Borneo is a fantastic travel destination: trek up South East Asia’s highest mountain, discover huge cave systems, meet Iban head-hunters and view Orang Utans in their natural habitat. Combined with great food and pristine beaches there is something for everyone in Borneo.

The Island in the Clouds Covering an area of roughly 287,000 square miles, Borneo is the third-largest island in the world. In the north east lies Sabah, formerly known as North Borneo, which belongs to Malaysia. The highest peak in Borneo, Mt. Kinabalu, stands at 13,455 ft. With a generally hot, wet climate it makes sense that Borneo's Flora is among the most diverse in the world. Borneo has nearly 11,000 species of flowering plants, about a third of which are indigenous.

For most of the last millennium, Borneo remained isolated from the rest of the world. But in the 16th century Europeans reached Borneo's shores and held power in Borneo from the 17th century into the modern era. Today, the population of Borneo consists of non-Muslim Dayaks and Islamic Malays, as well as Chinese and Europeans.

Language: Malay is the first language in Malaysia, with most people in the tourist areas speaking English. If you keep your sentences short and simple your needs are usually be understood.

Time zone: Malaysia is 7 or 8 hours ahead of GMT depending on the time of year.

Currency: The currency is the Ringgit (RM) but all major restaurants, shops and hotels also accept credit cards. The currency hangs around RM3.30 to the US$1

Temperature: 22-32 degrees Celsius always warm but can be very hot and humid.

Climate: Monsoons barely influence the climate so close to the equator. There is no particular rainy season although a bit more rain may be expected in Oct/Nov and March, mostly at night. Diving is possible all year round with the best month from September to December and March to June.

page updating...
Some highlights of trips to Borneo include:
Mount Kinabalu Climb
Sepilok Orang Utan Centre
Iban Longhouses
Kinabatangan Wildlife Safari
Gunung Mulu National Park
Headhunters’ Trail Trek
Kota Kinabalu

Click here» Getting to Semporna