Wilds of Borneo | FindPenguins

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Trip start
October 12, 2026
Wilds of Borneo Traveler
Travelling again
October 12 in Australia ☁️ 32 °C
Hello dear readers!

Trace and I are off overseas again travelling to Borneo for a 10 day tour. The first stage is an overnight flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur on a Malaysian Airlines A330-900 Neo.

More details to follow!Read more
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Wilds of Borneo Traveler
Sandakan
October 13 in Malaysia ⛅ 32 °C
Today was mostly spent on a plane. We left Sydney at about 10pm and arrived in Kuala Lumpur at about 4am the next morning. We then spent a couple of hours in the airport lounge before boarding the next flight from KL to Sandakan, only about a two and a half hour flight away.

We met our tour guide, Sarah, at the airport and hopped on the bus to the Elopura Hotel on the waterfront of Sandakan. We arrived a bit after lunch so we spent the afternoon having a few drinks before heading out to Bistro 88 for a pretty sensational dinner.

In some of the photos you’ll see it is very hazy, this is due to fires burning down south.

Given we were all surviving on minimal sleep it was an early night ahead of a full day tomorrow.Read more
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Wilds of Borneo Traveler
Catching up with the relatives!
October 14 in Malaysia ☀️ 29 °C
Orangutans and humans share about 97% of their DNA so they are one of our closest relatives. Today we went to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre where they focus on conservation of orangutans. We went for a walk through the rainforest and watched the keepers feeding some of the locals. This centre has been going for a long time now and have been very successful in supporting orangutans.

They are very clever animals and will steal soft drink cans from cafe or non secured items from tourists. They eat mostly fruit but also some small mammals and insects as well. They rarely drink water on the ground as they are vulnerable to attack from crocs and snakes and they usually get enough water from their diet.

After checking out the orangutans, and taking a break in the cafe’s air conditioning as the humidity is 100%, we walked across the road to the Sun Bear Conservation Centre.

Sun bears are the smallest species of bear and have been extensively hunted. Like the orangutans this park focuses on conservation and education.

The bears are very cute. They are named after the orange coloured patch on their chests. We watched the keepers feeding them and learned a bit about the bears.

Next stop was the Rainforest Centre. There is not a lot of original rainforest left in Borneo. A lot of it was logged extensively during British Colonisation before WW2 when the state of Sabah was known as British North Borneo. This centre lets you walk through the forest on elevated walkways so you can get up into the canopy.

Our last stop was at the Sandakan Death March Memorial Park. This is where the POW camp was set up to hold a lot of Australian and British prisoners captured on the fall of Singapore in February 1942. The park has a great memorial and gives lots of information about the history of the site. We cover the death marches more later in the tour.

Dinner was back at the same restaurant we went to last night. The food here really is excellent and very cheap. Beer is also pretty cheap but wine is about what you would pay in Australia.

Tomorrow we head up into the jungle!Read more
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Kinabatangan River
October 15 in Malaysia ⛅ 29 °C
A big chunk of today was spent on the bus as we travelled inland to the Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge which is to be our home for the next couple of nights.

On our way here we stopped off at a Proboscis Monkey Park to see these amazing animals. They live in either family groups with one dominant male or in bachelor groups. The dominant male is always on guard against the bachelor groups getting too close to his harem.

The big nose that gives these monkeys their name is used by the males to make loud noises to keep any interlopers away. Their big beer belly allows them to digest some of the forest fruits that are poisonous to other creatures. Their habitat is around mangrove swamps alongside the river estuaries. They live to be about 25 years old and their main predators are crocs and leopards.

We were there at feeding time so we managed to see them up close. Really amazing animals.

After another hour or two drive we came to the Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge. In colonial times this river was used to transport timber but now the focus is ecotourism.

After lunch we went on a cruise down the river to spot elephants! The Bornean elephants are about 70% the size of African elephants and are endangered. We saw a few from the river where they were happily munching on vegetation.

We also saw a few more proboscis monkeys, macaques, and a few rhinoceros hornbills.

A really great boat trip. Tomorrow we explore the river some more!Read more
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Wilds of Borneo Traveler
Hanging out by the river
October 16 in Malaysia ⛅ 24 °C
We spent today exploring around the lodge on the Kinabatangan River.

First up was an early morning (well 7am) cruise up the river and one of its tributaries looking to see what we could see. We saw some macaques, birdlife, and lots of greenery. We were on the lookout for crocodiles but didn’t see any.

Afterwards we hopped on the bus to the nearby Gomontong Caves. This is a huge cave home to various species of bats and swifts which are the source birds nests to make birds nest soup. The cavern is huge and the ground is covered in bat droppings and cockroaches.

We had a relaxing afternoon before another cruise up the river. This time we did see a croc but he was too quick to photograph. We pulled in alongside a family of long tailed macaques who were quite happy to sit a couple of metres away from our boat and let us take as many photos as we wanted.

Further up the river we came across a group of short tailed macaques and a few proboscis monkeys.

The rainforest here is amazingly dense and cascades all the way down to the river. It would be very difficult to walk through it.

Tomorrow we keep heading west.Read more
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Highlands
October 17 in Malaysia 🌧 23 °C
Most of today was spent on the bus heading from the Kinabatangan River up into the highlands close to Mount Kinabalu. The route roughly follows the route of the death marches in 1945. Interestingly the death marches are well known and recognised by the local population today.

The road over the mountains was not what you would call an easy drive. The flatter areas in the east soon gave way to soaring mountains and plunging valleys. It must have been heartbreaking to reach the crest of a hill and then see more valleys and hills in front of you. Historians have mapped out the path of the marches and key sites along the way.

We stopped for lunch at a tea plantation that marked the spot where Private Allan Quailey was killed by the Japanese. It is marked by a memorial stone. There are also signs marking the route the marches took.

We were headed to the village of Kundasang in the shadow of Mt Kinabalu where we are staying the night. We are now 1,450m above sea level so it is much cooler and there are no mosquitoes. Mt Kinabalu is visible from the village and soars 4,000m, it is really impressive.

We stopped off at the spot in the river where carp come and nibble your feet as you paddle in the river. I stayed on the bank and took photos!

Our hotel has amazing views of Mt Kinabalu but the clouds and haze have combined to obscure a lot of the mountain.

This side of the country is more catholic. The eastern side was Muslim. There are also far fewer palm oil plantations.

Tomorrow we continue on our journey to the west coast.Read more
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West coast of Sabah
October 18 in Malaysia ☁️ 19 °C
This morning we left our hotel with the amazing view and started down towards the west coast. Before we left the village of Kundasang we stopped off at the Kundasang War Memorial Gardens.

These gardens were originally set up in 1965 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Death Marches but fell into disrepair and were damaged by an earthquake before being rescued about 10 years ago by a local man. There is an Australian garden, an English garden, a Bornean garden, and a roll of honour listing all those who were killed. It relies solely on donations and admission charges to survive. It was really well done and really touching to see to locals so invested in their history.

After the gardens we wandered around the local Sunday markets before heading to a restaurant for lunch and then on down the mountains to Kota Kinabalu.

KK as it is known is the main business and industrial area for the state of Sabah. It is a lot bigger than Sandakan and boasts a number of tall buildings. After the war much of the land around the harbour was reclaimed and there are loads of shops and big hotels here.

Our guide took us to a mosque which is one of the few non-Muslims are allowed to enter. Not anywhere near as big or as flash as the one we went to in Casablanca but still interesting. We were required to dress in Muslim attire which was rather unusual.

We are here for the next three nights staying at the Hilton hotel which is a step up from our comfortable but spartan accommodation to date.Read more
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Manukan Island
October 19 in Malaysia ☁️ 29 °C
Off the coast of Kota Kinabalu there are a number of islands. Today we all piled into a couple of large speed boats for the 15 min trip out to Manukan Island.

This is not a very large island but it has a couple of resorts for people to stay and a couple of restaurants. First up we hit the beach for a swim and a snorkel. Not as good as the Cook Islands but there were a couple of interesting fish, including one very territorial one who kept charging at you as you swam by. We saw some small clown fish, a few areas of coral, and a heap of sea urchins.

After a swim we hit a local restaurant for lunch followed by a walk out to the other end of the island. By this time it was about 2pm and a huge storm was brewing. We made it back from our walk but then it started bucketing with rain. Luckily we had been swimming so it didn’t matter too much if we were wet again but it was a very uncomfortable trip back to the mainland. The rain was so heavy it was difficult to find the marina we left from but we all made it back.

After drying out we went to a local restaurant for dinner.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Malaysia.Read more
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Malay culture
October 20 in Malaysia ☁️ 28 °C
There are 5 indigenous tribes in Sabah each with their own characteristics. Some are farmers, some traders, and a couple are head hunters!

Today we went to the Mari Mari Cultural Village where there are typical buildings from each of the main tribes. We learned about the different characteristics of each tribe, how they lived and what they ate. This was followed by some traditional dancing.

After lunch we headed back to the hotel to rest up before going for a bit of a walk around town.

Dinner was a simple beer and pizza.

Tomorrow we start the journey home.Read more
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End of the fun
October 21 in Malaysia ☀️ 29 °C
Today we were on a 4pm flight to KL so we only had a half day. After a good breakfast we went for a bit of a walk around the hotel but have to say there wasn’t much to see so we ended up having a few beers beside the pool before heading to the airport.

Tomorrow I’ll do one last blog with my favourite points and photos of our time in Sabah, Borneo.Read more
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Thoughts on Borneo
October 22 in Australia ☁️ 19 °C
Have to admit I was very surprised by Borneo. The wildlife was amazing and plentiful. Being able to cruise down the Kinabatangan River and see wild elephants and various types of monkeys and birdlife mere metres away on the banks was a definite highlight.

The focus and general awareness among the locals of what happened during WW2 was also a surprise. It was far more prominent than I expected. Sadly the locals would have a better understanding of what happened than many Australians.

The change in landscape from the flatter eastern part of the country to the more mountainous western side was stark and beautiful. The views of Mount Kinabalu across the village of Kundasang were breathtaking.

Malay people are very friendly and welcoming. The food was good but I guess a little disappointing, I didn’t get to have a satay or a laksa! That said the food we did have was excellent and very cheap.

So this was a very surprising experience. I guess I didn’t really know what to expect but I was blown away by all aspects of Borneo and Sabah in particular.

As usual below is a selection of favourite photos from the trip.

Until next time!Read more
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Trip end
October 22, 2026