Malaysian Borneo

Introduction

Cliché Mt Kinabalu

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Borneo's Malaysian half is less-populated than Peninsular Malaysia, but larger in size and in natural resources. Travellers visit the island for its rugged natural attractions, in particular the Mulu caves and Mount Kinabalu.

Geography

As the name suggest, Malaysian Borneo is located on the island of Borneo. Borneo is administratively divided between Malaysia, Indonesia and the state of Brunei (north). The Malaysian territory is on the north side of the island, bounded on the north by the South China Sea.

Malaysian Borneo is also known as East Malaysia.

States

• Sabah
• Sarawak

Cities

• Kota Kinabalu, Sabah's capital
• Kuching, Sarawak's capital
• Sandakan
• Tawau
• Lahad Datu
• Bintulu
• Miri
• Sibu
• Sarikei

Sights and Activities

Sabah

• Mount Kinabalu - Climb this 4095-metre tall mountain for some stunning views.
• Sipadan Island
• Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre - This is a world famous orangutan centre where people can watch orangutans in their natural habitat up close and personal.
• Tabin Wildlife Reserve - a 120,500 hectare nature preserve on the east coast of Sabah.
• Danum Valley
• Kinabatangan River - great wildlife, like proboscis monkeys and pygmy elephants

Sarawak

• Mulu Caves - Among these limestone caves in the Gunung Mulu National Park is Sarawak chamber, the world's largest known underground chamber.
• Sarawak Cultural Village - Located 35 km from Kuching on the foothill of Mount Santubong, it is a showcase of Sarawak's fascinating culture.
• Niah National Park
• Bako National Park - Proboscis monkeys
• Batang Ai National Park
• Kelabit Highlands

Events and Festivals

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

Kota Kinabalu International Airport is Sabah's main international airport and is located 8 km from the city of Kota Kinabalu. It is the second busiest airport in Malaysia. Airlines with flights servicing Kota Kinabalu include Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Korean Air, Silk Air (Singapore), MASWings and AirAsia.

Kuching International Airport is Sarawak's main international airport and is located 11 km south of the city of Kuching. Airlines serving Kuching International Airport include AirAsia, Batavia Air, Malaysia Airlines and Silk Air.

Further airports located in other town and cities including Miri, Sibu, Bintulu, Labuan and Lahad Datu which serve domestic routes.

By Boat

From Brunei: Daily services from Muara Ferry Terminal in Brunei to Labuan island and Lawas (Sarawak). There are also speedboat services between Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) and Lawas (Sarawak).

From Indonesia: Ferry services available from Nunukan to Tawau (Sabah);

From Philippines: Ferry services between Zamboanga Peninsula and Sandakan (Sabah).

Getting Around

By Plane

The preferred way to travel around Malaysian Borneo is by air, thanks to the island's geographical nature, distance, and the lack of road highways.

MASwings, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, is the airline that flies to all domestic destinations in Sabah and Sarawak. They operate Fokker 50 and DHC-6 Twin Otter airplanes as airports in smaller towns in this region are unable to accommodate the larger Airbus and Boeing aircrafts.

For travels between major cities and towns in this region, fly with Malaysia Airlines or AirAsia.

By Train

In Sabah, the Sabah State Railway operates the 134 km long railway track from Tanjung Aru (near Kota Kinabalu) to Tenom. There are three trains servicing the route daily from both ways, except for Sunday when there are only two trains available. The Beufort-Tenom stretch is regarded to be incredibly scenic.

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Eat

Drink

Sleep