How To Spend 10 Days In Borneo: The Perfect Sabah & Sarawak Itinerary
Malaysian Borneo is one of our favourite destinations in the world. With incredible wildlife, spectacular natural beauty, and the friendliest locals, it’s a bucket list destination. We’ve spent over a month travelling slowly through the region, and it’s a place we can’t stay away from.
With 10 days in Borneo, you can check off all the main places in both Sabah and Sarawak. However, Borneo can be a difficult destination to plan, with logistics mattering more than anywhere else we’ve ever travelled to.
This Borneo itinerary includes plenty of wildlife-watching opportunities, relaxing beach time, beautiful hikes, and cultural immersion.
Book Your Tours In Advance
We recommend booking a few tours as far in advance as possible to make this itinerary run smoothly. These tours do sell out. Here’s the tours we personally recommend:
Sarawak Cultural Village & Semenggoh Wildlife Centre
Santubong River Cruise
Kinabatangan River Safari
Kota Kinabalu Island Hopping
10 Day Borneo Itinerary Overview
In a rush and don’t have time to read the whole post? Here’s an overview of where to spend your 10 days in Borneo:
How to Spend 10 Days In Borneo
Borneo is not that commonly travelled without a tour. Whilst we didn’t use a tour, it can make logistics much easier allowing you to just enjoy your trip.
Day 1 – Explore Kuching
For the first 5 days of your Borneo trip, we recommend basing yourself in Kuching. Kuching is our favourite city in Borneo, filled with culture, friendly locals, and a laidback vibe.
Start your day with a walk along the Kuching waterfront, lined with shady trees and a calm, peaceful atmosphere. At the end closest to the Darul Hana Bridge, you’ll get amazing views of the beautiful Sarawak State Embassy building. I have truly never seen a building quite like it.
Finish the morning spending a couple of hours exploring the Borneo Cultures Museum. This world-class museum is the largest in Malaysia, and the second largest in Southeast Asia. It has interactive exhibits showcasing the natural and cultural history of Borneo. The building itself is absolutely stunning, and the top floor has incredible views over Kuching.
Entry Fee – 50 MYR Per Person
After spending a couple of hours in the museum, you’re probably going to be feeling pretty peckish. Chinatown is the place to be, as it’s filled with both local eateries and cute cafés. We recommend Indah Café, they serve the best vegetarian nasi lemak!
After lunch, continue exploring Chinatown. It’s such a beautiful part of the city. You’ll walk past several temples, and we recommend popping in to see both HIang Thian Siang Ti Temple, and Tua Pek Kong Temple, a little further down. There is also some amazing street art, and even more cafés.
Catch a boat across to the other riverbank from here. It’s a fun experience and only costs 1 MYR per person! Head up to Fort Margherita, a fascinating 3-storey fort turned into a museum about the history of Sarawak. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this museum, though it is quite text-heavy.
Entry Fee – 30 MYR Per Person
For dinner, we highly recommend Borneo Delight. It’s our favourite restaurant, and the vegetarian Sarawak Laksa was divine.
End your evening back at the waterfront, with an IG Ice Cream gula apong ice cream (don’t leave Kuching without getting one), sitting on the steps watching the fountain show. We watched the show every night we were in Kuching and it’s one of the best we’ve seen (other than in Singapore).
Day 2 – Sarawak Cultural Village & Orangutans
Day 2 is what Borneo is all about. A strong culture, history, and of course, orangutans. You’ll be visiting both Sarawak Cultural Village and Semenggoh Wildlife Centre. Both of these places are outside of the city of Kuching, and as such the easiest way to see them is on an organised tour.
If you don’t wish to visit on a tour, get a Grab to take you to Sarawak Cultural Village for when it opens at 9am. It is around a 40 minute drive to get there.
Sarawak Cultural Village is described as a living museum, where you can experience the cultures of the different ethnic groups of Sarawak. It is a very interactive experience.
Walking around the park, you can go inside the different longhouses, see local crafts being made, talk to members of the different ethnic groups dressed in traditional clothes, and learn more about the major ethnicities that make up Sarawak.
At 11.30am, there is a big multi-cultural dance performance. They use traditional instruments and show you the different dances of each ethnicity. After the dance performance, you’re invited to try traditional dishes for lunch (for an additional cost).
Entry Fee – 135 MYR without lunch, if you purchase tickets online HERE, or 168 MYR with lunch.
All tickets are 20 MYR more when purchased on the gate
After spending the morning at Sarawak Cultural Village, get a Grab to Semenggoh Wildlife Centre. It takes around 1 hour 15 minutes to reach Semenggoh Wildlife Centre from the Cultural Village, which is why we think this day is far easier and runs more smoothly on a day tour.
Semenggoh Wildlife Centre is an orangutan sanctuary. The orangutans are left to roam freely through a huge area of dense jungle. Their feed is supplemented twice daily with fruits prepared by the sanctuary staff.
Entry Fee – 10 MYR for non-Malaysians, plus 15 MYR for a return buggy
It is only open for 4 hours a day so the orangutans are not disrupted. The afternoon feeding is at 3pm, but visitors are allowed to arrive from 2pm. We recommend getting there at 2pm, and filling out your visitor form before arrival for the quickest entry. You can pay online or on the gate, but the visitor form needs filling out regardless.
Despite feeding not occurring until 3pm, the orangutans often come down to the feeding platforms before then. For that reason, opt to get the buggy to the feeding platform. You can walk which takes around 30 minutes, but you may miss precious moments with the orangutans if you do.
The Orangutans at Semenggoh are semi-wild, so there is a chance they will not come down to the feeding platforms at all. This is a good thing, as it means there is enough food in the wild for them.
Seeing semi-wild orangutans is such a special experience. We were lucky enough to see 6 one time and 10 the other, including two of the biggest males, a few females, and a couple of baby orangutans, which were just adorable.
The staff at Semenggoh Wildlife Centre are amazing too. They are so knowledgeable and you can see they really care for these animals. They even remembered us when we returned the second time. This is one of the best experiences you can have on a Borneo itinerary.
Day 3 & 4 – Bako National Park
Day 3 and 4 of your 10 days in Borneo are spent visiting one of our favourite places: Bako National Park.
Booking The Bako National Park Accommodation
The accommodation at Bako National Park sells out months in advance. We recommend booking as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. We spoke to so many people who wanted to stay but it had already sold out. The link is also not easy to find, so we’ve included it below.
How To Get To Bako National Park
To get there, take the pink bus saying Q04M to Bako. The journey costs 3.4 MYR per person (cash only) and takes an hour. You will be dropped off in Bako Village. From there, walk to the Visitor centre where you will need to pay for a boat, your National Park Entry Fee (20 MYR), and show your visitor registration. As you’ll be staying overnight in the park, you will also need to show your booking.
The boat to Bako costs 200 MYR each way, but this cost can be split between people. We found another couple who were also staying overnight and shared the boat with them, but you will have to make sure you’re also on the same boat back.
The boat journey takes around 15-20 minutes. The last boat back to Bako Village from the national park is at 3pm.
What To Do When You Arrive
When you arrive, head straight into the visitor centre to register your arrival and for a briefing. You won’t be able to check in to your accommodation until 2pm.
For each hike, there is a book where you have to sign out before heading on the hike, and sign back in upon completion. There are 16 different trails you can take, but these are our recommendations:
- Trail 1 – A short but steep uphill hike with a beautiful view from the top. The view was partially obscured by trees when we visited.
- Trail 2 – The start is along a nice boardwalk which is great for wildlife viewing, before heading into the forest and ending at a small beach.
- Trail 4 – A slightly longer hike, but one of our favourites, ending at a stunning beach
- Trail 5 & 6 – This is the longest hike, but most of it is pretty flat with some steep sections in between. You end with an incredible view over a beach. Trail 5 is just a short detour off one section of trail 6.
On your first day in Bako National Park, we recommend tackling trails 1, 2 and 4. On the second day, head off on trail 5 & 6.
At sunset, head down to the beach to see the sky light up. It is genuinely one of the best sunsets we have ever seen.
Every evening, there is a night walk for 15 MYR per person, from 8-9:30pm. We highly recommend signing up for this as you can see so much wildlife you don’t see in the day.
Wildlife In Bako National Park
The wildlife in Bako National Park is exceptional. The best place for wildlife viewing is just outside of the visitor centre. Here we saw macaques, proboscis monkeys, silver langurs, and wild boar. Just make sure you don’t eat anything in the proximity of the wild bore or they become a little too interested!
Throughout the park, you can also see flying lemurs (we were lucky enough to see two of these), the Bornean pit viper and various other snakes, spiders, and scorpions, and owls on the night walk. There are also saltwater crocodiles in the sea, so we would highly recommend you don’t go for a paddle! We saw a huge one on the boat back to Bako Village.
Day 5 – Orangutans & Santubong River Cruise
On day 5 of your Borneo trip, I highly recommend heading back to Semenggoh Wildlife Centre to see the Orangutans again. As there is no guarantee you’ll see any the first time around, visiting twice will of course double your chances of seeing them. And even if you did see them the first time around, it is such a special experience that we recommend going again.
The morning feeding is at 9am, and the park is open from 8am-10am.
After the feeding, head to the little onsite café and gift shop. Grab a coffee and sit out on the decking. We had a couple of the rangers come up for a chat which was really nice, and its a great opportunity to ask them any questions you have.
When you arrive back in Kuching after the morning feeding, you’ll have a couple of hours to explore some more, or relax in a café until your afternoon activity. The first few days of this itinerary are jam-packed, and after Bako National Park, you’ll probably appreciate a rest!
Around 3pm, you’ll be picked up from your hotel for the Santubong River Cruise. This is such an incredible activity, we highly recommend booking as far in advance as possible to secure your spot.
The drive to the Santubong River takes around an hour, after which you will board your boat for the evening.
The boat will take you out to the river mouth, where you’ll get incredible views over the surrounding mountains and jungle. It is here that you have the best chance of seeing the endangered Irawaddy River Dolphin. We were lucky enough to see 6 river dolphins on our cruise, which was spectacular. This is the only place in this Borneo itinerary you can see them.
You can also see crocodiles (though we didn’t manage to see any), proboscis monkeys, mudskippers, and fireflies. You have dinner on the boat which is delicious, and we were treated to an incredible sunset too.
Day 6 – Travel to Kota Kinabalu
Day 6 is a travel day so there’s not too much planned. We recommend flying from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu. The flight is short and very scenic.
When you arrive, check into your hotel and go for a little wander round town. There’s not too much to do in Kota Kinabalu town itself, however we would recommend checking out the hawker centre and market on the waterfront. There’s also some nice street art around the city, and some cute coffee shops on Lorong Dewan Street.
Day 7 – Kota Kinabalu Island Hopping
We can’t write an island itinerary and not include a beach day! This is one of the most relaxing days on this Borneo trip. Getting to the islands can be a little chaotic, however, so if you want to avoid that stress, we highly recommend booking a tour.
Head down to Jesselton Point ferry terminal just before its due to open at 8am. It gets very busy and chaotic, but you’ll need to go to the main desk to book your tickets. Make sure you have your Passport with you as it’s needed for booking.
There are 5 different islands you can visit, but we would recommend picking 2 so you can actually relax and enjoy your day. We visited Manukan and Sapi Islands and both were stunning.
Visiting 2 Islands Costs 55 MYR Per Person
You will then need to line up in another queue which you will be directed to in order to sort out the boat. You then walk to the end of the pier, find the stand for your company, and get your life jackets before waiting for a boat to be free to take you. It gets incredibly busy and is a little overwhelming, I will be honest. It took us over an hour from arriving to actually getting on the boat, so plan ahead.
The boat ride to the islands takes around 20-30 minutes and can be quite bumpy. However, when you reach your first island, it’s instantly worth it. The sea is so calm, and such a beautiful shade of turquoise blue. You pay a conservation fee of 25 MYR on arrival to each island. There are a few cafés and food spots on each island, as well as plenty of sand to relax on.
The islands are good for snorkelling, but you do have to swim in a roped-off area for safety, which honestly excludes most of the coral.
On Manukan Island, the seabed was made up of a lot of dead coral so you do need to be careful, and there were a lot of jellyfish in the water when we visited, so we couldn’t really swim there. The area is prone to box jellyfish, the stings of which can be incredibly dangerous, so stay out of the water if a purple flag is flying indicating a marine pest is present.
We were also told on Sapi Island that we had to wear a life jacket to be in the sea, which seemed strange because the water was barely above waist height anyway. However, the snorkelling at Sapi Island was good. We saw quite a lot of different things, including a small snowflake moray eel!
Despite the little quirks and stresses, the islands are absolutely stunning, and well worth taking a day to explore.
Have An Extra Day In Kota Kinabalu?
If you’ve got an extra day in Kota Kinabalu, or want to do something a little more adventurous, there are so many activities available around Kota Kinabalu. You could climb the highest mountain in Southeast Asia, Mount Kinabalu, trek in the Kinabalu foothills, or tackle Maragang Hill for sunrise.
Wildlife lovers might wish to take another boat cruise on the Klias River, or for the adrenaline junkies, give white water rafting a go. Kota Kinabalu really has so much on offer for adventurous people, and it’s worth adding a couple of extra days if you’re into that and have the time.
Day 8 – Start Of The Kinabatangan River Safari
On day 8, you’ll want to book the earliest flight from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan. You need to be in Sandakan for 11.30am to be picked up for the Kinabatangan River Safari. We recommend booking your cruise through Seek Sophie, and staying at Sukau Greenview Lodge. This is the exact tour we did and we can highly recommend it.
The drive to Sukau from Sandakan takes around 2 hours, on a comfortable minivan, through beautiful countryside and plantations. When you arrive, you’ll have a briefing and can fill in meal preferences (they cater to even the fussiest of eaters), before checking into your room and heading pretty much straight out on your first river cruise.
The first cruise we went on was the best (and the worst). It was the only time we saw wild orangutans and pygmy elephants, as well as proboscis monkeys. We were beyond lucky. They’re two of the most elusive animals and I cannot believe we saw them on the first attempt.
However, when we were watching the orangutan, at around 30 minutes from the lodge, the heavens opened and we were caught in the heaviest rain I have ever seen. We were all soaked through upon arriving back. Moral of the story, bring a good poncho and a drybag to put your camera equipment in!
When you get back, you can warm up with a cup of tea or coffee, and dinner is served buffet style, with special diets served separately. The food is delicious and plentiful, and there is such a nice atmosphere in the lodge.
After dinner, you’ll go out for your second cruise under a pitch black sky. This is a great time to spot nocturnal animals, especially birds, but it is kinda creepy knowing you’re probably surrounded by crocodiles at the same time!
Day 9 – Kinabatangan River
Wake up before sunrise for your 6am river cruise. Breakfast is after the cruise, so if you’re like me and need breakfast straight after waking up, bring a granola bar or something quick with you to eat in your room.
The morning cruise was one of my favourite, purely because it was so peaceful. We saw the remainder of the Borneo Big 5, apart from the crocodile, as well as silver langurs, long tail and short tail macaques, and even the incredibly rarely seen Bornean Fire Bird!
Our guide said they’re pretty much never seen by the river edge and prefer the deep forest, and tend to be solitary animals, but we were so lucky to see 2 males and 2 females all together! So don’t get caught up on the ‘big 5’, because there are so many other incredible animals you can see on the Kinabatangan River.
When you get back, you’ll have breakfast, have a little bit of chill time, before grabbing a pair of wellies (provided by the lodge), jumping back on the boat, and heading off into the jungle for a jungle ‘trek’. It’s not too difficult, it’s more of a stroll in the jungle than a trek, but the guides are so knowledgeable, and it was at this point that our group really seemed to gel and have a laugh together.
After a buffet lunch, you can either have a chilled afternoon, or head to the cultural talk in their small museum. We opted for the cultural talk and it was fascinating. We even got taught how to play a traditional musical instrument at the end which was fun.
You’ll then go for another afternoon cruise to search for more wildlife, before heading back for dinner.
After dinner, it’s time for your night walk, where you can sse all sorts of nocturnal animals, snakes, and spiders. However, when we went, there were elephants sighted on the trail recently, making it too dangerous to walk, so they took us on another night cruise instead. On the way back after the cruise, we got the most perfect sighting of the Milky Way. It was magical.
Day 10 – Leaving Kinabatangan
On day 10, you can pay extra and take another early morning river cruise, however spots are very limited to enquire about this on arrival if you would like to take another cruise.
Otherwise, it’s time to pack up, have breakfast, and depart around 8am to Sandakan Airport. You should arrive at the airport around 10am, so book any onward flight from midday onwards.
Where To Stay In Borneo
For this trip, you’ll need to book accommodation in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Here’s where we recommend staying.
Where To Stay In Kuching
In Kuching, we recommend staying in or around Chinatown. This is walking distance from everywhere in Kuching, and allows you to be picked up from your hotel for the Santubong River Cruise.
✅ Best Budget Stay – Upspot Kuching Waterfront Premium Hostel
This budget-friendly hostel offers comfortable private rooms right on the waterfront near all the main attractions. The rooms are on the smaller side, and bathrooms are shared, but you really can’t beat this for price and location.
✅ Best Mid-Range Stay – The Borneo Hotel
Located just a short walk from the riverfront, the Borneo Hotel offers larger comfortable rooms and a good buffet breakfast. The staff are incredibly friendly and always around to help.
✅ Best Luxury Stay – The Waterfront Hotel
The Waterfront Hotel is in a prime location, just a short walk from the riverfront and all the main attractions. Higher-level rooms have an incredible view over either the river or the Borneo Cultures museum. The rooms have a big bathroom and comfortable beds, and a large buffet breakfast is available for guests.
Where To Stay In Kota Kinabalu
In Kota Kinabalu, we recommend staying near the waterfront and night market area.
✅ Best Budget Stay – ACJ Residence @ Beside Cititel Hotel
This hotel is in a great location right on the waterfront. The rooms are comfortable and it is spotlessly clean. The staff are very responsive via Whatsapp if you need anything.
✅ Best Mid-Range Stay – Horizon Hotel
The rooms at Horizon Hotel are spacious and stylishly decorated. The location is perfect, close to all the main attractions and restaurants. The staff are amazing and nothing is too much trouble. It also has a rooftop pool with stunning views over the sea.
✅ Best Luxury Stay – Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu
This 5-star hotel offers spacious and elegant rooms with exceptional service. The breakfast spread is large, varied, and dishes are high-quality. The location is perfect, right in the heart of Kota Kinabalu. The whole hotel is beautifully designed, with an onsite swimming pool and a spa.
What To Pack For Your Borneo Trip
Packing for Borneo is a little different to packing for a general holiday. For this 10 day Borneo itinerary, these are the essentials we would recommend bringing (in addition to your normal packing list):
- Long trousers – essential for your Kinabatangan jungle trek
- Moisture wicking T-Shirts – makes hiking in Bako much more bearable
- Shorts
- Hiking shoes or comfortable trainers
- Reusable water bottle
- Small torch – for Bako National Park night walk
- Mosquito repellent – it can be hard to find good mosquito repellent in Malaysia. If you’re already there, we recommend buying OFF! from Guardian (you can’t get it in Watsons).
- Swimmers – for Kota Kinabalu islands
- Reef-safe sunscreen – if swimming at Kota Kinabalu
- Waterproof poncho – It’s the rainforest, it will likely rain at some point.
- Dry bag – protect your belongings on the boat to the Kota Kinabalu islands, as well as on the river cruises if it rains.
- Day bag – for hikes
- Sunhat and sunglasses
- Camera equipment – You’re going to want to capture all the incredible wildlife! Make sure you have a 200mm or 300mm lens to capture the wildlife clearly. You can see all our camera equipment here.
We have had some people ask us whether they need leech socks, but we don’t think these are necessary. This opinion was also voiced by the staff at Sukau Greenview Lodge. Leeches are annoying but harmless, and if you get one on you, you can simply spray it with mosquito repellant and it will fall right off. That being said, we personally didn’t have an issue with any.
You also probably don’t need to bring binoculars. The wildlife is generally pretty visible and not too far away, plus on the boat trips the guide always has some to share around.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have a few questions about this Borneo itinerary? We’ve answered the most common questions below.
Is Borneo Safe?
Yes, Malaysian Borneo is generally considered safe for travellers. There are travel advisories against visiting Semporna and the islands around Sabah, which are not included in this itinerary.
We would always recommend purchasing travel insurance before your trip. While Borneo is an incredible destination for wildlife and adventure, activities like jungle trekking, boat trips, and diving mean it’s sensible to have cover in case of delays, cancellations, or medical issues.
Where Is The Best Place To See Orangutans In Borneo?
The greatest chance of seeing orangutans is at Semenggoh Wildlife Centre. These are semi-wild orangutans. For wild orangutans, the best place is on the Kinabatangan River.
What Is The Borneo Big 5?
The Borneo big 5 includes: orangutans, pygmy elephants, saltwater crocodiles, proboscis monkeys, and the rhinocerous hornbill.
The best place to see the Borneo big 5 is on the Kinabatangan River.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Borneo?
For the best weather and wildlife watching, we recommend visiting Borneo between May and September. We visited in June-July and were so lucky with our wildlife encounters, though you do have to be prepared for some rain, no matter when you visit.
Is Borneo Expensive To Travel?
Borneo is surprisingly very budget-friendly. Food, flights, and accommodation are some of the cheapest we’ve had in our year travelling Southeast Asia. The thing that can add up is the tours, but they are totally worth doing in our opinion.
Discover everything we wish we knew before visiting Malaysia – Click HERE!
Wrap Up
Malaysian Borneo is one of the most incredible places we have ever visited. There is something so special about this 10 day Borneo itinerary, from the culture and laidback vibe of Kuching, to the beaches at Kota Kinabalu, and the wildlife throughout. I promise you this is not a trip you’ll forget quickly.
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