Highlights of Borneo
- Explore a cave in Mulu National Park
- Under blankets of jungle, the largest limestone cave system in the world can be found in Mulu National Park. There are labyrinthine passages in Clearwater Cave, and from the huge mouth of the Deer Cave thousands of bats emerge at sunset.
- Explore a cave in Mulu National Park
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- Do a canopy walk in Danum Valley
- Sabah's largest protected area of lowland dipterocarp forest is home to some of Borneo's rarest animals and plants. There are over 18 miles of marked trails which can be explored at your leisure, and also a tree top walkway suspended 40 metres up in the forest canopy.
- Do a canopy walk in Danum Valley
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- View the wildlife of the Kinabatangan River
- Just a couple of hours boat journey from the towns of Sandakan and Lahad Datu, this is the lower basin of Sabah’s longest river and bursts with wildlife from proboscis monkeys and hornbills to wild pygmy elephants and orang-utans.
- View the wildlife of the Kinabatangan River
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- Take a guided tour of Kuching
- Kuching is arguably Borneo's most impressive city. It is the only city to have developed a real character of its own which is showcased in the excellent restaurants, stunning Chinese temples and relaxing riverside paths that overlook the mosques of the old town.
- Take a guided tour of Kuching
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- Walk on the white sand beaches on Lankayan Island
- Uninhabited, covered by thick tropical vegetation in the interior and encircled by an endless pure white sandy beach that can be walked around in less than 10 minutes - Lankayan is a real jewel in the ocean.
- Walk on the white sand beaches on Lankayan Island
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- Visit a traditional longhouse near the Lemanak River
- One of Sarawak's most beautiful areas, the Lemanak River is dotted with small Iban villages where longhouses and traditional ways of life are still apparent.
- Visit a traditional longhouse near the Lemanak River
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- Explore the 'Lost World' of the Maliau Basin
- Maliau Basin is Southeast Asia's 'Lost World', an area almost the size of Singapore, home to one of the most diverse collections of flora and fauna on earth. The sheer scale of Maliau Basin becomes apparent from the air and Google Earth provides a great view, reminiscent of an extinct volcano crater.
- Explore the 'Lost World' of the Maliau Basin
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- Try snorkelling or diving in Sipadan Mabul
- Sipadan is a limestone pinnacle island off the east coast of Sabah. It rises about 600 metres from the sea floor and has been described as the last jewel in a crown in the West Pacific. A true divers and snorkelers paradise.
- Try snorkelling or diving in Sipadan Mabul
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- Watch turtles hatching on Turtle Island
- Fringed with white sands and turquoise waters, Turtle Island is the perfect place to snorkel around the coral reefs of the Sulu Sea and stay up late to watch turtles hatching or coming ashore to lay eggs.
- Watch turtles hatching on Turtle Island
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- Visit Sepilok orang-utan sanctuary
- Sepilok is most famous for its orang-utan sanctuary, which has gained a worldwide reputation for its conservation work. Regular feeding times ensure spotting these creatures is almost assured.
- Visit Sepilok orang-utan sanctuary
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Our country specialists have travelled the length and breadth of Borneo - here are a few of their favourite things to do
Borneo’s lush rainforests engulf a region serrated with jagged peaks, carved by ancient rivers into sheer valleys that shelter prolific wildlife and diverse tribal people, living off the land much as they have done for thousands of years.
Regions of Borneo
The island of Borneo is actually divided into four areas, with the Malay states of Sabah and Sarawak forming two distinct regions along its northern coast. The largest part of the island (Kalimantan) belongs to Indonesia, and the smallest part is the Sultanate of Brunei. Across Sabah and Sarawak the coastal and inland national parks abound with some of the most untouched wildlife habitats in Asia, sheltering an incredible number of plant and animal species from fish eagles and rhinoceros hornbills to leopards and pygmy elephants.
Wildlife and other highlights
Highlights include the orang-utans of Sepilok and Semenggok, the sun-soaked coast and tropical islands, world class diving, boat journeys down the Kinabatangan River in search of proboscis monkeys, night safaris in the Danum Valley, the vast caves of Mulu National Park, visiting the Iban longhouses to learn about their long tradition of headhunting, seeing turtles hatch on Lankayan Island and watching the sunrise from the summit of Southeast Asia’s highest peak.
Popular Places to visit in Borneo
The smallest but oldest of all Sarawak’s national parks, it is home to a variety of wildlife, including bearded pigs, over 150 species of birds and the rare proboscis monkey.
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You get to Batang Ai via 'longtail' boats, and once there you will witness the distinctive lifestyle and experience the ancient culture of the local Iban people.
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The Danum Valley Conservation Area is nature lover’s paradise where it is possible to spot wild cats, orang-utans, macaques, gibbons, red leaf monkeys, pygmy elephants and possibly, the very rare clouded leopard.
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Sabah’s longest river is home to an impressive array of wildlife and is a real highlight of any trip to Borneo: it is home to macaques, monitor lizards, elephants and, most famously, the proboscis monkey.
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Kota Kinabalu is the entry and exit point for flights to Sabah. The city has a few historic buildings and museums but is best enjoyed for its wonderful tropical islands.
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Kuching is the capital of Sarawak. Highlights include Sarawak Museum, and the excellent Semenggok Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, one of few places in Sarawak where you can see orang-utans.
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The soaring peak of Mount Kinabalu, at 4,093 metres, is the highest in Malaysia. Two days of hard trekking with a night en route will get you to the top, or take a scenic helicopter flight.
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Mulu National Park has the world’s largest limestone cave system. The park is home to an abundance of fauna and flora, including gibbons, cicada, hornbills, bats and frogs.
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Sepilok is most famous for its orang-utan sanctuary, which has gained a worldwide reputation for its conservation work. Regular feeding times ensure spotting these creatures is almost assured.
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Approximately an hour’s boat ride from the Eastern town of Semporna, the islands of Kapalai, Sipadan and Mabul, offer some of the finest coral reefs and dive sites in the world.
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Practical Info
Flight time from UK
15 hours (Kuching, via Singapore)
When To Go
Jan
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