Lonely Planet Borneo

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• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN:
  9781788685108
• Print ISBN:
  9781786574817

Sarawak

Kuching

Western Sarawak

Bako National Park

Santubong Peninsula

Semenggoh Wildlife Centre

Annah Rais Longhouse

Kubah National Park

Bau & Around

Lundu

Gunung Gading National Park

Tanjung Datu National Park

Talang-Satang National Park

Batang Ai Region

Central Sarawak

Sibu

Batang Rejang

Bintulu

Similajau National Park

Niah National Park

Lambir Hills National Park

Miri

Northeastern Sarawak

Gunung Mulu National Park

Kelabit Highlands

Limbang Division

Culture

Sarawak

Why Go?

Sarawak makes access to Borneo’s natural wonders and cultural riches a breeze. From Kuching, the island’s most dynamic city, pristine rainforests – where you can spot orangutans, proboscis monkeys, crocodiles and the world’s largest flower, the rafflesia – can be visited on day trips, with time in the evening for a tasty meal and a drink by the waterfront. More adventurous travellers can take a ‘flying coffin’ riverboat up the ‘Amazon of Borneo’, the Batang Rejang, on their way east to hike from longhouse to longhouse in the cool environs of the Kelabit Highlands, or to the spectacular bat caves and extraordinary rock formations of Gunung Mulu National Park. For the best chance of seeing an orangutan in the wild, venture to the Batang Ai region. Everywhere you go, you’ll encounter the warmth, unforced friendliness and sense of humour that make the people of Malaysia’s most culturally diverse state such delightful hosts.

When to Go

• Jul Local bands and international artists jam at Kuching’s Rainforest World Music Festival.
• Jul–Sep It’s tourist high season, so book flights and treks early, especially for smaller upcountry towns.
• Nov–Jan Rough seas can make coastal boat travel difficult or impossible.

Best Places to Eat

A Madli’s Restaurant

A Top Spot Food Court

A Summit Café

A Lepau

A Choon Hui

Best Places to Stay

A Batik Boutique Hotel

A Kurakura Homestay

A Village House

A Garden Bungalows

A Labang Longhouse Guesthouse

Sarawak Highlights

1 Semenggoh Wildlife Centre Watching semiwild orangutans swing through the canopy.

2 Gunung Gading National Park Seeing the elusive rafflesia, the world’s largest flower.

3 Kuching Strolling the waterfront promenade.

4 Bako National Park Spotting orchids, pitcher plants and endangered proboscis monkeys.

5 Batang Rejang Watching the jungle glide by as you make your way along ‘Borneo’s Amazon’.

6 Kelabit Highlands Experiencing longhouse life and Kelabit hospitality in friendly Bario.

7 Gunung Mulu National Park Ascending Gunung Mulu, Borneo’s highest peak, or exploring caves in Sarawak’s best nature park.

8 Niah National Park Entering a netherworld of stalactites and bats in th...

Table of contents

• Table of Contents
• Welcome to Borneo
• Borneo’s Top 17
• Need to Know
• First Time Borneo
• What’s New
• If You Like
• Month by Month
• Itineraries
• Outdoor Adventures
• Diving Pulau Sipadan
• Regions at a Glance
• Sabah
• Sarawak
• Brunei Darussalam
• Kalimantan
• Understand Borneo
• Borneo Today
• History
• Peoples & Cultures
• The Cuisines of Borneo
• Natural World
• Responsible Travel
• Directory A–Z
• Transport
• Health
• Language
• Behind the Scenes
• Our Writers