We recently had a family trip to Borneo Malaysia which was full of culture , exploration, adventure , nature and fun. If your kids are active and like to explore then this is a family holiday well worth doing. Borneo offers lushes jungle , beautiful mountains , balmy beaches , peaceful villages and an abundance of nature and wildlife home to the Orangutans.
We started our trip with an eight hour flight from Gold Coast to Malaysia where we spent 4 nights exploring the capital city Kuala Lumpur.
K L as it is called boasts gleaming skyscrapers and colonial architecture, Divided into numerous districts, its main hub is called the Golden Triangle. KL is widely recognised for numerous landmarks, including Petronas Twin Towers (the world’s tallest twin skyscrapers), Petaling Street flea market, and Batu Caves, which is over 400 million years old.
We stayed at the Berjaya Times Square hotel in Bukit Bintang in a great spot the view from our room especially at night was spectacular with the Petronas Towers gleaming right at us. The first day we explored the city and went up to the top of Petronas Towers at the top you have 360 degree views of the city. It was then a trip to The Aquaria KLCC which is a world class Aquarium very impressive. The kids are always keen to try new foods and The Chicken Satay became a very popular meal eaten a number of times on this trip.
Day 2 we caught the train to The Batu Caves which is a must while in KL. The Caves are one of Kuala Lumpur’s most frequented tourist attractions, it is a limestone hill comprising of three major caves and a number of smaller ones this 100-year-old temple features idols and statues erected inside the main caves and around it. In the main cave there are limestone formations said to be around 400 million years old, the temple is considered an important religious landmark by Hindus. To reach the caves their are 272 steps to climb which have a number of Macaques which can cause problems as they can be quiet territorial but this just adds to the fun. I had visited these caves 20 years previously and the one thing that I remembered was the serenity you felt inside the caves. I still felt this on this visit even with 3 excited, thirsty, hungry children and a near attack by a Macaque. After our adventure at the caves we went back to the hotel for a dip in the pool before heading to The Petaling Street nightmarkets in Chinatown where my daughter especially had a ball spending her holiday money.
Day 3 was spent exploring the city again and a little bit of relaxation by the pool , before flying on to Sandakan which is north eastern Borneo.
We spent the night in Sandakan at Sheraton Four points which is in the heart of Sandakan what I loved about Sandakan is it is not westernised and is a great point to start exploring.
The next morning we were collected by our own personal tour guide and taken to board a boat to Selingan Turtle Island. It is an island 40km from Sandakan and they only allow up to 50 people on the island and to stay overnight. It was an amazing experience where we got to witness Turtles landing on the beach to lay their eggs , Turtles hatching and been released into the ocean.The accommodation on the island is very basic but we experienced great hospitality and local food. The boys also ended up playing soccer with the locals on the island.
The next morning we got an early boat back to Sandakan and went straight to the Sepilok Rehabilitation centre where they do an amazing job rehabilitating orphan orang-utans and gradually releasing them back into the wild after they have learned how to look after themselves.It is just amazing to see these animals in their own habitat and you get up real close with them.
After a full day with the Orangutans we caught a flight to Kota Kinabalu which is the capital of Sabah we arrived late and went straight to our hotel for the next 7 nights which was The Shangria – La Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa a luxury 5 star resort. I always love the feel of Shangria -La Hotels and this did not disappoint. The facilities were fantastic with great bars and restaurants . My favourite been the Sunset bar where you can relax and take in the splendid sunset which we experienced each night. There is a private jetty with boats that take you over to the neighbouring coral islands which are part of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, we spent a whole day over here snorkelling , relaxing and appreciating the beauty of Borneo.
There is a beautiful spa where after dropping the kids at the kids club my husband and I got to experience some of the amazing treatments on offer. There are actually two Shangria -La resorts in Kota Kinabalu the other one is The Shangri-La Rasa Ria resort and Spa. There is a shuttle that runs between the two and you can use the facilities of both so we also went to spend a day here and yes Shangri -La another fabulous resort.
At the Rasa ria there is a fabulous kids ranger program as this hotel is set amidst a nature reserve and they also have a couple of Orangutans in rehabilitation and the children can get hands on with the rangers this was one of the highlights for my boys on this trip. My daughter was not to keen so she opted for the horse riding on the beach.
The Shangria -La Tanjung is located only 10 minutes away from the City of Kota Kinabalu so we enjoyed exploring the city and experiencing local cuisine , culture and markets.
Borneo is a great destination for a family holiday full of culture ,history ,exploration ,adventure and nature and one I highly recommend.
