Borneo travel advice
Turtle watching advice
Kate Tyler, from our tailor made vacation specialists Odyssey World, shares her Borneo travel advice for marine wildlife fans: “People complain about Selingan Island in Sabah. It is basic, but you are there for the turtle hatchery, so you are going to be roughing it a bit for a night but that’s not your purpose for being there. The problem is it’s oversold as an “island escape” by tour operators, but that’s not what it is. They do incredible conservation work there and they really protect the species, but then my experience may be very different to someone else’s. You’re there for the marine biology and ecology – if you want an island break then this is not the place.”
Our Borneo Vacations
Borneo orangutan vacation
Trekking, wildlife and beach adventure vacation to Borneo
From
US $3560
13 days
ex flights
Borneo tour, Great Apes and Beach escapes
Explore bustling cities, lush jungles and paradise beaches.
From
£1658
9 days
ex flights
Borneo tailor made vacations, wildlife & beaches
A luxury tour of the best wildlife & beaches of Sabah
From
US $3735
14 days
ex flights
Family vacation in Sabah
Discover the best of Borneo in just under 2 weeks
From
£2155
10 days
ex flights
Sarawak wildlife & beach vacation
Encounter an orangutan & hike through virgin rainforest
From
US $1680 to US $1905
10 days
ex flights
Sarawak family vacation
An action-packed vacation got the whole family to enjoy!
From
£1088
9 days
ex flights
Borneo 8 day tour, the wild heart of Borneo
A unique experience in the untouched, beautiful Sarawak.
From
£855
8 days
ex flights
Borneo Mount Kinabalu Climb Vacation
Adventure vacation to see wildlife and climb Mt Kinabalu
From
US $2960
13 days
ex flights
Borneo tailor made tour on a shoestring
The Best of Borneo: Wildlife, Adventure, Idyllic Beaches
From
US $1695
12 days
ex flights
Orangutan photography in Borneo
Develop your photography skills in Borneo
From
£2375 to £2565
10 days
ex flights
Borneo wildlife tour
Orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, elephants & bat exodus
From
£5675
15 days
ex flights
Luxury beach vacation in Borneo & Orangutans
Relaxation in one of nature's most picturesque settings
From
£1915
13 days
inc UK flights
Wildlife conservation in Borneo
Conserve orangutans and elephants in Borneo's rainforests
From
£1285
12 days
ex flights
Wild Borneo vacation, private departure
Highlights of Malaysian Borneo including Deramakot
From
£4340
18 days
inc UK flights
Borneo family volunteering vacation
Encounter orangutans and meet local tribes in magical Borneo
From
£795
7 days
ex flights
Borneo tour, Sarawak, Sabah & Brunei
Exotic Trans-Borneo Overland from Rainforest to Beach
From
US $1398
13 days
ex flights
Kuala Lumpur and Sabah wildlife tour
Wildlife adventure in the heart of Borneo
From
£4300
11 days
inc UK flights
Borneo family tour
A fabulous family vacation including the best of Borneo
From
US $2300 to US $3125
15 days
ex flights
Borneo vacations, tailor made
Rainforests, orangutans, beaches tailor made
From
£3150
13 days
inc UK flights
Borneo highlights tour, small group
Spiritual ,wild, colourful and mysterious beautiful Borneo.
From
US $3800 to US $4300
21 days
ex flights
Sarawak and Singapore vacation
Discover beautiful Sarawak with a 2 night Singapore stopover
From
£1720
15 days
ex flights
Singapore and Sarawak vacations
A wildlife and Cultural Vacation to Singapore and Sarawak
From
US $2875
14 days
inc UK flights
Borneo wildlife vacation with Mt. Kinabalu climb
Adventurous Borneo Wildlife & Mt. Kinabalu Climb trek
From
US $2850
13 days
ex flights
Borneo vacation, Highlights of Borneo
The highlights of Sabah, from Orangutans to Mt Kinabalu
From
US $2295
13 days
ex flights
Borneo wildlife vacation
Showcasing the best of Borneo - wildlife, rainforests and tropical beaches
From
US $4899 to US $5049
15 days
ex flights
Orangutan conservation in East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Work with orangutans & sun bears in stunning East Kalimantan
From
£1295 to £1995
13 days
ex flights
Borneo orangutan conservation volunteering
Care for rescued orangutans in beautiful Borneo
From
£1280
15 days
ex flights
Malaysia and Borneo 15 day tour
Discover the highlights of Malaysia and Borneo
From
£2298
16 days
ex flights
Borneo wildlife vacation, Sarawak
A light trekking and jungle adventure vacation in Sarawak
From
US $2760
13 days
ex flights
Borneo visa advice
Harriet Whitmarsh, from our volunteering experts The Great Projects, offers Borneo travel advice for avoiding visa applications: “The benefit of Malaysian Borneo is that it’s a quick and easy flight and there are no visa issues – you just walk right in. But for Indonesia, you’ll need a socio-cultural visa if you’re going to do a longer-term volunteer placement, so it makes things more confusing and difficult. It’s easy to go in as a tourist though – you have to pay but it’s straightforward. There are also departure taxes from all Indonesian airports, so you must be sure to keep cash on you and not spend it all before you leave, even if it’s just a domestic flight.”Indonesia advice
Roger Salwey, from our friends Oyster Worldwide, gives Borneo travel advice for those visiting Kalimantan: “Indonesian Borneo is underrated. It’s a lot harder to get there as you have to come in through Jakarta – it really is off the beaten track. You can get to settlements on the coast with no tourists, as well as inland along the rivers. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough for adventurous travelers. Malaysia is quite westernised now but Indonesia really isn’t, so you’re experiencing real life there rather than the glossy, touristy side. People who choose to go there have picked somewhere really quite off the beaten track, and they’ll be rewarded for that by not just being treated as another tourist and passed around. You do have to remember that it is Islamic – so be respectful and keep fairly well covered up. But it’s very friendly, they’re very laid-back. They are very smiley people and you need to keep smiling – that’s how they communicate.”Borneo itinerary advice
Kate Tyler, from our tailor made adventure specialists Odyssey World, shares Borneo travel advice for planning the perfect itinerary: “Do give yourself time. If you can allow yourself that extra two or three days it certainly opens up your whole itinerary – the difference between having 10 days there or 13 makes the difference between having a rest at the end of your trip after taking in all the sights. You’re probably never going to go back there again – so if you’re only going to do it once, then do it properly! It’s the trip of a lifetime.”
Our top Borneo Vacation
Borneo orangutan vacation
Trekking, wildlife and beach adventure vacation to Borneo
From
US $3560
13 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Borneo or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
Health & safety
HEALTH
SAFETY
Vacation reviews from our travelers
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Borneo travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation - and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful Borneo travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation - and the space inside your suitcase.
You need to be fit to climb mount Kinabalu. You also need to be well sprayed.![]()
– David Clegg
“It says you'll get an adventure and you do. Don't expect your home comforts here.” - Penny Earle
“Listen to the guides for guidance and information about the animals. Respect the fact that you're a guest in the home of a variety of wild animals.” - Fiona Trolley
“If you are going walking, watch out for the leeches, there are lots of them - pack leech socks.” - Alison Robb
“Bring warm clothes if you are going to climb Kinabalu! I was freezing.” - Paul Spencer
“Many animals are high up and difficult to see. We knew exactly what we were going to and thought the experience was unbelievable, but some people hadn't expected this and were disappointed.” - Gillian Slater
“Don't move on too quickly to next location as you'll spend all your time traveling.” - Susan Spiller
“Listen to the guides for guidance and information about the animals. Respect the fact that you're a guest in the home of a variety of wild animals.” - Fiona Trolley
“If you are going walking, watch out for the leeches, there are lots of them - pack leech socks.” - Alison Robb
“Bring warm clothes if you are going to climb Kinabalu! I was freezing.” - Paul Spencer
“Many animals are high up and difficult to see. We knew exactly what we were going to and thought the experience was unbelievable, but some people hadn't expected this and were disappointed.” - Gillian Slater
“Don't move on too quickly to next location as you'll spend all your time traveling.” - Susan Spiller
If you're going to Lankayan (and you should!), don't bother with Selingan – you can see turtles laying and babies being released into the sea at both places but it's much more relaxed and nicely done at Lankayan.![]()
– Victoria Goode
“Book early in Sabah. We met many people who wanted to climb the mountain or stay in a particular lodge but everything was booked.” - Phil Pinchen
“Be as mentally, physically and emotionally healthy as you can so as to put 100 percent effort into your adventure, as it is priceless.” - Sherryn Page
“Bring lots of clothes during rainy season, a week after washing they are still wet.” - Barbara Hoerist
“Take your large backpack for the full duration and a smaller one for each section.” - Jennifer Beard
“Talk to the local people - they have so much passion and many stories to tell.” - Deanne Ward-Thompson
“Be as mentally, physically and emotionally healthy as you can so as to put 100 percent effort into your adventure, as it is priceless.” - Sherryn Page
“Bring lots of clothes during rainy season, a week after washing they are still wet.” - Barbara Hoerist
“Take your large backpack for the full duration and a smaller one for each section.” - Jennifer Beard
“Talk to the local people - they have so much passion and many stories to tell.” - Deanne Ward-Thompson
More about Borneo
The best time to visit Borneo is during the drier months of April to September, but as our month by month guide reveals, there are a number of things to take into consideration.
Borneo has enticed travelers, biologists, anthropologists and photographers for decades. Our Borneo travel guide takes you to the world's third largest island.
Borneo is divided between the Malaysian provinces of Sabah and Sarawak, Indonesian Kalimantan and the Kingdom of Brunei. Read our guide on where to go in Borneo.
There is such a variety of things to do in Borneo - the difficulty is knowing where to start. We've picked out of top activities across each region of Borneo.
Sabah is sublime. One of the most bio-diverse regions in Asia, it boasts mountain ranges, rainforests, marine national parks and a vast cultural heritage.
Sarawak is one state among many in Borneo, but it is one where the stories - from orangutan rescue to indigenous tales - just keep coming.
Kalimantan is Indonesian Borneo. The same size as Botswana, it is most famous for its rainforests and resident orangutans. Read more in our Kalimantan guide.
With so many untouched areas of rainforest, mangroves and mountains, there are primates and predators, elephants and birds everywhere. Read more in our Borneo wildlife guide.
Borneo is certainly suited for the more intrepid family - but you don't need to be hardened jungle adventurers to enjoy a family vacation in Borneo.
First time travelers to Borneo might find themselves overwhelmed with options - where to go, what to do and see.
There's bad news (immense deforestation) and good (volunteer placements). Read more about responsible tourism in Borneo to find out how to make the most of your vacation.
Find all our Borneo guides in one place, from volunteering to luxury vacations and travel guides on Sabah and Sarawak.
protection
Photo credits: [Page banner: Fish Ho Hong Yun] [Turtle watching advice: Stéphane Enten]
[Borneo itinerary advice: Christopher Michel]
[Health & safety: Jason Thien]
[David Clegg quote: Stéphane Enten]
[Victoria Goode quote: Denis Luyten]
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