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Borneo Tours & Travel Packages 2024/2025
15 Borneo trips. Compare tour itineraries from 7 tour companies. 83 reviews. 4.8/5 avg rating.
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Top Borneo Attractions & Experiences
Top Borneo Experiences
- The delight in seeing baby sea turtles make their way to the ocean at Turtle Island Marine Park.
- The pride in reaching the summit of Mount Kinabalu.
- The feeling of awe, inspired by the architecture of the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque.
- The surprise of coming face-to-face with tropical fish in the waters near Sipadan Island.
- The joy in catching a glimpse of the rare pygmy elephant on the shores of the Kinabatangan River.
- The excitement in seeing orangutan families make their homes at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
- The exhilaration of zip-lining between islands at Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.
Borneo Tours & Travel Guide
Borneo Attractions & Landmarks Guide
The world’s third largest island, Borneo harbors half of the world’s known animal and plant species in its abundant rainforests, on its mountains and along its beach-rich shorelines. Split among East Malaysia, Indonesia and the country of Brunei, Borneo is home to orangutans, tropical birds, pygmy elephants, sea turtles, and an abundance of flowering vegetation.
Mt. Kinabula, the island’s highest peak and popular with climbers, is in East Malaysia’s Sabah province.
What is Borneo famous for? (& How to see Orangutans in Borneo)
Known for its lush rainforests and rich marine biodiversity, Borneo is a hiker and swimmer’s paradise. Onshore, travelers frequently explore Kinabalu National Park, which lies at the base of the mountain for which it is named. As the highest peak in Malaysia, climbing Mt. Kinabulu is a popular desire for many tourists.
Because of its UNESCO World Heritage Site stature, the travelers who are actually able to accomplish this goal are few and fortunate, as guided tours of the peak need to be arranged months in advance. For those who cannot climb the mountain (and those who want to rest afterward), stepping into the waterways of the Poring Hot Springs is a simple way to relax while traveling.
Other travelers may be more interested in visiting Gunung Mulu National Park, where the famous Deer Cave and Garden of Eden may be explored. The “garden” is actually a valley and waterfall hidden within the cave system but is breathtaking nonetheless.
Outside the national parks, travelers can interact with orangutans in one of their last remaining sanctuaries, the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Here, the nearly 80 orangutans (some rescued, others born in the center) live with their families and researchers, who work to understand them in their natural habitat.
Their Proboscis monkey counterparts live in similar comfort at the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary. These monkeys are only found in Borneo, making a visit to their home all the more necessary when traveling here. Offshore, travelers can “island-hop” between five different and unique landmasses that constitute Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.
For those looking to get into the water, diving near Sipadan Island will reward travelers with up close and personal views of sea turtles, tropical fish, and other rare marine life.
Wildlife in Borneo
As a tropical island that countless species of animals and plants call home, wildlife in Borneo is sure to make an appearance during guided tours in the sea or on land. The Borneo orangutan is Asia’s only species of ape and can be found most often at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
Given the orangutan and Proboscis monkey species’ relative obscurity in the wild, travelers will be more likely to see Rhinoceros or Wreathed hornbills flying above, along with numerous other, smaller, tropical birds. Be careful not to step on a Rafflesia (corpse) flower!
Along South Pacific shorelines, travelers may spot pygmy elephants, whose small stature may be unexpected, but unforgettable nonetheless. During guided night-hikes, the critically endangered clouded leopard and bay cat may be seen watching from afar, along with the bright eyes of slow lorises or Western tarsiers in bushes.
Under the waves, travelers will encounter green or hawksbill sea turtles, eels, and countless other tropical fish whose colors rival the coral reefs they hide within.
Best way to see Borneo
Borneo’s status as an island means that travelers will have to enter the country by air unless they opt for a cruise from a nearby country or city. Unfortunately, there are few internal flights, making travel by boat or car the most viable option when traveling between tour locations in Borneo. Guided tours will have travel details aligned with the easiest times to traverse the lush rainforests that run alongside the Batang Ai and Rejang rivers.
The options for speed-boats, native long-boats or luxurious river boats vary based on the tour company, as their availability depends on the weather, and sometimes the tribal land that travelers will pass through.
Disembarking at the shores of villages or cities will provide travelers the opportunities to stay in homestays, which support local communities and provide for authentic, personalized experiences. Other travelers may speak with tour guides regarding all-terrain or regular bike rentals, which can be a leisurely way to explore the cities Kota Kinabulu, Bandar Seri Begawan, or Banjarmasin.
Outdoor travel activities in Borneo
Outdoor travel activities in Borneo are expansive. In the various national parks, bird-watching and observing the monkeys or orangutans in their sanctuaries is encouraged. Caving is a common activity at Gunung Mulu National Park, where guided tours will give travelers the opportunities to explore relatively obscure cave-systems.
For the adventurous travelers who also plan ahead, climbing Mount Kinabalu is a highly sought after activity, as only 135 hiking permits are issued per day. Speaking to tour companies about the waiting period for the summit is important before booking in order to ensure its availability. If the mountain is unavailable, these same travelers may also be interested in high-speed white water rafting down the Kiulu or Padas rivers.
Near Sipadan Island, divers will be rewarded with close encounters with various marine life as it peacefully exists in coral reefs. From the air, travelers can paraglide or zipline. Travelers can even zipline between the islands of Sapi and Gaya, a staggering distance of 250 meters (820 feet) above open water.
National Parks in Borneo
Borneo’s growing popularity in the international travel community is largely a result of increased knowledge of the famous natural landmarks which its national parks host. Beyond protecting the highest peak in Malaysia, Kinabalu National Park also boasts hot springs, exclusive orchid, wild cat, and shrew species, and tea gardens.
While it is not as high (or as exclusive) as its counterpart, travelers in Kubah National Park can hike Mount Serapi. Should hiking be too strenuous, travelers can interact with orangutans at the Matang Wildlife Centre. Rivaling Kubah National Park is Gunung Mulu National Park, famously known for its extensive cave systems and stark cliff sides.
Inside the caves, travelers will encounter various species of bats, insects, and flowers. In the surrounding rainforest, hornbills fly overhead as monkeys and orangutans hop in the trees. Fortunate travelers may also see the critically endangered pangolin.
As opposed to the other contiguous national parks of Borneo, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is unique in how it is made-up of five different islands. While diving and snorkeling are popular activities in this park, travelers can also zipline between Sapi and Gaya islands and hike the nature trails on each island.
At Turtle Islands Marine Park, travelers can observe hawksbill or green sea turtles in their natural habit and witness babies make their first journeys to the ocean.
How many days do you need in Borneo?
As the third-largest island in the world, Borneo cannot be adequately explored without at least a week to do so. Because of its size and relative lack of internal flights, it is imperative for travelers to consider the extended amount of time that will be spent on traveling when booking a guided tour.
However, a week provides travelers with the “basics” of Borneo, as summits of Mount Kinabalu and Serapi may be reached, but their surrounding hot-springs or conservatories may be postponed until next time.
In the same way, travelers may opt to spend most of their time observing orangutans and Proboscis monkeys in their natural habitats, rather than hiking or snorkeling. Depending upon traveler preferences and tour availability, it is possible for travelers to effectively explore the most popular sites of Borneo in a week.
Borneo Reviews & Ratings
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Great trip to Borneo
I've been on plenty of Exodus hiking holidays, but this was my first wildlife trip. I was a bit nervous in case my fellow travellers were a bit serious about both...
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Awesome adventure
If you want to see the best of Borneo this trip's for you. Beautiful country, great food, lovely friendly people and oh boy did we see wildlife! So many highlights...
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Excellent wildlife
A fantastic trip to a beautiful country. My main purpose was to see orang utans in the wild, although I was prepared to be disappointed. However expectations wer...
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Wildlife and More
We knew December was the wettest month, but hearts sank when our first wildlife trip had to be abandoned as the river was too high for safety to take us there. Ho...
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It’s a jungle out there!
A very enjoyable two weeks spent in the company of 15 other Exodus travellers who embraced the spirit of adventure and discovery in Malaysian Borneo. Together we j...
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