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Home of one of the worlds oldest and largely unspoilt
rainforests, you can’t fail to see the attraction
of Borneo. There are over 15,000 species of flowering
plants with 3,000 species of trees, 221 species of terrestrial
mammals and 420 species of resident birds in Borneo.
The most famous resident of the vast jungle being the
endangered Bornean orangutan for which this is there
only natural habitat left on Earth. It is one thing
to see an orangutan in the zoo, but when you come face
to face with one of these majestic creatures in their
natural habitat it is a truly memorable experience.
Borneo is comprised of the Malaysian states of
Sabah and Sarawak, the sultanate kingdom of Brunei
and the Indonesian province of Kalimantan. This
multicultural island, the third largest island in
the world, is home to an enormous diversity of exotic
flora, fauna and natural beauty. The extensive rainforest
eco system that engulfs most of the island is one
of the oldest in the world. If you want adventure,
beauty, natural wonders and responsible eco tourism
then Borneo has it all on its doorstep.
Due to the nature of the rainforest areas of interest
tend to be difficult to reach, located away from the
main centres of population and transport links. This
however just makes the adventure more real, the trek
through the jungle to reach these remote parts of the
country providing as much adventure as the destination.
Sabah is home to Mt Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in
South East Asia, but an attainable climb for most adventurers.
Borneo really is the new adventurers playground from
pristine, untouched golden beaches, to virgin rainforests,
rice fields and dense Jungle, towering Mountains
and wildlife sanctuary’s there is so much to
do in Borneo it is almost impossible to decide where
to start.
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Visas for Borneo
Brunei
All Visitors must hold a current passport valid for
6 months.
Residents of USA require no visa for up to
90 days
Residents of the UK require no visa for up to 30 days
Residents of the following countries require no visa
for up to 14 days
Thailand, Indonesia, The Philippines, Japan, France,
Switzerland, Korea, Canada, Netherlands, Luxembourg,
Belgium, Germany, Sweden and Maldives.
All other nationals must obtain a visa before arrival.
Malaysia
All Visitors must hold a current passport valid for
6 months.
Citizens of the following countries do not require
a visa.
British Commonwealth ( except India ), Republic
of Ireland,
Liechtenstein,
the
Netherlands,
San Marino, Switzerland and USA
Citizens
of the following countries do not need a visa for a
stay of up to 3 months
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland,
Iceland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg,
Norway,
South Korea,
Sweden,
Tunisia, France and Germany.
All other nationals should check with there embassy
before travelling.
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How to get to Borneo
Malaysian Borneo has international airports at both
Kuching (Sarawak) and Kota Kinabalu (Sabah). Although
both airports are served from a number of Asian capitals
there are currently no direct scheduled flights from
Europe, a situation which has helped to keep Borneo
very much off the beaten track.
From the UK clients have the choice of either flying
Malaysian Airlines via Kuala Lumpur, Royal Brunei via
Brunei, Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong Singapore Airlines
via Singapore.
Flying time between the UK and Kuala Lumpur, Hong
Kong and Singapore is between 11 and 13 hours followed
by connecting flights to Borneo of between 2 and 3
hours. In almost all cases flights both outbound and
inbound involve flying overnight..
Bus Travel in Borneo
Both Sabah & Sarawak have reliable, comfortable
air conditioned coach services linking the major towns
and cities.
There is however no road between Sarawak and Sabah.
You can take a connecting ferry service from Sabah
(Kota Kinabalu) to Muara in Brunei and then on to Miri,in
Sarawak, details are below.
It is often much easier and more practical to fly
between major cities in Borneo. Because the roads are
so bad the government subsidises domestic air fares
- so it is not as expensive as you might expect.
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Where to go in Malaysian Borneo
Sabah
Sabah is often described as one of the worlds greatest
natural theme parks. Largely untouched from its natural
wilderness the people of Sabah who belong to 32 different
ethnic tribes are well known for their outstanding friendliness
and the unique harmony and peace with which they all
live together. Over 50 percent of Sabah is still covered
in the endemic tropical rainforest that is jam packed
with a seemingly endless variety of wildlife and plants.
With the benefit of being on an island Sabah is well
known for its abundant fresh seafood, beautiful stretches
of white sandy beaches and awesome dive sites. The main
natural attraction of Sabah, Mt Kinabalu towers over
the island, and at 4095 meters high makes the island
the 6th tallest in the world!
Sabah is also home to The Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary,
World renowned for its fantastic work with rehabilitating
the endangered Borneo Orangutans this is the worlds
largest Orangutan Sanctuary. They rescue Orangutans
from captivity and take in orphaned and injured wild
orangutans providing them with the rehabilitation necessary
to allow them to be re released into their natural habitat.
If you are in Borneo then you would be mad to miss it.
When you come into such close contact with the "Man
of the forest" you will be amazed at just how
gentle, intelligent these enormous beasts can be.
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Sarawak
Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia and is known
locally as 'The land of many rivers'. These rivers provide
a great travel alternative to the fairly poor road system.
The Sungei Rejang stretches 590 kilometres through the
country providing access for many people.
One of the major attractions is the Orang Utan Semenggoh
Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. This is no zoo, the
Orangutan’s are allowed to roam free in a 140-hectare
forest reserve. Whilst in the reserve they learn to
adapt themselves to the jungle life and rehabilitate
so they can be released. It is well worth a visit.
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Gunung
Mulu National Park |
National Parks
Sarawak has a number of National Parks, Bako and Gunung
Gading, the most famous are both within fairly easy
reach of the capital Kuching. For the more adventurous
however the Pelagus Rapids are definitely worth a visit,
although they are only accessible by boat from Sibu,
or Gunung Mulu National Park which can only be reached
by air from Miri. Gunung Mulu is also famous for its
amazing network of caves including the largest cave
chamber in the world.
In Sabah, the south of the state is home to significant
areas of virgin rainforest with protected reserves at
Danum Valley and Tabin Wildlife Park, both accessed
from Lahad Datu. Sabah’s most famous natural feature
is undoubtedly Mt Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in
South East Asia but relatively simple to climb. The
south of the state is home to significant areas of virgin
rainforest with protected reserves at Danum Valley and
Tabin Wildlife Park, both accessed from Lahad Datu.
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Climate
It is warm and humid all year round, the coolest period
is between September and March when temperatures average
27 deg C. The warmest period is between April and August
when temperatures average 29 deg C. The Wet season
is from April to August.
Due to the warm wet climate you are advised to wear
light clothing. Women should dress modestly to keep
in with the local customs.
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People
The national language in Malaysia, Brunei and Kalimatan
is Malay. However, English is also widely spoken.
Borneo
is home to one of the most diverse collection of ethnic
groups in the world. With over 30 ethnic
groups living here it makes the island home to the
highest human social group in the world. Groups as
small as 30 – 100 individuals are threatened
with extinction in terms of their cultures, languages,
skills, ethnomusic and local knowledge which are yet
to be documented by sociologists in Borneo. The official
religion in Malaysia and Brunei is Sunni Islam although
in such a multi cultural area there are also many Christians,
Buddhists and other traditional beliefs.
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Useful Information
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Boat Trip |
The time zone in Borneo is GMT + 8 Hours
Major Credit Cards such as American Express, Master
Card and Visa are widely accepted by hotels, restaurants,
etc throughout Borneo. The easiest currency to exchange
is the Pound Sterling although US dollars are widely
accepted.
Standard 240V 3 Pin UK plugs are used throughout Borneo.
The Water in Borneo is officially safe to drink although
it is advised that western travellers drink bottled
water as a precaution.
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Useful Links
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