Day 1 - Arrival

Welcome to Kota Kinabalu - commonly called KK! We meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel, where you can rest before starting to explore the food stalls, restaurants and cafes on the waterfront.

Day 2 Markets / Kadazandusun - food - L

You begin your tour by going to KK's produce markets and learning about and sampling the wonderful variety of fruit and vegetables there. Then you move on to a Kadazandusun village where you see the local food that is available and how it is cooked. Village women prepare a typical lunch for you. You talk to the local people about the food they grow and gather from the forest, how various staple foods (such as rice and sago) are prepared and how they make rice wine. You also experience the delights of fresh fruit juices and local desserts - all designed to keep you cool in the warm weather!

Day 3 - Chinese - breakfast - L

Today we look at menus in local coffee shops - how to order different kinds of tea and coffee, as well as that all-pervasive snack food - noodles. Then you go to one of the oldest streets in KK to eat at one of the most well-known coffee shops. You can try many of the noodle dishes people here eat for breakfast and lunch, as well as 'laksa' (a delicious curry noodle soup). In the afternoon, we talk about rice (long, short, white, black, sticky), traditions surrounding the planting and harvesting of rice and how it's used in Sabahan cuisine. You try some of the delicious, brightly-coloured local rice cakes, so popular with everyone.

Day 4 - Sabah - specialities - L

Of course, there are also Sabahans involved in making foodstuffs for commercial sale and export and you begin this part of your tour by learning about the secrets of roasting and preparing Sabah coffee from a real connoisseur. Lunch is at a local coffee shop where you can try a variety of dishes which include typical local vegetables. During the afternoon, you find out about the making of the ubiquitous dried noodles, before sampling a local luxury - Sabah handmade chocolates. Durian filling in a chocolate? Try it!

Day 5 - Cooking - L

After talking about the various cooking styles in Sabah, you prepare a Malaysian feast under the guidance of a gifted local culinary expert. You take the recipes with you so that you can replicate this meal for friends and family back home. The experience ends with you eating what you have cooked!

Day 6 - Dinner - D

This morning is free for you to explore KK and try out another coffee shop or two! We meet in the afternoon at 3.00pm to go to a wildlife park where you see orangutans, proboscis monkeys, tigers, sunbears and hornbills, among other animals and birds of Sabah and Asia. From there, you go on to one of the many seafood restaurants found in and around KK, where you learn about the plentiful varieties of fish, crab, prawns and other seafood found in the waters off Sabah - and about the most popular ways of cooking them. The experience culminates in a real KK culinary treat - a seafood dinner! You return to your hotel at approximately 7.30 pm.

Day 7 - Departure

This is the day on which you leave KK - or you may decide to stay longer! We take you to the airport for your onward flight. Safe journey!

*Details of this tour may change, although the same general areas will always be included.

Dates and Availability: Please contact us.

Note that if you have a group of two or more, you can plan your own tour with us!

Included in your tour:

Airport transfers	Cooking class
Accommodation	Travel included in the itinerary
English-speaking guide	Meals where indicated
Tips

Bring: Comfortable walking shoes or sandals; mosquito repellent, a sunhat, a fold-up plastic raincoat, a light heart and a sense of fun!

Useful websites:

1. www.sabah.org.my/bi/know_sabah/ - general introduction to Sabah, the people, orang-utan conservation programmes, culture & arts
2. www.sabahtourism.com interesting government tourism site
3. www.sabah.net.my/PACOS/ - PACOS Partners of Community Organisations
4. www.flyingdusun.com very informative articles about the Kadazandusun, including recipes and how to make rice wine
5. www.malaysianfood.net wonderful information about Malaysian food, including cooking styles, ingredients and recipes
6. www.ckcc.com.my - Cap Kuda Coffee Factory
7. http://www.travellersworldwide.com/11-malaysia/11-malaysia-wildlife.htm - about a Care for Animals Project at Lok Kawi Wildlife Park
8. www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk/