Borneo & Singapore

We decided on a family holiday to Borneo and Singapore for the New Year Break with eight nights in Borneo and two nights in Singapore.

We flew on the 27th of December on Singapore Airlines A380 which is a fantastic airline. On the way out to Borneo we had a lengthy connection in Singapore, however this really was not an issue as Singapore airport is well adapted to these kinds of stopovers and offer complimentary city tours. We embarked on one and found it excellent to get an idea of what Singapore has to offer especially as we were making a two-night stop on our return. The tour covered briefly the major sites the city has to offer, and the guides were very informative and great fun.

We arrived into Borneo on the evening of the 28th and had booked a private transfer and we were in resort within 40 minutes. We had booked to stay in the Shangri La Rasa Ria. The staff were very welcoming and efficient, making the check in experience a pleasant one especially when they had made sure we had been allocated interconnecting rooms for the family.

The hotel is set on a large beautiful beach and has its own nature reserve where complimentary guided early morning hikes are offered. The noise of the reserve is deafening with the sound of crickets, monkeys and birds. The hotel is a well-equipped family hotel with plenty of activities, from water sports to culinary delights. The entertainment team were excellent, keeping the children entertained should they wish to join in, and there is a very well-manicured golf course with its own club house. The hotel also offers an in-house spa with very reasonable treatment prices. There are a number of pools, and the hotel has a wide choice of restaurants, from Italian to Japanese and Malaysian Street food! You are certainly spoilt for choice and the breakfast offering is one of the best I have seen in a hotel with everything from a full English to a chocolate fountain with marshmallows or Indian street food. We were also fortunate to be there over New Year to experience the beach party which started with traditional tribal dances at sunset and ended with live entertainment and fireworks on the beach.

With a hotel as well equipped as this you would ask why you would need to leave the resort. But why come all this way and not explore what Borneo has to offer!

Borneo is famed for the rehabilitation of the orangutan and the Sepilok Rehabilitation is in Sandakan which is a one-hour flight from Kota Kinabalu. We booked a full day excursion to visit Sepilok, which was a truly amazing experience seeing these majestic animals in their natural habitat. It wasn't all about the orangutans, we also visited a proboscis monkey and sun bear sanctuary, two animals that I have never had the opportunity to see before!

Another amazing excursion that we embarked on was an afternoon boat trip on the mangrove swamps were the proboscis monkeys could be seen in their natural wild habitat swinging amongst the trees without a care in the world. This was the followed by a local BBQ dinner on the riverside which was topped off with the one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had: nature’s real-life pyrotechnics! We embarked on a night boat ride and were surrounded by thousands of fireflies!

As a family we are also keen scuba divers and spent the day diving the outer islands off the coast of Kota Kinabalu, a must for any certified diver. Borneo is a truly fascinating destination and makes for a perfect, very memorable family holiday.

We then continued our journey onto Singapore for a two-night stop. Singapore has an abundance of activities and excursions that can be enjoyed as a family. We visited the night zoo which is obviously full of nocturnal animals and is really quite lively! We also embarked on a Duck tour which is a land and water city excursion. We also spent half a day on Sentosa Island which was accessible by cable car or taxi. We, of course, took the scenic route which gives you a great overview of the island which has many large hotels and Universal Studios. There really is something for everyone in Singapore.

We stayed in the Holiday Inn Clarke Quay which was a very centrally located hotel. It also has a lovely rooftop pool which is a great place to relax and unwind after a full day of sightseeing. The culinary delights are also in abundance and a visit to Momma Kong's to sample the famous Singapore Chilli Crab is a must! The hawkers market was also something special for the taste buds, an abundance of all kinds of delicious street food. We topped our Singapore stay off by sipping cocktails (a Singapore Sling) at the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel at sunset - spectacular!

Borneo and Singapore made a perfect two centre holiday and I would highly recommend it for couples and family adventures. If you would like to experience this wonderful destination please do not hesitate to get in touch for further information!