At 6:30am we set off in a mini-bus for Sepilok. It’s 45 minutes by plane to nearby Sandakan or eight hours over bumpy roads, through rugged mountain scenery. So of course we chose land transport!

Our first stop was to view Mt Kinabalu, the highest peak in South East Asia. A very popular climbing route, we were happy just to gaze at the peaks almost covered in cloud.

Second stop was to see the giant Rafflesia flower. These huge plants only bloom for five to seven days, so sightings are fairly rare. We had searched the National Park in Sarawak years ago, and only found the rotting remains, so it was a treat to finally see two!

Next we stopped at Poring Hot Springs, where you could bathe in constructed tile baths, we decided to walk to the waterfall and look in the gardens instead.

Lunch at a tea plantation and then four more hours on the bumpy road to Sepilok. We were very happy to arrive at Panganakan Dii Tropical Retreat, the cabins were on stilts, set in the jungle. Basic accommodation but with fan and aircon…very comfortable.