Your school expedition to Borneo will allow students to learn more about the local tribes and the issues affecting the local wildlife!
School trips to Malaysia offer students the opportunity to explore a fascinating multicultural and multiethnic country in Southeast Asia.
Malaysia is particularly popular among groups who want to enjoy a school expedition that allows their students to take part in some voluntary work to help local communities and wildlife.
Browse our trips
Activities in Malaysia that your school group will love
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
Find out about this centre's important work protecting the Sun Bears who are threatened by illegal hunting, trading and deforestation.
Community-Based Project at Kiau Taburi Village
Stay with host families and immerse yourselves in rural Bornean life at this tribal village at the foot of Mount
Gomantong Cave
This intricate cave system is most famous for two of its residents – swiftlets and bats.
Mari Mari Cultural Village
The Mari Mari Cultural Village offers a fascinating insight into the history of the indigenous ethnic groups of Borneo.
Poring Hot Springs
Stop off at Poring Hot Springs to enjoy the thermal waters that are said to have therapeutic qualities.
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
Find out about the important work being done by this rehabilitation centre to help orphaned orangutans.
Why visit Malaysia?
Explore Malaysia’s megadiversity
Malaysia is one of 17 megadiverse countries in the world and is estimated to be home to around 20% of the world’s animal species.
Many of our school groups choose to visit Kota Kinabalu in Malaysian Borneo on one of our Helping Hands school expeditions. Borneo is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world, and boasts incredibly high levels of endemism.
Visiting Borneo on your school trip to Malaysia offers your students the opportunity to visit important conservation projects including the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.
Your school expedition to Malaysian Borneo will leave your students with a greater appreciation of the incredible wildlife our planet is home to, and how important it is to protect these animals and their habitats.
Experience Malaysia’s multiculturalism
Malaysia is a country that is multicultural and multiethnic, and this makes it a fascinating destination for a school trip. It is split into two similarly sized regions – Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, or Malaysian Borneo.
In Borneo, you’ll be able to visit Mari Mari Cultural Village, where you’ll learn about five indigenous tribes and their traditions, cultures and histories. You’ll be guided around the site by a guide who is a descendant of one of the tribes, giving your students an incredible insight into the local culture.
They’ll also have the opportunity to experience cultures very different to their own. The whole experience will help them to become better global citizens.
Immerse yourselves in rural village life
On your school trip to Malaysia, we can arrange for you to spend time in a rural village, where local host families will welcome you into their homes for the night.
You’ll head into the jungle with them to find out how they forage for food there. And they’ll serve you traditional meals and will even teach you a traditional dance!
The opportunity to really immerse themselves in the local culture is an experience that your students will never forget.
Where to visit in Malaysia
Kota Kinabalu
A school trip to Kota Kinabalu offers your students the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore Borneo!
Kota Kinabalu school trips usually take the form of expeditions that include the opportunity for your students to take part in volunteer work with local projects, such as an orangutan rehabilitation centre, a sun bear conservation centre or a community-based project in a tribal village.
Why choose Halsbury?
We build your trip around you
Tell us your learning objectives, curriculum and budget and we’ll do the rest.
Contact usWe’re trusted for a reason
We’re members of ABTA, ABTOT and the School Travel Forum. We also hold an ATOL and the LOtC Quality Badge.
Read moreOur Education specialists
Laura Lucas
Tour Consultant
Paul Hudson
Tour Consultant
Laura Martin
Language Sales & Product Manager
Emma Gray da Silva
Tour Consultant
Meet our education specialists and get to know more about the people committed to making your school trip the best it can be.
FAQs
I can’t see the destination I’m looking to travel to, can you still help me with my trip?
Of course.
We've got great relationships with suppliers all over the world, so we should be able to arrange something for you to suit your budget and trip objectives in your preferred destination.
Just get in touch with us and we'll let you know what we can do.
Do you offer travel insurance?
We do. Travel insurance is an optional extra and you can find out more about it in our travel insurance resource (which includes the policy documents and FAQs).
If you decide against arranging this insurance through us (which is absolutely fine, by the way), please just remember you must have suitable travel and medical insurance to cover your group.
How far ahead should I start planning my trip?
As a general rule, we recommend that you start planning your trip 12-18 months before you want to travel. This gives you plenty of time to get it approved and launched to students and parents.
Planning early will mean you have a greater choice of accommodation and travel options - and it will make paying for the trip easier for families, as they'll be able to break it down into smaller, more manageable payments.
You can check out our trip-planning timeline for a better idea of the process and when you should expect to be doing things.
If you are looking to travel sooner than this, it is possible. It will depend on availability and you may find prices are a bit higher, but get in touch and we can see what's possible.
Can the trip itinerary be adapted to my curriculum and requirements?
Every single trip we arrange is tailor-made, so yes, the itinerary can be adapted.
Our Tour Advisers and Itinerary Coordinators are all experienced school travel specialists. They'll work closely with you to make sure your itinerary supports your learning objectives. They'll be able to offer suggestions and advice to make sure you make the most of your time.
So, when you're browsing through our school trips, just remember that the itineraries and activities you see are there for inspiration only - your own itinerary can look as similar or as different as you want.
Equally, we've suggested trip durations based on what groups usually request - if you want to go for a shorter or longer duration, just let us know.
What accommodation options are available?
The accommodation options that are available vary depending on the destination but we're usually able to arrange everything from hostel-style accommodation to more luxurious hotels.
On each of the trip pages, you'll see some accommodation options - these are usually the most popular for those destinations, but we often have plenty of other options available. You'll discuss accommodation options (and budget) with your Tour Adviser when they're putting your quote together, so don't be afraid to let them know if you want something different.
We only work with accommodation options that are suitable for schools. As a member of the School Travel Forum (STF), you can be certain that all accommodation contracted by us complies with local legislation with respect to fire and general safety, is contracted by trained Halsbury Travel staff or reputable agents, receives a standard audit and risk assessment prior to use by Halsbury Travel and receives a supplementary audit if it is used on five or more occasions in a year.
Let's chat!