Getting around Borneo

Lush jungles, beautiful coastlines, wildlife and local life passing by… travelling from place to place in Borneo is all part of your family adventure. When planning your trip, your travel specialist will talk you through your journeys and help you plan things in a way that works for your and your kids, however fidgety they might get!

Here’s an introduction to your transport options in Borneo.

Particularly if your family holiday takes you to both Sarawak (western Borneo) and Sabah (eastern Borneo), you’ll need to travel by air… unless you fancy an 18-hour road journey? These short flights (it takes around 1.5hrs east to west) save you a lot of time without too much extra expense, so they’re invaluable if you want to see both sides of Borneo.

There are 3 main airports, Kuching in Sarawak and Kota Kinabalu or Sandakan in Sabah. The main airlines covering these domestic routes are Malaysia Airlines, their subsidiary Firefly Airlines, and the budget carrier Air Asia. When planning your trip, your travel specialist will book the best option in terms of timing and cost with luggage included, and will also arrange any airport transfers you need.

Shorter local journeys usually mean travelling by road, and the good news is that the Malaysian part of Borneo island has a pretty well-maintained road network. Things can get a little bumpy in remote areas and the rules of the road are a bit different to Europe, so we don’t usually recommend car hire. Instead, we use a network of professional local drivers to help you get around Borneo. All drivers are thoroughly vetted and have excellent safety records, so you can be confident they’ll take good care of your family during your journey.

Traditional longboats taking you into the jungle, ferry rides to paradise islands, kayak adventures along the coast… some Borneo journeys are just better by water (and in some cases, only possible by water!).

Your travel specialist will talk you through the details of any boat journeys included in your trip, with things like luggage transfers all included for you as needed.

Most of Borneo’s towns and cities are fairly compact and easy enough to explore on foot, but if you do need some local transport then taxis are readily available in most places and very affordable too. You can usually ask your hotel to arrange a taxi if needed, or they’ll be available on the street too.

We recommend sticking to official metered taxis wherever possible, and making sure that the meter is turned on to avoid any confusion. Tipping isn’t expected for taxis but if you want to waive the change then it’ll be appreciated.

Bike rental is also possible in many places and can be a fun way to explore, especially in more rural areas.