Singapore & Borneo: City Stopover, Orangutans & Kinabalu

Private transfer to The Fullerton Hotel. Welcome dinner at a hawker centre recommended by Emma — the ideal introduction to Singapore's food culture.

A morning in the Colonial Civic District, then Gardens by the Bay in the afternoon — the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and the Supertree Grove at dusk. Dinner at your leisure on the Marina Bay waterfront.

Chinatown's Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Maxwell hawker lunch, then a private afternoon in the Singapore Botanic Gardens and National Orchid Garden. Final dinner in Singapore at Emma's favourite Peranakan restaurant.

Morning transfer to Changi Airport for the included two-and-a-half-hour flight to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. James Whitfield meets you at KK Airport. Afternoon orientation of the city waterfront and Jesselton Point, with views over the South China Sea to the offshore islands. Dinner at a floating seafood restaurant on the waterfront.

Drive into the Crocker Range to Kinabalu National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site), where the 4,095-metre granite mountain fills the horizon. The Mountain Garden at Park HQ — a superb botanical collection at 1,500m with views of the summit massif — is followed by a guided nature walk through the lower montane forest, rich in orchids, nepenthes pitcher plants and hornbills. The air at 1,500m is refreshingly cool. Overnight at the park lodges.

Morning at Poring Hot Springs — natural sulphurous pools in a rainforest setting, with a canopy walkway 40 metres above the forest floor offering extraordinary views into the upper forest. Then a long but scenic private drive east across Sabah to the Kinabatangan River. Arrival at the river lodge in time for the evening boat safari — the best time for wildlife: proboscis monkeys returning to riverside trees to sleep, kingfishers, and occasional elephant sightings.

A full day of twice-daily river safaris in open wooden boats, the single most rewarding wildlife experience in Southeast Asia. Dawn safari (05:45) when mist lies on the river and wildlife is most active: proboscis monkeys, long-tailed macaques, hornbills, Oriental pied hornbills, and — with luck — Bornean pygmy elephants on the riverbank. A rest period during midday heat. Evening safari as the forest comes alive again. James identifies every species and knows the river's wildlife patterns intimately.

Morning visit to Gomantong Caves — the largest cave system in Sabah, home to millions of swiftlets and bats and one of the most dramatic natural spectacles in Borneo. The caves are also where harvesters collect the edible bird's nests used in bird's nest soup. Afternoon at the oxbow lake adjacent to the lodge — a separate water body created when the river changed course, rich in freshwater fish, false gharials (rare crocodilians) and extensive birdlife. Evening safari.

Transfer to Sepilok, home of the world-famous Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre — where orphaned and injured orangutans are nursed back to health and reintroduced to the wild. The 10:00 morning feeding platform attracts wild semi-rehabilitated orangutans descending from the forest canopy; watching a mother with an infant swing through the trees to the platform is among the most moving wildlife experiences anywhere in the world. The adjacent Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre is the only place to see the world's smallest bear in a natural setting.

Morning in Sandakan, Sabah's second city and the former capital of British North Borneo: the Agnes Keith House museum (a beautifully restored colonial bungalow with extraordinary views), the Japanese War Memorial, and the atmospheric waterfront fish market. Optional boat trip to Turtle Islands National Park for those interested in sea turtle nesting and hatching (seasonal — James will advise on current conditions).

Morning flight from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu. Afternoon at leisure or optional boat trip to the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park — five uninhabited islands with excellent snorkelling and beach picnics accessible by a 15-minute boat ride from KK waterfront. Final dinner in KK with James — a celebration of eleven days in Borneo.

Morning visit to the Mari Mari Cultural Village — an exceptional living heritage experience showcasing the five major indigenous tribes of Sabah: Bajau, Kadazan-Dusun, Murut, Rungus and Lundayeh, each in traditional longhouse architecture with demonstrations of traditional crafts, fire-making and blowpipe technique. Afternoon free. Sunset cruise on the South China Sea, with the silhouette of the Tun Mustapha Tower and the islands catching the last light.

A full day at leisure at the Shangri-La Rasa Ria — a resort that occupies a private stretch of beach with a 64-acre nature reserve adjacent to the property, home to a resident population of Bornean orangutans. The resort operates a daily orangutan viewing programme in the reserve (separate from any rehabilitation centre — these are resident wild individuals). The beach, the pool and the spa make for a perfect final full day.

A final morning at the Rasa Ria before private transfer to Kota Kinabalu International Airport for onward flights home (typically via Kuala Lumpur or Singapore).