Orangutan watching with kids

Of all the places for watching orangutans with kids, Sabah is by far the most family friendly, so more cautious travellers or those with younger children would be advised to come here.

There are opportunities to see them in the wild – as well as at the excellent Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre and Rainforest Discovery Centre.

Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo are recommended only for the most intrepid families; teenagers may thrive on its rough-and-ready-ness, but language barriers and lack of infrastructure may make less adventurous parents nervous.

Sarawak is Malaysia’s cultural capital, and you shouldn’t miss the chance to stay in a traditional Iban longhouse with a dozen local families. You can buy food in the local market, cook with the community, enjoy the dances and traditional dress.

Children are wonderful ice-breakers and will soon be playing with their new Bornean friends – and discovering how life works without smartphones, laptops and TV.

Nicki Hollamby, from our supplier Audley Travel, shares her advice on watching orangutans with kids: “Go! It’s brilliant. If I was doing a family trip to Borneo, I’d spend half the time in Sarawak because you can base yourself in Kuching and do daytrips. It’s a brilliant city with plenty of character, and it’s more of a cultural capital. Whereas in Sabah, it’s wildlife and beach, wildlife and beach. I would always take kids over to Sabah and to Sepilok, and then along the Kanbatangan River, because although you’re in simple accommodation, there’s no trekking involved, you’re just pottering up and down the river on a boat, looking at the wildlife. You’ve got other areas in Sabah where you’re going deep into the rainforest and it’s not necessarily very good for families, because you go deep into the jungle, and it’s quite rustic. But the boat’s really relaxing."