July 2023 | A journey into the wild heart of Sabah, Borneo
“Flying squirrels, hammocks in the jungle, pygmy elephants… this was nature like we’d never known it.”
📍 MY Nature Resort – Our Rainforest Welcome
We arrived in Sepilok, Sabah, where MY Nature Resort became our first taste of the rainforest. Tucked beneath towering jungle canopy, this rustic lodge felt worlds away from daily life. At dusk, with banana fritters in hand, we gathered to watch flying squirrels launch from tree to tree into the fading light — a totally bizarre, brilliant welcome.
We walked to the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary (got chased by monkeys on the way), watching these gentle giants swing above us and feed their families as they adapted to wild release. At the nearby Sun Bear Centre, we saw the smallest bears in the world and heard of their heartbreaking rescue stories. The Rainforest Discovery Centre deepened our understanding of the delicate, vital biodiversity of Borneo’s forests on pontoons 100’s of meters above the forest floor.
🌊 Sukau Rainforest Lodge – Into Borneo’s Secret Kingdom
From Sepilok, we took a long, meandering six-hour river journey to Sukau Rainforest Lodge, nestled along the Kinabatangan River — a destination made legendary by David Attenborough, who stayed here while filming Borneo’s Secret Kingdom.
The next few days were filled with misty dawn boat rides, wild orangutans, proboscis monkeys, rhinoceros hornbill and the unforgettable sight of pygmy elephants pushing through the riverbank brush. At night, we dined over the river while insects buzzed like a jungle orchestra, then sprinted back to our cabins dodging colossal flying bugs!
🌲 Pungiton Eco Camp & Romol Village – Into the Wild
This leg of our journey was an expedition. A series of rides — taxi, 4x4s, longtail boat — took us to Pungiton Eco Camp, where we slept in hammocks under mosquito nets, swam in a fast-flowing river, and explored caves full of (genuinely terrifying) giant spiders. The girls climbed a 300m limestone peak – the less said about that the better!
We journeyed deeper still to Romol Village, home to the Murut Tribe — the last known headhunters of Borneo. Sleeping in their longhouse, we shared in their food, dance, and rice wine rituals and walked their fruit farms. The Murut welcomed us with such warmth, and their pride in their heritage left a lasting imprint.
“A moment of real connection — laughter, tradition and the universal language of dance.”
🏝️ Gaya Island Resort – Our Rainforest by the Sea
To end, we retreated to Gaya Island Resort, surrounded by ocean and dense mangroves. We relaxed, swam, kayaked through the mangrove forest, and even helped the vet with simple procedures on the turtles with the on-site marine conservation team. There was a lot of rain!
After weeks in the jungle, this was barefoot luxury — soothing, educational, and beautifully wild.
A Journey Etched in Our Hearts
This wasn’t just a holiday. It was a rite of passage — for me and my daughters. Together we faced our fears, laughed and saw nature in its most raw and powerful form.
Borneo gave us not just adventure, but understanding — of wildlife, culture and the vital role of conservation.
