Borneo, the largest island in Asia and shared by Malaysian states Sabah and Sarawak, Brunei and the Indonesian Kalimantan. Personally, one of my highlights during the entire trip. Based on our visit in Sabah and Sarawak, Nature is spectacular and seeing so many monkeys including orangutans in the wild has definitely been very rewarding. From spending time at the beach, snorkeling in crystal blue water to trekking through rainforests and trekking along Mount Kinabalu – Borneo did not disappoint.

Kuching, Sarawak

With Chinese New Year coming up, we knew we would have to spend it somewhere and were aware, that cities would probably be a little more deserted. So our first stop was Kuching, the capital of the Sarawak state in Borneo. We stayed at Radioman Heritage hostel, which has an unbeatable location and the staff was in general super nice. But – we stayed two nights with them, everything was fine, went to Bako National Park and returned for a night. Before we went to bed, we saw that two of our beds were infested with quite a few bedbugs, which of course can happen anywhere, even in 5 star hotels, but should require direct action and support. After all, we did not bring them to the room and had to deal with them now after all by cleaning all of our stuff. We contacted the emergency number, telling them we would not be able to sleep in our room and would need a new one. Instead of supporting us, the girl on the other end started making excuses, blaming us and refused to do anything about it. In the end, we ended up sleeping on chairs in the common room, because nobody would come to deal with the situation. Big minus for this hostel.

The city was super quiet due to Chinese New Year, but we were still able to walk around, take some pictures, get some local food on the board walk, visit the upside down house and take a boat tour along the river. There are some beautiful mosques and temples to see, the local market, little India, some cat statues (they do love their cats), a cat museum (told ya) and quite a few shopping malls. I would love to see how lively the city can get under different circumstance, but it was still enjoyable to spend some quiet days there.

Semenggoh Nature Reserve

Besides strolling around the city, we also did a half day tour to Semenggoh Nature reserve. It’s around an hour drive from Kuching and the bus will stop right outside the nature reserve (we took the local bus close to little India, it’s not hard to find). In the park, you can walk different treks, enjoy the jungle but most importantly, you are able to see orangutans. These orangutans were once rescued or orphans and are now trained to live freely and to readapt in the jungle. At the beginning, it felt a little bit like a zoo for me, as they have feeding stations spread out in the jungle, where the monkeys can decide to eat if they want and visitors are able to watch them. But they claim that all monkeys are completely free and we were lucky enough to see at least 7 of them jumping around in the trees, eating or taking care of their babies. Nothing more fascinating than to stand completely still in the jungle and to hear these giants come closer, breaking through the branches of the trees. The feeding sessions take place between 9:00 and 10:00 and 15:00 and 16:00 and entrance fee to the park is 10RM for foreign visitors.

Bako National Park

After two days in Kuching, it was time for us to get a little more into nature again. So we decided to make a two day, one night trip to Bako Nationalpark. We took a bus up to a local village 45 minutes outside of Kuching, where we had to take a boat up to the park headquarters, which costs RM40 for foreigners. Park entrance is RM20 for internationals. Accommodation in the park there is super, super basic, if you choose the hostel option, but knowing that you are trekking most of the day anyways, it’s definitely doable.

I would definitely recommend to stay a full day, if not two to make the most of the 16 differ not treks and climbing options the park has to offer. Besides spotting a variety of different animals, including monkeys, you are able to trek through a variety of different vegetation’s and 7 complete eco-systems, which is the main attraction of this park. For me, trekking through the different jungle paths up to deserted beaches was definitely one of my favorite things to do during my stay in Borneo. Some treks are harder (and steeper) than others, especially when it’s hot, but they are all doable and very enjoyable. One special tip, if you are eager to spot some long-nosed monkeys (Proboscis), leave early in the morning and ask headquarter where they were seen last. We were the only tourists walking the trail early morning and were able to spot quite a lot of the, fairly close to the path. Definitely an amazing experience. Also, be careful with your food, when you eat on the balcony of the cafeteria. The macaques (little monkeys) are cheeky little things and jump on your plate if you are unlucky (like me haha MACAQUE).

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Of course, we also wanted to explore what the other Malaysian side of Borneo had to offer, so after Chinese New Year, we flew over to Kota Kinabalu. Definitely a way more lively city, especially during that time, which is a result of a higher Muslim population in this area. We stayed at Seaview Capsule hostel, which was, after our disaster stay in Kuching, a super nice option (even though slightly more expensive than other hostels in the area). You basically sleep in what feels like a spaceship capsule, with enough space to charge your electronics (halleluja), your own door for enough privacy, own light and much more. Only downside of the hostel might be the internet connection and lack of socializing during that time, but besides that, the location, staff and stay itself was top notch. The girl at reception was also the one who gave us the tip to go to Secret Place and Uncle Jack, so once again a huge thank you for all your help!

During our stay in KK, we visited Filipino market, which is right outside the hostel along the water front, went to the city mosque, walked over to Gaya street Sunday market, went for a massage, tried typical local food and took a boat to Pulau Sapi island to snorkel and tan. If you want to visit the mosque, they will provide appropriate clothing’s for you, however in this case you’ll have to pay for it.

From KK you have the option to visit different islands by boat, where you can go diving, snorkeling or just enjoy the day tanning on the beach. We decided to go to Sapi island, which is one of the smaller ones and, according to some locals that we met in the hostel, the not so touristy one. Let me tell you, definitely very touristy, definitely not very quiet. The pictures might look beautiful and peaceful, but the island itself was not. Way too many tourists, if you want to snorkel in the water you have to fight of feet and hands to actually see something. I found it more stressful than anything else, but a least we had a nice view and the water really was crystal clear. I recommend asking around for the other islands, for example people at your hostel that have already been or directly at the pier, as you can also do a combination of two or three islands for a day. We really just wanted to chill, which is why we stayed only at Sapi.

Tip of Borneo

I think I’ve raved so much about our experience at the tip of Borneo, I’ll never get tired of it. Why? Because it was just the perfect place to relax, get your thoughts in order and to enjoy nice company with a great view.

We stayed at Roby’s The Secret Place, which is a very simple camp ground next to the families home, surrounded by jungle and beach. The tip of Borneo does not offer a lot of activities, but you are able to take beach strolls, fish, snorkel, visit the actual tip of Borneo and climb around the different rock formations or drive down to Kudat and stroll through the city. What made this place special for me was to experience how a local family lives, to interact with them, hear their stories, to wake up in the morning, opening the tent and having the ocean right in front of me. To get up, take my music and walk along the beach all by myself, just me and my thoughts. This place had a way of reenergizing me, which I can’t really explain, you’ll just have to go their yourself. bonfires at night, Roby cooking food for us, playing with the children on the beach or with the puppies. To read more about Robys story, check out his local perspective interview here.

Mount Kinabalu

Right after the Secret Place, we went down to Mount Kinabalu, where we stayed with Uncle Jack at his Jungle Jack Hostel, right outside the entrance of Mount Kinabalu National Park. I think I’ve eaten the best food in Borneo at Uncle Jacks Place. Every day, they would prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner for us, included in the hostel price already. It was just so good, I couldn’t stop eating. It’s a simple hostel, build out of containers, but it has so much character and listening to Uncle Jacks stories is a blast. If you want to read his interview and story about why he was made responsible for the earthquake in 2015, check out his story here. By the way, the hostel also organized very affordable climbs up to Mount Kinabalu, which is the highest mountain in Southeast Asia and therefore very popular.

During our stay there, we decided against the climb of the mountain, as we were all short on money, a decision that I now regret as all people that had done it were super happy about their experience. Next time. Instead, we trekked around the National Park, as it offered alternative paths along the mountain. It has some nice pathways, even though we got stuck in between due to the fact that it was so muddy.

Besides that, we also hitchhiked to the nearby hot springs. Up to you, if you want to go, but I am used to real hot springs in South America, and this felt more like swimming pools than anything else. But if your have some time to spare, why not.

To conclude, if you make it to Southeast Asia, Borneo should most definitely be on your list. It offers the perfect combination of nature, adventure and beach and city life, its people are super friendly and the food is amazing. Two additional tips, that we did not get to during our trip, but heard really good things about it would be Mulu National Park in the middle of Borneo and Sipadan, which is a famous dive spot here.