We all love the idea of a family adventure holiday, but do we love the thought of planning one? Families Worldwide does, which is great news for adventurers like us.
Family cycling tour, Sabah, Borneo
One of the UK’s very few independent travel companies, Families Worldwide has been creating small-group family tours and tailor-made holidays since 2005. Today its wings are spread quite literally worldwide with family adventures everywhere from Borneo and Brazil to Spain and Slovakia. And because practically every continent is covered, you can choose to go far-flung or explore closer to home.
Cookery skill-building on a family adventure holiday with Families Worldwide
Find a family adventure holiday that fits your dreams
But, however you decide to adventure, Families Worldwide’s high standards will apply. Suggested itineraries are packed with activities, mostly included in your holiday costs. As well as offering small group tours where like-minded families travel together, Families Worldwide can also tailor an entire holiday to suit your family’s interests. And you’ll find adventures that work perfectly for your kids, with clear age and ability recommendations, plus parent reviews, which are always reassuring.
White water rafting, Sabah, Borneo
Activity holidays packed with learning that sticks with kids
Speaking of reassuring, it’s also good to know that you’re planning a getaway with travel experts who are mostly parents themselves and have first-hand experience of countless destinations.
Aside from the friendly planning team in the UK, every trip has the added benefit of a seasoned, English-speaking, local guide, who’s often a naturalist, historian or environmentalist as well. So the kind of learning that really sticks with kids is another big part of the Families Worldwide experience.
Sepilok, Sabah, Borneo
Savings on the destination that’s on every family wish list
A Borneo adventure holiday is the perfect example of the type of conservation-aware, wildlife-rich and unusual small group tour that Families Worldwide has made its own. We’ve picked three of our favourite adventures – all of which can also be tailored – in Sabah, the Malaysian region in northern Borneo. And with 10% off all Sabah holidays* right now, it’s a great time to book your next big adventure with Families Worldwide. Take a look.
Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Sabah
Why Sabah in Borneo should be your next family adventure holiday
Borneo is the world’s third largest island, so large in fact that it’s shared between three different countries. So when it comes to landmass, the Malaysian state of Sabah in the north is relatively compact, which makes its astonishing diversity even more remarkable.
It’s here that you’ll find Mount Kinabalu soaring to a height of 4,094 metres. Some of the most beautiful beaches in Asia are also found in Sabah, along with tropical islands that can only be described as heavenly.
However, as forest covers over half the state and conservation plays an important role throughout the area, you probably won’t be too surprised to learn that rare and fascinating wildlife thrives here as well: it’s the land of clouded leopards and orangutans, tiny tarsiers, proboscis monkeys and sun bears, to name but a few.
Pygmy elephant in Kinabatangan River, Sabah
Active Borneo: eight days out of this world
A focus on Sabah could be why Active Borneo is one of the most popular small group holidays designed by Families Worldwide. Being able to explore such a fascinating part of the world with local experts as your guides is undoubtedly ‘once in a lifetime’, but this holiday goes well beyond the natural wonders and heads firmly into high-adventure territory.
Naturally, wildlife has a starring role in the Active Borneo itinerary, so kids can look forward to encounters with sun bears, orangutans and proboscis monkeys, at the very least. Conservation comes into play on a snorkelling expedition at Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park in Kota Kinabalu. And since wild landscapes are intrinsic to Borneo, learning jungle survival skills is just one of the great take homes from your time in Sabah.
Hawksbill Turtle, Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Kota Kinabalu
Sabah is Borneo’s natural adventure playground
Ziplining and white water rafting out-thrill the world’s most extreme rollercoasters, and no countryside cycle anywhere compares to the 20km Active Borneo route which takes in everything from local villages and jungle plantations to phenomenal hanging bridges.
Active Borneo ziplining fun
Low deposits make Active Borneo more affordable for 2025
An ideal fit for next Easter, summer school holidays or October half term, and bookable with deposits as low as £50pp, Active Borneo is suitable for kids aged eight years and older. Holiday costs cover all accommodation, internal flights and most meals. Plus, families also have the option to include international flights or to arrange transport to Sabah independently.
Find out more about Active Borneo
Leopard Cat, Borneo Wildlife Adventures, Sabah
Borneo Wildlife Adventure: meet the legendary Sabah locals
Another unforgettable family experience, Borneo Wildlife Adventure puts the true Sabah icons front and centre of the eight-day tailor-made holiday.
Feeding time at the world-famous Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre may be the highlight of the trip. Although there’s strong competition from visits to the Sun Bear Conservation Centre and Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary.
Borneo legends, Sabah
Safari and cruise on the Kinabatangan River
Wildlife in the wild is a promise that’s kept on your boat cruise along the Kinabatangan River, where close encounters are enhanced by the presence of naturalists subtly weaving learning into enchanting river safaris.
In between coming face-to-face with some of Earth’s rarest creatures, kids have the added excitement of discovering rainforests and waterfalls, helping to plant trees and even exploring a mud volcano at Tabin Wildlife Reserve.
Great Hornbill, Sabah, Borneo
Add beach days or urban adventures to your Borneo holiday
If an eight-day holiday isn’t long enough, there’s an option to extend your itinerary and work in some beach time at Kota Kinabulu or head to dazzling Kuala Lumpur for an urban adventure.
As with all Families Worldwide tailor-made holidays, the suggested Borneo Wildlife Adventure itinerary can be adapted to your family’s particular interests or the ages of your kids. Plus, an extraordinary number of activities are included in the cost of this holiday, along with all accommodation and most of your meals, as well as internal transport.
Find out more about Borneo Wildlife Adventure
Snorkelling, family adventure holiday, Sabah
Planet of the Apes: explore the land of ancient rainforests
Borneo is home to some of Earth’s oldest rainforests, which are also the otherworldly natural habitats for rare and fascinating wildlife. Planet of the Apes gives you unmatched insight into both as part of a nine-day holiday that mixes thrilling activities like rafting in the Kiulu Valley and coral reef snorkelling with visits to Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, tours of the Rainforest Discovery Centre and magical tree canopy walks.
Proboscis monkeys, Borneo
As the name suggests, primates are the focus of this trip, much to the delight of most kids.
Getting close to the curious-looking residents of Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary at feeding time is an unforgettable experience, as is macaque spotting on cruises down the Kinabatangan River. However, the stars of every Borneo family holiday are undoubtedly orangutans. These highly intelligent apes are now critically endangered and seeing them in their natural habitat is an unrivalled lesson in conservation for children.
Gearing up for a canopy walk, Planet of the Apes family adventure holiday
Learning is all part of the fun on this family adventure holiday
This incredible family adventure holiday is recommended for kids aged eight and over, and is designed to combine education with excitement, cultural experiences and skill-building. Again, the suggested itinerary is just a guide, so you have the freedom to tailor the entire holiday to your own specifications, right up to including extra beach days or a city break in Kuala Lumpur.
Plus, Families Worldwide includes practically everything in the price of this holiday, which means you can focus on enjoying every moment, without thinking about extra costs.
Find out more about Planet of the Apes
Rainforest canopy walk, family adventure holiday, Borneo
Why family adventurers recommend Families Worldwide
One of the first things you’ll notice about Families Worldwide is how good your dedicated travel expert is at listening, and you only have to read the praise that other families heap on them to know that personal approach runs right through your holiday. All activities and experiences are a perfect fit for the ages and interests of your kids. And all-out action is balanced with chill downtime and fun learning.
Also, because Families Worldwide has almost two decades of experience organising family holidays, they understand that not everyone in a family wants to do the same things, so there’s room in every holiday for individuality – if you want a beach day while the rest of your crew is off rafting, you only have to ask.
Now you know who to plan next year’s adventure with, book before 30 November 2024 with deposits from just £50 per person and savings of 10% on all Sabah holidays* during UK school holiday dates for 2024 and 2025.
Get in touch with the team at Families Worldwide on 01962 302 062 or email hello@familiesworldwide.co.uk or make an enquiry at Families Worldwide
Get a copy of the latest Families Worldwide brochure
*10% discount on 2024 and 2025 Sabah holidays available on bookings made before 30 November 2024. This offer cannot be combined with any other Families Worldwide offers.