4 places you can’t miss in Borneo

By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 6th October 2018 | Updated: 1st November 2023

Borneo. An island shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, home to an ancient rainforest, amazing diving and of course orangutans. I was lucky enough to spend 5 days in Borneo in the capital of the Malaysian state of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, to the north of the island exploring the sights and getting engrossed in the culture of the largest island in Asia. So where should you visit in this peaceful friendly country? Well look no further, here are 4 places you can’t miss in Borneo;

Kota Kinabalu

Being based in Kota Kinabalu is a great option as it is so close to Kinabalu National Park as well as the Coral islands. It is also full of bustling markets, with unimaginable spices of many colours, smells and textures, as well as a beautiful waterfront. There is also a beautiful city mosque and Chinese temple you can visit to get your fill of local architecture. I recommend viewing the city from above, we found a little viewpoint near our hotel, but there are also lots of rooftop bars/pools you can go to!

One thing you must do in Kota Kinabalu is walk through the many markets selling trinkets, fruit and veg and find one of the locals favourite cafe haunts. Here you can experience the local sweet tea with a roti canai pancake. I can guarantee you, you will not be disappointed!

Kinabalu Park

You can’t spend 5 days in Borneo without visiting Kinabalu Park. One of the first National Parks in Malaysia, it is also Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site, so you can see why it is a must visit. The park, which is home to Mount Kinabalu, (at 4,095m being the islands highest peak), is known for its mountain gardens and jungle trails.

From Kota we drove through the Crocker mountain range, stopping to take in the incredible views of Mount Kinabalu and the surrounding luscious green landscapes. Just us, the birds and a peaceful breeze! We then took to the trails exploring the flora and fauna of the World Heritage Site, with orchids galore, (my favourite has to be the laughing orchid, beautiful colours and moving petals that are a natural engineering delight!).

Whilst there we experienced a few earthquakes, (which is seriously odd if you are in the middle of a rainforest!), and we were told by the locals that the spirit of the mountain was angry after some tourists had treated the National Park badly. So you have been warned, be nice to the mountain and it will be nice to you!

Planning your own trip to Borneo? Make sure you check out our Travelling Tedaldi Amazon Store Travel Guides for all your guidebooks and maps. (We’ve done the hard work for you and linked all the things we used to plan our trip!)

Poring

With sulphur hot springs and canopy walkways, Poring’s little Nature Reserve is another must explore. You can experience the rainforest as the orangutans do by climbing to the top of a suspended series of bouncy wooden footbridges 50m above the forest floor, truly up in the jungle canopy! The views from the walkways are incredible and with the local birds and unspoiled flora allowing you to fully immerse yourself in nature, you could be forgiven for thinking you had found a new unexplored land.

Once you have witnessed the suspended walkway for yourself, you can follow one of the various trails that snake through the forest at ground level looking for the mineral-rich hot-springs. This place is Poring’s best-known tonic for mind and body and you can see why.

Tunku Abdul Rahman

The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park comprises a group of 5 islands just off the mainland of Sabah. Known for its bright white sands, coral reefs and waterfront houses on stilts, hopping on a boat to the islands is so worth it.

You can snorkel, or dive, the crystal clear waters in the warm ocean waters for hours on end, chasing to catch a glimpse of the colourful fish or relax on the sun-soaked beaches. You can even wander a bit further inland and through the rainforest mangrove boardwalks.

Be warned though don’t get too carried away with snorkelling, we did for a few hours and let’s just say our backs did not approve of the sun exposure the next day!

So there are 4 places you can’t miss in Borneo! One last mention though has to be viewing at least one sunset from a rooftop terrace. We were lucky enough to be staying in a hotel that had a rooftop pool/bar, so drink in hand watching the multicolour sky change from day to night over the islands is incredible!

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Gemma (i.e The Travelling Tedaldi)

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Gemma Tedaldi

Gemma is the owner and author of The Travelling Tedaldi, a travel blog helping travellers to discover the best road trips and travel itineraries throughout the UK and Europe. When she isn’t writing about her favourite travel destinations, she can often be found out exploring local hikes or planning future trips.