Borneo & Gaya Island Paradise - October 2023 - Hostess Round Up - Donna Simmons

It wasn’t long before a group of 10 strangers became fast friends on our Borneo and Gaya Island Paradise tour.  We packed our sense of adventure and headed to the wilderness of Borneo excited for our trip.  Upon arrival we were greeted with some lovely Malaysian heat and humidity, a nice change to the cold Aussie winter.  There were so many pinch me moments on this tour beginning with a visit to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre where we viewed the feeding of the young juvenile Orangutans before moving on to catch a glimpse of some adults with their babies, this was a big tick of our Borneo bucket list.  We rounded off our time in Sandakan with a visit to the Borneo Sunbear Conservation Centre where they do amazing work saving and rehabilitating the smallest bear in the world, finally checking out the cheeky and entertaining Proboscis Monkeys.  On to Kota Kinabalu where we enjoyed some relaxation time at our stunning resort Shangri La Rasa Ria and also explored the city as well as heading up to Kinabalu Park in the foothills of Mt Kinabalu where we discovered amazing rainforest and tropical gardens.  Lastly a few days at Gaya Island Resort- OMG luxury!  This idyllic resort has to be seen to be believed, luxurious villa accommodation, glorious day spa, white sand and crystal clear water, amazing snorkelling and marine life, top-notch dining and fabulous amenities and a day spa to die for.  It was great to see some of the sisters getting out of their comfort zones and encouraged by new friends to try things for the first time such as snorkelling and kayaking.

This tour was a perfect mix of adventure, relaxation and nature.  An unforgettable Journey for sure.