Stephanie Holmes gives her best tips for travelling in the Southeast Asian hot spot.
Borneo is the third largest island in the world
Seems crazy doesn't it? Especially when many of us don't actually know where Borneo is, or what happens there. For the uninitiated, Borneo sits almost smack bang in the middle of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. It's made up of three different countries — Indonesian Borneo (about 73 per cent of the island), the Kingdom of Brunei (about 1 per cent), and Malaysian Borneo (about 26 per cent). It's also the largest island in Asia. Nb, the top five largest islands in the world are Greenland, New Guinea, Borneo, Madagascar and Baffin Island.
The shadow of Mt Kinabalu in Malaysian Borneo. Picture / Stephanie Holmes
You can fly direct from Auckland to Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines, then an hour's connecting flight will take you to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysian Borneo's capital. Other stopover cities with direct connections to Kota Kinabalu include Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Singapore. It means you could easily tack on an exciting city break in another Asian destination before and/or after your trip.
Nature guide Aloi, an expert at spotting Borneo's well-camouflaged wildlife. Picture / Stephanie Holmes
The people are lovely
Many travellers to Thailand or Bali find the pressure from street vendors and touts to be quite overwhelming. In markets, on the beaches, and the city streets you'll quite often be strongly encouraged to buy something and not left alone until you do. That doesn't seem to be the case in Malaysian Borneo.
Although the sight of Westerners will elicit stares in some of the more remote parts of the country, most of my recent trip with G Adventures was a pleasant and welcoming experience.
In the arts and craft markets of Nabalu, for example, a small village under the shadow of Mt Kinabalu, stall holders gave friendly hellos but then left our group to wander casually — no pressure to buy at all. It's a good place to pick up traditional handicrafts, such as woven baskets, as well as sweet fresh pineapple and papaya, pre-chopped and sold by the bag.
Borneo still feels like a bit of a hidden gem. The country is well set up for travellers but it doesn't feel over-run with tourists. From our G Adventures guide Roxie, Sabah born and raised, to the locals we met along the way, everyone seemed delighted that international visitors are taking interest in their country, and proud to show it off.
It's worth noting that the predominant religion is Islam, so be respectful and dress appropriately. Modest clothing that covers knees and shoulders is advised (long pants, long skirts, shirts that cover shoulders) and women should carry a shawl or scarf for mosque visits.
Staying in the Bornean jungle is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Picture / Stephanie Holmes
Their country faces many challenges
Borneo's main tourism drawcard is its natural beauty and biodiversity. This is constantly under threat, however, because of deforestation and the introduction of palm oil plantations that have been ravaging the primary rainforest since the 1950s.
The demand for palm oil has increased rapidly over the past few decades and it's estimated that Borneo has already lost 60 per cent of its natural rainforest to make way for these lucrative crops. The money doesn't always stay in the local economy, however; many of the plantations are owned by foreign companies and Borneo's literal loss is their gain.
With natural habitats lost, many of Borneo's indigenous species have also become endangered — some critically so — or extinct. The clearing of dense rainforest also means easier access for illegal wildlife traders, who are now able to get deeper into the jungle to hunt animals to sell on the black market.
WWF projections indicate that if this deforestation continues, Borneo will be severely affected by climate change, with increased risk of flooding, forest fires, and sea-level rise. Conservation schemes and government policies are in place to try to reverse some of the damage — Malaysian Borneo's focus has shifted to reforestation and controlling the use of land — but for many species, it's too little too late.
Orphaned orangutans at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre. Picture / Stephanie Holmes
There are many creatures to watch out for
You'd think that thick, full-length pants and two layers of ultra strength insect repellent would keep you safe from mosquito bites, wouldn't you? Well, if you're like me and attract mosquitos wherever you go, the answer is no.
On a jungle night walk at the Borneo Natural Sukau Bilit Resort I was well covered up, but still came back with legs covered in fierce mosquito bites. Hot tip: don't wear black because it's favoured by mosquitos — they can hide on your clothes and have a good old feast on your tasty foreign flesh.
There are also snakes, spiders, leeches, centipedes and "sweat bees", small flying insects that will feed on your perspiration and give you a nasty sting if you try to bat them away.
Another hot tip: see a travel doctor before you leave home and make sure you're up to date with all necessary vaccinations, and get prescriptions for any medications you might need. Although you'll be able to find doctors' clinics and hospitals in the cities, there's not much you can do if you're stuck in the middle of the jungle with no antihistamine and a rapidly swelling bite.
A red leaf monkey in the Borneo jungle. Picture / Stephanie Holmes
But most of the wildlife is worthy of any wishlist
From orangutans to proboscis monkeys, sun bears to pygmy elephants, saltwater crocodiles to colourful kingfishers, the diversity of wildlife in Borneo is mind-blowing.
As well as visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, where we saw countless orphaned and rehabilitated apes getting a second chance at life, our G Adventures group was also lucky enough to see a family of orangutans in the wild. It was an overwhelmingly emotional experience.
Creeping through the rainforest near the Gomantong Caves, our eagle-eyed guide Aloi impressed us all when he spotted a flash of orange fur, almost totally camouflaged in the tall canopy. But as we silently strained to see, a couple of adult orangutans and their baby went about their daily business, arms wrapped around tree trunks in the shade of the jungle. Aloi was as excited as if he was also seeing these creatures for the first time.
Rescued sun bears at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Picture / Stephanie Holmes
There's no guarantee that you'll see these shy creatures in the wild — especially now they are critically endangered and their habitat has shrunk. There are now only 11,000 orangutans left in Sabah, and Aloi says there are many days when you won't see one in the wild. For us, the privilege was immense, and an experience I will never forget.
Checklist
G Adventures' East Sabah Adventure eight-day itinerary travels from Kota Kinabalu to Turtle Island National Park and back, taking in rainforests, Sepilok's orangutan rehabilitation centre, and much more. Prices are from $1639, and include an internal flight, all transport between destinations, included activities, seven nights' accommodation and some meals, and the services of a Chief Experience Office (CEO), plus local guides.
