Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Malaysia – Borneo – Kuching – Gaya Island
100% customisable for you
Passports at the ready – it’s time for your getaway to Malaysian Borneo to begin. Make your way to the airport, speed through security and enjoy some peace and quiet in the lounge before boarding your overnight flight. With a quick stopover in Kuala Lumpur, the journey to Kuching will take just over 18 hours, touching down the next afternoon.
When you land, you’ll be met and privately transferred to your hotel, your home for the next five nights. Check in, freshen up and spend the rest of the afternoon settling in before heading out for your first taste of Malaysian fare – our clued-up Concierge is on hand to recommend a stellar local restaurant.
Hit the ground running today with a visit to Bako National Park, the oldest national park in Borneo’s Sarawak region. This morning, you’ll be met by your guide and privately transferred 45 minutes to the fishing village of Bako, where you’ll hop aboard a boat and continue the journey into the park.
Set on a small peninsula, Bako National Park is home to some of Borneo's most iconic wildlife species. As you wander through the park’s thick forest, sandy beaches and swampy areas with your guide, keep your eyes peeled for monkeys (including proboscis, silver-leaf and long-tailed macaques), wild boars and monitor lizards. Keen birdwatchers should also turn their eyes to the skies to spot endemic bird species flitting through the canopy.
After working up an appetite, enjoy a tasty lunch at the park’s café before heading back to your hotel for a leisurely afternoon.
Rise bright and early this morning and head out for a serene sail along the Semadang River. Alongside a private guide, hop into a kayak and paddle through Borneo’s lush rainforest, putting yesterday’s newfound knowledge to the test as you spot local wildlife on the riverbank.
After a while, stop for a delicious picnic, then continue your gentle journey to Aruang Pi’in Trusan waterfall, where you can disembark and enjoy a refreshing swim in the water.
Later, it’s back to your hotel for a lazy evening and a tasty dinner.
Hop out of bed before the heat of the day hits and meet your guide for a leisurely stroll along Kuching’s scenic waterfront, admiring the panoramic views over the old town. Then, board a sampam (a traditional flat-bottomed boat) and sail to Petanak Market, a vibrant wet market lined with rows of local produce and chattering vendors.
Souvenirs secured, visit Padungan, a lively district known for its buzzing shops and Chinese-style architecture. Here, your guide will introduce you to Kuching cuisine, filling you in on its origins and ingredients, before you head to a kitchen to cook up some authentic Sarawak dishes. Finally, sit down for the best part: a tasting of your delicious creations, from ayam pansoh (chicken rice steamed in bamboo) to hearty beef rendang.
Once you’re suitably stuffed, waddle back to your hotel in Kuching to spend the afternoon and evening however you please.
You might have been introduced to some of Borneo’s wonderful wildlife already, but today’s all about the star of the show: the orangutan. This morning, pay a visit to the Semenggoh Nature Reserve, where the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre houses a community of orangutans in a semi-wild environment.
Classified as critically endangered, Borneo’s orangutan population has been devastated by deforestation, but the centre works to preserve their numbers by welcoming orphans and survivors in and rehabilitating them until they can be released back into the wild. You'll arrive at the centre in plenty of time to watch the resident orangutans enjoying their breakfast at one of the feeding platforms. Cue a chorus of oohs and aahs (and not just from the monkeys)…
Later, leave the centre and enjoy a leisurely afternoon – our detailed destination Dossier is chock-full of local recommendations, from buzzing streets to quiet strolls.
After a busy few days, treat yourselves to a lie-in this morning before you’re picked up and privately transferred to Kuching airport for your flight to Kota Kinabalu, an hour and a half away.
When you land, you'll be met by another driver, who’ll whisk you to Jesselton Pier for the quick ten-minute speedboat crossing to Gaya Island, a beachy paradise just off Borneo’s west coast.
Once you've arrived in this island paradise, check in for five nights and beeline to the beach for a relaxing afternoon – preferably with a cocktail in hand…
The next four days are all about rest and relaxation on this island paradise. Enjoy slow mornings and fresh fruit-filled breakfasts before heading down to the beach to soak up the sun, taking a dip in the pool or indulging in a rejuvenating spa treatment.
Fancy a little more action and adventure? Gaya Island’s sparkling waters are home to pristine coral reefs, so we can arrange for you to try your hand at reef snorkelling with a marine biologist, gliding alongside a wealth of tropical fish. If you’d prefer to keep your head above water, swap fins for oars as you hop in a kayak to explore the island’s 100-year-old mangrove jungle, weaving through this complex web of waterways and wildlife.
Evenings here are about sundowners and ultra-fresh seafood overlooking the water. If you fancy an extra-special send off, we can arrange a sunset cruise to the neighbouring islands, keeping your camera poised in one hand and an ice-cold glass of fizz in the other. It truly doesn’t come much better than this.
It’s sadly time to say goodbye to Gaya Island and begin your journey home. After checking out, it’s another quick speedboat ride to the mainland and a transfer back to Kota Kinabalu airport, where you can settle into the lounge to await your overnight flight.
With another quick connection in Kuala Lumpur, the journey will take around 18 and a half hours in total, and you’ll touch down in the UK the next morning, armed with a golden tan and a camera roll full of wildlife shots.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from checking you in for your flights to our network of local Concierges
