Borneo – Educational Opportunities for School Groups in Sabah

The Malaysian portion of Borneo comprises two states: Sarawak in the west and Sabah in the east. Sabah offers a wide range of engaging, curriculum-linked content that may appeal to school groups considering educational travel to Malaysia.

Edventure Travel staff have recently returned from setting up new student programs in Sabah and have provided the latest updates and captioned photos, see below:

Kota Kinabalu – The State capital

• Mosques, Buddhist temples, and churches – Showcasing the religious diversity of the state and harmonious cohabitation.
• Monsopiad Cultural Village – Features tribal practices, dances, jungle food, and head-hunting rituals from the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Manukan Island – A stunning nearby island ideal for snorkelling, swimming, and exploring on foot.
• Sabah State Museum – Displays include tribal house styles, steam train technology, and the history of the state.
• Tun Mustapha Tower – A 30-storey building constructed using a unique hanging structure, one of only four in the world.
• Stilt villages – Unique wooden communities elevated above the water, interconnected by walkways that resemble a maze. Life centres around fishing and water transport. 

Mt Kinabalu National Park

• Kinabalu – Home to Southeast Asia’s highest mountain at 4,095 metres.
• Nabalu Village – Offers local food, crafts, and scenic views of Mount Kinabalu.
• Botanical Gardens – Walk the Silau-Silau Trail and observe insect-catching plants.

Kunsdasang

• Kundasang War Memorial – Features memorial gardens and a small museum dedicated to Australian and British soldiers who died during the Sandakan to Ranau Death March. Includes an excellent 25-minute video of one of only six survivors from the 1945 march.

Ranau

• Ranau Tea Plantation – Tour the factory to see how tea is grown, processed and packaged.
• Sandakan–Ranau Death March & Mini Death March – Walk 1-hour or 4-hour sections of the route along riverbeds, learning about the hardships endured by Australia and British POWs.
• Ranau Camps I & II – Visit the sites of the final two Death March camps. One camp includes a small museum with photos and exhibits from Japanese, Australian, and British forces. The marches are weather dependent and require suitable footwear.
• Poring Hot Springs – Located 21 km from Ranau. Explore nature trails and walk across five treetop suspension bridges set amongst a pristine forest.
• Quailey’s Hill – A historic site marking where Private Allan Quailey, an Australian prisoner, could no longer march and was executed on 16 February 1945.

Kinabatangan River (Sukau Village)

• Sunrise and sunset boat safaris – Cruise the Kinabatangan River to spot proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, orangutans, and exotic birdlife.
• Gomantong Cave – Explore a large cave inhabited by bats and swallows and possibly glimpse wild orangutans nearby. Located a one-hour drive from Sukau Village.
• KOPEL – A local NGO specialising in forest protection and eco-tourism. Learn about their conservation programs and group engagement opportunities.

Sepilok

• Rainforest Discovery Centre – Walk the virgin forest canopy loop and observe orangutans, wild monkeys, and rhinoceros hornbills.
• Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre – View recovering sun bears from raised platforms and learn about breeding efforts and human–wildlife conflict zone issues.
• Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary – See orangutans being nurtured in preparation for reintroduction into the wild.

Sandakan

• Stilt villages – Unique wooden settlements built above water and connected by maze-like walkways. Life is centred around fishing and boat transport.
• St Michael’s and All Angels Church – Built in 1883. Site of the founding of the Scouts movement by Rev. Thomas Cecil Alexander in 1913, and later used to house prisoners of war during WWII.
• Agnes Keith House – A fully restored early British colonial-style residence.
• Sandakan Memorial Park – Site of the former POW camp that held prisoners transported from Singapore in 1942–43. In 1945, all fit prisoners were forced on the Death March to Ranau. Only six soldiers out of approximately 2,000 survived. A new museum on-site tells the full tragic story.

 Selingan Island (Turtle Island)

• Turtle Nesting – Around 8–10 pm, observe turtles coming ashore to dig nests and lay eggs. Local guides explain the egg-laying process, incubation, and release of hatchlings.
• Turtle education – Watch a short video and visit the evening museum. Learn about the nearby Philippine islands visible from Selingan Island.

A 12-day educational tour of Sabah can incorporate some or all of the sites and attractions listed above. Talk to us to discuss your interests and preferences, which will enable us to design a tour that meets all your expectations, curriculum relevance, timeframe, and budget.