After a good few years of being curious about Borneo, we finally had the opportunity to visit in August, 2025.
Tuesday 5
When the big day finally rolled around we headed to the airport around 1900 for our 2045 flight to Singapore.
We ended up booking with the budget airline Scoot. The flight was only $313 one way, and while it was a redeye, we had a plan.
Around 2030 we were bundled onto the plane. The plan was as good as brand new and luckily it was only about a third full.
Just after 2045 TR13 pushed back and before long we were in the air.
There’s no food or entertainment on the plane, so armed with snacks and a heap of pre-downloaded shows, we were ready to face the long night.
Wednesday 6
The flight wasn’t bad at all and around 0310 we landed in Singapore.
Formalities were a breeze and by 0350 we were in a taxi on our way to our hotel.
We hopped in a Grab and in 25 minutes we were there.
We booked the Ibis Budget Singapore Sapphire just for one night so we’d have somewhere to sleep when we landed.
It cost us $122.50 and was about half way between the city and the airport.
We slept until about 0930 and by 1000 we were showered and ready and on our way to our next hotel – Jen Singapore Orchardgateway by Shangri-La.
We grabbed another Grab and it was a short 15 minute ride to the hotel.
The hotel was a little more expensive ($359) but we’d both been to Singapore before and so decided we’d probably be mooching around the hotel for most of our stay. We also wanted a nice breakfast and pool.
We were lucky to be able to enter our room early so we dropped off our stuff and then headed downstairs for a snack.
We ended up just downstairs at Ya Kun Kaya Toast.
After a quick stop we hopped in a Grab to Boat Quay to start our city exploring adventure.
It was pretty hot and humid, so we stuck to the waterfront – wandering past the Merlion to the Gardens by the Bay.
We arrived around 1300 and had pre-booked tickets for the Flower Dome + Cloud Forest, the Supertree Observatory and the OCBC Skyway.
The combo ticket cost us $173.51 but gave us access to all the things we wanted to see. There was a Jurassic Park expedition at the Cloud Forest which we weren’t really interested in, but it turned out to be better than expected.
We started our adventure at the Flower Dome which is pretty much an indoor Botanic Garden. There was also an Orchid expedition which was pretty cool.
Next up was the Cloud Forest which we thought was great, maybe even better because of the Jurassic park stuff.
After that, we had to head back outside into the heat and humidity.
We climbed up the OCBC SkyWay which was pretty cool, before finally, heading up to the Supertree Observatory.
It was hot and we were tired but glad to have made the effort.
Next up, we headed to the hawker markets at Maxwell Food Centre for a snack and a drink.
Around 1600 we were back in a Grab for the short 10 minute trip back to the hotel.
We spent the next few hours at the hotel, chilling at the pool, relaxing and recovering from our big day and night.
Around 1930 we were back on the road – we wanted to head back to the Gardens by the Bay to see what was going on after dark.
For dinner, we ended up at Keng Eng Kee Seafood @ Tampines on a recommendation from my brother-in-law.
By 2200 we were back at the hotel exhausted after a mammoth day and night of travelling and site-seeing.
Thursday 7
We had a lazy morning relaxing at the hotel and overindulging at the breakfast buffet before calling a Grab to take us back to the airport.
We arrived around 1130 and while our flight wasn’t until 1520 – we wanted time to explore some of the sites at the Jewel Changi Airport.
We spent a bit of time checking out the famous waterfall and some of the artwork before heading to our gate.
This time, we ended up flying with AirAsia.
AK1774 from Singapore to Kuching cost us $170 and by 1650 we were there.
We ended up at the Hilton Kuching which probably cost more than we would have liked ($390 for two nights), but the hotel was in a great location and we wanted the pool.
We also managed to secure a nice, big room, overlooking the river.
The hotel was only about 15 mins from the airport and by 1710 we were there.
We were also pleasantly surprised at how much more affordable taking a Grab was in Malaysia compared to Singapore.
We had a bit of a walk around town and explored the riverfront a bit before heading off to grab something to eat.
We were craving Mango Coconut Icecream so we hopped into a Grab headed for Ice+Garden.
Around 2200 we were back at the hotel, very ready for bed.
Friday 8
We had an early start ahead of our adventure to Bako National Park.
By 0700 we were down at the breakfast buffet, gutsing ourselves.
At 0745 we were in a Grab en route to the National Park.
The trip took us about 45 minutes to the Bako National Park carpark and Boat Jetty.
From there we had to pay $14.50 each entry to the park as well as for a boat to get us there.
You’re able to join a group to try to bring down costs, but in the end we just forked out the $72.50 for a private boat, meaning we would have to wait for it to be filled, or to find/coordinate the same group at the end of the day.
The boat trip took us about 30 minutes and after arriving, and registering, we were off to explore (and to look for Proboscis Monkeys).
We started off with a hike to Teluk Paku.
It wasn’t super easy – with a bit of a muddy scramble and a couple of monkeys to dodge (and no Proboscis to be seen).
Next up we continued on to the Kecil Beach lookout. That was a much easier walk, flat -with a boardwalk for some of the way.
Finally we continued on to Besar Beach which had a cool lookout and then a steep scramble down to the beach.
We were hiking for about three-and-a-half hours and just when we’d given up on seeing Proboscis Monkeys – there they were, right at the end (beginning) of the path.
We saw about 4 there and then, closer to the beach where we disembarked, a few more.
We also saw some bearded pigs which was unexpected.
We had a drink at the cafe and then called our boat man to begin the long trip back to Kuching.
We were back at the hotel around 1500 and decided to go and see a bit of the town in the daylight.
We had another look at the river, before checking out India Street and some of its famous graffiti. We grabbed a coffee at Yia Coffee Company and some fried chicken at Aladin Cafe.
Around 1630 we were back at the hotel, giving us just enough time to test out the pool and chill before getting dressed up for dinner.
Around 1930 we headed out to the Kuching Festival Food Fair which had streets and streets filled with hundreds of food stands. It was sort of overwhelming but we managed to eat our way through it.
There was also a bit of a light festival which was cool to see.
Finding a Grab was a bit of a ballache but we managed it in the end and around 2200 we were back at the hotel, ready for a rest after another exhausting day.
Saturday 9
We had another early start – quickly squeezing in breakfast before heading to the airport for our 0845 flight to Brunei.
We ended up on BI852 from Kuching to Bandar Seri Begawan.
We flew with Royal Brunei Airlines and it cost us $95.50 each.
At 1000 we had landed in Brunei, and seeing as though the airport formalities were a breeze – we were out early and ready waiting for our driver.
We’d booked a tour with Viator – it cost $366.28 for the two of us and included pick up and drop off at the airport.
We started the day with a tour of the Jame Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque.
Next up was the Omar ali Saifuddien Mosque.
Next up we hopped on a boat to visit Kampong Ayer (water village).
We were taken inside a local house and treated to some local treats.
Unfortunately, the weather started to turn, making our monkey-spotting tour up the river a wet one.
Despite the weather, we managed to spot a number of Probiscus monkeys.
Thankfully the weather started to let up, meaning we were able to dry up a little on the ride back down the river.
In the afternoon we stopped off at the Royal Regalia Museum before passing the Sultan’s Palace – Istana Nurul Imam – before calling it a day.
We were dropped off at the airport around 1600 giving us plenty of time for a snack before our 1825 Royal Brunei Airlines flight to Kota Kinabalu.
We settled on some traditional Filipino treats from Jollibee.
Around 1700 we headed in to find our gate.
At 1825 BI827 took off, en route to KK.
The flight cost us $133.50 and took around 40 minutes.
The hotel was only a 20 minute Grab ride from the airport and so around 2000 we were there.
We ended up staying at Citadines Waterfront Kinabalu.
It cost us $672 for four nights.
Check in was a bit chaotic as it seems like KK is to Chinese students what Cancun is to young Americans.
When we finally sorted our key – we found our room was small but perfectly formed.
We also had a small window with a great view of the busy port and harbour.
The hotel was also in a great location, close to everything we wanted to see.
It was a bit of a long day, so we had a quick Bubbletea at TeaLive Warisan Square before heading around the corner for a massage.
Around 2200 we were back at the hotel, ready for a well-earned rest.
Sunday 10
We had an early start to squeeze in breakfast at the hotel before our 7am pick up.
Today we were doing an island hopping adventure to the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.
I’d done a lot of research and settled on Down Below Adventures. Word on the street was a lot of the tours were packed with Chinese tourists (who couldn’t swim) and it was an ordeal getting in and out of the boat, and the guides would keep you on a tight leash.
Down Below apparently focused on divers and people who were confident swimmers.
It wasn’t cheap – costing us $149.34 each – but it was pretty well organised.
The one complaint was, there was a lot of sitting around waiting.
The tour was about eight hours, but we were only in the water for about three of them, if that.
We arrived at Base Camp Gaya Island around 0745, and by 0930 we were finally allowed to hop in the water. For our first snorkel, we swam from the pier out around the island. It was pretty sandy and bare but I think the first swim was to test our ability.
Next up, we went on the boat a little out to the north of the camp for our second snorkel.
After lunch, we went to Sapi Island for our third and final snorkel for the day.
By the afternoon the sky had opened up and at 1630 we bundled into the boat to head back to kota Kinabalu.
We sailed into Sutera Harbour Marina and Country Club around 1700, and a short time later we were in a Grab on our way back to the hotel.
Around 1900 we headed out in search of something to eat.
We ended up having Roti at Kedai Makan Islamic Restoran 2 for dinner in the food court at Centre Point Sabah.
Around 2100, we were back at the hotel, ready for a rest after a long day in the sun.
Monday 11
Having been on the go for a few days now, and getting burnt to a crisp the previous day, we decided to have a low-key, relaxing day, to explore a bit of Kota Kinabalu.
After a lazy morning with breakfast at the hotel, we made our way to Nook Cafe for a quick coffee.
Around midday we hopped in a Grab to take us to the Floating Mosque. A couple of bucks gets you entry – but you’re not actually allowed to enter, just wander around the gardens in your rented-religious garb.
We’ve seen some pretty spectacular mosques around the world, so I don’t think we were missing too much anyway.
After an hour or so at the mosque we caught a Grab back to the hotel to chill a little.
In the afternoon we had a look at the central market before walking south to the Imago Shopping Mall. We ducked into Tiya Spa and Reflexology for a massage and by 1700 we were back at the hotel to try out the pool.
We took advantage of the hotel’s laundry which was convenienty located right next to the pool.
We had a decent sunset before meeting a friend for dinner.
We ended up at Satay Jawi which was cheap and cheerful and pretty good, before heading up the road to Biru Biru Cafe & Bar for a nightcap.
Around 2300 we were back at the hotel and ready to call it a day.
Tuesday 12
We hadn’t pre-organised our trip to the Mantanani Island and on Monday afternoon when we were researching, we quickly discovered everything was booked out.
We were beginning to think we were going to miss out, when we found a couple of spots on Get your Guide.
It cost about $293 for the two of us and included transport and lunch.
The driver picked us up at 0730 and we were on our way to the jetty at Kota Belud.
The drive was a good hour and a half and from there we had a fairly rough 45 minute boat trip to the island.
The water was so rough the boat broke down and we had to return to the jetty to change boats.
We arrived on the island around 1145, and despite the weather having turned, we could still see the beauty of the island.
We were based at the Arunava Mantanani resort for the day which seemed pretty fancy.
We quickly got suited and booted for snorkelling and headed back out on the boat for a transfer to our first snorkel spot.
We were snorkelling for a couple of hours before returning to the island for lunch.
All in all, it was a pretty good day trip, but a lot of stuffing around for a couple of hours on the island, snorkelling. In the end, I’m glad we saw it for ourselves, and had the weather been better I’m sure the island would have been pretty beautiful.
The trip back to civilisation was much smoother and around 1700, we were back at the hotel getting washed up ready for dinner.
We tried to hit up KK Garden Seafood Restaurant for dinner but either because of the weather or how busy it was, they wouldn’t let us in.
We were pretty tired and hungry so we continued up the road to try some other local favourites at Mamasita Mexican Restaurant and Tapas Bar.
Service was just OK but we had a decent meal and some nice cocktails but at $123 for the two of us, it probably wasn’t worth it.
Around 2130 we decided to call it a night and headed back to the hotel for the night.
Wednesday 13
We wanted to travel to Sandakan today and rather than flying, we thought we’d go overland so we could see a bit of the countryside.
We ended up going with River Junkie which cost us about $100 each. The vans carry about eight people and stop at a few tourist sites along the way.
Around 0700 they were at the hotel ready to go.
At 0845 we were at Kinabalu National Park. The driver’s English wasn’t great and we weren’t exactly sure what we were supposed to be doing and when and where. I think we were supposed to go to a viewpoint and there was a boardwalk listed in the paperwork, but we couldn’t really work out how to do either of those things.
Continuing along the road we stopped to see a Rafflesia or stinking corpse lilyflower – the single largest individual flower in the world.
Just before 1100 we pulled into Poring Hot Springs. We had an hour and a half to do a bit of a hike, have a swim and try out some of the hot, and not so hot, pools.
Around 1300 we arrived at the Sabah Tea Resort Restaurant for lunch. We tried some tea and I ate a suspicious dish – Malaysia’s take on Butter Chicken.
Around 1900 we arrived in Sandkana.
We were dropped off at the Elopura Hotel (which cost us $134 per room) and had a quick freshen up before heading out to find something for dinner.
We walked along the waterfront before settling for Bistro 88 for dinner and a couple of beers. I think the availability of alcohol was a big draw card for tourists as the place was packed.
We had a bit more of a walk around after dinner before heading back to the hotel to call it a night.
Thursday 14
We were tossing up whether or not to bother with Turtle island. We’d done something similar in Oman, so we weren’t sure it was worth the money.
What’s more, given it was summer, there wasn’t a great deal of availability, none to be exact.
I was researching and researching and found a deal on TripAdvisor.
It was $1781.86 for the two of us, including food, transport and accommodation.
TripAdvisor has a guarantee to match any competitor’s price, so I sent them an email collating all the other operators offering better deals.
I went around and around through different customer service addresses before reaching out to the operator direct.
I spoke with this girl Azra who was super helpful.
She confirmed I would be able to book directly with me if I managed to cancel the trip with Trip Advisor.
The original booking said I was eligible for a full refund if I cancelled at least 24 hours in advance, so I did that, and rebooked direct with the operator – Milas Travel.
Same deal. $400 cheaper!
So in the end we paid $1400 for transport, accommodation and meals.
The trip was for two days and one night on Turtle Island, and then visiting the Sepilok Wildlife parks – the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.
At 0930 on the dot our transfer arrived at the hotel to take us to the Crystal Quest jetty.
There was a good hour of stuffing around for registration etc before we were on our way.
They ask whether you’d like to buy snorkel gear. I suggested that was probably not the best for the environment, having just sat through a talk on the island’s conservation efforts, and our guide offered to rent us a couple of sets.
I think they charged us about RM20 or $7 which we were happy to pay (even though the gear turned out to be pretty crap).
After about an hour-long boat trip we arrived on Selingan Island.
There was a bit more stuffing round and orientation before we finally got the keys to our room.
A short time later lunch was served and then we had free time for swimming and snorkelling in the afternoon.
We spent a few hours swimming, exploring the island and relaxing until it was time for tea.
Around 2100 we were called back to the mess hall to wait to be called to see the turtles coming into nest.
It’s a bit of a waiting game and with an early start the following day we were worried we could be up all night, or worse still, see nothing at all.
In the end it was about 2130 when our group was called.
We headed straight down the beach, dodging turtles along the way to catch a big mother turtle nesting.
The night is sort of in three stages.
First you watch a turtle lay its eggs while the rangers collect them.
Next, we visited the fields where the rangers bury the eggs in a special cage until they hatch.
Finally, we head back down the beach to watch the rangers release the freshly hatched baby turtles.
It was pretty cool to see, even though we’d done it before, and by 2230 we were back in our room, tucked up in bed after a long, long day.
Friday 15
Around 0530 we were up and at ‘em. We made a bee line for the beach to try to catch sunrise. It was a bit cloudy so we didn’t see much but at least we were raring and ready to go when it was time for breakfast at 0630.
Apart from all the waiting around for orientation etc, the entire experience was pretty well planned and executed.
At 0800 we were back at Crystal Quest Jetty on the mainland and being bundled into our shuttle towards the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
We arrived just after 0910 and headed straight to the outdoor nursery for feeding time.
The glass room was packed with tourists and the experience wasn’t great. It’s pretty much just a zoo.
We decided to head to the outdoor feeding area to try to get a good spot. On the way we were lucky to bump into a mother and her child wandering along the boardwalk railing.
Lucky for that, given we waited a good half hour at the outdoor feeding platform and saw nothing but a couple of monkeys and a squirrel.
Done with the orangutans, we headed up the road to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.
We saw plenty of Sun Bears sniffing around, before grabbing an ice cream and heading back to the bus.
Around midday we arrived at Sepilok Jungle Resort for a quick lunch before continuing on our way to the hotel.
We ended up staying at the Sabah Hotel Sandakan mostly because it had a big, nice pool, and we’d already explored the waterfront.
The room was pretty big and had a view of the pool – where we were quick to transplant ourselves for an afternoon of swimming.
Around 1430 we headed back into town for a bit of a look around and a drink stop at Daily Coffee.
At 1930 we headed back into town to check out the much lauded Ba Lin Rooftop Bar only to discover it was all booked out.
Instead we headed around the corner to Dozo Nanyang Kopi House for dinner. It seems to be a chain and maybe more of a coffee shop than a restaurant, but the food was pretty decent. And at $26 for the two of us, we didn’t have much to complain about.
We were back at the hotel around 2030 and pretty much headed straight to bed ahead of a very early start the following morning.
Saturday 16
We woke up well before dawn for our 0400 pick up.
We’d organised a driver to take us to Semporna. We’d booked a fancy hotel down there and needed to be at the jetty by 1100 so we could transfer to the resort and maximise our time.
I’d seen the River Junkie people also organised private transfers.
When I messaged them they said they were fully booked, but suggested a driver that we could try.
We messaged Agus and he was happy to help.
It cost us $218 and while the driver wasn’t great – we got there in the end.
We stopped a couple of times along the way to stretch our legs and have a snack, and for the driver to have a nap – he admitted he wasn’t great with early mornings.
We arrived at the Seafest Jetty around 0930 giving us plenty of time to chill before our 1100 pick up.
It was a pretty nice (and quick) cruise across the to the hotel.
We ended up staying at Moana Water Village Hotel.
It cost $1200 a night – a bit rich considering the service and facilities, but we had an OK time.
Food, a selection of drinks and transfers were included in the price.
When I was planning the trip I wasn’t even sure the hotel was going to exist as there was so little information about it online and it wasn’t available on all the booking sites.
Anyway, in the end it was fine.
The hotel caters mainly to Chinese tourists and so all the information around the resort is in Chinese.
We didn’t really understand what time meals were scheduled and, later, found out a selection of drinks were free.
I’d say the food served mostly catered for the Chinese too.
Anyway, our room was big and nice, and our pool was good fun.
We had (very slippery) stairs down to the ocean too, which was great.
We spent the afternoon chilling in the pool, and sunning and swimming about around our villa.
Dinner was served around 1800 and after a couple of beers we retired for the night.
Sunday 17
After breakfast we hopped back in the water to go snorkelling around the hotel.
The water was super clear, but apart from a few dozen starfish, there wasn’t a great deal to see.
The resort transfers left around 1100 to go back to Semporna but given we were continuing to another island resort, we booked a private transfer.
We had originally tried to book it through a girl (?) called LayShan and everything was locked in until the day before, when we were informed they weren’t allowed to dock at Bohey Dulang Island Resort.
I started researching again, and finally found Majestic Leisure who were able to help us.
They also had reservations about docking at Bohey Dulang Island Resort, but I checked with the resort and they said it would be fine.
It cost us $143 and took us about 20 minutes to get there.
We ended up staying a night on the Bohey Dulang Island Resort – it was cheaper than Moana Water Village – and I’d say more fancy.
Like the Moana Water Village, food was included and transfers would have been, had we been coming from Semporna.
We arrived around 1100 and were immediately impressed. They had buggies and welcome drinks, hot towels and an orientation video.
We were equally impressed when we were escorted to our rooms. They were big and a little more polished than at the Moana Water Village.
The one downside, I suppose, was that it was such a long way to the swimming spot. Unlike the Moana Water Village where you could choose from your private pool or jump off into the ocean.
Bohey Dulang Island Resort was $958 for the night including food and transport.
We had wanted to do the hike to the Bohey Dulang Overlook but the groups left at 1100.
Had we known we would have arrived earlier – but I didn’t think it would be an issue.
The start of the walk was only a couple of hundred metres from the resort, but there was no way to get there (apart from swimming).
After lunch, we decided to test the water. We got dressed up and headed out for the long walk to the end of the pier, where you’re allowed to swim.
There was a snorkelling spot and a swimming spot. They keep you on a pretty tight leash but I think because we actually knew how to swim, they were fine with us.
They also let us jump off the high pier into the water.
Around 1900 we headed back into the dining area for sunset and dinner.
Monday 18
We had the same issue today as yesterday – the transfers included in the price of the hotel were for return to semporna.
We figured because we were already out to sea, we should start an island hopping adventure out there.
We had missed out on the hike to the Bohey Duland Overlook – which was annoying – but the timing didn’t work out and the tour operator wouldn’t let us do that AND the islands.
The weather wasn’t great so we decided to do the islands instead.
We had organised the day trip with the same operator who shuttled us between Moana Water Village and Bohey Dulang Island Resort – Majestic Leisure.
A private boat tour cost us $302.10 with a guide who was a bit of a laugh and also grateful that we were strong swimmers.
First stop was Timba Timba Island where we had a quick walk around before testing out the water.
We were among the first to arrive there so I quickly put the drone up before moving on, to stay ahead of the crowds.
We did a bit of snorkelling off the island before continuing to Mataking Island for a quick lunch break.
Apparently you have to pay to visit the island, so they took us to a free area which was a bit of a dump, but it did the trick.
Around 1230 we were back on the boat tearing out to sea.
We had a bonus stop at Pandanan Island which turned out to be a highlight of the day. It was such a beautiful island and it was basically deserted.
From memory, we had to pay a fee to enter some of the islands, but it was only a couple of dollars each.
We spent a couple of hours chilling there, and swimming, before hopping back on the boat and continuing to our last stop – Pom Pom Island.
Apparently, you’re not allowed on the Island because it’s a private resort, so we just stopped off off shore and hopped in the water.
The snorkelling around the island is epic. Water clarity was incredible and we must have seen a dozen turtles.
We spent a bit of time swimming and snorkelling off the island before deciding to call it a day.
Around 1530 we started the journey back to Semporna.
Purely by chance our hotel – Cube Bed Station Hostel – was about 3 metres from where they dropped us off.
The hotel was $219 for two nights (even though we only stayed for one – due to scheduling and cancellation policy) and was right on the port. The room was tiny but we had a decent view of the port and the air conditioner worked well.
We had a bit of a wander around town before heading down to Le’ One Spa for a massage.
It cost us $55 each for an hour and it was a pretty nice setting with big windows out to the water.
It was about 2000 when we were done so we headed back towards the hotel to find something for dinner.
We ended up at Restoran Bismillah which was pretty tasty Dosa and curry.
We had some fresh mango juices for dessert ($11) and were back in the hotel by 2230, very ready for bed.
Tuesday 19
We were up early to head to the bus station for our long-ish trip back north.
When I finally managed to secure a night in a lodge along the Kinabatangan River, I asked the travel agent to recommend transport.
We had to do a bit of backtracking given the very limited availability of Turtle Island and also all the Kinabatangan River Lodge (try to book in advance!).
The Travel Agent – Ray-Maylyn Pang – was superful helpful in organising everything.
We ended up nabbing a room at Sukau Greenview. It cost us $232.07 for two days and one night and included food and three river tours.
Originally, we had thought to do a two night, three day tours, to include a trip to Gomantong Caves on your way back to Sandakan.
In the end, we thought one night would probably be enough and we actually wanted to head south again, instead of continuing to Sandakan.
Anyway, Ray-Maylyn Pang recommended we book our bus through Red Bus.
The 0730 bus was scheduled to get us to Pekan Kinabatangan around 1116.
Ray-Maylyn Pang had instructed us to inform the bus driver that we’d be getting Sri Bulan, from where a driver from the resort would collect us.
The tickets cost $45 for the two of us, and the service was pretty decent. The bus was clean and comfortable.
We set off for the bus station around 0650. It was a less than a ten minute walk. So we were there with plenty of time and even had a bit of time to find some snacks.
The bus left just after 0730 and had a couple of stops along the way.
Around 1200, we pulled into Kedai Makin Sri Bulan and had about 30 minutes for a snack before our transfer to Sukau Greenview Lodge arrived.
The guy pulled up in a pretty nice, clean, new car and it took us about 30 minutes more to arrive at the lodge.
We had a bit of time to settle into our room before heading out to the restaurant for our pre-river safari briefing.
Around 1600 we were bundled into the little boats and cruising up the Kinabatangan River.
It didn’t take long for us to spot some wildlife – all the monkeys, a crocodile and eventually, even a herd of elephants!
By 1830 we were back at the lodge, ready for dinner.
It was a bit of a bordel. Everyone was pushing and shoving to be fed, but the food was decent and there was plenty to go around.
At 1930 we were back on the boat ready for our evening cruise.
We saw a couple of birds and a snake but not a lot else, but it was still cool to head out in the dark, with the spotlights.
We were back at the hotel around 2130 ready for bed.
Wednesday 20
We were up early ready for our pre-dawn cruise.
We were on the boat around 0600 cruising along the river looking for critters.
We didn’t see many animals but it was a lovely morning on the river all the same.
Our first cruise was probably the best – we saw most animals, including the elephants.
We were back at the lodge around 0740 – ready to get our elbows out at the breakfast buffet.
Everything was very well organise and executed, and by 0830 we were being bundled into our transfer headed back for Kedai Makin Sri Bulan.
We waited less than ten minutes before our car came to collect us and take us to Tawau.
We’d organised a driver through the same company we sorted out Semprona transfer.
This driver was much better than the previous, and cost us $233 for the 4.5 hour trip to our hotel in Tawau.
We ended up at LA Hotel in Tawau. It cost us $73 for the night and while it was a bit dated, it did the trick.
It also had a cool rooftop.
We didn’t really have any plans for Tawau – so after a little while relaxing at the hotel, we decided to do some washing and have a massage.
The massage cost us $30 each and while the locale was a bit suspicious, the massage wasn’t too bad.
After that, we grabbed our washing and headed back to the hotel to get dressed up for dinner.
We landed on Tawaurian Cafe for dinner.
After a quick snack, we walked through the nightmarkets and through the rat infested Traulsen Recreational Park.
By 2130 we were back in the hotel ready to call it a night after our long travel day.
Thursday 21
We had a pretty lazy morning with breakfast at the hotel before calling a Grab to take us to the airport. The trip took us about 35 minutes and cost us $13.30.
We grabbed a snack at Subway before heading through security and looking for our gate.
The terminal was tiny and pretty poorly organised.
There were no screens to monitor flight information and all the water machines were broken.
When we got to our gate, or at least the long line to our gate, we were told we had to go back to security to get our passports stamped.
Even though it’s a domestic flight, I think flying from Borneo is treated as an international flight.
Anyway, we sorted all that and of course our Air Asia flight was delayed.
It cost us $150 each and was scheduled to leave at 1335 and land around 1620.
AK5741 finally took off around 1430 and landed three hours later.
We had booked our hotel, Park Royal Collection, Kuala Lumpur through Booking.com and because I use the site so much, they offered us a free transfer.
In the end we probably should have just taken a Grab because the driver was a bit of a hot mess. He was pretty much on time to pick us up, but didn’t know his way, and ultimately added about another 20 minutes to our trip.
We finally arrived at the hotel around 6pm and after a bit of a slow check in, we were in our room getting freshened up for dinner.
We had tried to get into Sky Bar at Traders Hotel but it was last minute and they claimed there was a special event underway.
We ended up heading up to Helipad Bar, just up the road, which as its name suggests – is a bar on a helipad on the top of a skyscraper.
It was only up the road and was cheaper to enter. It was about $37 dollars per person, but included a couple of drinks.
The views were fab and the atmosphere wasn’t too bad, either.
On the way home, we stopped off at Jalan Alor Food Street and stuffed ourselves stupid.
About 2300 we rolled into the hotel ready to hit the sack.
Friday 22
The hotel cost us $649 for three days and was pretty nice. Breakfast was extra ($47 for two) so we did it for one day. The breakfast buffet was pretty epic with heaps and heaps of choices from all around the world.
We had a couple of full days in Kuala Lumpur so decided to use one of the days to do a bit of a day trip.
We booked a tour to Batu Caves through Viator. It included lunch and stopped at a couple of waterfalls and hot springs.
The tour was $116 each.
At 0900 on the dot our driver turned up and within 15 minutes we were at Jadi Batek – a cultural museum/shop. We both hate that sort of thing where they show you their wares then try to pressure you into buying something – in this case a loud sarong or shirt. We were only there for about 15 minutes so it wasn’t TOO bad.
Next up, around 1000, we arrived at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre.
We were already nearly at the end of our tether but decided to give it a go.
Our guide was pretty good and we zipped through the centre – which we found more interesting that we thought.
Just after 1100 we arrived at Batu Caves. It was (unsurprisingly) overrun with tourists, at Monkeys, but it was still pretty cool.
There are lots and lots and lots of steps up to the caves – so bring your walking shoes.
We spent about an hour at the site, exploring the caves and temples, and dodging monkeys, before heading back to the car to start the quick journey to our next stop.
About 15 minutes down the road we arrived at Selayang Hot Spring. I had actually been looking forward to this, but it turned out to be a bit of a dump. Very rundown and I guess not surprisingly, too hot.
The baths are out under the searing sunshine and the watering was scolding.
We dipped a toe in, but they were just far too hot for our untrained feet.
We stopped for about 45 minutes as a courtesy, before heading back to the car to continue to the Kanching Falls.
We spent about an hour exploring the site, again, dodging monkeys.
There are about five waterfalls and a muddy trail up the mountain between them.
Again, the site wasn’t great, but it was good to see.
By 1400 we were very ready for a snack, and the driver took us to Nasi Kandar for lunch.
The food was a bit suspect, but it tasted decent and we were starving, so we weren’t really bothered.
By 1530 we were back at the hotel ready for a rest at the pool.
We spent a couple of hours swimming and sunning before heading back up to the room to get ready for dinner.
Having learned our lesson from the night before, we made a reservation for Sky Bar.
All the reservations were super early or super late, so we went for 2200 with the thought of grabbing dinner beforehand.
The reservation comes with a $150 minimum spend, which we thought we’d easily be able to knock over with a couple of cocktails.
For dinner, we ended up at Al Sultan, not too far from the hotel, which at $61, for the two of us, was pretty good.
And, while a tad random, was a nice change from all the Asian food we’d been eating.
Just before around 2130 we headed down the road to Sky Bar.
The views, unsurprisingly, were fab and the cocktails weren’t bad either.
We spent a couple of hours there before heading back to the hotel, via Kunafa Crisp.
Saturday 23
We had a lazy start to the day before heading out in search of breakfast.
We ended up at Feeka Coffee Roasters which was pretty decent.
We had a flight later that evening, so spent a long lazy day at the pool, testing out various items from the pool bar menu.
About 1830 we called a Grab for the long trip to the airport.
It cost us $30 and took us the better part of an hour.
We’d headed in early to give us enough time for dinner.
Around 2100 we were boarding our plan – D7222 – to Sydney.
We ended up going with AirAsia and at the cost of $407 per person.
Sunday 24
At 0750 we landed in Sydney, bringing to an end our amazing adventure to Borneo.