Adventure, jungle, wildlife and beauty are the first words that spring to mind when I think of my travels in Malaysian Borneo. It’s my top adventure travel destination to recommend to friends, other than Oman and Madagascar. This place should definitely be on the list of places to go for the adventure-hungry traveller. If you’re searching for things to do in Malaysian Borneo, you’ve come to the right place.
The island of Borneo is the third-largest in the world, which includes Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. The two provinces of Malaysian Borneo are Sarawak and Sabah, where I spent most of my time travelling.
Here is my list of the top 5 things to do in Malaysian Borneo, guaranteed to give you memories that will last a lifetime.
1. Climb Mount Kinabalu
This mountain in Sabah is the tallest in South East Asia. A fantastic 2 day/1 night hike will lead you up an impressive number of steps, through jungle and nature to a breathtaking (literally) view at a peak of 4095 metres. Although I wouldn’t call it easy, most people will be able to climb this mountain without a problem, confirmed by the large amounts of tourists on the trail that I must admit I wasn’t expecting. Our guide had climbed it over 1000 times!
After a well earned rest at the only accommodation near the top, a 3am wake up call will start your steep hike to the top. After several hours of a rope-assisted climb by torchlight, you’ll emerge at the peak piercing through the sky. Be welcomed by stunning views of a mountain-scattered landscape, perfectly lit by sunrise. A view that has been gratefully imprinted in my mind ever since.
Instead of getting back down by foot, we decided to start our descent by attempting the world’s highest via ferrata with Mountain Torq. With hearts racing, we clutched on metal brackets, inching our way across a sheer cliff face. Talk about a thrill ride! The spectacular views stretching far behind us is one I’ll never forget.
www.mountaintorq.com
2. Dive Sipadan Island
This legendary island is one of the top dive sites in the world for good reason. Turtles, hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, manta rays and eagle rays are amongst some of the incredible sea life frequently seen. In fact, this island is so popular that only 120 permits are issued each day to get here. Hence plan and book ahead for this one!
Note: There are a ton of dive sites offering trips here. Make sure you do your research, read reviews etc. for an experienced dive master before booking.
www.sabahtourguide.blogspot.co.uk
3. Meet Wild Orangutans
A visit to Sepilok’s Orangutan Rehabilitation centre is a must. Borneo is one of two places in the world where wild orangutans can still be seen. This wonderful centre (located 25km west of Sandakan) nurses injured or orphaned animals as a result of illegal catching, logging or deforestation.
A boardwalk winds it way through the jungle, leading you to a large feeding platform where you can watch these delightful and adorable animals play in their own habitat. This centre really is a big highlight for most people visiting Borneo.
Note: Feeding times are usually at 10am and 3pm, with an entrance fee of 30RM.
www.sabahtourism.com
4. Paddle down Kinabantangan River
A fantastic and authentic experience is to book several nights stay in a Homestay. We stayed with the most endearing family who looked after us incredibly well, serving delicious Malaysian feasts every evening.
They took us on a fantastic boat trip down Kinabantangan River, which allowed us to spot highly endangered probiscus monkeys, crocodiles and orangutans. Seeing these monkeys playfully swinging from the trees was a special experience. Their faces are pretty unique to say the least..
5. Relax on Picture-Perfect Islands
After exploring through thick jungles, encountering endangered species and diving with hammerhead sharks, you may want to sit yourself on a gorgeous beach and do nothing but relax. You can truly experience pure bliss on the many picturesque islands off Sabah.
I recommend a trip to Pilau Tiga‘Survivor Island,’ where the very first Survivor show was filmed. Take the Mudtrail walk to experience the wonders of bathing in a pool of thick volcanic mud, so buoyant that it’s virtually impossible to stay upright! See if you can also survive the resident snakes and ginormous lizards on this island..
www.lonelyplanet.com
Or take yourself to stunning Mataking Island (and relax or spend the night in the one resort), a sought after destination for honeymooners.
Approaching this island by a small fishing boat – with its mesmerising blue waters and dazzling white sand – instantly makes you feel like you’ve discovered earth’s secret paradise.
www.sabahtourism.com
Have you ever been to Borneo? Feel free to share your tips and experiences in the comments below!
Don’t forget to follow my travel adventures on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook where I’ll keep you updated on all my travel tips & recommendations.
For more adventure travel inspiration, check out:
Top 5 Things to do in Madagascar
Sepilok’s Orangutan Rehabilitation centre – was my highlight …amazing beaches … mountains … and river can be found on a couple of places around the world … but the orangutans – and after spending a day with them, no doubt about where we has come from. Your post is beautiful and very well written.
Thanks for the comment! Great to hear that was one of your highlights, they are amazing animals aren’t they. The centre is a must visit!
I wanna go! 🙂
Yes you should!! 🙂
Funny, I just returned from Malaysia two days ago.
This has made me really want to go! Great article!
Thanks! I hope you do go and enjoy it 🙂
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Awesome pictures!!! thanks for following my blog!
wow this looks good and thank you for following angeline Kyba
I love what you wrote. Travel experiences can be very hard to relate and you did a great job.
Hi Veronica, thanks for introducing yourself by following our site. Yours looks wonderful and we look forward to exploring it further. What a privilege to live a nomadic life on a boat! (I know there’s a story there, but I don’t see it told on these “pages”!) We thought you will enjoy one of our posts about Borneo:http://raxacollective.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/borneoculars-observations-from-a-scientific-expedition-in-borneo/
If you’re on facebook we also invite you to visit the RAXA Collective page to see what else we’re up to. See you there!
What a gorgeous place – it’s on my must visit list!
What a beautiful place. Thank you for sharing this with us and thank you for following my blog: MyAwakeningLife.com
Beautiful pictures and a very attractive description of the unique place. I’ve heard about it, but not nearly enough. It sounds enchanting. And you’re quite a travel guide. It’s a pleasure to read your posts.
Awww I wish I were there right now….!
I’m heading to Borneo soon and was very glad to have stumbled upon your site. Your suggestions sound enchanting and your explanation of your choices are very to the point. This was a very useful post!
Thanks for the follow! What an amazing place of wonders; a fantastic glimpse of paradise on earth! Thank you for the incentive to visit. 🙂
Agree with your list! I would add that birdwatching in Borneo is outstanding and a must for all birders…Kinabalu National Park where you set off for the climb up Mt Kinabalu is a wonderful birding location in cool comfort!
Wow, you DO like adventure! I loved the little orangs :). I wrote about them too, once upon a time – http://cookupastory.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/hazel-tames-the-giant-nutella/
Great Post! Isn’t Borneo an amazing spot! My husband lived there in 2012, and my sons and I were fortunate enough to be able to stay with him for a month.
I have a couple of posts about it, but no wonderful pics like yours!
http://patticlark.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/clarks-law/
Many thanx for sharing your photos and info on Malaysian Borneo. Will have to return to read more of your cool stuff. Peace.
Would you suggest any programs/guides for the Mount Kinabalu climb or a homestay on the Kinabantangan Riber?
Hi!
Me and my friend are going to work as volunteers at the Matang wildlife centre in october this year. Do you have any suggestions on what to do in our spare time?(Weekends) Hicking, diving, otherwise exploring:)
Kind regards
Chloe from Norway
Pretty great post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to mention that I have really enjoyed surfing around your blog posts.
After all I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write once more very
soon!
Hi,
Where do you fly into in order to do the hike up mount Kinabalu and the orangutan hike?
Thanks so much!
Gabrielle
Hey Gabrielle, we flew in to Kota Kinabalu International Airport, and traveled by bus to the different regions such as Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
This is just great. Loved Reading your top 5. I just arrived i kinabalu this afternoon and was looking for something else than touristtraps 🙂
Any chance you Will share the bane of the homestay WHO took you up the river. Or maybe where about you stayed.
Thank you for this blog.
XX Mia