Wildlife in Borneo
– David Attenborough
Borneo is a land of many layers. Politically, it is divided into three countries: Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Geographically, it is the world’s third largest island, its highest peak Mount Kinabalu is a four-thousander, and it has one of the oldest rainforests in the world. Which is where the ecological layers release that spiritual nourishment so beautifully described by Sir David Attenborough.
As well as famously being home to the endangered orangutan, it is a natural habitat for the Borneo elephant, proboscis monkey, Bornean clouded leopard and so many more. Moving out to the littoral layers, Borneo’s coast proffers peat swamp forests and mangroves, where birds really do rule the roost. Thankfully, many of the wildlife-rich areas are still undeveloped when it comes to tourism, and herein lies a fine line. Responsible wildlife vacations will guide you through these delicate habitats but also support conservation organisations that work tirelessly with local communities to protect them from development and exploitation; these being the less savoury layers to Borneo’s natural nirvana.
Our Borneo Vacations
Borneo orangutan vacation
Trekking, wildlife and beach adventure vacation to Borneo
Borneo tour, Great Apes and Beach escapes
Explore bustling cities, lush jungles and paradise beaches.
Borneo tailor made vacations, wildlife & beaches
A luxury tour of the best wildlife & beaches of Sabah
Orangutan photography in Borneo
Develop your photography skills in Borneo
Borneo vacations, tailor made
Rainforests, orangutans, beaches tailor made
Luxury beach vacation in Borneo & Orangutans
Relaxation in one of nature's most picturesque settings
Borneo orangutan conservation volunteering
Care for rescued orangutans in beautiful Borneo
Sarawak family vacation
An action-packed vacation got the whole family to enjoy!
Borneo Mount Kinabalu Climb Vacation
Adventure vacation to see wildlife and climb Mt Kinabalu
Sarawak wildlife & beach vacation
Encounter an orangutan & hike through virgin rainforest
Borneo family volunteering vacation
Encounter orangutans and meet local tribes in magical Borneo
Borneo tailor made tour on a shoestring
The Best of Borneo: Wildlife, Adventure, Idyllic Beaches
Family vacation in Sabah
Discover the best of Borneo in just under 2 weeks
Borneo 8 day tour, the wild heart of Borneo
A unique experience in the untouched, beautiful Sarawak.
Orangutan conservation vacation in Borneo
Meet Iban tribes and encounter orangutans in Borneo
Borneo wildlife tour
Orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, elephants & bat exodus
Honeymoon in Borneo
Luxury Borneo Honeymoon, best of wildlife & luxury resorts
Borneo tour, Sarawak, Sabah & Brunei
Exotic Trans-Borneo Overland from Rainforest to Beach
Borneo wildlife vacation
Showcasing the best of Borneo - wildlife, rainforests and tropical beaches
Sarawak and Singapore vacation
Discover beautiful Sarawak with a 2 night Singapore stopover
Tanjung Puting orangutan vacation, Borneo
Orangutan Adventure Vacation, Tanjung Puting, Borneo
Borneo vacation, Land below the wind
9-day tour of Malaysia's spectacular Sabah State
Borneo family tour
A fabulous family vacation including the best of Borneo
Kuala Lumpur and Sabah wildlife tour
Wildlife adventure in the heart of Borneo
Sarawak and Sabah tour, Orangutans & Ibans
Explore Borneo's unique culture, heritage and wildlife
Wild Borneo vacation, private departure
Highlights of Malaysian Borneo including Deramakot
Borneo wildlife vacation, Sarawak
A light trekking and jungle adventure vacation in Sarawak
Orangutan conservation in East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Work with orangutans & sun bears in stunning East Kalimantan
Malaysia and Borneo 15 day tour
Discover the highlights of Malaysia and Borneo
Orangutan
The word ‘orangutan’ translates form the Malay language as ‘person of the forest’, an apt name for the species that shares over 96 percent of human DNA. Borneo is one of only two natural habitats for the orangutan, the other being Sumatra, although they do vary slightly as a species. According to WWF there are 104,700 Borneo orangutan left, and wildlife lovers come in pilgrimage to seek them out.There are a growing number of wildlife sanctuaries in Indonesian Borneo too, such as Ketapang in the West Kalimantan region, run by International Animal Rescue. Or Samboja Lestari, which is in an area of restored tropical rainforest near the city of Balikipapan in East Kalimantan. The latter was founded by Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOS), and sun bears are also given a safe haven here. Many of these sanctuaries are popular for conservation volunteering vacations, volunteering being the second way to get to see orangutans in Borneo. Although, be warned, no physical contact is allowed on these trips either due to the risk of disease (a common cold can kill and orangutan), but you will be doing invaluable work to support the orangutans.
“The Danum Valley really stands out; the rainforest is stunningly beautiful, pristine primary rainforest which is teeming with life. Our guide was fantastic and really informative and personable and we spotted five orangutan and a number with tiny babies.” – Anna Dockeray, in our vacation reviews
Borneo pygmy elephants
“Seeing a pygmy elephant and a wild orangutan with baby beside the Kinabatangan River were the most memorable moments of this vacation...Possibly the best ever.” – Glen Porter, in our Borneo vacation reviews
Our top Borneo Vacation
Borneo orangutan vacation
Trekking, wildlife and beach adventure vacation to Borneo
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Proboscis monkeys
Endemic to Borneo, these bizarre looking primates with their characteristic long noses are also endangered, mainly due to habitat loss. Amusingly, they have also been known in Indonesian as ‘orang belanda’ which translates as ‘Dutchman’, because they saw their colonisers at the time as having similar big noses and stomachs. No offence to our Dutch travelers out there, of course. One of Asia’s largest monkey species, males weigh between 16 and 22.5kg and are 65-75cm long.“When we were at Kinabatangan River we spent the first evening before sunset searching the river banks for proboscis monkeys among other things and were treated to a fantastic standoff between the males on one side of the river leaping 10-15m from tree to tree and then males on the opposite side responding. The noise and energy was impressive!” – Anna Dockeray, from our Borneo vacation reviews
Hiding in the wings
Borneo has quite a few elusive and yet totally exquisite species, many of them nocturnal, which is why night time safaris on the Kinabatangan River or in Bako National Park, for example, can be a particularly exciting experience. In Bako after dusk you can spot endangered pangolins and flying lemurs.“If I had to identify some highlights I might pick out spotting the pygmy elephants on the Kinabatangan River, watching the flying squirrels fly at MY Nature Resort, the canopy walk at Danum Valley and the beautiful beaches at Rasa Ria and Gaya. We saw orangutans, macaques and hornbills at almost every location we visited, as well as mouse deer, wild boar, proboscis monkeys, monitor lizards, tarantulas and, on one ocassion, a clouded leopard.” – Peter Green, from our Borneo vacation reviews

