1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Watching elephants have a bath in the Kinabatangan River - amazing.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Go to the night market in Kota Kinabalu, you get a feeling you are in a pace very different from England!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

The guides were extremely good and shared with us how much tourism obviously means to them, but also their country as a whole. They were very knowledgeable and proud of their country. We learnt much about what was threatening the environment, and many of the places we stayed in were using environmentally friendly washing products.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Fantastic - the wildlife was amazing; watching elephants bathing in the river, snorkelling with turtles, scuba diving with sharks (small ones thankfully!), and the odd orangtan and probocis monkey! The people were extremely friendly and proud of their country. A wonderfully welcoming place to visit, I will be back!

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Most memorable would be doing a night cruise on the Kinabatangan River, pitch black and crocs in the river, but loved every minute; the kingfishers were amazing!

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Take extra cash to tip your guides as they are fantastic and deserve it. Take a decent camera, one preferably with a zoom lens to get good snaps of the wildlife. After that sun cream, sun cream, sun cream...

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

Yes, I was concerned about this and discussed it with a couple of my guides who explained how important tourism is to their economy. Experiencing the devastation of the rainforest first hand really brought home the importance of preserving such an amazing place as Borneo. By visiting the conservation areas you provide them with money to continue their work and you also raise your own awareness!

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

10/10 Could not have wished for a better holiday, the operator was fantastic and come highly recommended. Have already started to look at where to go next!

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

An open topped boat ride in the pouring rain that felt like being doused by a hot shower. Meeting the Iban and keeping our heads. Seeing the amazing wildlife of Borneo: proboscis monkeys, orang-utans and even elephants. Lankayan island

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Miss out Mulu and stay longer in Lankayan and the Danum valley. Take walking boots for the trekking and buy the leech socks at Danum as much much cheaper than the UK.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

The Iban wanted us to bring all our friends and so they clearly feel the benefit of tourism. With 14 flights I can't honestly say that it had minimal impacts. Certainly learnt a lot about the impact of Palm oil on the environment.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Excellent.

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

The wild orang-utan coming down out the tree was great but a small orang-utan at Sepilok who came down her tree to have a really close look at us was beautiful. She didn't go to the feeding platform that day so the 3 of us were the only ones to get a really close look at her.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

If you are going walking, watch out for the leeches, there are lots of them - pack leech socks. Don't expect haute cuisine, mostly it is absolutely fine, but it can get a bit repetitive.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

It was great to stay in places that were owned & staffed by local people (except in KK - how people who just go there can claim to visted Borneo for real is beyond me). I am not convinced it is a great idea to handle baby turtles before they go into the sea.

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Bako national park amazing, Kinabatangan river; definitely Borneo is worth a visit for its natural resources.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Visit parks and nature places you will be impressed; if you go to Sabah scuba diving is a must, there is plenty of island (Sepidan etc). Do not waste time on Iban tribes; as you wil see people dressed in Western short and t shirt, tv hifi; gas cooking and fridges not even hidden properly; moreover since you go in the long house everyone especially mothers with child beg you to buy things - if this is not hard sell picture and whatever stated by in agent brochure false; I found the day a waste of time. Be aware scuba diving is not available at Rasa Ria resort off Kota Kinabalu.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

Honestly I cannot see how (the benefit for local people was extremely minimal) a dinner costs at Shangri la Rasa Ria 105 Ringitt = 22.72 Euro the equivalent of a dinner in Italy; where an employee costs to the company 2000 Euro gross to the company a month basic salary in Malaysia an employee is paid 400 Ringitt a month = 86.58 Euro do not get a heat attack where all the money goes?? Probably in the pocket of a few multinationals if you see the places I have been.

Read the operator's response here:

The vast majority of Iban families have a strong desire to remain in their traditional, longhouse homes (with some modern additions including electricity which we acknowledge). In the past the authorities have tried to move tribal groups into conventional towns against their wishes to make provision of education and medical facilities easier. However, tourism has contributed to saving the tribal groups from this as a mutually beneficial relationship has developed between the Iban (and other tribes), tourists and the local authorities. The income from tourism encourages government to provide for the Iban in their natural homes and guests to the houses of the Iban experience a unique culture and history.

The Rasa Ria provides a staff remuneration package that is similar or better than most of its competitors in Sabah and has one of the lowest rates of staff turnover. The package includes meals, medical assistance, retirement benefit, insurance coverage, a personnel development programme, employee discounts and accommodation for out-of-town employees. The Shangri-La group issues anonymous questionnaires for employees that are independently assessed to constructively utilise employee feedback and the Rasa Ria feedback rates amongst the highest in the company.

In addition to this the hotel works with Sabah's Human Resource Development Department and trains youngsters without work experience to develop a career in the hotel industry.

On a community level, each week different schools are invited for an educational trip to the nature reserve to understand the importance of conservation of the flora and fauna, most especially the Orangutans. The hotel works closely with Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan, one of the world's leading Orangutan research and conservation organisations.