Borneo escape

The trip was great — excellent value. Guides were fantastic, lovely and knowledgeable, mini-vans clean and on time every time. Accommodation was fantastic and in great locations. Our flight from Coolangatta with Air Asia was also great, arriving in Kuala Lumpur an hour ahead of schedule. The Dorsett Hotel in KL was lovely, close to lots of things on foot — we found an air-conditioned tunnel to the Petronas Twin Towers, which was welcome in the heat, though smoke from Indonesian burn-offs limited the view.

The flight from KL to Sandakan with Malaysian Airlines was fine, and the Four Points by Sheraton in Sandakan was well positioned. Sandakan was the highlight of the tour — this is where we saw the proboscis monkeys and the orang-utans. The Labuk Bay Proboscis Sanctuary, about 45 minutes outside Sandakan, was an amazing day. It didn't start well, with over an hour and a half of no sightings, but once we moved platforms they came from everywhere — entertaining, interesting and fun to watch, alongside silver leaf langur monkeys with their babies and a couple of pied hornbills.

The Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre the next day was another hot day, and our first experience with the orang-utans was overwhelming with the crowds — pushing and shoving isn't our thing, and it was disappointing at first, but once the crowds thinned the world became rosier. Sukau Rainforest Lodge was excellent — three nights was the right amount of time, with exciting early-morning boat rides in search of wildlife that were rewarded every time, and orang-utans not just in the wild but in the lodge's own grounds.

An easy flight took us from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu, staying at Le Meridien with an excellent view close to markets, restaurants and cinemas. Mamutik Island was a little disappointing for snorkelling, but the beach and swim were lovely. The Mari Mari Culture Centre was a great day — rice wine that tasted like port, henna tattoos, blow-darting coconuts and delicious food.

The drive to Mt Kinabalu took about two hours, stopping at the Mandad Markets Nabalu for food, groceries, souvenirs and a fish spa. Poring, east of Kinabalu Park HQ, had tropical lowland rainforest and treetop canopy walkways, followed by a relaxing walk to hot sulphur springs and an ice-cold swim. The Kundasang Memorial Park told the story of the Australian soldiers' 260km march and how locals risked their lives to feed them — very emotional. The Shangri-La Hotel was also great, and our last night was spent at the Sunset Bar, watching the sunset with a band and dinner by the water.

Thank you to Maddie, Go Tours and Borneo Eco Tours for a wonderful holiday — we've been recommending it to anyone who will listen ever since.

Regards, Colleen (and Peter) Duncalfe