Borneo

The world's third-largest island, shared by Malaysia's Sabah and Sarawak, Brunei and Indonesian Kalimantan, with rainforest, a sacred mountain and coral seas.

Borneo is the world's third-largest island, shared by the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, Brunei, and the five provinces of Indonesian Kalimantan. For travelers, the northern Malaysian side is the most developed. Sabah's capital Kota Kinabalu is the gateway, with Tunku Abdul Rahman Park offshore and, inland, Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m, a World Heritage site), one of Southeast Asia's highest peaks, which you can climb in two days and one night to see the sunrise. In Sandakan, the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary and Kinabatangan River cruises are the wildlife highlights; in the far southeast, Semporna and Sipadan Island are among the world's top dive sites, often with schools of giant turtles and jackfish storms. In Sarawak, the focus is on Kuching, the "Cat City," and Iban longhouse culture, while Mulu National Park has the world's largest cave chamber and limestone pinnacle forests (a World Heritage site). Brunei's Bandar Seri Begawan has the water village and mosques, and in Indonesia's East Kalimantan, the Derawan Islands offer a stingless-jellyfish lake and whale sharks. A typical itinerary is 7–10 days in Sabah (Kota Kinabalu–Mount Kinabalu–Sandakan–Semporna), with another 4–6 days for Sarawak. Travel between areas is mainly by domestic flight; Sipadan has a limited daily quota of divers, which must be requested in advance through dive shops.

Destinations

Itineraries