Borneo FAQs

Your passport needs to be valid for six months after your planned departure from Borneo. You can find out more information on entry requirements our Visa, Passport and Money Advice page.

UK passport holders travelling for leisure don’t need to apply for a visa in advance, and you’ll usually be granted a 90-day stay. On arrival, each member of your family will need to present a valid passport with at least one blank page, as well as evidence of onward travel (e.g. your return flight ticket).

One additional requirement to be aware of is the Digital Arrival Card, which should be completed within 3 days of your arrival in Malaysia.

Yes, we would always recommend taking out comprehensive family travel insurance when travelling. This should cover any medical services you need, lost property and other common claims.

We would also strongly suggest buying a policy as soon as you’ve booked your holiday, as most insurers will cover you for cancellation before departure at no extra cost (e.g. for medical problems or close family members passing away).

In general, Borneo has a warm and humid climate so loose clothes made from natural materials are perfect. You’ll also want light rain jackets, some sturdy trainers or walking boots, and a couple of warmer layers for travelling.

Some other family packing essentials include;

Sunscreen, sunglasses, hats or caps, sandals, mosquito repellent, universal plug adaptor, charger cables for any gadgets, reading materials, refillable water bottles, small first aid kit, any specific medicines (clearly labelled).

Also remember your bank card and any emergency helpline numbers, a small first aid kit, copies of important documents and a money belt to keep them in.

Vaccination advice should only be taken from a doctor or travel nurse but Malaysian Borneo is not considered especially high-risk for diseases. It is sensible to consult your doctor 8 weeks before travel in case any boosters are needed, and the Travel Health Pro website has lots of useful information you can refer to.

You may require a yellow fever certificate if you have recently travelled to certain destinations in Latin America and Africa.

We know heading off on holiday is always a little bit stressful, especially on the day you leave, so we would advise doing these things before you depart:

• Check you have all your necessary documentation, including your passports!
• Take a photo of your documents and email it to yourself and travelling partners. Having a copy on your phone always comes in handy too.
• Ensure you have all your chargers and converters for any phones, cameras, tablets you are taking. A portable battery pack is a handy item to have in your hand luggage.
• Take snacks and a refillable bottle for your flight.
• Get to the airport with plenty of time to spare, we advise arriving 3 hours prior to your flight departure.
• Pack a change of clothes in your hand luggage and take a photo of your checked bag in case it goes missing en route.
• Sit back and relax knowing we have your holiday sorted!

There are a number of languages spoken in Malaysian Borneo, but Malay is the main national language and the most widely spoken. Knowing a few words can be helpful and endear you to the locals, so we’d recommend getting phrasebook or using Google Translate. Having said that, many local people speak a good level of English, especially the younger generations and those in popular tourist destinations, so you’ll get by fine even if you’re not much of a linguist.

Borneo’s food scene is full of unique and wonderful dishes, and if you’re a family of adventurous eaters then you’ll find plenty here to inspire you. The cuisine is heavily influenced by mainland Malaysian, Indian and Chinese food, so expect lovely fresh noodle and rice dishes made with fish, meat and local vegetables. Borneo also has some exceptional signature dishes of its own and an excellent street food scene, so be sure to seek out favourites like Sarawak Laksa, Mee Sua and Kolo Mee. Dishes can be moderately spicy but you can ask things to be toned down for the kids if needed.

If your kids are going through a fussy eating phase then you should stick to the larger and more tourist-friendly restaurants, which are likely to have more classic western dishes on the menu.

Malaysia in general has a multi-cultural and multi-faith society, and it’s a largely peaceful and welcoming culture where family plays a huge role. Colourful religious festivals happen throughout the year amongst the different communities and ethnicities, from Chinese New Year to Diwali and even Christmas. As a majority Muslim nation, Ramadan is an important month – it’s fine to travel at this time and it can be a very interesting experience, but it’s advised to show respect by not eating in public areas during fasting hours.

Despite the variety of faiths, all Malaysians share certain cultural norms that it’s good to be aware of;

• Overly revealing outfits are not appreciated. Malaysians themselves dress quite modestly so showing too much skin isn’t advised.
• Raising your voice in public is also frowned upon.
• Men and women do not shake hands when greeting each other, and hugging or kissing is a greeting reserved only for very close friends and family.
• If you are giving a gift, it’s best to avoid alcohol, anything to do with pigs and white wrapping paper.
• You should always use your right hand to give and receive things.
• It is considered rude to touch another person’s head.
• Feet are considered dirty so try not to move objects with them or display your soles to anybody.
• You should avoid pointing at things with your finger – try to gesture with an open hand instead.
• Sadly, homosexual activity remains illegal in Malaysia, and public displays of affection are frowned upon whatever your orientation.

Most Malaysians are aware of cultural differences and will forgive minor discretions without any comment, but it’s always best to be aware.

Borneo is generally considered a safe destination for family travel. Crime involving tourists is rare and, for the most part, limited to petty theft. Keep a tight hold on your valuables in busy urban areas or use a concealed money belt. Never hand over your passport to non-officials (we suggest carrying a photocopy instead) and try to stick to ATMs located inside of banks. Protests and disturbances happen very occasionally in the cities – these won’t target tourists but it’s strongly advised to steer clear of any unrest.

You can check latest official travel guidance on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website.

In case of emergency, you’ll have a 24/7 telephone number for our local partners who can help and advise in almost any situation. In more extreme cases, 999 is the police number and it’s 112 for an ambulance (calling from a mobile).

You can also speak to the dedicated Malaysian Tourist Police on (+60) 3 21496590 and reach the British Embassy in Malaysia on (+60) 3 21702312. Make sure you have good family travel insurance to cover any costs that arise.

P.S. We’d recommend making a couple of copies of your passport photo page before travelling and also saving a digital copy in your e-mails – this will make things much easier if something happens to your actual passport.

The currency in Malaysian Borneo (and Malaysia generally) is the Malaysian Ringgit (MYR or RM). Bank notes come as 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1, and there are various coins too. The equivalent of pennies are ‘sen’, and there are 100 sen in a ringgit. For reference, 6 Ringgit is worth about £1. 

You can exchange money before you travel but there’s no real need – you’ll usually get just as good (if not better) rates locally, either at the airport or at an official bank ATM. Just beware of your bank’s foreign withdrawal fees, and note that most cash machines will also charge a small fee. We suggest using ATMs located inside of banks as the outside ones are sometimes targeted by fraudsters.

Borneo has less of a tipping culture than in other parts of Asia, and for the most part you can just pay whatever it says on the bill. Many restaurants include a service charge anyway, and there’s no expectation to leave extra (although it will be appreciated, of course). This is the same for local taxis – you can waive the change if you like but a substantial tip isn’t expected.

The drivers and guides we work with are fairly paid and don’t expect tips, but many travellers choose to do so anyway and it is always very much appreciated. As a guideline, if you’ve had a guide for most of a day then something like MYR60 (£10) is reasonable, and around MYR30 would be normal for a private driver on a long journey.