Luxury Borneo Travel

A rainforest destination just north of the Equator, Borneo is hot and humid year-round. The best months for wildlife tours of Borneo are between March and November; December and January see a notable increase in rainfall, and February is taken up by drying and patching up of the rainforest trails. Note that as a prominent family destination the summer months of July and August see higher rates and increased visitor numbers.

Borneo is best known as the home of the orang-utan: our closest relative in the animal kingdom. Other primates include endemic proboscis monkeys, macaques, and the tiny tarsier. Larger mammal life in the forests includes Bornean pygmy elephant, sun bears, clouded leopard, marbled cat, loris, and flying squirrels. Birdlife includes eight species of hornbill, plus broadbills, fish owls, serpent eagles, and kingfishers.

There are no long-haul flights into Borneo – travelers must always transfer through Kuala Lumpur across peninsular Malaysia or the buzzing city-state of Singapore. Pre or post-stopovers in either make perfect sense and strike an attractive contrast to the forests and rivers of Borneo. Wider tours of Peninsular Malaysia can also include the historic ports of Malacca and Penang, or the island paradises of Langkawi, Tioman, or the Perhentians.

Package prices to Borneo can be higher than nearby Southeast Asian destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam, or indeed Peninsular Malaysia. Remember though that your Borneo package will include all of your guided wildlife tours, all meals at the jungle lodges, and all your transport and transfers. Once in situ, you’ll find that your day-to-day spending is minimal, thus evening out the overall trip cost. Compared to similar wildlife trips in Africa and Indian Subcontinent, Borneo is a terrific value.