Get up close to Malaysia’s nature and wildlife on this 3-day tour to Sandakan from Sabah. At two animal conversation facilities, watch turtles lay eggs on the beach and see orangutans being fed in the rainforest. Enjoy scenic boat trips, including a Kinabatangan River safari; explore vast Gomantong Caves; and learn about Sandakan's history and heritage on a city coach tour. Your expert local guide will provide enlightening and informative commentary throughout your trip.
Highlights
- 3-day Sandakan city and wildlife experience from Sabah
- Discover Malaysia’s lush natural scenery and wildlife with your expert local guide
- See native animals up close on a Kinabatanga River boat safari and at two animal conservation facilities
- Watch baby turtles scurry along the beach to the sea and see orangutans being fed in the rainforest
- Journey inside a vast cave complex and enjoy several scenic boat rides
- Take a Sandakan city tour and browse a bustling market full of local vendors
- Transportation and accommodation included
Useful Information
Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary
Day 1: Sabah – Selingan Turtle Island (L, D)
Be picked up at your Kota Kinabalu hotel and taken to the airport for your flight to Sandakan (not included, please see Additional Info for details). Upon arrival, head to the jetty for a scenic 1-hour boat ride to Selingan Turtle Island, where you’ll check-in to your hotel and have lunch.
The rest of the afternoon, explore the island at your own leisure and expense. Take a dip in the ocean, soak up the sun on the beach, or discover marine life while snorkeling – the island offers a variety of fun activities for you to enjoy.
Have dinner and then enjoy an exciting, unique nighttime experience -- watching turtles hatch eggs! Your guide will explain how this island is a conservation area that protects turtles’ newly laid eggs from predators. Witness workers collecting eggs from the nesting site and planting them in the hatchery, and see baby turtles scrambling on the beach to the open sea!
Overnight: 4-star Selingan Island Resort on Selingan Island
Day 2: Selingan Turtle Island – Sandakan (B, L, D)
After breakfast, board a boat and travel along the Sulu Sea back to Sandakan, where you’ll be picked up for a short drive to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Here, watch a video about the center’s important work of rehabilitating injured and orphaned orangutans. Follow your guide on a trek along wooden planks through the rainforest to witness the feeding of orangutans!
Next, enjoy on a scenic 2.5-hour drive through the rustic countryside studded with villages, and then take a short boat transfer to your hotel for check-in. Embark on a 1.5-hour boat safari along the Kinabatangan River, Sabah's longest river. Travel through lush mangrove and rainforest habitats, spotting native wildlife along the way. Your guide will help point out a few primates as they settle onto treetops. Return to the lodge for dinner.
Overnight: 4.5-star Borneo Nature Lodge in Sandakan
Day 3: Sandakan – Sabah (B, L)
After breakfast at the lodge, venture to Gomantong Cave, located in a large limestone outcrop, for an adventurous exploration of this massive cave complex. Return to Sandakan for lunch and then head on a city coach tour beginning with a visit to a bustling market to peruse its stalls offering fresh seafood and unique local delicacies.
Visit historic sites like the Agnes Keith House, where the American author lived and where the British government was housed. Walk inside and see reproductions of colonial furniture and authentic antiques. Next, visit Sandakan Memorial Park, commemorating the life of Australian and British prisoners of war during World War II. Tour the beautifully maintained park and the museum to learn about the heroic efforts of these POWs.
Afterward, you’ll be taken to the airport for your late-afternoon flight (not included) back to your Kota Kinabalu hotel.
Be picked up at your Kota Kinabalu hotel and taken to the airport for your flight to Sandakan (not included, please see Additional Info for details). Upon arrival, head to the jetty for a scenic 1-hour boat ride to Selingan Turtle Island, where you’ll check-in to your hotel and have lunch.
The rest of the afternoon, explore the island at your own leisure and expense. Take a dip in the ocean, soak up the sun on the beach, or discover marine life while snorkeling – the island offers a variety of fun activities for you to enjoy.
Have dinner and then enjoy an exciting, unique nighttime experience -- watching turtles hatch eggs! Your guide will explain how this island is a conservation area that protects turtles’ newly laid eggs from predators. Witness workers collecting eggs from the nesting site and planting them in the hatchery, and see baby turtles scrambling on the beach to the open sea!
Overnight: 4-star Selingan Island Resort on Selingan Island
Day 2: Selingan Turtle Island – Sandakan (B, L, D)
After breakfast, board a boat and travel along the Sulu Sea back to Sandakan, where you’ll be picked up for a short drive to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Here, watch a video about the center’s important work of rehabilitating injured and orphaned orangutans. Follow your guide on a trek along wooden planks through the rainforest to witness the feeding of orangutans!
Next, enjoy on a scenic 2.5-hour drive through the rustic countryside studded with villages, and then take a short boat transfer to your hotel for check-in. Embark on a 1.5-hour boat safari along the Kinabatangan River, Sabah's longest river. Travel through lush mangrove and rainforest habitats, spotting native wildlife along the way. Your guide will help point out a few primates as they settle onto treetops. Return to the lodge for dinner.
Overnight: 4.5-star Borneo Nature Lodge in Sandakan
Day 3: Sandakan – Sabah (B, L)
After breakfast at the lodge, venture to Gomantong Cave, located in a large limestone outcrop, for an adventurous exploration of this massive cave complex. Return to Sandakan for lunch and then head on a city coach tour beginning with a visit to a bustling market to peruse its stalls offering fresh seafood and unique local delicacies.
Visit historic sites like the Agnes Keith House, where the American author lived and where the British government was housed. Walk inside and see reproductions of colonial furniture and authentic antiques. Next, visit Sandakan Memorial Park, commemorating the life of Australian and British prisoners of war during World War II. Tour the beautifully maintained park and the museum to learn about the heroic efforts of these POWs.
Afterward, you’ll be taken to the airport for your late-afternoon flight (not included) back to your Kota Kinabalu hotel.
