Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )

A 21-day adventure by Nora Read more

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Trip start
July 16, 2025
Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Day 1
July 16, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
We made it to Heathrow!
Hans was still at school and cycled home as fast as he could, Clive and myself came back from work in time and Hannah getting the house ready we were all ready in time and left at 15.50 with the Taxi to Heathrow Airport.
Sadly there was a delay in our flight just over 1 hour. We had a 13 hour flight over night to Kuala Lumpur and arrived local time at 17.50 which was very strange as we just had breakfast in the plain.Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Day 2 Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu
July 17, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
After a 13 hour night flight we arrived at Kuala Lumpur Airport . With a 4 hour wait for our connecting flight to Kota Kinabalu Capital of Malaysia Borneo. We enjoyed some refreshments at the Airport, sunset and the free WiFi😉.Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Day 3
July 18, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Good morning Borneo , we got up around 10.30 am after a very short night we got ready to explode Kota Kinabalu. We walked through the fish, craft, fruit and meet market. We also enjoyed any air-conditioning place as we had to get used to the heat. In the afternoon we changed from our first hotel "Capital" to a hostel called " concrete jungle " it was very nice,super kind and friendly . Having the evening food street marked just outside of our accommodation made eating out very easy.Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Day 4 Gaya Island
July 19, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
After a very early start and not much sleep as jet leg kept us awake overnight we went via taxi ( grab app ) to the KK Marina harbour. From there we got a boat right to the beautiful Gays Island where we spend the day at the Marine & Wildlife Adventures, a PADI Development Centre located on Gaya Island within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. A dream came tru and the Seager Family all together went Scuba Diving after successfully passing the interduction test.
The visibility was sadly not so good as on previous days it was very stormy. However, Hannah & myself still managed to see a turtle 🐢, Hans and Clive so a Morane and we all experienced an amazing underwater world and even visit Nemo . Once again so proud of Hannah & Hans as both did it so naturally even the instructors where very impressed and all of this with sleep between 3 and 5 hours 💪
In the evening we enjoyed the food market for dinner before collapsing on to the bed.Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Continue day 4 diving 🦪🤿
July 19, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Family Seager diving at Gaya Island
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Day 5
July 20, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
In the morning we visit the Sunday Art Market. We were really lucky as it was just outside of our accommodation. But it was so so hot 🔥 🥵 even Hannah and I had not much fun looking around as we where suffering with the hea. In the afternoon we explored more of the Citty KK and saw the famous building the " Sabah Tourism Board " which is one of the oldest building in KK. It is from the British colonial time and used to be the post office.
After lunch we took a Grab Taxi and went to
"Tanjung Aru Beach" which is very famous for the sunset 🌇. We enjoyed a swim in very very warm seawater and watched at sunset together with 100 of others. Mainly tourists as this sunset is very famous and 100 of people tried to get the perfect photo of themselves on land and on water. We never have seen so many stand up paddle boards at the same time and everyone paddle towards the sunset .Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Day 6 - Mari Mari Culture Village
July 21, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
Today we visit the
Mari mari Culture Village
" Mari Mari " in Malaysia means hurry hurry but nothing was hurry hurry at the visit of this culture village. We had the opportunity to get into the history of Malaysia Borneo and learn lots about the Tribes. Still to today the Tribes culture is very important to Malaysian people.
One of the highlights was Clive being the leader of our group and he got us in to the heat hunter village unharmed 😜, we also had traditional food, so the marriage room, and traditional houses, tattoos, blowing arrows, saw traditional dancing and much more....Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Continue Day 6 - Ulu Kionsom Waterfall
July 21, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
This waterfall is very popular with local visitors, but much less well known to International and Peninsula visitors to Sabah. Thanks to Jack our guide we were able to visit the waterfall(s). It cannot be described as the most spectacular but it’s a beautiful and peaceful location in the rainforest and for us the first experience with the Rainforest here in Borneo. We very much enjoyed the visit!Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Continue Day 6 Floating Mosque
July 21, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
Being back in Kita Kinabalu our guide Jack showed us very kindly the Floating Mosque. Situated near the sea, this majestic white mosque boasts similar features to the Nabawi Mosque in Medina. This floating mosque has a prayer hall which houses three madrasahs and accommodates from 9,000 to 12,000 people at a time.
By far the largest mosque in Kota Kinabalu, this Mosque may even possibly be the most beautiful one in Malaysia – the man-made lagoon which surrounds it gives a serenely gorgeous and dramatic look.
The Kota Kinabalu City Mosque is open for the public to visit which we did.Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Day 7- Daddys Birthday and .....
July 22, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
We started the day on Daddy's Birthday 🎂very early, we needed to get to the airport to fly to Sandakan on the east coast.

From the airport we went directly to Labuc Bay to visit the sanctuary for the proboscis monkeys who are protecting the " biggest nose in Borneo 😁".
We were so lucky and even saw a Hornbil Bird.

Next stop was Sepilok Nature Lodge the most fascinating Hotel Lodge in the Rainforest , a perfect place for the Birthday Boy.
We enjoyed lunch but hat not much relaxing time as the next stop was to visit the sun bear conservation station. Stepping into David Attenborough footsteps.
In the evening we booked a guided night walk at the Rainforest Discovery center and once again we were so lucky in what we saw. Flying squirrel, snakes, scorpion and lots more.
Poor Hansi he will always remember the bite of "giant ants".
Finishing Clive's 55th Birthday with delicious Malaysian food and a free lift back to the Lodge by the restaurants owner.Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Day8 Sepilok Orangutan & Continue Travel
July 23, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Before breakfast we went and visit in Sepliko the Orangutan rehabilitation centre. As we went early the Orangutan was much more lively and the orangutan nursery was especially beautiful as it was conditioned 😜. So cute to watch and the monkeys are so so sweet and liebevoll with their babies.
The Malaysian teenager girls also thought Hans was cute as he was asked if there could take photos with him 😊😉.
After Brunch we had to leave our nice lodge and our journey continued for 2 hours, next destination Kinabatangan River.Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Day 8 Kinabatangan River
July 23, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C
After lunch we started our journey to the Kinabatangan River. We're we stayed for one night in a beautiful Lodge right next to the River. Here we had 2 river tours one in the afternoon and one very early in the morning 6 am. It was just magical to watch the Rainforest and river to settle in the evening and waking up in the morning. We saw monkeys, kingfish, crocodile 🐊 and lots more but the highlight was to see the "pick me elephants".
After a very magnificent storm with thunder and lightning and a delicious dinner . We got well protected for 🦟 mosquitos and joined the night walk .

The 560-kilometre Kinabatangan River is Sabah’s longest river, beginning in the Crocker Range in Southwest Sabah and ending at the Sulu Sea southeast of Sandakan. What a beautiful peaceful place.Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Day 9 Gomantong Caves and Sky walk
July 24, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C
Our next stop was the Gomatong Caves. The Gomantong Caves and the surrounding area are protected as a forest reserve to safeguard the ecosystem and the bird nests.There are famous for their edible bird nests. These nests, crafted from swiftlet saliva, are a valuable delicacy in Southeast Asia, particularly in Chinese cuisine. The edible Bird Nests are considered a highly nutritious and expensive food, often used in bird's nest soup. The nests are harvested twice a year, usually between February and April and then again from July to September. Licensed collectors use rattan ladders, ropes, and bamboo poles to reach the nests on the cave ceilings. On the ground are lots and lots of Bird and Bats poo 💩 and millions of bugs including 🪳 cockroaches. It smelt so intense of you drop an 🍏 apple it will totally disappear in 24 hours as all the bugs would have eaten it.
After the Caves and before traveling to Sakandan we did a Sky walking tour at the Rainforest Discovery Center where we saw orangutan 🦧 monkeys in the wild and lots more.Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Day 10 - Highlights of Sakanday
July 25, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
We stayed at the Elopura Hotel in Sandakan cloth to the Harbour ( which was a little smelly 🥴) . After a lovely Birthday breakfast 🥞 and before leaving Sakanday we visited a few very interesting places in Sakandan with help from our local guid Abdul.
First stop was the magnificent Puu Jih Shih Buddhist Temple it is a stunning temple that is known for its impressive architecture, cultural significance, and scenic views of Sandakan Bay. The temple features a beautiful garden and a seven-tiered pagoda, which symbolizes the seven steps to enlightenment in Buddhism. Visitors can explore the temple, take part in Buddhist practices and rituals, and enjoy the panoramic views of Sandakan Bay from the hilltop location. The view was so beautiful from there.Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Continue day 10 - Agnes Keith House
July 25, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C
Next we visit the Agnes Keith house.
Agnes was an American writer best known for her three autobiographical books of life in North Borneo (now Sabah) before, during, and after World War II. The second Book tells of her time in Japanese prisoner-of-war camp and civilian internee camp in North Borneo and Sarawak, and was made into a film of the same name in 1950. She published seven books in all. Till today, her books remain popular in Sabah as they played a huge role in introducing the beauty of Sabah to the world.Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Continue to day 10 - Sim Sim village
July 25, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C
After the museum of Agnes we visited Sim Sim Water Village one of my personal highlights. Buli Sim Sim Water Village, a charming and unique village that is known for its traditional stilt houses and picturesque waterfront views. Known as one of the oldest and most historic water villages in Sabah. With its charming atmosphere, unique cultural experience, and stunning waterfront views, it even got its own garden center and restaurants. Buli Sim Sim Water Village is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in traditional Sabahan culture and heritage.This is also the site of the original town of Sandakan which began in 1879. We were invited to meet Abdul's Familie and Hans was able to play with the self made Dragon. One of the activities for all the kids and youth. They're making dragons and then let them fight with each other in the air.Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
Continue day 10 - War Memorial Gardens
July 25, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C
The War Memorial was in a beautiful park sadly it did had lots of 🦟 mosquito 's and all of us got bitten quite a lot. After the War Memorial we went straight to the Airport to catch the Plain to KK. In KK we were only staight for one night before traveling to Mulu.
Birthdays dinner was easy , the food market was right in front of our apartment. What a very busy unforgettable Birthday 🎉💐!
( Thank you Family ❤️).Read more
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Borneo 2025 ( book 1 )Nora Seager - Wilkendorf
To be continued in Book 2
July 26, 2025 in Malaysia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Next destination "Mulu" UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recognized for its outstanding natural beauty and high biodiversity.
We are visiting the "Gunung Mulu National Park" .The park contains one of the world's largest cave systems, with some of the most studied tropical karst features globally and all of this in the heart of the Borneo Rainforest . We are also going to experience " Homestay" with one of the local families.Read more
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Trip end
August 5, 2025