EmBorneo is a destination like no other, and planning your trip can feel overwhelming, but this 2025 Borneo travel guide will provide you with all the essential information you need before visiting.This incredible island, shared by Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, is home to lush rainforests, diverse endemic species, and breathtaking landscapes. From choosing the best time to visit and deciding where to go, to understanding safety tips and transport options, this guide will help you navigate everything you need to plan an unforgettable Borneo adventure.
Key takeaways
- The most exciting things to do are visting the orangutan and sun bear sactuaries in Sepilok, and taking a cruise down the Kinabatangan river
- There aren’t always enough hotels to go around in Borneo, particularly near the sanctuaries in Sepilok, and highly-rated Kinabatangan cruises book up far in advance. Planning is an essential part of your trip to Borneo.
- Some governments advise against travel to certain parts of Borneo – take this into account when planning your trip
Is Borneo worth visiting?
Borneo is famous for its diverse nature and the Borneo Big Five:
- Orangutans
- Pygmy elephants
- Proboscis monkeys
- Crocodiles
- Hornbills, the native bird
There’s also an abundance of other nature, including reptiles and insects, as well as stunning scenery.
If it’s your first time visiting, there’s so much to do that it can feel overwhelming. But Borneo really is a once in a lifetime experience – make sure it’s on your bucket list!
How long to spend in Borneo
This will depend on what your priorities are, and particularly if you are planning to hike Mount Kinabalu as well as visiting the wildlife in Sepilok.
If you aren’t planning to hike Mount Kinabalu, I would recommend at least 8 nights in Borneo. This would give you time to see the sanctuaries in Sepilok, go on a cruise along the Kinabatangan, and have some time in Kota Kinabalu to see the world-famous sunset. This assumes that you fly between Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan, rather than taking the bus.
If you are planning to hike Mount Kinabalu, you’ll need to factor in additional time not just for the hike but to acclimatise to the altitude before. You should take expert advice on this from hike providers – I have put some resources below.
When is the best time to visit Borneo and see oranguatans?
- Best – Dry Season: June to October is considered to be the best time of year to visit Borneo and see wildlife. This is the dry season and fruiting season in June might orangutans come closer to trekking paths.
- Worst – Wet season: You should avoid the wet season between November and February, when heavy downpours will make life miserable.
What part of Borneo should you visit?
Slightly confusingly, the island of Borneo is part of three different countries: Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Before planning your vacation, you’ll need to decide which parts you want to visit and plan accordingly, including your visas. The major tourist sites are in Malaysian Borneo – and the ones I visited were in the province of Sabah.
I visited Malaysian Borneo in summer 2024, so this guides focuses on the Malaysian part of the island.
Are Borneo holidays safe?
Overall, Borneo is very safe. As a solo female traveller, I never felt threatened or unsafe while in Borneo. However, you should take the usual precautions, particularly at night. Cities in Borneo (Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu) were not particularly busy at night – you are more likely to be walking alone than in most Malaysian cities.
Government advice
Many governments, including the UK and Irish governments, currently advise against travel to certain parts of Borneo. This is primarily the islands off the coast from Sandakan onwards. This includes the famous diving spots around Seporna (time of writing February 2025). Mainland Sandakan is safe, as is Sepilok.
While you can make your own decisions about this, note that travelling to these islands against government advice invalidates your travel insurance.
Always check guidance from your government and make sure this is up to date. For British citizens, this can be found on the FCDO website.
Your 2025 Borneo Travel Guide: The Most Amazing Things To Do In Borneo
Visit sanctuaries in Sepilok
Borneo is most famous for its wildlife, and alongside Sumatra, is one of only two places in the world to see wild orangutans. The most guaranteed way to see that wildlife is to visit the sanctuaries at Sepilok. The Orangutan Sanctuary is located next door to the Sun Bear Sanctuary, so they are easy to combine as a day trip. Finally, the Rainforest Discovery Centre is also nearby, making Sepilok a great destination for a couple of days.
Orangutans
Cost: RM30 (about £5/6e/$7)
The Orangutan Sanctuary was founded in 1964 and has thrived ever since. It’s best to time your visit for one of the feeds – there is a morning and afternoon feed. Check their websites for the most up to date times. Once you’re inside, there is an outdoor feeding area, and then the nursery area where you can view orangutans from two indoor rooms (one with and one without aircon).
Note that the outdoor feeding station in particular gets crowded during feeding times. Try to arrive a bit early if you want a good spot. Orangutans at Sepilok are not kept in cages and you’re therefore not guaranteed to see them – but you could also see them just roaming around.
Sun Bears
Cost: RM50 (£9/10e/$11.50)
The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre is much newer, and less well known. Sun bears are the world’s smallest bears, and only found in Borneo. The centre was founded in 2016 and continues to grow – not least because while it is illegal to keep sun bears as pets in Borneo, many people still keep the babies as pets. They then turn the bears in when they get too big – most bears in the centre are rescued pets.
You can walk around the elevated walkways to see different bears in their enclosures. There are no set feeding times at the sun bear centre but you are still extremely likely to see the bears.
I volunteered for two weeks at the sun bear centre and absolutely loved these cute animals. So little is known about sun bears – there has been very little research on them in the past. The Centre is trying to change this, so make sure you create time on your Borneo holidays to go and see this relatively unknown animal and support the work of the centre.
Rainforest Discovery Centre
Cost: 30RM (about £5/6e/$7) to enter or 50RM for the nightwalk
The Rainforest Discovery Centre is a bit of a walk from the two sanctuaries, but easily reachable. It offers a number of different hikes, as well as their skywalk through the rainforest canopy. The RDC also offers a night walk – this is excellent if you’re keen to see nocturnal animals such as slow loris and flying squirrels. Numbers for the night walk are limited so make sure to book in advance.
Cruise down the Kinabatangan River
A trip to the Kinabatangan River is another must-do in Borneo. You can arrange this from hotels in Sandakan or Sepilok, or book in advance. I used River Junkies and would highly recommend them – not least because it was probably the nicest room I’ve stayed in while travelling.
Activities
You’ll embark on your first river cruise around 4pm. You’ll be on a small boat (c.12 people) and cruise up or down the river looking for the Borneo Big Five. The afternoons are best for spotting wildlife such as the proboscis monkey, orangutans and pygmy elephants (although I wasn’t lucky enough to see the elephants). As with other cruises of this nature, guides from the different resorts share information and will take you to the spots where you are most likely to see the wildlife.
After dinner, most providers offer a night walk in the jungle, or a night cruise (this may cost extra). On our night walk we primarily saw lots of insects, sleeping birds and some snakes. For our night cruise, we were able to spot the gleaming eyes of crocodiles, as well as flying squirrels. Note if you do the night walk that it is very humid, and that you will need lots of insect repellant!
The next morning, you’ll have a dawn river cruise at 6am. This is best for spotting birds as the monkeys aren’t yet awake. My tour agency (River Junkies) then offered a daytime jungle walk, where we saw lots of insects and learned about the recent history of this part of Borneo, including the rise of eco tourism. It’s then lunch and a break before the next river cruise at 4pm again, with the evening offering the same activities as before.
Should you do it?
I cannot recommend this experience highly enough. While I didn’t get to see the elephants, our guide worked really hard to find us as much wildlife as he could. We saw proboscis monkeys, orangutans, hornbills, a couple of baby crocodiles, a lot of macaque monkeys, and lots of different birds. We also spotted fully grown crocs on the night cruise – amazingly, they can be up to 7 metres long!
There are a number of providers all along the river, offering different standards of but more or less the same offer. Make sure to check the reviews for your provider – remember that you are in the middle of the jungle and there’ll be nowhere else to go if e.g. you don’t like the food or your room isn’t great. I highly recommend River Junkies, but they book up very fast
Practicalities
Most trips to the river are 3 days and 2 nights, although it’s possible to do a 1 night trip. I wouldn’t personally recommend this unless you’re short on time as it would give you very little time in the jungle (3pm arrival and 9am departure the next morning).
You’ll be picked up in your hotel in Sandakan or Sepilok between 12-1pm and embark on a very bumpy trip to Kinabatagan in an uncomfortable minivan. Pick up on the final day is early, around 8.30am-9am, and they will drop you back to your hotel in Sandakan or Sepilok, or to the airport. It doesn’t need to be the same place as you left from.
Climb Mount Kinabalu
Mount Kinabalu, a famous hiking spot, is on the other side of the island to Sepilok and Kinabatangan, near Kota Kinabalu. It’s possible to do day trips to the mountain from the city, but also to stay nearer to the mountain itself.
The mountain is over 4000m high, so while it’s not the most challenging walk you’ll ever do at that altitude, you do need to be prepared for altitude sickness. Treks normally take two days.
I’m far too lazy to have hiked the mountain myself, so I wanted to direct you to this comprehensive guide or this alternative where you can find out everything you need to know. In addition, staying the night before at Kinabalu Park might help you acclimatise.
Visit Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinablu, or KK, is the main city on Borneo. It’s primarily a starting point for Mount Kinabalu hikes, but it can be worth spending a couple of days there as well on your Borneo holidays.
Take in Kota Kinabalu’s world-famous sunset
The main thing to do in KK itself is take in the sunset. Tanjung Aru Beach, between the city and the airport, has been voted one of the top sites in the world to enjoy the sunset. In addition, there is also a strip of waterfront restaurants (mainly western) where people gather to take in the views.
Go Island Hopping
During the day, you can head to the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, a group of paradise islands. There are three main islands which tourists visit, and they are also very popular with locals and Malaysian tourists.
To get to the islands, you will need to take a day trip via GetYourGuide, or a ferry. You can buy ferry passes for just one island or for multiple islands, depending on your plans. Ferries are available from the Jesselton Point Quay – the easiest way to get here is to take a Grab. Once you arrive, there will be a variety of providers vying for your business.
The main islands to visit are Manukan, Sapi and Mamutik. Once you’ve chosen your islands and arrived, there are a variety of activities to choose from including snorkelling, parasailing and banana boat riding. The cost of these varies.
I didn’t end up going to the islands as I read such mixed reviews on the quality of the snorkelling, how busy the islands were and the cleanliness/plastic waste in the water. I think this will depend on the time of year you are visiting, so bear that in mind when planning this activity.
Other activities in Kota Kinabalu
The main site in the city itself is the floating mosque. This is a stunning building perched on the water at the edge of town. Take a Grab out to here and note that you can hire modest attire if necessary.
In addition, in KK you can book a night cruise to see fireflies and proboscis monkeys. I found these quite pricey and chose not to go on one given that I was going to see the monkeys on my River Kinabatangan trip.
I recommend Gaia Coffee in KK if you want a break – this beautiful, chill coffee shop is next to the Art Attic, an artist collective offering gifts from different artists and craftspeople. Like George Town, Malacca and Ipoh, Kota Kinabalu also has some interesting street art, although not nearly as much as these other cities.
Finally, KK has two high end malls. If you are travelling for a long time, these can be a great place to stock up if you need anything (particularly Uniqlo!).
Visit Sandakan
There is relatively little to do in Sandakan town, and I would advise only staying there as a jumping off point for Sepilok, Kinabatangan or the airport. It’s not unsafe, and there are a few nice cafes and restaurants, but there’s very little to occupy your time.
If you are spending time there, try the following:
- #1 Roastery – lovely little cafe where they roast their own beans on site
- Cafe San Da Gen – another lovely cafe that does excellent lunches and is famous for their Pastel de Nata.
- Ba Lin roof terrace – it was raining when I planned to go here, but it has excellent reviews and offers beautiful views out over the sea.
GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ADVICE: many of the hostels and hotels in Sandakan offer trips to the nearby islands including Turtle Island. Many governments, including the UK and Irish governments, currently advise against travel to these islands due to the threat of piracy. While you can make your own decisions about this threat, you should note that your travel insurance won’t be valid if you choose to this on your Borneo holidays.
How to get to Borneo
Borneo is a large island in the South China Sea. The primary way to arrive is by air and the main airlines flying to Borneo are Malaysia Air, Air Asia and Firefly (Malaysia Air’s budget arm).
To Kota Kinabalu
If you are starting your Borneo adventure in Kota Kinabalu, the most frequent flights are from Kuala Lumpur. There are also less frequent flights from Singapore, Penang, Ho Chi Minh City and Bali, so you could connect in these cities as well.
If you are heading to Kota Kinabalu, the airport is 10-15 minutes from the centre of the city and the best option is Grab.
To Sandakan and Sepilok
If you are heading to Sandakan and Sepilok in Malaysian Borneo from Europe, Australia or America, this is likely to include a connection in Kuala Lumpur.
From Sandakan, the airport is around 20 minutes outside the main town. It’s also 20 minutes in the other direction from Sepilok, where the animal sanctuaries are. You can get Grab (Asia’s version of Uber) from the airport to either of these destinations, as well as traditional taxis. There isn’t really much public transport in Sandakan, and Grab is very cheap, so this would be my recommendation.
How to travel from Kota Kinablu to Sandakan and Sepilok
If you are planning to travel from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan/Sepilok, my recommendation would be the short flight, which takes about 40 minutes. Both airports have good facilities and this will help you make the most of your time.
The alternative is an 8 hour local bus. I haven’t been able to find tickets for this using the usual sites (12Go, RedBus and BusTicketOnline) but have found them via EasyBook. As I haven’t used this site, I can’t vouch for whether it’s reputable or not.
River Junkies also run a shuttle from KK to Sandakan which stops off at a number of places along the way. This can be a good alternative if you have the time, but note that it requires at least two people to run. I wasn’t able to use it as a solo traveller as there were no other bookings on my chosen day.
Where to stay in Borneo
Sepilok
Sepilok is where you will find the main tourist attractions on your Borneo holidays – the Orangutan Sanctuary, the Sun Bear Conservation Centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre. It’s 20 minutes from Sandakan Airport and 40 minutes from Sandakan town by grab or taxi.
If possible, I would recommend staying here to ensure you maximise your time in Borneo. Many hotels will either be walking distance to the sanctuaries or offer regular shuttle buses. However, note that there aren’t enough hotel rooms here to cope with demand. They are sold out most nights – book in advance. Also, Borneo is extremely hot and humid – I strongly recommend opting for an air con room.
Some options include:
- Borneo Sepilok Rainforest Resort – also highly rated, this is slightly further away but still very walkable to
- Sepilok Forest Edge Resort – this highly rated resort is one of the higher end hotels in Sepilok, and one of the nearest to the sanctuaries.
- Sepilok Jungle Resort – This is one of the closest hotels to the two sanctuaries, and has a great pool for chilling out in the afternoon. It also has a popular cafe. However it’s not the most highly rated on Booking.com.
- Paganakan Dii – Highly rated on booking.com, this is set out in the jungle, a long walk away from the sanctuaries. The hotel offers a regular shuttle which leaves three times each day, but this can be restrictive. You will also have little choice over where to eat in the evenings (I stayed in their volunteer house, and we often felt very cut off). I would also advise avoiding the dorms, as the houses are wooden and get extremely hot. The dorms only have fans, while the private rooms have aircon. However, it does offer a real jungle experience and stunning views.
Kinabatangan
Your accomodation in Kinabatangan will be provided by your cruise operator, as this is how most people visit this remote area. See the section on Kinabatangan river crusies above for more details.
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu is the main city in Borneo. If you plan to hike Mount Kinabalu, you will likely need to spend time here first. In addition, there are islands you can (safely) visit off the coast of Kota Kinabalu. Finally, Kota Kinabalu is famous forhaving one of the best beaches to view the sunset in the world (nominated by the Huffington Post)
I would recommend staying either in the centre of Kota Kinabalu, where you have easy access to the waterfront. Or if you can afford it, in one of the major resorts with a private beach. Wherever you stay, you’ll be able to navigate the city easily as it’s not big, and Grab is cheap and quick.
I stayed at Capital Express, a small budget hotel that had everything I needed for an excellent stay.
The most famous resort is the Shangri-La.
Sandakan
There are a few hotels in Sandakan, but not too many, so it is worth booking ahead. Sandakan can also be a collection point for the Kinabatangan River Cruises (see below).
Sandakan is about a 40 minute drive from Sepilok, where the sanctuaries are located. For this reason, I think Sandakan is best if you need a cheap hotel the night before or after a flight, or if all Sepilok hotels are booked up – but I would try to stay in Sepilok to visit the sanctuaries.
A few hotel recommendations:
- Sandakan Backpackers – a great budget backpackers hostel by the waterfront. Offers breakfast and some kitchen facilities.
- Aecotel – this is a budget hotel I stayed in twice. It’s very dated, but had everything I needed including being clean and good air con.
- Hotel Sandakan – friends of mine stayed here. It’s slightly higher end than Aecotel, but reviews suggest it’s still quite dated.
- Hotel Elopura – this is the main high end hotel in Sandakan, situated on the waterfront. It’s modern and has a cafe, restaurant and roof terrace.
Borneo is a destination that offers once-in-a-lifetime experiences, from spotting wild orangutans to cruising along the Kinabatangan River. By knowing what to expect before your visit, you’ll be able to make the most of your time exploring its rich biodiversity, vibrant cultures, and stunning landscapes. Whether you’re trekking Mount Kinabalu or relaxing on a secluded beach, Borneo has something for every traveler. Plan ahead, stay informed, and get ready for an adventure like no other!
Wowee Emily ! Such a helpful and informative blog post that will not doubt help us in our planning for Borneo next year !
Thanks Kelly! So glad it was helpful!
[…] Planning to see organgutans in Borneo instead? Check out my article Borneo Holidays: Everything you need to know about this amazing island. […]
I have been to Kota Kinabalu and spent time island hopping. Would love to visit the sun bears and orangutans in Borneo next time.
Thanks for this in-depth guide! Would you recommend visiting Sarawak at all?
I didn’t get a chance to visit Sarakwak unfortunately – but I did hear good things from others about Kuching.