Borneo group tours for solo travellers
Experience our group tours to Borneo as a solo traveller with like-minded adventurers
Why travel solo to Borneo?
Borneo. Your opportunity to get back to nature, channel your inner explorer and dive head-first into a vast and complex ecosystem.
Travelling through this steamy island – the third largest in the world – you’ll immediately feel a sense of adventure. Its impenetrable equatorial rainforest rich in wildlife and flora, its winding rivers that hide indigenous stilt-house villages, its legendary offshore coral reefs teeming with colourful life…everything about Borneo is geared towards exploration.
Orangutans are the island’s most recognised inhabitants – and the thrill of seeing one of these endangered creatures in the wild is hard to describe. There are pygmy elephants, too, hornbills and vine snakes – all to be spotted from a river safari or an inland trek. Your adventure might also see you wild swimming in waterfalls, cave exploring in the World Heritage Site of Gunung Mulu National Park and hopping over to Kota Kinabalu for a bit of R&R, South China Sea-side.
The best of Borneo? It’s not hard to find.
Top places to visit
Kuching
This beautiful laidback riverside city is a mix of old and new: 19th-century colonial buildings sit alongside modern high rises and traditional Chinese shophouses line many of the narrow streets. Don’t miss taking a sampan ride to the grand astana palace or learning about Borneo’s 27 tribes at the fascinating Sarawak Museum.
Kota Kinabalu
A cosmopolitan coastal city surrounded by rainforest and in the shadow of Mount Kinabalu, ‘KK’ is known for its bustling markets, seafront boardwalk and sizzling street food stalls. Full of old-world charm, it’s a good base for exploring the nearby Kiulu Valley or day trips to the offshore islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park.
Kinabatangan River
Sabah’s longest river flows east from the Crocker Range to spill into the mangrove-fringed Sulu Sea, passing through one of Southeast Asia’s richest rainforests. Atmospheric riverside lodges offer wildlife safaris by day and night, to spot endangered species like orangutans, proboscis monkeys and pygmy elephants.
Gunung Mulu National Park
Mulu is known for its colossal caves and jagged limestone cliffs jutting out of the pristine jungle. Deer Cave (the largest cave system in the world – five times the size of St Paul’s Cathedral), is a fitting backdrop for the nightly exodus of millions of wrinkle-lipped bats who emerge at sunset in a frenzy.
Trips to Borneo
Borneo facts
What are the national languages?
Sabah & Sarawak: Malay
Brunei: English
Kalimantan: Indonesian
What is the currency?
Sabah & Sarawak: Malaysian ringgit
Brunei: Brunei dollar
Kalimantan: Indonesian rupiah
Timezone
GMT +8
Top three experiences
1. River safari and orangutan spotting on the Kinabatangan River
2. Stay overnight in an indigenous longhouse
3. Snorkel the clear waters of Manukan Island
Top five dishes to try
1. Bambagan – wild mango endemic to Borneo
2. Sarawak layer cake – rich, buttery cake in geometric layers
3. Laksa – spicy noodle soup topped with chicken, prawn or fish
4. Beef rendang – beef curry with spices and coconut milk
5. Kolo Mee – egg noodles with barbecued pork & shallots
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