The purpose of the journey is threefold: to photograph Sabah’s extraordinary birdlife, to hike forest trails, and to practise shinrin-yoku, the Japanese art of forest bathing — a mindful way of slowing down, de-stressing, and reconnecting with nature. Among Sabah’s 688 recorded bird species, we spot Chestnut-hooded Laughing Thrushes, Bornean Green Magpies, and Black-sided Flowerpeckers as we explore the park’s lush trails. At Kiau Gap View, a sweeping panorama opens beside a monument honouring the spiritual bond between Mount Kinabalu and the Kadazan-Dusun, Sabah’s largest Indigenous group, as well as the park’s UNESCO World Heritage designation.

A one-hour flight east to Sandakan ushers us into a different realm of adventure. After checking in to the Sabah Hotel, we head straight to the Rainforest Discovery Center in Sepilok, where winding paths, canopy bridges, and observation towers offer intimate encounters with wildlife. Within minutes, we’re face-to-face with a striking Diard’s Trogon. Nearby, a mother orangutan and her baby forage among fruiting trees, while Thick-billed Spiderhunters probe spiky red calliandra blossoms for nectar.

At the neighbouring Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, daily feedings take place at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Rangers arrive with reed baskets brimming with fruit and vegetables, greeted by orangutans already waiting on the platform, while others swing in on ropes from the surrounding forest. Later, along the boardwalk, our focus shifts to reptiles and nocturnal curiosities: a Bornean Keeled Pit Viper, a Grey-tailed Racer, and a Flying Lemur clinging to a tree trunk. At the Nursery, young orangutans and macaques play and cuddle in lively family groups.

Just down the road, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre offers forested enclosures and elevated observation points where visitors can watch and learn about the world’s smallest bears.