Borneo is a diverse island with much to offer. There are incredible wildlife experiences, beautiful beaches, unique cultures to dive into, jungles to trek, mountains to climb, caves to explore, and a city or two that might be worth a wander. It’s best to look at the island as having a few distinct regions: Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei, and Indonesia. Indonesian Borneo doesn’t have the infrastructure that Malaysian Borneo and Brunei have so we’re focused on Sarawak, Sabah, and Brunei.
Sarawak is the western state of Malaysian Borneo. The city of Kuching is a great place to start your Borneo journey. With Malay, Chinese, British, and Indian influences, the city is a multicultural mix of architecture, religion, food, and language. As you venture out from the city, you can take in wildlife at Bako National Park and Semenggoh Nature Reserve or learn firsthand about traditional tribal life with the Iban or Bidayuh people. If Borneo conjures up images of headhunters and longhouses, Sarawak is the place to hear the legends and understand the history. At the eastern end of the state are the caves of Niah and Mulu. Evidence of human inhabitants at Niah goes back 40,000 years while Mulu is one of the largest cave systems in the world.
Sabah, referred to as the Land Below the Wind as it sits below a typhoon belt and enjoys a tropical climate year round, is the eastern state of Malaysian Borneo. Home to ancient rainforests, pristine jungle, wild orangutans, pygmy elephants, crocodiles, bearded pigs, barking deer, clouded leopards, a dizzying array of birds and flowers, some of the best diving in the world, and the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia, Sabah is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. If a safari is what you seek in Borneo, Sabah offers you the option to get out on the water, walk through jungle trails, and hop in the back of an open-air 4WD binoculars and camera at the ready.
Brunei is an independent nation sitting between Sabah and Sarawak along the South China Sea. This small oil-rich country boasts the largest water village in Borneo with houses built on stilts above the Brunei River. Its jungle is well-preserved and the city’s lavish mosques are a sight to behold.
We want you to have your perfect holiday, not someone else’s. That’s why we tailor-make every holiday we sell. We’ve put together a number of sample itineraries to inspire you but the real fun begins when you get in touch. Give us a ring at UK 020 7112 0019 or email borneo@fleewinter.com so we can create your perfect holiday.
