Borneo and Gaya Island Nature Getaway - June 2026 - Hostess roundup – Cindy Plant

Borneo and Gaya Island Nature Getaway June 2026 Hostess roundup – Cindy Plant

 

What a trip! So much joy shared amongst 9 beautiful, fun filled sisters. We started with a sunset cruise where we all ended up dancing and singing and it really set the tone for the rest of the tour.  We ended with a poolside happy hour or two and then a very funny Shabu-Shabu dinner where we cooked our own dinner in big pots of broth and laughed as lots of pieces of steak, chicken and fish seemed to disappear never to be found again. And in between the start and end of the tour we saw the most amazing nature including the extraordinary Mount Kinabalu and the Big 5 of Sabah, whilst out wildlife spotting on the Kinabatangan River. We also had the opportunity to share several special moments with one of the sisters as she honoured her uncle who died in the Sandakan death march in 1945 at the tender age of 23.

Mount Kinabalu was an almost constant presence as it came and went from view depending upon the amount of cloud on any one day. It has a very distinctive outline with jagged peaks reaching over 4000 metres high. It was stunning to see it shrouded in cloud some days and then crystal clear on others as the sun rose in the sky.  We were even able to see the mountain from Gaya Island as we headed out snorkelling or sat by the pool relaxing.

We had an amazing guide throughout the tour and he was able to help us spot all of what is known as the Big 5 of Sabah, including Proboscis monkeys, Saltwater crocodiles, Rhinoceros Hornbills, Pygmy elephants and a large male Orangutan.  We also saw 7 of the 10 different species of primates that call Sabah, Borneo home and all 5 varieties of the Hornbill bird.  We felt very blessed to see these animals in their natural habitat, whilst we cruised up and down the river in the boats that belonged to the adventure lodge, in the jungle where we stayed for 3 days.

Following the jungle wildlife spotting we then visited a proboscis monkey sanctuary and orangutan rehabilitation centre, where we were able to get much closer and witness the funny antics of both species. We also got to see sun bears, the smallest bear in the world with their distinctive v necked markings on their chest at another sanctuary and learn about their behaviour.

There was a sombre aspect to the tour as well as we retraced the footsteps of the Sandakan death marches, where at least 1787 Australian prisoners of war (POW) died as they were forced by the Japanese to march from Sandakan to Ranau through the jungle in the heat with minimal food and water. Only 6 POWs survived. We visited the place where the march began in Sandakan which is now a beautiful garden in honour of the men and several other significant sites.  We were privileged to share these moments with one of the sisters whose very own uncle had been one of those to die. It was very special to witness his name on the honour rolls and to leave a framed photograph of him at the Kundasang War Memorial

All in all it was a fabulous tour and despite some emotional moments was predominantly filled with joy and laughter as the sisters bonded and became good friends.  We spent our last 3 days at a beautiful luxury resort where we could do as little or as much as we liked, including yoga, meditation, snorkelling, jungle walks, kayaking, bracelet making, gym workouts with an ocean view or sitting under a palm or by the pool reading a book or having a chat.

What an amazing trip and I haven’t even mentioned the food, which was almost as fabulous as the sisters themselves!