Welcome to Borneo Island, one of our favourite places in the world.
Not only are the Bornean people so friendly and hospitable, the island is positively bursting with our favourite thing – wildlife! Everywhere! 🤩
We visited the Malaysian state of Sabah, located north of Borneo Island.
From venturing deep into its Danum Valley conservation area, river cruising down the sacred Kinabatangan River and hopping on a speedboat to the tropical Gaya Island, Sabah was perfect for wildlife spotting, exploring and an island escape.
More posts about Borneo:
Borneo “Know Before You Go”
Borneo Travel Itineraries
Borneo Wildlife & Experiences
Borneo Hotels & Places To Stay
Borneo Fun Facts
Borneo is the third largest island in the world, behind Greenland and New Guinea. Incredibly, it is twice the size of Germany!
Borneo is not the name of a country, but the name of the island itself. It has 18 million human in habitants.
It is technically shared between three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and the small independent country of Brunei.
Borneo is a wildlife lovers dream destination! It has the oldest rainforests on Earth (estimated to be 140 million+ years old), which harbours some of the world’s most rare and incredible creatures:
222 species of mammals can be found in Borneo. 44 of these are endemic, meaning Borneo is the only place they can be found on Earth!
22 species of primate, 420 species of birds, 100 species of amphibians, 400 species of fish and staggeringly – 15,000 species of plant also call Borneo home. 360 new species have been found in Borneo in the past 10 years, and it is suspected there are many more to still be discovered!
The best country in Borneo to visit to see Orangutans is the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, located north of Borneo. In particular, Sabah state is your best bet, with around 11,000 Orangutans in Sabah and 1,600 in Sarawak.
In Sabah, the best opportunities to see Orangutans in the wild include cruising along the Kinabatangan River, or visiting the Danum Valley National Park.
Sabah is also home to the world’s first Orangutan Rehabilitation Center – Sepilok. Here, they take care of young orphaned orangutans and pair them with older inhabitants to learn the ways of live, before eventually being released back into the wild. Nearby, there is also a Sun Bear conservation centre.
Over half of the world’s timber supply comes from Bornean rainforests. Unsustainable deforestation is the main cause of the tragic loss of Borneo’s rainforest footprint and natural habitats, reducing from 74% of the island to 50% in just 40 years.
Borneo Weather and Seasons
Borneo’s tropical climate means you can expect hot and humid temperatures throughout the year (approximately 29-31°c), which rarely deviates. Though rainfall here is unpredictable, Borneo does have a Wet and a Dry season to help suggest when the best time to visit Borneo is:
Dry Season
More specifically for Sabah state (the best area to visit for wildlife), this Northern state of Borneo escapes the majority of Borneo’s storms and can be visited all-year round.
Its dry season is April – September months, though still receives 2,000mm annual rainfall due to being surrounded by tropical rainforest. Temperatures rarely deviate from 25-32°c throughout the year.
Wet Season
More specifically for Sabah state (the best area to visit for wildlife), the Wet season is between October – March.
While temperatures remain hot and humid, rainfall increases significantly especially during the months of October, November and December. This will make it much harder to spot Borneo’s wildlife.
When is the best time to visit Sabah, Borneo?
The best time to visit Sabah state in Borneo is between the months of May and September. Not only is the chance of rainfall less likely, but most importantly, the native trees will be producing fruit in these months. This encourages Orangutans (and other wildlife) to come much closer to the ground, highly increasing your chances of spotting Orangutans in the wild!
Borneo Wildlife
The Orangutan
Instantly recognisable by their flaming ginger fur, these docile and gentle primates are the emblematic symbol of Borneo. Otherwise nicknamed the ‘Man of the Forest’, Orangutans live solitary lives to ensure they are dispersed enough to have a good fruit supply per primate. They feed and forage on the fruits and leaves from the rainforest trees. The best places to see them in the wild is along the Kinabatangan River and Danum Valley!
Bornean Pygmy Elephant
Though the Bornean Pygmy Elephant is the smallest subspecies of Asian elephant in the world, it is technically still Borneos largest mammal! Though only 1,500 estimated in the wild, if you are lucky they can be spotted drinking from the edge of the Kinabatangan River. They are one of the least-understood elephant species in the world, and need to eat more than 130kg of fruit, grass and leaves per day!
Malayan Sun Bear
Borneo has only one species of bear: The Malayan Sun Bear. Little is known about these shy and reclusive creatures, other than they are nocturnal and the smallest / second rarest bear species, behind the Giant Panda. Their name comes from their golden shape on their chests, which resembles a rising sun. Sun bears do not hunt large prey, feeding on berries, roots, small birds, rodents, fruits and lizards. Their 25cm long tongues also make them the experts of extracting honey from bee hives!
Bornean Clouded Leopard
Only officially identified by science in 2006, the evasive tree-dwelling Bornean Clouded leopard is a subspecies of Sunda Clouded Leopard. Its fur has stunning cloud-like markings, coupled with short legs, large paws and long tails that match their body length! The biggest predators in Borneo, they stalk high in the trees and feed on monkeys, deer, bearded pigs, birds and sometimes reptiles. One of best chances to see the Bornean Clouded Leopard in the wild is on a night-drive of the Danum Valley in Sabah!
Borneo Wildlife:
Proboscis Monkey
With only 7,000 left in the world, and all of them residing in Borneo, the Proboscis monkey is a sight to behold! Recognisable by their uniquely huge, dangling fleshy noses, the male Proboscis monkeys are usually a leader of a small family group. Surprisingly, they are one of the best swimmers in the primate world, renowned for their comical “belly flops” into the water! The best place to see them in the wild is along the Kinabatangan River!
Bornean Tarsier
This tiny nocturnal primate (that can fit in the palm of your hand) is best known for its bizarrely bulging and non-blinking eyes! Though they are nocturnal and hunt insects, birds, frogs and reptiles at night, they actually have the wrong type of eyes to see in the dark. Thus, their huge eyes allows in more light for them to see. So big, they physically cannot move them in the sockets. If they want to see from side to side, they have to move their heads! A tarsiers life span is approximately 15 years in the wild. We spotted one during a night-time trail at Borneo Rainforest Lodge in Danum Valley!
Mouse Deer
A creature as cute as the name suggests. Distinctive by two species (the “Greater Mouse Deer” and the “Lower Mouse Deer”), these petite nocturnal animals are incredible timid and shy, rarely leaving the safety of the forest canopy. They forage on leaves, fallen fruits and even fungi. They commonly co-exist with the primates, following them and waiting at the bottom of the tree canopies for any dropped fruit! There is little else known about this species, though it is thought to have an ancient linage.