Malaysia Honeymoon Package

After breakfast, let’s spend a full day venturing into Kinabalu National Park, Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, partly covered in Borneo Rainforest. Much older than Amazon Rainforest, it boasts nearly 6% of all living creatures on Earth. Now, follow your park guide to Canopy Walkway or Mount Kinabalu Botanical Garden, depending on their openness, for up-close encounters of unknown flora and fauna, such as the rare chestnut-breasted malkoha who jumps like a squirrel among the treetops, as well as the world’s largest flower, Rafflesia, with a foul odor drawing scavenging insects to spread its mucus-like pollen.
► Note: It’s best to wear long sleeves and pants in muted colors to avoid insect bites and disturbing critters.

Ultimately, your park guide will say goodbye to you at your hotel. Wish you a sweet dream!

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Grandis Hotels and Resorts, Kota Kinabalu (4 stars)

This morning, your driver guide will see you off to Kota Kinabalu International Airport for a 45-minute flight to Sandakan, a popular destination of rare wildlife watching in Sabah. Upon arrival, your local driver guide will pick you up at the exit, and then escort you to your hotel in Sepilok, a world-renowned wildlife conservation center.

► For Your Information: Our handpicked hotel feels like a lush kingdom with exuberant tropical plants and smoothing birdsong. Whether you’re unwinding in the open-air swimming pool or strolling through the wooden boardwalk deep in the jungle, you can fully get your nature fix. 

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: My Nature Resort, Sepilok

Today, we’ll first drive to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, the largest of its kind in the world, before the feeding time of 10:00 AM. As one of the primates with the closest DNA to humans, some of orangutans even reach an IQ level comparable to that of 6-year-old children: they can create soapy bubbles, wash clothes, and even drive - there was a viral video online showing an orangutan driving a sports car just a few years ago. Hard to believe? Take a moment to carefully observe whether their ‘foodie’ expressions while eating bananas or their cherished looks when raising babies are so like you. 

Later, let’s embark on a hiking tour through Borneo’s tropical lowland dipterocarp forest to visit Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, the only shelter of its kind to rescue the planet’s smallest bears who are driven homeless due to illegal hunting and habitat destruction. Walking on the elevated walkways, spot black sun bears, which feature sickle-shaped claws and an extremely long tongue up to 25 cm (9.8 in), foraging or sleeping on the trees.

★ Featured Inclusion: Discover Native Wildlife on Multiple River Trips

To maximize your chances of watching rare wildlife in Borneo, we’ve kindly included multiple river cruises on Kinabatangan River in the rest of today and tomorrow. Let’s sail down to the Lower Kinabatangan River Sanctuary, hailed as the “Ecological Artery of Borneo”. When passing through the untouched tropical rainforest along both riverbanks, catch a precious glimpse of rhinoceros hornbill, Malaysia’s national bird characterized by long thick eyelashes and a big beak of one-third to half the body length, as well as the world’s tiniest pygmy elephants, more tamed than their Asian counterparts, with less than 1,500 remaining.

Around an hour later, we’ll arrive at the Abai Jungle Restaurant for lunch, before another boat trip to your riverside hotel at Sukau Village to check in.

Later in the afternoon, follow your local guide to cruise on Menanggul River, a tributary of the Kinabatangan River. At the well-known habitat for primates, delight your eyes in flat-top proboscis monkeys with their round bellies darting between the tree branches, long-tailed macaques who have a small tuft of fur on their heads, and estuarine crocodiles sunbathing on the mudflat. In the end, your skilled boatman and guide will accompany you back to your hotel. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge, Sukau Village

Getting up early this morning, we’ll sail again to Ox-Bow Lake for bird spotting, as they are most active from 6:00 to 9:00 AM. Swaying with the boat on the soft ripples, spot rare, less-known birds such as the vibrant stork-billed kingfisher with a red beak and blue-green feathers, and storm’s storks perching in pairs on a towering dipterocarp tree.

Then, return to your hotel for breakfast and feel free to spend the rest of the morning as you like. You may stroll along the plank road behind the hotel on your own for more fortunate sightings of varied birds and orangutans. Following lunch, your local guide will keep you company on another river trip to come across the wild animals you’ll have missed during the previous cruises. Finally, enjoy a private escort back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge, Sukau Village

This morning, we’ll drive to Lahad Datu in around 2 hours, and after a brief rest here, continue another 2-hour car ride through a gravel road to your hotel at Danum Valley in the hinterland of Sabah. Blessed with one of the unspoiled 130-million-year-old tropical rainforests worldwide, the valley hosts 317+ bird species and 120+ mammal varieties. 

After resting for a while and having lunch at your hotel, your seasoned local guide will walk you further inside the mysterious rainforest in Danum Valley to experience a thrilling canopy walkway at a height of 27 meters (89 feet) and admire pristine plants and treasured animals. 

After dinner, if the weather permits, let’s kick off a night safari by open-air truck to spot nocturnal animals. Accompanied by a loud chorus of frogs and insects, try to track the hunchbacked greater mouse-deer, often escaping danger by their outstanding swimming skills, and the red giant flying squirrels, which glide like wingsuit flyers among the trees. If lucky enough, you may also run into water-loving flat-head cats, solitary marbled cats, and endangered Sunda clouded leopards. Then, your safari guide will bid farewell to you at your hotel. Sleep well!

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Borneo Rainforest Lodge, Danum Valley

After breakfast, let’s continue deeper into Danum Valley. Since its sultry environment and pristine hiking trails will consume lots of your energy, it’s better to bring abundant water and strength-replenishing snacks like chocolate and Snickers. 

Admiring the fabulous natural scenery on the way, we’ll trek to Burial Site of Kadazan-Dusun, Sabah’s largest ethnic group. Marvel at the hanging coffins in midair, as listening to the unique traditions of cliff burial from your informed guide: put the coffin on the wooden stakes nailed in several holes which was drilled on the cliff beforehand. Continue up to the 300-meter-high (985-foot-high) Viewpoint, where the commanding view of the lush valley clad in the Borneo lowland rainforest will take your breath away.

Later, your local guide will accompany you to your hotel for rest and dinner. If the weather is favorable, a night wildlife safari will await you tonight to search for more new faces such as western tarsiers featuring creepily big eyes, and slow lorises, the world’s sole poisonous primate with a notably cute appearance.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Borneo Rainforest Lodge, Danum Valley

Today, you’ll enjoy a 2-hour car transfer to Lahad Datu Airport for an hour-long flight back to Kota Kinabalu. Upon landing, your local driver guide will meet you at the arrival hall, and then escort you to your luxury hotel near the scenic Dalit Beach.

► For Your Information: Our selected hotel is situated at a long stretch of private beach ringed by the tropical rainforest. In your spare time, consider relaxing on the sands, or participating in hotel’s 60+ activities, including natural adventures, cultural experiences, and water sports, at your own expense. Among them, a farm tour of stingless bees plus honey tasting is well-received by many tourists.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Shangri-La Rasa Ria, Kota Kinabalu (5 stars)

In the morning, accompanied by your driver guide, set off from your hotel to Kota Kinabalu International Airport, and then fly to Kuching in 1.5 hours. After greeting you at the exit, your local driver guide will show you around the waterfront city, dubbed the “Cat City” for its special preference for cats. As the car moves through the streets, you’ll immediately grasp why its name is “Kuching”, which in Malay means “cat”, by seeing the ubiquitous stray cats and cat statues. What may impress you most is the Gigantic Cat Statue, arguably the most photographed mascot here. 

Let’s then drive through Chinatown to Tua Pek Kong Temple, Kuching’s oldest Chinese temple dedicated to the Earth God, a symbol of prosperity, wealth, and longevity. Here, immerse yourself in a striking contrast of old and new: modern skyscrapers embrace the incense-shrouded temple, accented with red walls, colorful tiles, and dragon-spitting-pearl carvings.

Next, we’ll drive past iconic historic landmarks: Kuching South City Council resembling an unfolded blue-and-white umbrella; the fortress-shaped Round Tower with a rufous-tiled roof and white walls; the 19th-century Old Court House in British and Malay styles; and the neoclassical General Post Office supported by Corinthian columns. After a glance of serene Malay villages, we’ll behold the colorful, canopied India Street and local traditional shophouses. Eventually, your driver guide will say goodbye to you at your hotel.

► Dinner Recommendation (at your own cost)
You may dine at the Lau Ya Keng Foodcourt on Jalan Carpenter Street, a short 10-minute walk from your hotel. Signature dishes like Malaysian dry-tossed noodles (Kolo Mee), rich spiced soup with rice noodles (Laksa), and grilled pork satay are worth a bite, for under RM 20 (USD 5) per head.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hilton Kuching Hotel (5 stars)

After breakfast, let’s set out to Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, the largest orangutan conservation center in Sarawak, Malaysia’s biggest state. Usually, you can observe the orangutans when the keepers feed them at the specific platform. But beyond that, whether you can run into a few more depends on your luck - since orangutans live in an utterly open forest rather than in captive zoos, especially during the fruit-rich season, they are even less likely to come down from the mountains. Also, chat with the friendly staff, who may tell you some moving stories about how they rescued the abandoned or illegally trafficked orangutans and teach them outdoor self-survival skills.

In the afternoon, we’ll head for the 300-year-old Bidayuh Annah Rais Longhouse. At first glance, you may realize the structure is a substantial complex divided into different compartments housing different families; however, it’s actually more like a timber-pile-linked village with independent houses separated by wooden planks. The longhouse, now hosting 150 families who know and help each other, serves as a formal and spiritual bond. At the end of the visit, enjoy an escort of your driver guide back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hilton Kuching Hotel (5 stars)

Today, your driver guide will escort you to the dock and help you get on a speedboat to Bako National Park, Sarawak’s oldest park highlighted by sheer cliffs, turquoise waters, fine sandy beaches, and mangrove swamps. After alighting, follow your park guide to start a hiking adventure. 

En route, apart from meeting familiar proboscis monkeys, you may also see pitcher plants with cylindrical leaves to trap insects, sundews whose glandular hairs secrete highly viscous, dewdrop-like liquid, and bearded pigs foraging in the bushes. With any luck, you may encounter long-tailed macaques catching shrimps and crabs by the sea or getting a fierce showdown to be a monkey king.

Finally, take the return speedboat to the dock, from which your driver guide will pick you up and escort you back to your hotel. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hilton Kuching Hotel (5 stars)

After breakfast, enjoy a car transfer to Kuching International Airport for a 1.5-hour early flight to Mulu, an off-the-beaten-path place on Borneo Island with a mysterious, quiet, pristine taste. Once you land, your local driver guide will greet you at the exit, and accompany you to your hotel for check-in. 

After a lunch break, our journey will culminate at the UNESCO-listed Mulu National Park, highly acclaimed for its world-class karst landforms including limestone caves and peculiar rock pinnacles. At Lang Cave, take a close look at the upside-down stalactites and stalagmites, some of which look like jellyfish or frozen waterfalls when your guide shines a flashlight somewhere. Then, step into the 174-meter-high (571-foot-high) Deer Cave, boasting one of the world’s biggest cave passages, and behold 2 to 3 million bats cling to the cave wall. Further inside, feast your eyes on a thriving rainforest basking in the gentle sunlight from a huge hole of the cave ceiling. At around 18:00, waiting at the cave entrance, you may wonder at the spectacle of countless bats flocking like a swirling black ribbon out of the cave, which feels like you’re watching a BBC documentary. There is also, reputedly, a natural rock face resembling the former US president Lincoln’s side profile here; and why not go find it and see if it is true?

As the tour ends, your driver guide will escort you to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa (5 stars)

This morning, let’s embark on a longboat cruise on Melinau River to hit another two caves in Mulu National Park. Along the way, stop by the Penan Resettlement Area, where the local ethnic minority still lives together in longhouses that accommodate at least 10 households. Strolling past the corridors of over dozens of yards, you may see children romping about or elders weaving fishing nets, baskets, and handicrafts.

Subsequently, we’ll tick off Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave, the longest cave in Southeast Asia. At the entrance, your guide will introduce Monophyllaea pendula, an endemic species which grows a single leaf to photosynthesize. Proceed to the iconic underground river channel, scouring the cave into wavy patterns and appearing much more glamorous under the light. Meanwhile, keep an eye on a rare display of vitality in the dark cave: a fantastic “sun stalagmite” turns towards the sunshine thanks to clad parasitic algae. After that, your driver guide will escort you back to your hotel. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa (5 stars)

Today, your driver guide will see you off to Mulu Airport for a 1-hour flight back to Kota Kinabalu. As you get off the plane, your local driver guide will gather with you at the exit before a visit to Chinese Poh Toh Tse Temple, a classic Chinese sanctuary built in 1980. Wander around inside to appreciate its soaring eaves, a giant Avalokitesvara Buddha statue, and dozens of gilded statues of deities. If time permits, expect to feel the soft sands of Tanjung Aru Beach fringed by casuarina trees.

We’ll then arrive at Jeselton Point Jetty, where your driver guide will help you board a ferry to Manukan Island, one of the most popular islands in Kota Kinabalu, enjoying crystal-clear waters, rich coral reefs and well-equipped recreational facilities. After disembarking, please make your own way to your hotel, within easy walking distance of the dock, and check in. 
► Note: Owing to its untamed environment, giant lizards might be frequenters at your hotel. Just contact the hotel staff to have them removed if needed.

► Recommended Free-time Activities:
Consider strolling for 20 minutes on you own along the signs to Sunset Point for an awe-inspiring sunset over the sea. Want to take atmospheric photos? Capture your black silhouette facing the ocean against the backdrop of the rosy sky. Before you go, remember to bring a flashlight to deal with the darkness and apply insect repellent to protect yourself from sandfly bites.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Manukan Island Resort

To relieve your travel fatigue during the past fortnight, we won’t schedule any guided activities for you today. You can explore the island at your own pace, such as speeding on the vast sea by jet ski, trying adrenaline-soaring skydiving, snorkeling, or savoring an underwater walking experience for beautiful coral reefs and even shark pups. For authentic local snacks, you may check out the bustling food street next to your hotel, but it is recommended to avoid peak meal times. 

► Notes for Snorkeling:
1. Please shun bad weather with strong winds and turbulent currents.
2. Make sure to wear snorkeling shoes to protect yourself from rough hemp ropes and rocks.
3. It’s best to stay within the scope of rapid rescue and keep a close distance of your teammates all the time.
4. Watch out for bites of sea creatures. Especially if you’re abruptly bitten by a kind of black-brown, white-spotted damselfish lurking in the coral, be sure to disinfect in time. 

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Manukan Island Resort

Today, take a 20-minute ferry trip from your hotel back to the jetty in Kota Kinabalu, where your driver guide will meet you and escort you to the airport according to your flight home. Do wish you a safe journey!

► More Inspiration: 
Should you have an evening flight, consider engaging in a jungle hiking in the morning to dive deep into both ends of Manukan Island, or an island-hopping tour of Sapi Island with clear waters and fish-rich Mamutik Island. 

Meals: Breakfast