Borneo. The very name conjures up images of primaeval rain forests filled with hornbills and gibbons singing up the dawn, of remote Dayak longhouses at the headwaters of dark jungle rivers.
This mecca of biodiversity, where 100 hectares of rainforest can contain more plant species than all of North America, is home to one of man’s closest cousins, the orangutan, and is the best place to see this wonderful and endearing creature in the wild. Although much of Borneo’s wilderness is fast disappearing and in urgent need of protection, you can still encounter pristine regions like the Maliau Basin, unknown to modern science until recently, and still barely explored.
"With sumptuous rainforest bungalows and private island resorts to retire to after the day’s adventures, travelling in Borneo is one long series of pleasant surprises."
While the island of Borneo is shared by three countries–Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei – Borneo, as we refer to it, comprises the two Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. Together they offer some of the best wildlife experiences on the planet and are one of our very favourite places to visit. Yes, the headline acts are amazing: drifting down the Kinabatangan River in search of wild orang-utans; tracking pygmy elephants in the Danum Valley; trekking past giant pitcher plants en route to a sunrise atop Mount Kinabalu; diving the spectacular reefs of Sipadan. But the support acts are equally magical. From close encounters with proboscis monkeys in beautiful Bako National Park to viewing millions of bats emerge from Mulu’s Deer Cave at dusk, the wildlife experiences you’ll have here are utterly compelling.
And a journey to Borneo isn’t just about nature. The food, especially in Kuching’s night markets, is as revelatory as it is lip-smackingly delicious. The history is intriguing. And few adventures are more exciting than landing at a remote airstrip and spending time in the rainforest with Penan hunter-gatherers, or exploring the coral islands and Sea Gypsy stilt villages of the Sulu Sea by private yacht.
At Explorations Company, we pride ourselves on working with the very best guides. And in a place like Borneo, that really matters. They are the people who will not only be able to locate the eye-shine of a tarsier at night, but actually give you chapter and verse on how these mini-ETs live and behave. They know the village chiefs who will grant you privileged access to an Iban longhouse, learning the culture from people who’ll tell you their ancestors were headhunters–and not of the HR variety! With sumptuous rainforest bungalows and private island resorts to retire to after the day’s adventures, travelling in Borneo is one long series of pleasant surprises. You’ll find it extremely hard to visit just once.
