Découvrez Bornéo et la Malaisie - Orangs-outans et autres

Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia has a modern skyline dominated by the 1479 foot tall Petronas Twin Towers, a pair of glass-and-steel-clad skyscrapers with Islamic motifs. On arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) you will be met by our representative and transferred to the Grand Millenial Hotel. To give everyone a chance to arrive, no activities are planned today. For those who have arrived early, we will meet for an optional dinner at 7:00pm.

This afternoon is our Kula Lumpur city tour. We will drive through the lake gardens; with stops at the National Mosque and Independence Square. From there, we will take a short walk to Central Market passing the convergence of the Gombak and Klang river – at Masjid Jamek, one of the first buildings to be erected in Kuala Lumpur. Stroll through Chinatown, then board our bus to Kampung Baru, a typical Malay area where most houses are still built in traditional Malay architecture. Our journey continues toward Petronas Twin Towers, for a great photo shoot of the world’s tallest twin towers.

Located approximately 7 miles to the north of Kuala Lumpur is the site of an important Hindu temple and shrine. The Batu Caves is a 100-year-old temple which features idols and statues erected inside the main caves and around it. Incorporated with interior limestone formations said to be around 400 million years old. Its main attraction is the large statue of the Hindu God at the entrance, besides a steep 272 climb up its steps to view the stunning skyline. Monkeys frolic around the caves, and paintings and scenes of Hindu Gods can be seen in the Ramayana Cave.

Uncover the secrets of pewtersmithing at the Royal Selangor Pewter factory where pewter products are skilfully hand-manufactured and indulge in the vast range of quality pewter-ware, or fine jewelry.

Then we stop at Melawati Hill to see the Silver-Leafed Monkeys and long-tailed macaques. The main difference between the silver-leafed babies as compared to the adults is that these babies have golden fur while the adults have dull grey colors. Explore the Dutch fortress atop Melawati Hill and enjoy the panoramic view of the estuary of Selangor River and fishing village.

Enjoy a delicious seafood dinner served at a local restaurant followed by a fireflies watching. Embark on a small wooden boat, and cruise along the river at the night to capture the beauty of this natural wonder.

Catch a glimpse of Glenn Port and the Cruise Terminal on nearby Pulau Indah as we depart Port Klang for our 30 minute ferry ride to Crab Island. Our ferry will take us through the rivers which dissect the swampy Mangrove Island of Pulau Klang and with within no time we will find ourselves at Pulau Ketam. Upon arrival, we will take a leisurely stroll to see an entire village where even the roads are built on stilts. Soak in the atmosphere before we head off to eat lunch at a local restaurant. 

After lunch we will be have the opportunity to explore the village by bicycle or stroll around at your own pace. Ride around the village at your own speed but inexperienced cyclists should be careful on the narrow paths. After our exploration is complete we will return on the ferry.

Before returning to our hotel we will drive up to see the fabulous palace of the Selangor Sultan, one of the royal residences.

After breakfast we check-out of our hotel and depart Kuala Lumpur for Penang. On our way we will stop at Bukit Merah, the only Orangutan Research Facility in the Peninsular Malaysia. A short boat ride will take us to the Orang Utan Island, a 35-acre island nestled within the idyllic setting of Bukit Merah Laketown Resort.

Since its inception in 2000, Orang Utan Island has progressed from being a sanctuary, where visitors experienced first-hand awareness and education on the orangutan, to a recognized ex-situ conservation facility and referral center for the endangered Bornean orangutan.

Journey into the wild… The moment we step onto the lake cruiser, you know we are headed for adventure. As the cruiser cuts through the water, Orang Utan Island beckons closer, now, no more a mystery in the distance. As we alight onto the jetty, keep a look out high among the trees, you may spot an orangutan or two, swinging from tree to tree, maybe even taking a nap. Our steps on the boardwalk take us through a classroom of education in the life of an orangutan, where we will learn amazing facts about this intelligent primate. 

The orangutan, or ‘man (orang) of the forest (hutan)’ in the local Bahasa Malaysia language, exhibits truly human-like mannerism in many facets of its behavior.

A walk through the semi-circle steel-fence tunnel enclosure is a humbling experience, where we humans, seemingly in a cage, can peer out and be captivated by the orangutans roaming free beyond in the trees, on the grass, by the bushes, by the lake, just about anywhere.

Stroll by the Herbal Garden for an education on the plants of Malaysia, pop by the Education Zones for an expert briefing on the orangutan, stop by the Researcher’s Corner for a closer observation of the island’s star attractions...take your time, never rush the knowledge.

After our amazing orangutan experience we proceed to the royal town of Kuala Kangsar to visit the Ubudiah Mosque, see from far the old Sultan’s Residence. Then we proceed to Penang to check in into hotel. 

This morning we explore Penang Island by The Beca, known locally as Trishaw or Jinricksha, an open three wheel vehicle. These eco-friendly bicycle rickshaws are fast becoming popular with both tourists and locals. It is the most practical and enjoyable way to explore Penang’s charming tourist spots. It ferries you through narrow lanes, offering closer view of the sites at a more leisurely pace and stopping virtually anywhere to allow you to take pictures of interesting sights. See: Fort Cornwallis - Tanjung City Marina - Clan Jetty - Khoo Kongsi - Acheh Street - Islamic Museum - Yap Kongsi Temple - Kapitan Kling Mosque - Goddess of Mercy Temple - Penang State Museum - Cheong Fatt Tze Mansions.

Batik is a wax-resist dying technique used on textile and famous on the east coast of Malaysia. All Malaysia batik is handmade from scratching, waxing by jhunting, and coloring using die. Witness artists drawing, coloring and stamping batik patterns on fabrics. It is quite a sight to see, with each artist specializing in a particular product, from sarongs to shirts: an artist can produce about 32 feet of fabric a day. Not only we will we view the technique, we will actually experience the making of our own handmade Batik souvenir.

After breakfast, we check-out of our hotel and transfer to Penang Airport for our one hour flight to Sandakan. Sandakan is a city in the Malaysian state of Sabah, on the northeast coast of Borneo.On arrival at Sandakan town, check-in to our hotel and enjoy free time for lunch.

This afternoon we will drive about an hour to visit the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, a unique facility that provides us a rare opportunity to check out the endangered and extremely odd-looking proboscis monkey. These monkeys are found only on Borneo and are recognizable by its potbelly and distinctive long, bulbous nose. Deforestation has made the proboscis an endangered species and they can't be moved because of their their specialized diet. 

his morning we check-out and depart Sandakan. Our first stop, the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center aim is to return orphaned, injured or displaced orangutans back to the wild. Upon arrival we proceed to the free roaming area feeding platform to witness the feeding of Orangutans. Take a quick view of the nursery area where the younger Orangutans first learn to be outside and play on a large climbing frame. Experience a walk in the Tropical Lowland Dipterocarp Forest of Borneo before we depart Sepilok.

Then our wonderful journey of discovery starts from the waters of Sulu Sea of Sandakan Town through a magnificent scenery of the Mangrove Forest. Our boat cruise will take us to the Lowe Kinabatangan River Sanctuary where we will enjoy lunch at the Abai Jungle Restaurant.  After Lunch we'll take a leisurely stroll on the nature boardwalk, make sure to bring along your binoculars. Look out for any moving trees, you might have the chance to spot the wild orangutan, Silver leaf monkeys, birds and other wildlife.

Later in the afternoon we'll cruise to search for wildlife until the sun sets then witness the fire flies as night falls. After dinner at our lodge, experience the “Jungle at Night” on a guided nature walk along the boardwalk to search for birds, snakes, insects and other wildlife.

Wake up by the calls of nature. Early this morning we will take a river trip to observe the wildlife. After breakfast, cruise up river to reach Bilit Adventure Lodge. Arrive at Bilit for lunch. Then, you are invited to join our tree planting project with the locals. This project is specially designed to help the locals. 1530hrs, tea break with local snacks. By 1600hrs, we will be river cruising in search of primates especially the wild orangutan, birds, pygmy elephant and other wildlife.

Meal: breakfast at hotel , lunch, dinner

Overnight : Bilit Adventure Lodge, Kinabatangan.

0600 hrs, morning cruise. After breakfast, freshen up. Check-out 0830hrs. Time to depart Bilit Adventure Lodge, return to Sandakan by driving overland. Drop off Sandakan Airport for our flight to Kuala Lumpur. Delight in modern authentic Malaysian and International cuisine as we enjoy our farewell dinner at the Atmosphere 360. The magnificent view of cityscapes, sophisticated ambiance and delectable food ensures that dinner at Atmosphere 360 is truly an unforgettable culinary experience. Enjoy an unlimited lavish buffet that is complemented by a variety of delicious main dishes ranging from Rendang Tok, Stir Fried Chili Crab, Stir Fried Venison Fillet with black pepper sauce to assorted Dim Sum. Meal: breakfast at hotel , dinner at the Atmosphere 360

It is now time to say good-by to Malaysia and all your new single travel friends. Have breakfast and relax at our hotel before being transferred to the airport and your flight home.