tokou Day Trip Package (Min 2 people) (260 MYR)
Accommodation:
- Hostel (Number of Nights: 1)
Included Activities:
- Kinabatangan River - Afternoon Wildlife Cruise
- Kinabatangan River - Night jungle walk
Accommodation:
- Jungle Lodge (Number of Nights: 1)
Included Activities:
- Kinabatangan River - Afternoon Wildlife Cruise
- Kinabatangan River - Fish Trap Making & Story Telling
- Kinabatangan River - Dawn Wildlife Cruise
Accommodation:
- Jungle Lodge (Number of Nights: 1)
Included Activities:
- Sepilok - Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
Optional Activities:
- Sepilok - Rainforest Discovery Centre (30 MYR)
- Sepilok - Sun Bear Conservation Centre (50 MYR)
Accommodation:
- Jungle Resort (Number of Nights: 1)
Included Activities:
- Turtle Island - Turtle Island Marine Park
- Turtle Island - Turtle Hatchery Visit
Accommodation:
- Chalet (Number of Nights: 1)
Optional Activities:
- Sandakan - Agnes Keith House (15 MYR)
- Sandakan - St Michaels and All Angels Church (10 MYR)
- Sandakan - Puu Jih Shih Chinese Temple - Free
- Sandakan - War Memorial - Free
Accommodation:
- Hotel Sandakan (Number of Nights: 1)
- Flights to and from origin and destinations
- Airport transfers (arrival and departure)
- Anything else not explicitly listed in tour inclusions
- Recommended gratuities/tipping
- Optional activities/tours
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Visas, meals and beverages not stated in the list of inclusions.
When meals are not included, your tour leader (where available) will be happy to help with restaurant recommendations, bookings, and directions. Please let us know if you have any dietary needs or preferences. We will do our best to accommodate these, though we cannot guarantee that every request can be met.
You are responsible for your personal belongings throughout the tour. You will need to carry your own bags between the vehicle and your hotel room. Drivers will assist with loading and unloading luggage from the vehicle.
Travellers requiring wheelchair access should contact our sales and service team, who can make enquiries on your behalf.
This tour requires an average level of fitness. Activities are paced gently and include leisure time. You may be expected to join guided walks of up to one hour, navigate short stairways and mild inclines, and manage your own luggage. You should also be able to board and exit all transport without assistance.
Travellers are expected to be self-sufficient and capable of handling all aspects of their journey. Please discuss your circumstances and support needs with your booking agent to confirm this trip is suitable.
If you are unsure, we recommend consulting your doctor before booking or travelling.
If a planned site visit is unavailable due to changes in operating hours or holiday closures, the itinerary may be altered, or a comparable activity will be substituted where possible and subject to availability.
Visa conditions can change. Once you receive your travel documents, check with the relevant embassy, consulate, or immigration office of your destination for the latest information.
- It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct and valid travel documents and to comply with all entry requirements.
- Non-Australian citizens must also confirm visa and identification requirements with the appropriate consulate or visa agency.
- Certain occupations (for example, journalists, government officials, or those working in charities) may face additional restrictions when applying for visas, which could affect the type of application required.
Duration: 11 days
Trip Type: Small Group
Activity Level: Demanding
Get to know a land of natural beauty and rare wildlife on this Borneo adventure through Sabah. With its collection of unique animals, ancient traditions, tribal villages, rescued orangutans and scenic views, Sabah has something for everyone.
Price based on per person in Double Room for departure 21 Feb 2026
Customer Reviews
04/26/2024
An adventure packed holiday with many highlights both physical and cultural made enjoyable by the excellent leadership of Nelson, our guide.
04/23/2024
My Sabah adventure was full of nature and wildlife and I absolutely loved every day!
Tour Operator
Intrepid Travel is a global adventure travel company, dedicated to providing sustainable, experience-rich travel opportunities. They’ve been the leader in ethical, small-group travel since 1989 - taking people around the world for more than 30 years. They’re the world’s largest travel B Corporation - dedicated to being the best travel company for the world. In 2002, they established The Intrepid Foundation so their travellers could make a lasting impact on the communities they had visited. Although Intrepid Travel absorbs all administrative costs of The Intrepid Foundation, they are separate legal entities, allowing The Intrepid Foundation to grow independently. Intrepid Travel is made up of a collection of tour operator brands and 28 destination management companies all united by one vision: To change the way we all see the world.
In Business Since 1989
04/26/2024
An adventure packed holiday with many highlights both physical and cultural made enjoyable by the excellent leadership of Nelson, our guide.
04/23/2024
My Sabah adventure was full of nature and wildlife and I absolutely loved every day!
04/22/2024
An amazing adventure, well supported. A snapshot of beautiful Sabah, Borneo. Such friendly people.
04/18/2024
(I did Best of Borneo) Nowhere in the world can you do and see everything we did in Borneo in 20 days. One of the world’s biggest caves, bats, canopy walks, wild orangutans, proboscis monkeys, bearded pigs, crocodiles, jungle treks, longboat journey, river swims, local tribe home-stay, mountain climb, jungle cruise, hot springs, sea turtles laying eggs -baby turtles, snorkeling, sun bear sanctuary. Life changing!
04/01/2024
Sabah adventure was a great experience. Climbing the mountain was really hard, but great achievement and experience of a lifetime. The whole trip was very well organized and perfectly managed by our leader Nusri and co-leader Hirzan. The leaders were extremely knowledgeable and passed on a lot of information and interesting facts. We had great time, saw a lot of wildlife, admired beauty of local flora and tasted great local food.
03/12/2024
An all round awesome trip! Thus was amplified by our tour guide Nastalia. A well organised and oiled machine which enabled us to efficiently see so much.
04/08/2024
Trip outline and leader were great. Group was lovely too, but unfortunately, we had a sick person on the trip, and everyone came down with a cold and flu. Very disappointing.
03/16/2024
Loved the Borneo Trip Mt Kinabalu was an epic part of the tour but built bond's among the tour group.
03/12/2024
An amazing adventure in Sabah Borneo led by excellent guide Nostalia and assistant ChiChi. Mt Kinabalu was definitely very challenging but we all made it! It’s a short hike but extremely demanding! The wildlife is unbelievable and several species endemic to Sabah. The home stay was unique and welcoming. Loved Turtle Island Marine Park & the Orangutan & Sun Bear Sanctuaries at Sepilok. If you are looking for adventure and fun book this trip. You will not regret it!
03/19/2024
This was a thoroughly enjoyable trip, making it one of the best Intrepid ones I've been on. The biggest highlight was the climb up Mt Kinabalu. It was physically very challenging, especially with a little AMS thrown in over 3,000m and scrambling over granite using ropes in the cold of the night. The sunrise at the summit was spectacular and made it so worthwhile. My hiking poles made a big difference, especially on the descent. The nature was fabulous - Turtle Islands (note the boat trip can be rough), Kinabatangan River cruises and the various Sepilok centres. The RDC night walk was a real bonus, seeing some of the night creatures including the giant red flying squirrels, tarsiers and slow lorises. I spent a few extra days in Kota Kinabalu where I really enjoyed snorkelling at the marine park and the night seafood markets. A big shout out to our guide Talia - she was excellent and helped make this trip very memorable.
02/24/2024
Great trip! Fast paced and you will pack a lot in a short amount of time but it's a great way to see what sabah has to offer, don't underestimate the hike. Turtle Island is fantastic and the homestay was really special. Jeffrey was a great leader and Sam was great to book with. Value was good too which so much included. Accomodation is clean and comfortable. Highly recommend this trip!
02/13/2024
Sabah Borneo. Exotic. Remote. Completely doable in comfort with Intrepid. An opportunity to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience you will treasure and never forget.
02/16/2024
Straight away we were immersed in culture at night markets in Kota Kinabalu. Every place was so special, and our tour was so lucky to see the big 5. The pigmy elephants up close and playing in the river and the orangutan at our window were highlights. Johmin our guide was so friendly, funny and full of knowledge. This trip is unique, takes you out of your comfort zone and makes you feel alive again! I feel especially lucky because I won this trip with flight centre Australia in their intrepid competition. ?? ??
02/12/2024
This trip exceeded my wildest expectations. The itinerary is excellent, our leader was superb, and we had the best luck in terms of weather and a great group of travelers from many different ages and backgrounds. Definitely physically challenging climbing Mount Kinabalu, but that’s part of what made it great. The animals and nature were exceptional. First rate trip!
02/12/2024
This trip was a complete emotional, mental and physical reset allowing us to push outside our comfort zones, open our hearts and minds to everything borneo has to offer. Hiking mount Kinabalu was physically and mentally challenging but an unbelievable achievement. The culture, history and environmental insights were so special to carry away with us too.
02/19/2024
When you think about Borneo/Sabah, you might think Hot, Humid, Remote, and Exotic. This tour makes it doable. You will learn about another part of the world, its issues and challenges. During our tour, led by Johmin, a very knowledgeable and capable tour leader, we had experiences that left us in awe. An amazing experience you will never forget.
02/17/2024
This trip was exceptional! The Mount Kinabalu climb was challenging but super rewarding. The animals and nature on the Kinabatangan River and Turtle Island were awesome and exceeded my high expectations. Our Leader, Johmin, was first rate and balanced individual needs with the group needs. I can't recommend this trip more highly.
12/27/2023
This is an excellent trip to get to know the highlights of Borneo. A country with so much to offer in terms of adventure, animals and outdoors. This trip offers the physical challenge of climbing Mt Kinabalu, the wonder of watching baby turtles head out to the water for the first time through to a river cruise in the jungle looking for monkeys, elephants and orang-utans in the wild. There is so much to see and do you will be busy most days with a new adventure around every corner. Borneo is a country with wonderful people, animals and landscape. You won't be sorry to make this trip!
12/19/2023
12/19/2023
Absolutely amazing trip that I would highly recommend. This trip has everything... Wildlife, hikes, river cruises, beach and rainforest (Mount Kinabalu was very tough but spectacular at the top!)
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