Family Holidays

With so much to discover, a Borneo family holiday will give everyone memories to last a lifetime. Transportation is safe and varied with affordable flights, well-maintained cars, vans, and buses on the roads, and a variety of boats plying the waterways. Resorts and lodges are well-equipped and medical care facilities have English-speaking doctors and staff. Indeed, outside of the traditional tribal villages, everyone speaks at least some English and most Malaysians are fluent.

Spotting monkeys, orangutans, bearded pigs, strange-looking stick insects, crocodiles, and other animals is fun for all ages. With keen-eyed young ones in your group, you may find yourself following their pointed fingers as often as your guide’s. Watching a young orangutan swinging along the ropes in Semenggoh Nature Reserve or climbing a tree at Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre may remind you of your own childhood or watching your children play on a jungle gym.

Canopy walkways, secure yet wobbly in and above Borneo’s rainforests, are great fun for children and any child-at-heart without a fear of heights. We can recommend great places to stay for families with children of any age, including one that can only be reached by crossing a swinging bridge.

Spending time with a local family can be a very rewarding part of a Borneo family holiday. We can arrange an evening in Kuching with a local Malay, Indian, or Chinese family where you’ll be invited into their home and share a meal together. Or spend a night in a traditional longhouse with the Iban or Bidayuh people. Your guide will be on hand to translate for you although we find that children don’t seem to mind the language barrier and make friends quickly. You’ll get an in-depth look at the traditional ways of life and how the descendants of headhunters have adapted their warrior culture to fit today’s more peaceful values.

Below are some of our suggestions for a family-friendly holiday in Borneo. We have plenty of other ideas so please give us a call at UK 0207 112 0019 or email borneo@fleewinter.com and we’ll tailor-make a holiday for you and your family.

Suggested Itineraries

Family Wildlife Adventure

12 Days - From £2260 PP

With a mix of fun cultural experiences, active and easy wildlife safaris, walks through the jungle, and some relaxation time by the water, this itinerary promises memories to last a lifetime for the whole family.

Sabah Village Life

7 Days - From £820 PP

Get a taste of traditional village life in eastern Borneo. A great family trip with no internal flights, plenty of time by the beach, and a chance to truly see how another culture lives.

Winter Wildlife & Sea

12 Days - From £1950 PP

For the family looking for wildlife and able to get away during the non-peak summer months, this itinerary will take you to the lesser-visited Deramakot Forest Reserve as well as some of the island's classic highlights. Priced for families of 4-8 people.

Suggested Places to Stay

Kota Kinabalu

An easy city to see on foot, Kota Kinabalu is the gateway to Sabah. Hop a ferry to the islands, relax by the beach north of the city, tuck into a meal at the night market, and settle into the easy pace of Sabahan life. More

Tip of Borneo

Empty beaches, clear water, and fantastic villas perfect for those looking to get away from it all. The Tip of Borneo is a quiet place for a self-drive holiday from Kota Kinabalu. A longhouse homestay, traditional villages, and a jungle home to proboscis monkeys are easy day visits. Snorkel, dive, kayak, trek, bicycle, or simply sit by the water. More

Mount Kinabalu

The highest mountain in Southeast Asia offers more than an incredible hike. With multiple mountain environments and climate zones, Kinabalu Park hosts more than 300 bird species and 5,000 flowering plants including the large rafflesia. For those up for the challenge, climbing Mount Kinabalu is an unforgettable overnight hike to see the sunrise at 4,095 meters. More

Sipadan

Considered by many one of the top dive sites in the world, Sipadan Island has coral-covered walls dropping well below recreational limits. Sharks, turtles, and schools of fish that number in the thousands are routinely seen by divers and snorkelers. Only 120 visitors are allowed per day so we recommend staying on nearby Mabul and diving its macro-rich waters on your non-Sipadan days. More

Danum Valley

The largest piece of preserved virgin rainforest in Malaysia sits within the Danum Valley Conservation Area. This remote jungle hosts a magnificent array of wildlife from the largest in the region to some of the smallest. Sun bears, orangutans, clouded leopards, wild cattle, Sumatran rhino, horned frogs, flying frogs, flying squirrels, the list goes on. Previously only accessible to researchers, campers, and those with a very high budget, we've found a lodge that gets you close to the action without the hefty price tag. More

Tabin Wildlife Reserve

Bornean gibbons, pygmy elephants, clouded leopards, proboscis monkeys, orangutans, and a few of the nearly extinct Sumatran rhinoceros are protected within the Tabin Wildlife Reserve. A stay here will have you trekking to a mud volcano and a waterfall, looking for birds and nocturnal creatures on night walks and drives, and if you're lucky, getting a peek at some of Borneo's incredible wildlife. More

Kinabatangan River

A trip down the Kinabatangan River to Sukau is an almost guaranteed way to see proboscis monkeys in the wild. These unique monkeys are endemic to Borneo and line the protected river corridor. Wild orangutans, pygmy elephants, silver leaf langurs, macaques, crocodiles, kingfishers, hornbills, owls, civets, and an array of other wildlife can be spotted in the region. Fireflies light up near Abai and the Gomantong Caves boast a bat population in the millions. Nearby Sepilok is the home to an Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre and Sun Bear Conservation Centre, both worth a visit. More

Brunei

The nation of Brunei Darussalam sits between the two states of Malaysian Borneo. Its capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan, reveals the country's wealth with lavish mosques, gold towers, and carefully groomed outdoor spaces. People are friendly and when the sun sets the country's name, abode of peace, makes perfect sense. More

Kuching

Built along the Sarawak River, Kuching makes a lovely base for exploring western Borneo. Architecturally interesting with Malay, Chinese, Indian, Muslim, British, and other influences apparent, the city is pleasant to walk around and easy to navigate. Nearby Bako National Park and Semenggoh Nature Reserve are great places to see wild proboscis monkeys and semi-wild orangutans. Each can be visited on a day trip from Kuching although spending a night in Bako is well worth it. More

Mulu National Park

The caves of Mulu are some of the largest in the world and the only ways to get there are on foot or by plane. This remote rainforest is full of walking trails and caves, the latter of which can only be visited with a guide for safety reasons. For the adventurous, serious trekking options exist and for the comfort-seekers, a lovely little resort sits just outside the National Park. More

Batang Ai

Traditional culture is alive and well in Batang Ai where the Iban people still live in communal longhouses. No longer feared headhunters, the Iban have incorporated touches of modernity into their traditional way of life. Trek through the park in search of wild orangutans, walk through the canopy looking for birds, sit down with an Iban chief to learn about their culture, or just look out over the many waters for which the region is named.

Caves of Niah

With evidence of human habitation dating back more than 40,000 years, the Niah caves are a fascinating and beautiful area that can be explored on a day visit from Miri. See etchings on the wall of Painted Cave, traditional ladders for those collecting the nests of swiftlets, and huge caverns as you walk the boards and visit the small museum.

Maliau Basin

The "lost world" of Sabah, the Maliau Basin is a naturally enclosed basin drained by tributaries of the Maliau River. A multi-day trek in this dense rainforest is a challenging and rewarding way to get up close and personal with an extremely wide array of plants and animals. More