 Visions of Joseph Conrad and tattooed Iban ‘headhunters,’ the cough of a barking-deer and the ghostly serenade of gibbons…darkest Borneo has always had the power to inspire with the heady scent of adventure.
Only the least intrepid of hearts can fail to beat faster at the thought of that vast, seemingly limitless, expanse of primeval rainforest. Sceptics will tell you that the world has been explored and that there is nothing new to see, but as long as the centre of the world’s third largest island is a dense and mysterious forest there will always be an unexplored corner.
Borneo is five times the size of England and Wales together and – despite the efforts of some of the world’s greediest logging operations – much of the interior is still virgin rainforest. Malaysian Sarawak has already lost most of its timber and the last great vestige of ancient Borneo lies in Kalimantan. Even the remotest regions of Kalimantan have echoed to the sound of rifles (or the phut! of blow-pipes) and wildlife is notoriously hard to see. (The only orang utan that I even came close to seeing, in two months in the jungle there, was an aggressive male whose mate had just been eaten by hunters.)
 The orang utan sanctuary at Sandakan, in Sabah, offers the greatest opportunity for watching these magnificent primates. No matter what you have heard about the feeling of seeing these creatures in their natural habitat, nothing can prepare you for the experience of standing frozen against a tree while a brawny, bearded ‘old man of the forest’ (with the strength of ten men) swaggers past within easy swiping distance. Sabah’s islands offer world-famous diving and Mount Kinabalu is, literally, the high-point of a trip to South East Asia.
Whichever part of the island you visit, one of the most memorable experiences is likely to be a trip to a Dayak longhouse. Apart from some incredible and notoriously inaccessible examples in the interior of Kalimantan, some of the most timeless (architecturally at least) are in Sarawak. Kuching-based tour operators shuttle groups out daily for a quick round of home-brewed tuak and a blowpipe competition. A central tenet of the Dayak way of life is hospitality to the traveller and on this magnificent jungle island your experiences very often improve in direct relation to the trouble you take in trying to get off the beaten track. After all, this is BORNEO!
Population:
The world’s third largest island, Borneo, is divided into three countries. The East Malaysian regions of Sabah and Sarawak are home to 3.8 million; Brunei, sandwiched between them, has 340,000 people; Kalimantan, the bottom two-thirds, is one of the least populated parts of Indonesia, with around 11 million.
Capital:
Brunei - Bandar Seri Begawan
Sabah - Kota Kinabalu
Sarawak - Kuching
Kalimantan - major cities Pontianak, Banjarmasin and Samarinda
Language:
Malay (the official language in Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei) and Kalimantan’s Bahasa Indonesia are very similar. While English is widely used in Brunei and the main towns and tourist areas in Malaysian Borneo, the further you venture into the ‘interior’ the greater the need for a good phrasebook.
 Internal travel:
All the island’s main cities are well linked by air with Malaysian and Royal Air Brunei airlines. Also in Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei the main roads are well kept and served by public transport. As a general rule, this deteriorates in Kalimantan and travel to remoter areas may require time and patience. One of the thrills of travelling in any part of Borneo is a journey by river, drifting (or occasionally speeding) through the rainforest while enjoying nature and waterfront village life.
Money matters:
ATM machines can only be found in the main towns, and the same applies for travellers cheques facilities (which sometimes charge high commissions), so carry enough cash with you when travelling into remoter areas. In Kalimantan take small notes as back-country rumah makans (literally ‘eating houses’) and stores very often will have no change for anything over $10.
When to go:
Avoid the rainy season – roughly from October to February – as many roads (not to mention jungle paths) and rivers become impassable. If the water level is too low however many highland communities will be inaccessible by boat. At any time of the year rainfall can be anything from sporadic to downright torrential.
Health:
Malaria is endemic to some regions of Borneo and there have been outbreaks of yellow fever. Get up-to-date advice about prophylaxis and use mosquito repellent at all times. Also be liberal with sun-block and be sure to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Always carry a sensibly stocked medicine kit when out of hospital range.
Highlights:
Sabah - Gunung Kinabalu National Park is the pride of Sabah. The highest peak in South East Asia at 13,455ft Mt Kinabalu soars spectacularly into the Borneo sky. The animistic Dusun people of the foothills and the Kadazan of the valleys beyond for centuries traditionally regard it as the resting place of their dead - their version of heaven. Though it may not strike struggling trekkers in quite the same way at the halfway mark, most in hindsight describe it as a highpoint of their trip.
Sarawak - Dubbed as Sarawak’s ‘last great wilderness,’ Gunung Mulu National Park is a World Heritage Site. The park is home to over 1,500 different types of flowers and an exceptional large variety of wildlife as well as an awesome complex of ancient limestone caves. It offers jungle-trekking, bird-watching, and quite possibly the world’s best caving. Also in Sarawak a boat-trip up Rajang River, Malaysia’s longest, is a great way to get an insight into the celebrated Iban longhouses and culture.
Kalimantan - Even today, it is the great rivers that lead to the real heart of the island: only they can slice through a wilderness that does its best to repel even the bulldozer. The mighty Mahakam River is one of Kalimantan’s most frequently-travelled but a journey up the Kapuas (Indonesia’s longest river) is adventure in its own right; taking five days and nights on a cargo boat to reach the ‘heart of darkness.’
Useful websites:
www.visitbrunei.com – plenty of useful advice and links
www.malaysiatrulyasia.co.uk – Malaysia tourism authority’s official website |
"He who dies with the most experiences wins"
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