Borneo

Borneo is the third-largest island in the world, shared between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Its Malaysian part — the states of Sabah and Sarawak, in the north and northwest of the island — offers an incomparable adventure in the heart of the oldest rainforests on Earth, estimated at 130 million years. Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m) towers over Sabah, the Kinabatangan River (560 km) winds through some of the most biodiverse forests on the planet, and the waters of Sipadan rank among the world's best dive sites.

Sabah is renowned for its diving and its wildlife. Sarawak, Malaysia's largest state, charms visitors with the colonial appeal of Kuching, its Iban longhouses and the parks of Gunung Mulu and Bako.

Malaysian Borneo is a cultural melting pot where dozens of ethnic groups coexist, each with its own languages, rites and crafts. In both Sabah and Sarawak, this indigenous heritage blends with the Chinese and Malay influences left by the island's trading and colonial history. In Kuching, the diversity is plain to see, with colonial architecture, Chinese temples and mosques, while the longhouses of the hinterland keep ancestral ways of life alive.

Malaysian Borneo is reached almost exclusively by air. Its two gateways are Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, and Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, both served by daily flights from Kuala Lumpur. Choosing your arrival point shapes your itinerary: Sarawak and its parks to the west, Sabah, Mount Kinabalu and Sipadan to the east.

In Borneo, accommodation is very much part of the adventure. Hotels in the destination are not yet listed on our site, but here is what you need to know to plan your itinerary: depending on the next day's activities, your nights will be spent in town, at altitude, by the river or in the jungle. The best approach is to build each stage around a practical base, close to the sites you want to explore, and to book early in peak season.

Climb a 4,000-metre peak, step inside some of the largest caves on the planet, dive among the world's best-preserved reefs and meet orangutans in their natural habitat: Malaysian Borneo packs in experiences found nowhere else. Between adventures, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu offer charming stopovers, with waterfronts, markets and the islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.

Malaysian Borneo's cuisine is a culinary journey in its own right, rich in flavours and influences. It draws on Malay, Chinese and indigenous traditions to create unique dishes that are often impossible to find elsewhere in Malaysia. From the fragrant noodle soups of Kuching's coffee shops to the raw-fish ceviches of Sabah's communities, every recipe tells a story of people and place — and the night markets are a spectacular gateway into this world.

Malaysian Borneo can be visited all year round, but a little preparation helps you pick the right weather window and avoid surprises on the ground. Ideal season, formalities, currency, power sockets and wildlife precautions: here is everything you need to know before packing your bags for Sabah and Sarawak.