Depart home Capital; Arrive in Kota Kinabalu.

Pick up at airport by Sandakan Spirit representative, transport to your 4 star Kota Kinabalu Hotel.

5 pm briefing at Hotel.

Pick up from Hotel at 6.00 am and transfer to Kota Kinabalu airport for early 7.20am morning flight from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan. From airport we transfer to Sandakan Memorial Park, the site of the Sandakan POW Camp, we then visit the World Famous Sepilok Orang-Utan Centre. After lunch at a local restaurant, we drive along the original Death March route from Sandakan to Telupid. Along the way we see the locations that both Owen Campbell and  Dick Braithwaite escaped.

The trek begins with an early morning walk up through the river before commencing our 450m climb up Bauto Hill through the dense jungle of Gambaron Hill. We continue our journey along the track and break out of the Jungle on our descent down towards Telupid. Bauto was the area that Sandakan Death March survivor Botterill witnessed the murder of two Australian POW’s.

We return to our Hotel for a well-earned refreshing shower before exploring the delights of Telupid.

After our early morning breakfast we continue our trek up the second Gambaron Hill, this is a physically challenging trek through primary jungle climbing over 550 m of height, with tough steep ascents and descents through low overhanging jungle. We have spectacular views of the Telupid Valley from our rest spot on the mountain. This is one of the tough days on the track with high temperatures and humidity adding to the tough climb.

Our start today is from Taviu village, passing through forested and cultivated land as we trek up to Mungkadai and onto Miru. The route across to Miru is scenic with walking through delightful Villages. The local kids and villages are very excited to meet us and are all smiles as we walk through their villages.

We enter the Village of Miru with its towering hills and cliffs surrounding this delightful and traditional village.

Tonight we are entertained with a local feast and traditional Gong dancers.

Today we depart Miru and continue our trek on to Tampias. Our journey today is past forest and a mixture of cultivated land. At Tampias we continue by vehicle to Nalapak and walk up to Sabah Tea for our overnight accommodation. On the way to Sabah Tea we stop at Paginatan and visit the house of the “Ring Lady” and the area that the POWs were buried. Paginatan was also the area that the rice carrying parties operated.

Transfer to Muruk village by bus before we commence a steep ascent up Marakau Hill. Marakau Hill is also known as Botterill’s Hill, named after Sandakan Death March survivor Keith Botterill. Botterill trekked up this hill 6 times lugging 20kg bags of rice to keep himself fit and also gave him a chance to pinch some rice to help his escape. We then follow a short steep trek through jungle, before descending and crossing Ranau Plain for lunch and pay our respects at the Ranau POW Camp sites 1 and 2. We then visit the magnificently restored Kundasang War Memorial to participate in a service to remember all those who gave their lives for Australia and those that lost their lives on the Sandakan Ranau Death March. We have some time here to watch a video and reflect as we walk through the various memorial gardens. We then transfer back to Kota Kinabalu for celebration, shower and relaxation for overnight stay at Hotel.

After an early morning breakfast we depart by plane from Kota Kinabalu to Labuan Island to pay our respects to our fallen heroes.

Our Tour of Labuan Island includes the following;

• Tour of Labuan Island, visiting surrender point, Australian Memorial, Commonwealth War Cemetery, Water Village.

We then depart Labuan around midday and catch a fast boat to commence our drive down the Liberation highway through Klias and Beaufort.

Along the way we visit the areas that our special forces operated in during operation Stallion and we visit the areas that Jack Sue operated.

Our tour also includes visits to;

•The Graves of the Borneo resistance Heroes including Albert Kwok.

• The Japanese Kempetai HQ.

 • Kota Kinabalu Wild Life Park. Pygmy Elephants, Orang-Utans plus much more.

We return to Kota Kinabalu around 5pm and overnight at your 4 star Kota Kinabalu Hotel.

 After breakfast your tour ends