Beach. Jungle. Adventure. The three things that will make your trip to Borneo the trip of a lifetime.
Picture this: You’re standing on a little rope bridge in Borneo, following the glow of your tour guide’s neon green poncho in front of you. It’s foggy, and you’re probably swatting away some mosquitos, but you’ve never felt more alive as you take in the jungle around you.
Southeast Asia has recently become quite the hotspot for many young backpackers and solo travelers, with the first things that come to mind probably being Thailand, Vietnam, and Bali. However, recently, I had the opportunity to travel to Borneo, an island co-owned by Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, and now here I am to encourage you to branch out into lesser-known tourist spots!
With just a bit of research and some courage, the scene above could be you as you adventure into a form of life completely unique to your own.
About Borneo
Borneo is certainly what I would call a hidden gem! Squeezed between the South China Sea to the northwest, the Sulu Sea to the northeast, the Celebes Sea to the east, and the Java Sea to the south, Borneo is a beautiful island off the coast of the Malay Peninsula.
It’s full of mountains and beaches, an excellent spot for those of you who love to hike and island hop! Further, much of the island is a thick jungle, providing a sense of true adventure to any traveler. That jungle is densely populated with all sorts of animals, perfect for all our wildlife lovers.
You’re probably now wondering: why is Borneo not as touristy as the other spots if it’s so awesome? And the answer is: I’m not so sure! My personal speculation is that because the island is not very populated, there hasn’t been much push in the tourist market. That being said, I’m sure the summer months can get very popular because of the beaches.
If you decide to travel to Borneo after reading this article (and hopefully you do!) make sure to be a respectful tourist. Tourism can have some negative effects for both the environment and the local people of the places you’re visiting, so it’s important to be mindful. Especially in places that are not overrun by tourists, make sure to be respectful of the local culture. You can do this by supporting small businesses and research the background of the new places you are visiting.
Things to do
Now that you know a bit about Borneo, let me tell you about some of the amazing activities that the island offers! From village sightseeing to scuba diving, there are an endless amount of things to discover in Borneo.
For starters, it’s best to start with the cultural history of Borneo before diving right into the other activities. The non-Malay people of Borneo are mostly from one indigenous tribe called the Dayak people. In Borneo, you can find a cultural tour of what the indigenous villages used to look like.
I found my tour on the Get Your Guide app, but you can also ask your hostel or hotel front desk and they would be very willing to help you book tickets and transport. The tour includes some local food tasting, as well as a live musical performance of traditional tribal music. The people in the village were very friendly and the whole experience was wonderful.
The tour started with a walk over a little rope bridge. We were then led to a few villager houses, where we were greeted by locals resembling the indigenous groups. At each house, we learned what it was once used for before moving on to the next one. We even got to try some of the local rice wine!
River cruise
My friends and I stayed in Jiran Hostel in Kota Kinabalu and the front desk worker helped us book a river boat tour with transportation to and from the river. This cruise is totally a must do!
The cruise goes along the Klias River and includes wildlife sightseeing and a lovely dinner. During the day, we saw monkeys and crocodiles, and after dinner, we boarded the boat again to see the fireflies light up the trees along the river after the sun went down.
The locals were very kind, and the tour was informative about the wildlife. It was a perfect way to spend the day. To book it, if you opt for an Air B&B instead of a hostel, you can just google Klias River Tour and find tickets online. It’s about an hour out of the city center.
Island hopping
Five much smaller islands surround the main island of Borneo: Sapi, Gaya, Manukan, Mamutik, and Sulu. All are lovely beach islands and extremely beautiful.
You can book a boat tour that takes you to each island and spend the entire day hopping around. Another option would be to choose an island or two and just get the boat there yourself if you don’t want to be on a schedule. If you do this, I definitely recommend choosing Sapi Island; I found it to be the best one.
The islands are all surrounded by very blue water and have a trillion things to do with them. Besides getting fresh coconuts and sunbathing and swimming, you can also go scuba diving. My friends and I rented a snorkel and some goggles and entertained ourselves that way without a tour.
You can also go parasailing, banana boat tubing, surfing, and jet-skiing. Basically, any water activity that you can think of, you got it! I felt like I was living the island dream when I was there with my coconut.
A special mention
I cannot write about Borneo without mentioning the best restaurant ever! Merah Merah Korea is a tiny Korean restaurant owned by a super friendly man and his wife. Originally from Korea, they have lived in Borneo for many years now. I know you’re probably thinking, “Really? Korean food in Borneo?” I know how it sounds.
I would highly recommend checking out this restaurant even just to meet the owners. They make all their delicious food themselves, and it’s amazing that they support a local business. The owner even sat at our table with us and chatted about life in Borneo.
So adventure out and try the local food, but also make a pit stop here for some Korean pancakes and rice wine. The vibe inside the restaurant is excellent and beautifully decorated, and the food is fantastic but inexpensive. Say hi to the owner for me when you go!
Planning
Let’s hear from Ryan Katz, a trip organizer for his friend group’s trip to Borneo. When I asked Ryan about his inspiration to go to Borneo, he told me he’s always wanted to see the orangutans there and the rest of the trip ideas grew from that original desire.
I asked him about how he did his research to find good travel ideas and he said he used the internet. “There are websites like Trip Advisor that will list and rank all the attractions in the area, and then other websites and articles that list their favourites,” he told me. He went on to say that it’s then up to you, after you’ve done your reading, to figure out what interests you the most.
We were talking about what he decided were Borneo MUST SEE’s and he said he totally recommends the hikes. “At least on the Malaysian side, number one thing to do is hike up Mt. Kinabalu. They have single day hikes, but the standard is an overnight hike.”
For his final recommendation, he circled back to the orangutans. “And last but not least, it’s worth making the trip out to one of the national parks to try and get a view of the orangutans,” he said.
Ryan loved Borneo just like I did, so start planning everyone! If you’d like to hear more about his trip, reach out to him via Instagram.
You can too!
Do you hear the waves of the beach calling? Or perhaps your hiking boots sitting in the corner of your room seem to be looking at you. I hope I’ve put Borneo on the map for your future travel plans! It’s truly a one of a kind experience with all sorts of activities to keep you entertained while enjoying the sun. There are so many cool places to see in the world, and it’s waiting for you! Go out, my fellow travelers, and experience something new.
For this trip, I would recommend giving yourself a few more days than I had. With only about four days, there’s a lot of Borneo that I don’t think I explored properly and some little islands that I missed. If you give yourself enough time, and rent a car if you can for a day or two, I really think you would get the most out of your visit to Borneo. The public transport wasn’t that great, so do what you can to make getting around as easy as possible. I’d start by downloading the Grab app.
Overall, Borneo is a beautiful place to experience, and I hope you all have a wonderful adventure.
