The island of Borneo is the world's third largest island, and experiencing Borneo's unique rainforests, animals, and beautiful white beaches is something you have to experience once in a lifetime. Kota Kinabalu in the Malaysian part of Borneo is a charming city between jungle and the South China Sea. It is a gateway to Borneo's many adventures and its surrounding area is unique when it comes to natural biodiversity.
Sabah
You can visit the Sabah Museum and check out the State Mosque representing some fine Islamic architecture. Start your journey in the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, where you’ll find the best white beaches in Borneo, untouched jungle and exotic marine life. In Kota Kinabalu you can do some culinary adventures by trying the local specialty, fish-head curry. Check out the great fish market as well!
Climb Mt. Kinabalu
More than 4000m high Mt. Kinabalu is a botanical paradise of different orchids. It is also one of the Southeast Asia's highest mountains and offers an incredible view from the top - climbing Mt. Kinabalu is a must for any traveller! Enjoy the fresh mountain air and the beautiful flora and fauna. Nearby is the Dusun village, where you can see some traditional lifestyle.
From Kota Kinabalu you can take a short ferry trip to Gaya Island. This is truly an amazing gem when you’re looking for white beaches and reef rich with marine life for snorkelling. Steamy rainforest surrounds the beaches and makes it a perfect place to chill-out.
The orangutans and Turtle Island
Sepilok Orangutang Rehabilitation Centre outside Sandakan is one of the rare orangutan sanctuaries in the world helping the orphan and injured animals. Get to know these Borneo’s "wild men" and walk along the many forest trails in this area. Check all our tours to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
Turtle Island is known for its green and hawksbill turtles, which lay eggs on the beaches of the island. If you’re there at the right time of the year, you can see a heart-warming site of baby turtles reaching the sea. Sandakan commercial centre is located near the island. It has some historical temples and a nice market.
Sarawak
Sarawak in the southern part of Malaysian Borneo is the least visited of Malaysia’s states and Kuching is the most pleasant city in Borneo with nice clean waterfront. You can read more about it here.
Activities in Malaysian Borneo
Sipadan is a legendary diving site located about 36km from Borneo. Its ecosystem is really incredible creating a living space for over 3000 species. It became popular after Jacques Cousteau discovered it. Here you can admire some hammerhead sharks, millions of technicoloured reef fish and dozens of sea turtles passing you peacefully.
The imposing Mt. Kinabalu is the highest peak in Southeast Asia. It offers climbing trips from couple of hours to several days. The sweaty climb is rewarding, but the stunning view is worth the climb.
Kota Kinabalu has some sites for snorkeling and swimming. Gaya Island is another place to go snorkeling canoeing, or scuba diving. Great marine life to be seen too.
To see some nightlife in the wilderness of Kinabatangan take your gumboots and head for a night jungle trek.
Want some real adventure? In Gulung Mulu National Park you can find the world’s largest underground chamber. It takes a 15-hour trip to get to the cave – it involves some serious hiking and lot of bats.
