Luxury Borneo Vacations & Tours

A rainforest destination just north of the Equator, Borneo is hot and humid year-round. The best months for wildlife tours of Borneo are between March and November; December and January see a notable increase in rainfall, and February is taken up by drying and patching up of the rainforest trails. Note that as a prominent family destination, the summer months of July and August see higher rates and increased visitor numbers.

Borneo is best known as the home of the orang-utan: our closest relative in the animal kingdom. Other primates include endemic proboscis monkeys, macaques, and the tiny tarsier. Larger mammal life in the forests includes Bornean pygmy elephants, sun bears, clouded leopards, marbled cats, loris, and flying squirrels. Birdlife includes eight species of hornbill, plus broadbills, fish owls, serpent eagles, and kingfishers.

There are no long-haul flights into Borneo – travelers must always transfer through Kuala Lumpur across Peninsular Malaysia or the buzzing city-state of Singapore. Pre or post-stopovers in either make perfect sense and strike an attractive contrast to the forests and rivers of Borneo. Wider tours of Peninsular Malaysia can also include the historic ports of Malacca and Penang, or the island paradises of Langkawi, Tioman, or the Perhentians.

Package prices to Borneo can be higher than nearby Southeast Asian destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam, or indeed Peninsular Malaysia. Remember though that your Borneo package will include all of your guided wildlife tours, all meals at the jungle lodges, and all your transport and transfers. Once in situ, you’ll find that your day-to-day spending is minimal, thus evening out the overall trip cost. Compared to similar wildlife trips in Africa and the Indian Subcontinent, Borneo is a terrific value.

Borneo’s principal attraction is its incredible biodiversity. The ideal first-time trip would focus on the key wildlife reserves of Sabah, on the eastern side of Malaysian Borneo. Starting in the provincial capital Kota Kinabalu, we’d recommend moving through Sepilok, the Kinabatangan River, and then heading deeper into the jungle in one of the key reserves – Tabin, Danum Valley, or – for the more adventurous – Deramakot or the Imbak Canyon.

With a setting in the South China Sea in the heart of the tropics, it’s no surprise that the island of Borneo boasts some magnificent beaches. An easy extension to the above tour would see you return to Kota Kinabalu and hit one of the excellent beaches just outside of the city. A short boat ride across the water also brings you to the coral-rich waters of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, which contains several outstanding island resorts.

Malaysia is world-renowned for its mouthwateringly diverse and delicious cuisine. Malaysian Borneo’s principal cities Kuching and Kota Kinabalu are just as impressive dining destinations as their counterparts across in Peninsular Malaysia, with bustling food courts and dining streets showcasing the best in Chinese, Indian, Malay, and indigenous dishes. Food in the interior jungle lodges tends to be simple and hearty fare, but equally delicious.

Soaring to just over 4,000 meters, Mount Kinabalu is Malaysia’s tallest mountain and is a tempting challenge for adventurous travelers. With well-marked trails and good guides, a climb to the summit is certainly doable, but the challenge lies more in the logistics than the climb itself. You’ll need two nights to attempt the climb, both of which are in very simple park accommodation, and very early morning starts on both days. We generally recommend the climb only for our most adventurous clientele.