Sabah travel advice
Turtle watching advice
“Turtle Island is famous, but some people find the overnight trip is overrated. There's a massive turtle reserve where they come and lay their eggs, but it is very popular, with many people crowded around one turtle. Instead, you can go to Lakayan Island or Pom Pom Island. It's just silence – all you can hear are hundreds of turtles coming up to take gasps of air then going back down under the sea. It's just amazing, and there's no-one else there. You've got your own little island with turtles everywhere – it's a brilliant experience. If you're into marine life, I can't recommend that area enough.”
Our Sabah Holidays
Borneo tour, Great Apes and Beach escapes
Explore bustling cities, lush jungles and paradise beaches.
Borneo orangutan holiday
Trekking, wildlife and beach adventure holiday to Borneo
Kuala Lumpur and Sabah wildlife tour
Wildlife adventure in the heart of Borneo
Borneo tailor made holidays, wildlife & beaches
A luxury tour of the best wildlife & beaches of Sabah
Sabah holiday, land beneath the wind
Wildlife & culture in Malaysia
Family holiday in Sabah
Discover the best of Borneo in just under 2 weeks
Borneo luxury holidays, tailor made
Rainforests, orangutans, beaches tailor made
Borneo tailor made tour on a shoestring
The Best of Borneo: Wildlife, Adventure, Idyllic Beaches
Borneo family holiday, tailor made
13 day Family Holiday - Wildlife, Apes & beaches of Borneo
Borneo Mount Kinabalu climb holiday
Adventure holiday to see wildlife and climb Mt Kinabalu
Borneo small group holiday
Head into Borneo's jungles, rivers and villages
Highlights of Borneo group tour
Small-group culture and wildlife tour of Borneo
Sarawak and Sabah tour, Orangutans & Ibans
Explore Borneo's unique culture, heritage and wildlife
Borneo tour, Sarawak, Sabah & Brunei
Exotic Trans-Borneo Overland from Rainforest to Beach
Borneo wildlife volunteer project
Encounter orangutans and elephants in the Bornean jungle.
Borneo holiday, Highlights of Borneo
The highlights of Sabah, from Orangutans to Mt Kinabalu
Wild Borneo holiday, private departure
Highlights of Malaysian Borneo including Deramakot
Borneo holiday, Land below the wind
9-day tour of Malaysia's spectacular Sabah State
Malaysia and Borneo 15 day tour
Discover the highlights of Malaysia and Borneo
Borneo wildlife encounter tour
Tailor made adventure holiday viewing wildlife in Borneo
Borneo and Malaysia small group holiday
Visit both halves of Malaysia
Sabah wildlife holiday in Borneo
Explore the best of Borneo's unique wildlife
Sabah & Sarawak holiday in Borneo
Wildlife, jungles, culture and idyllic beaches
Sarawak and Sabah holiday, tailor made
Tailor made Sarawak and Sabah adventure holiday
Borneo wilderness adventure holiday
A totally immersive Borneo Wilderness Experience.
Borneo activity holiday
Private trip exploring Borneo’s remote jungle & mountains
West Malaysia and Borneo small group tour
Heritage sites of the Malay Peninsula & Borneo's jungles
A taste of Sabah, Borneo holidays
Climb through dense jungles to explore Sabah's wild heart.
Sarawak wildlife & beach holiday
Encounter an orangutan & hike through virgin rainforest
Orangutan viewing advice
“People always ask about the orangutan sanctuary at Rasa Ria – and I would advise against it as your only orangutan experience. It's not a bad place, but what they have is a little wildlife reserve with a holding centre for orangutans where they are kept when there's not space for them at the rehabilitation centres. So it's not guaranteed that you'll see them. It is a great family resort, but if the orangutans are there it's a bonus. They might have one baby, they might have a couple of adults – or they might have none if they've all gone to the rehabilitation centres.”
Kota Kinabalu advice
“I was really surprised by Kota Kinabalu. It's a destination in itself. It's a wonderful ethnic hodgepodge of Malays and Indians and Chinese – the food is absolutely amazing. If you're into Asian food, I actually haven't been to a better city. The setting is also phenomenal. Right from the bay, out into the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, and you can see Mount Kinabalu looking over the city. It's just stunning. It's pretty metropolitan as well, so it's a really good mix of ethnicities, the old and new. I really liked it and it's a good point for people to start their proper adventure into Borneo.”
Critter tips
Harriet Whitmarsh, from our volunteering specialists The Great Projects, shares her Sabah travel advice on dealing with bugs: “A lot of people bring citronella as an insect repellent because it smells nice – but that actually attracts hornets, so when you're jungle trekking it's not the best thing to have! You'll just end up being stung by hornets instead of mosquitoes.”Kate Tyler, from our friends Odyssey World, offers Sabah travel advice for avoiding leech encounters: “Don't forget your leech socks! They're not the most glamorous things in the world, but my goodness you'll need them. Especially following the rainy season when the water is really high up.”
Our top Sabah Holiday
Borneo tour, Great Apes and Beach escapes
Explore bustling cities, lush jungles and paradise beaches.
Everything is tweak-able, giving you the freedom to build your own unique and meaningful trip. Slow down the pace with few extra nights here and there, add a few more active adventures along the way, upgrade your accommodation for that extra bit of luxury – it’s up to you!
Health & safety
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Sabah advice from our travellers
We have selected some of the most useful Sabah travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday – and the space inside your suitcase.


“Go to the night market in Kota Kinabalu, you get a feeling you are in a place very different from England!” - Anna Davies
“Take extra cash to tip your guides as they are fantastic and deserve it.” - Anna Higgins
“When the travel tip says "wear comfortable walking shoes" ignore that advice and take the hard core hiking boots. Ye gads, the mud!!!!!!” - Linda Mundy
“Tuck your top in in the jungle! We didn't on the first trek and got 'leeched', yuk!” - Denise Rivers


“Book early. We met many people who wanted to climb the mountain or stay in the accommodation we were in but everything was booked up.” - Phil Pinchen
“Having a guide with us made the whole trip so brilliant, it meant we always ate well as Lee found good places and helped order. I think we got to know Borneo, people and wildlife so much better because of his knowledge.” - Shauna Seccombe
“Don't miss a trip, each one is different and worth the early starts. Talk to all the local people, they have so much passion and many stories and history to tell.” - Deanne Ward-Thompson