VIP Vacation: Mille Clode in Borneo
TV presenter Millie Clode, 26, and her boyfriend, Kingsley Ford, 28, discovered two sides of Borneo on their adventure
When I go on holiday, I like to do a bit of exploring, so a trek up Borneo's Mount Kinabalu followed by a stay in a five-star hotel sounded like my kind of thing. Within 12 hours of landing in Malaysia, Kingsley and I were heading towards the mountain, which stands around 13,500ft above sea level - eek! We'd booked a tour guide (Goborneo.com), which cost about £200.
On the first day we climbed for six hours, which was tough, but by the evening we'd made it two-thirds of the way up to a wooden hut, our home for the night. With no hot water and dorm rooms it was basic, but we didn't care. By 2am we were up again to complete the final leg - an early start was essential to see the sunrise at the top. Looking down as the sun rose over the mountains and villages, I felt on top of the world.
After our trek, we checked into the Rasa Ria hotel which is in the middle of Kinabalu National Park and backs on to the rainforest. I thought I'd be scared staying in the jungle (it's home to 63 types of snake!) but I surprised myself. Close by, there's an orang-utan sanctuary, where entry is just £6, so we went three times to watch the babies feed.
One evening we caught a little boat down the Liwagu River to a village where we ate pancakes and drank coconut milk. On the way back, the river banks were lit up by fireflies. It was such a memorable sight. But that was Borneo all over - totally unforgettable.
Millie presents morning and afternoon shows on Sky Sports News.
Rooms at the Rasa Ria hotel cost from £102 per night. Contact Simply Malaysia for information (0116 247 3116; Simplymalaysia.com). Flights from London to Koto Kinabalu cost from £435 with Malaysia Airlines (Malaysiaairlines.com)
PHOTOGRAPHY: ALPHA PRESS
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