Malaysia

A 3km paddle from Bigfin gets us to the beautiful little uninhabited island of Pandan. Uninhabited, yes—but far from deserted, as we quickly discover.

Back in paradise. Rounding out our two weeks in Malaysia with—you guessed it, more Borneo beach time!—at a remote, off-the-grid dive camp.

Three days exploring one of the most diverse habitats in the world—the Kinabatangan river basin—home to Borneo’s highest concentration of wildlife.

A morning at world-famous Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre offers a close-up view of these amazing apes—which turns out to be a bit too close for some of us.

Sandakan is Sabah’s gateway to the jungle. Not known for much else these days, this unassuming town’s myriad trekking agencies and backpacker hostels belie Sandakan’s unique history and quirky offerings.

Choosing between 10 hours on curvy roads vs. 40 minutes in a plane? Easy. Fighting with ghost flyers for tickets and helping my son overcome a fear of flying? Not so much.

Kicking things into high gear, as the search for the perfect beach continues. Today’s contender, a little-known beach in the extreme north of Borneo.

A last minute change in plans takes us to the north of Borneo—and by north, I mean the tippy-top north—rumored home to the island’s most beautiful beaches [and sunsets].

Finally arriving on Borneo—just in time to witness one of the island’s world-famous sunsets…and a major meltdown.

Last year, we opted to stay Laos-side to experience (i.e. endure) Pi Mai/ Lao New Year/ Songkran. This year, we thought better of it.