Sabah and Sarawak
Fly to
Kuala Lumpur/Langkawi (Malaysian Airlines)
flying time
11 hours 30 minutes non-stop
time difference
GMT +8 hours
Visas
Not required for UK passport holders
Health Requirements
Yellow Fever certificate if arriving from an endemic area
Best time to travel
November - April (Peninsula Malaysia)
March - October (Borneo)
Weather
Malaysia's climate is tropical and humid, with humidity high in the mornings and lower in the afternoons. A typical day is warm and humid with balmy evenings. The main rainy seasons fall from November to February.
Itineraries
Highlights of Sabah
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS - Meet local villagers - Explore beautiful landscapes - Come face to face with an orang-utan Read more ...
Legends & Longhouses
Highlights: Dynamic Malaysian capital, riverside city Kuching, legendary longhouse communities, cave complexes of Mulu, Kota Kinabalu tropical paradise. Read more ...
to speak to a consultant
Borneo comprises the two Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah. Here you can trek in the rainforest or enjoy a canopy walk, visit the Orangutan sanctuary or watch proboscis monkeys from the river, dive coral reefs or stay in rustic jungle lodges. The possibilities are endless in this jungle paradise.
recommended excursions
Sandakan & Selingan
Extend our Legends & Longhouses tour of Borneo to include a longer visit from Kota Kinabalu to the fascinating area beyond Sandakan. You may combine a one-night visit by boat to Selingan Island (for turtle-watching on the island's white coral beaches) with a boat journey to Suan Lumba to see Gomantong Caves, continuing overland to Sukau. Here you take an evening river cruise on the Managol river to view the famous 'proboscis' monkey, and other wildlife in the Borneo jungle. After an overnight at the very simple lodge, return to Sandakan to visit the Orangutan Sanctuary at Sepilok before flying to Kota Kinabalu.
3 DAYS /2 NIGHTS DANUM VALLEY RAINFOREST
Explore the incredible diversity and complexity of Borneo's rainforest at the Danum Valley Conservation Area (43,800 hectares). The dipterocarp forest here has over 200 species of trees per hectare, some of which are the oldest and tallest in the world. The wildlife is exceptional with some of world's most exciting animals - proboscis monkeys, Orangutans, Asian elephants, and 124 species of mammals, 72 reptiles, 56 amphibians and over 325 species of bird. Walk through the treetops on the 100-foot high Canopy Walkway or take a dip at a waterfall. Guided nature walks to seek out the area's incredible diversity of flora and fauna, wildlife escarpment treks bird watching and night drives by open jeep are among the activities.
Niah Caves
In the north-east of Sarawak lie the world-famous Niah Caves, shrouded by lowland rain-forest, an awesome cave complex holding relics of some of South East Asia's earliest inhabitants. From Kuching you fly to Miri for a full day visit to the Caves, driving through palm-oil plantations and forests en route.
Mulu National Park
With its rich bio-diversity, and world-famous caves, Mulu offers the adventurous traveller an exhilarating cave and rainforest experience, possibly unmatched anywhere else on Earth. Combinable with a visit to Niah Caves, Sarawak's Mulu National Park, with its jungle terrain rich in flora and fauna, houses one of the world's largest and most spectacular cave complexes. Still only partly explored, the Mulu caves have the largest cave chamber on earth. A reasonable degree of fitness is required for this tour. You fly from Kuching to Mulu via Miri and transfer by longboat for visits to Wind Cave (with its amazing stalagmites and stalactites) and the 40 mile long passages of Clearwater Cave. Return to Mulu for a 2 night stay. The next day visit Deer Cave (the world's largest cave passage) and Lang's Cave, by longboat and walkway, with a viewing of the flight of thousands of bats as they leave Deer Cave at sunset.
Mount Kinabalu Trek
At over 13,000ft, Mount Kinabalu is the highest peak in South East Asia. A 3 day/2 night trek along a superb trail to the summit - though tiring and fairly strenuous (6 hours one day and 2 ½ on the other) needs no special abilities.
Suggested Sabah and Sarawak Accommodation
Bunga Raya Island Resort
Bunga Raya Island Resort is a luxurious jewel set on a coral reef island just off the coast of Borneo. The 47 timbered villas are located on a hidden bay framed by crescent shaped white sand beach on one side...
Gayana Eco Resort
The property finds the perfect balance between forward thinking ecology and luxury in one of the 52 over water Tropical Villas. At the heart of the resort is the Marine Ecology Research Centre...
Shangri La Rasa Ria Borneo
Beside the exquisite Pantai Dalit Beach, in a luscious 400-acre tropical setting, the Rasa Ria resort is in a world of its own. Within the 400-acres lies a unique nature reserve where the resort is committed to...
Shangri La Tanjung Aru
Located on a bay overlooking the South China Sea, on the northern tip of Sabah, is undoubtedly a tropical paradise. The Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa is ideally placed, just 10 minutes and yet a world away from...
to speak to a consultant
Guest Testimonial
Quite simply excellent. If I could say one thing it is that Egypt is the place to go right now, as there were virtually no tourists at some of the sights and that,I should think, is quite rare!![]()
- JW, Gloucestershire
World Travel Awards
World Travel Awards
World's Leading Luxury Tour Operator 2011
A&K Philanthropy
Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP)
Improving the working conditions of the porters on Mount Kilimanjaro.











Latest from @AKTravel_UK: Buzzfeed rounds up 50 of the best eclipse photos from the weekend: http://t.co/BMQ0BGvV 22 May