One Week Malaysian Borneo Itinerary

Malaysian Borneo is off the beaten backpacker route, and because of that, is much more authentic and a great adventure. I went because I wanted to see orangutans in the wild, and this is one of two places in the world to see them. I wasn’t disappointed! I have put together a one week itinerary for your Borneo adventure, with a focus on the rainforest and a day on the beach to end it. If you have more time, I recommend climbing Mt Kinabalu (see my blog post here), and with even more time and budget, head to Gunung Mulu National Park for a few days.

Contents

Itinerary Overview

Day 1: Kota Kinabalu

Days 2 and 3: Sepilok

Days 4, 5, and 6: Kinabatangan River Safari

Day 7: Kota Kinabalu and Island Hopping

Budget

A final note… 

Itinerary Overview

Day 1: Arrive and explore Kota Kinabalu 

Day 2: Kota Kinabalu to Sepilok

Day 3: Sepilok

Day 4: Kinabatangan River Safari (day 1)

Day 5: Kinabatangan River Safari (day 2)

Day 6: Kinabatangan River Safari (day 3) to Kota Kinabalu

Day 7: Kota Kinabalu Island Hopping

Day 1: Kota Kinabalu

Welcome to Borneo! You’ll most likely be flying into Kota Kinabalu, so take a day to arrive and see the city.

Kinabatangan River

Things to Do

Walk around Pasar Besar market. The whole waterfront is very picturesque, and it is back-to-back markets for most of it. Some open very early in the morning, and night markets take over at night. This one has a bit of everything.

Head to Tangjung Aru beach for sunset. You will not be alone here, it seems like the whole city heads to this beach for sunset, but it is absolutely beautiful and has a great atmosphere. The best way to get there is to take a Grab, but leave plenty of time before sunset because the traffic getting there is heavy. Food stalls are right by the beach, as well as stalls selling typical market goods.

Tangjung Aru beach at sunset

Where to Stay

Homy Seafront Hostel. This is one of the nicest hostels I’ve ever stayed at. It’s very social, is in a great location, has beautiful ocean views, is clean, and has breakfast all day. The pictures online don’t do it justice. You can book this on Hostelworld.

Days 2 and 3: Sepilok

On day 2, you’ll get the bus from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan, which is the city closest to Sepilok, the home of orang-utans! You can book this online through Easybook. It’s an 8 hour drive which includes a stop for lunch at a semi decent place. It’s a fairly seamless journey and it drops you at the Sandakan bus station where you can get a Grab to Sepilok, about 25 minutes away. It shouldn’t cost more than £10 for a 4 person car.

Things to Do

Visit the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. The centre is helping to rehabilitate orangutans from the Borneo rainforest, most of whom have been victims of habitat destruction via deforestation. The centre is extremely ethical and educational, informing guests of the process of rehabilitation and reintroduction into the wild. There are two daily feeding times, one at 10am and one at 3pm. You can get there earlier and visit the nursery area which is very cute. If you’re lucky, you will be able to find a few orangutans moving about the trees and walkways too. It is an incredible experience and truly eye-opening. Entry costs 30 Malaysian Ringgit (approx. £5), and your ticket is valid for the day, so you can go back for the second feeding if you want to see more.

Feeding platform at the Orangutan Rehbilitation Centre

Visit the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. This is directly across the street from the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, so you can walk between the two easily. There are no designated feeding times here, but if you hang around long enough, you’ll probably see the rangers come out and feed the bears. They are adorable, and provide great viewing entertainment. Entry costs 50 Malaysian Ringgit (approx. £8.40).

A Sunbear munching on a carrot

Walk the Canopy Skywalk at the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC). This is a nice treetop walk high among the trees in the rainforest, walking distance (30 mins) from the Orangutan and Sun Bear Centres. The RDC also offers night walks here. If you’re lucky, you can spot birds and other animals in the trees. You can also walk around the RDC, learn about rainforest flora and fauna, and explore the forest floor. Entry costs 20 Malaysian Ringgit (approx. £3.30).

Where to Stay

Sepilok Nature Lodge (or similar). Your best bet is finding something on Booking.com, as Hostelworld doesn’t offer much in Sepilok. My only recommendation is to not stay at Paganakan Dii - this was one of the worst places I stayed on my trip!

Days 4, 5, and 6: Kinabatangan River Safari

From Sepilok, book a 3D2N river safari experience along the Kinabatangan River. This trip will take you deep into the Borneo rainforest to spot animals like orangutans, monkeys, and pygmy elephants in the wild. I highly recommend booking with River Junkie - it’s a backpacker-focused tour which makes it a lot of fun. And it’s very affordable, I paid £84 for the three days, which included everything: all transport from accommodation in Sepilok return, accommodation on the river, all food, and activities. It’s not a luxury lodge (dorm style and outdoor bathrooms) but provides an authentic and immersive experience.

Your day starts with an early morning boat safari just after sunrise, followed by a daytime jungle walk, an evening boat safari, and a nighttime jungle walk. We were lucky enough to spot several orangutans, including a baby, crocodiles, proboscis monkeys, incredible birds, and several other animals. It was an incredible experience.

My top tip for you for this experience is to bring plenty of super strength mosquito spray. This place had some of the worst mosquitoes I have ever experienced. They bit through two layers of clothes (with mosquito spray on my skin and clothing), and waterproofs were the only thing that stopped them. My hands were eaten alive, and they even get your face. Be prepared!

River Junkie will drop you at the bus station or the airport to drive or fly back to Kota Kinabalu on the third day.

Day 7: Kota Kinabalu and Island Hopping

Back in Kota Kinabalu, take a day to explore the islands off the coast. They are stunning, with white sand beaches and crystal clear water.

Things to Do

Head to Jesselton Point ferry terminal to buy a ticket to the islands. You can buy these on the day, and they cost between 25 and 50 Malaysian Ringgit depending on which islands and how many islands you are planning to visit. Every company charges the same, so it doesn’t matter which one you choose. I recommend sticking to one or two because otherwise it’s too much moving around and you won’t have time to enjoy the islands fully. Each of the islands are about 20-30 minutes by boat from Kota Kinabalu.

Manukan, Mamutik, and Sapi are the three main islands. In my experience, Sapi was the quietest, and Manukan was the busiest. If you visit Manukan or Mamutik, I recommend going in the morning before they get too busy, then head to Sapi in the afternoon. The islands all have toilet facilities and places to get food, but I highly recommend bringing food from the city, as it is wildly overpriced on the islands. You can rent a snorkel and mask through your boat company for 10 Ringgit - the snorkelling isn’t amazing on any of these islands, but it’s a bit of fun if you want to have a swim.

Where to Stay

Back to Homy Seafront Hostel! It’s walking distance (max. 20 minutes) from the ferry pier.

Budget

My daily average for Borneo (without Mt Kinabalu included), was around £25/day. This included food, accommodation, activities, and my SIM card, but not flights. Hostels range from £5 to £15 per night, and you can eat a meal out for between £1 and £5 depending on where you choose to go. Mt Kinabalu raised my daily average to £55/day.

This is a great introductory route to Borneo - there is much more to see on this island, but hopefully this allows you to see the highlights - rainforest, wildlife, and beaches.

A final note… 

You will see much of Borneo is being destroyed by palm oil plantations and its pristine nature is dangerously close to being eradicated completely. It is overwhelming and distressing. Please do not contribute to this! Avoid buying products with palm oil in them, and keep nature as tidy as possible - don’t litter. Leave only your footprints behind :)