Sabah

On the northern tip of Borneo, Sabah feels like nature turned up to full volume. Here, Mount Kinabalu rises over jungles alive with hornbills, proboscis monkeys, and pygmy elephants, while just offshore lie some of the richest coral seas on Earth. Whale sharks, turtles, and hammerheads appear seasonally, and the region's conservation efforts—from orangutan sanctuaries to marine parks—are setting the pace for how people and wildlife can share one of Asia's last great wilds.