Borneo is a large rugged island in Southeast Asia shared by both Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, it holds some of the most biodiverse forests and reefs in the world and is great for rugged adventurers wanting to see wildlife and unique fauna. A short one hour flight from Kuala Lumpar, I traveled to Sabah, a region of rich heritage and amazing natural wonder. A melting pot of Hindu, Muslim, Malay and Chinese traditions and cultures. It is a very laidback and welcoming place still fit for backpackers and would be wanderers where you can really get away from it all. After exploring temples in Cambodia I was excited to see the rugged island of Borneo and hike the famed Mt. Kinabalu. I landed in the capital city of Kota Kinabalu, Kota for short it is a popular backpackers destination.
The city of Kota is lively, and travelers can find everything they need here before setting off on a number of adventures. You will find fantastic restaurants of all kinds, with great Indian, Chinese and Thai, as well as shopping, adventure gear stores and much more. From Kota you can go on excursions to snorkel and scuba dive, trek through the jungle, hike throughout Kinabalu State Park and see Orangutans up close. While I was here I had a chance to do many of these things like see Orangutans up close, dive the reefs of Tunku Abdul Rahmen reef, shop and eat in the open markets in Kota and climb Kinabalu.
While Kota is a great jumping off point for exploring Borneo there are a few things you should know when visiting this region. Borneo as a whole and Kota in particular really struggle with pollution and litter, as well as deforestation, and habitat destruction. Most of the illegal palm oil in the world comes out of Borneo and many animals, Orangutans are one are under constant threat from the global demand for palm oil and other resources, that have resulted in a great instance of slash and burn agriculture that destroys habitat. Additionally the riverway outside my hotel was full of plastic waste, floating debris and trash, and after speaking to some other locals I found out that this waste stream continues for hundreds of miles throughout the jungle and all throughout the continent. More trash than water in many places. A construction sight across the way was letting all their refuse just fall into the river and along the waterfront which is hyped as being the tourist area of Kota, the trash was piled up along the pathway and blowing into the ocean with no trash cans in sight. The government has begun to educate the locals on how to clean up litter but they estimate that it will take more than 30 years to change the habits of this continent. An initiative called the Heart of Borneo has also been successful in setting aside land for protection with a total of 185 of land now being protected. Thanks to this and recent global news of Borneo’s habitat destruction more is starting to be done on this grave issue.
Rasa Ria Nature Park
Located at the Shangri-La Resort outside Kota Kinabalu, the nature reserve here is home to a few orphaned orangutans that have been rescued from high risk areas throughout Borneo. The reserve is also home to several families of long tail macaque, a Sumatran rhinoceros and many birds. Park rangers bring you to a viewing platform where myself and other guests were able to watch as two orangutans played, swung and laughed as they bent the trees and stole snacks from the rangers. Soon a family of monkeys came by to steal what there was to eat. The monkeys were very entertaining, tickling each other, falling off branches, and chasing one another across the vines. One of the monkeys with her baby clenching her belly cried in distress when the others would get too close. Visiting here even though not in the wild was one of the highlights of this trip. I had a chance to interview one of the rangers and learn more about the critical work they are doing to protect orphaned and endangered animals, and they are a true blessing to the community and the endangered animals they protect. For those interested and with more time on their hands you can travel farther east in Borneo to Sarawak where a much larger rehabilitation center for orangutans exists. This facility called the Semanggoh Rehabilitation Center has been operating for more than 20 years.
The jungles of Borneo are some of the oldest on the planet. They are home to a vast web of life many of the species have yet to be discovered. It is estimated that over half the plant and animal species on earth are found in the jungles here which are being destroyed by humans at an alarming rate. More than 30% of the rainforest has been destroyed in the last 40 years and deforestation has lead to the deaths of more than 160,000 orangutans in just 16 years.
Climbing Mt. Kinabalu
It was from Kota that I set off to hike Mount Kinabalu 4,095m the highest peak between the Himalayas and New Guinea. CLimbing to it’s peak requires a guide since it is park of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Park. The climb is staged as an overnight climb taking two days with a night spent at a refugio. After being picked up in the early morning from Kota I set off via a van for the hour drive to the mountain park. The drive brings you through beautiful tropical lowlands and up into the rainforest where I would began my hike.
After arriving to the mountain base with my tour company Adventure Borneo, I dropped my luggage and got ready for a climb through the jungle. I would be spending one night and 2 days hiking the 8.3 kilometers to the summit. With my mountain guide I set off into the humidity of the jungle for what I thought would be an easy day. I kept my ears open and my eyes ready to spot some of the over 300 species of birds that live within Kinabalu Park.
I was quickly breathless in the hot air and stairs, so many stairs…. luckily for me and all the other climbers there was a rest stop with great information about the biodiversity of the mountainside every kilometer or so. This and the endless porters carrying packages the size of people on their backs passing you keeps you motivated to continue. As I continued to hike the jungle melds into a cloud forest that swallows the mountainside from view hiding itself like an ancient secret. As I continued to hike through the clouds and into the scrub forest the trees give way to a dark and imposing rock face hidden away most of the day by clouds but a lucky few see its true magnificence.
I was having a hard time in the heat with such a steep climb and after about 4 km I was ready to stop. My boyfriend who I had convinced to come along, seemed to be bounding along even though he had all the camera gear. Our guide who obviously does this hike weekly was strolling along like a walk in the park. He was even smoking a cigarette most of the climb. Feeling out of shape I was ecstatic when we began to see the outlines of the rest houses on the horizon. Base Camp at last and a hot lunch awaited us.
The cool early morning mountain air quickly brought me back to life. With headlamps lighting the way we set off up the trail and into the dark beyond. The afternoon rains from the previous day had turned the trail into a trickling river, but cold feet would not stop me. Hiking through the last of the scrub and passing the 7km check point we came to a rock face laced with ropes, it was here that the trail got very exciting, and where the nervous turned back. After scaling the cliff face for a few hours the summit was finally in view, but the air was thin and the temperature frigid. For some reason the thin air enlivened me and I sprinted to the top getting a breathtaking view of Borneo as I waited for the sun to rise over the ocean and bring light to the jungle.
TIPS: Don’t worry if you aren’t a prepared hiker the rest house shop has headlamp rentals, warm clothes and plenty of snacks and things to keep you hydrated.
Guides: Guides are required to hike Kinabalu as it is part of the World Heritage Site. Make sure you book direct as there are many fake companies trying to get hired for guide service. We used Amazing Borneo.
Tunku Abdul Rahman Park
After visiting Orangutans and climbing Kilimanjaro my last activity in Borneo was a day on and in the water. I had been told that Borneo has some of the most beautiful reefs in the world. My hope had been to visit the island of Sipadan off the Eastern Coast of Tawau but the logistics would have added several days I did not have to my itinerary. Kota Kinabalu also has several reefs within the vicinity that can be snorkeled or scuba dived, so I planned to head to the marina and hop in a boat destined for some of the islands off the coast. Our first stop was the island of Manukan which is a popular spot for locals and tourists. Many of which brought picnics to spend the day and enjoy the beach. The island has some facilities with a small store, restrooms and dock. Snorkel gear in hand I jumped in the water hoping to see colorful fish, corals and clear waters. Unfortunately what I saw were plastic water bottles, a diaper and other plastic waste. While I did see fish and corals I was saddened by the onslaught of human trash and litter that had made its way into the ocean.
My swim through debris was cut short by a sudden rain storm. Most of the island visitors crammed there way under the one awning on the dock to wait for the return of one of the island boats to return us to the mainland. The boat ride back was one of the most interesting of my life, with almost zero visibility the open boat and it’s passengers were drenched to the bone. We had no idea if we were going in the right direction so the driver decided to point us in the direction of land and drive straight until we see it then we would know when to turn and head north back towards Kota. After drying off at my hotel and having a final meal of Chicken curry and fried rice it was time to head back to the airport and off to my next destination, Bali Indonesia.
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