Borneo’s Islands & Villages | Part 2
For those who missed it, part one of my adventure through Malaysian Borneo is here! This was one of several stops in Southeast Asia on my journey home after finishing my year in New Zealand. I had embarked on a 10-day trip with Intrepid, largely fuelled by my desire to see orangutans in the wild. Plus, last time I was in Asia, I only visited the mainland peninsula of Malaysia, so it was exciting to see another region. And I was lucky enough to see even more wildlife during my adventures through Borneo’s jungles! The second half of the trip took us inland, away from Sandakan, starting with a few days visiting villages and tea plantations high in the mountain region. Then we headed to the largest city, Kota Kinabalu, our jumping-off point to explore Borneo’s islands just off the coast.
Sabah Tea Resort & Plantation
Leaving the Kinabatangan River, we had our longest driving day across the Sabah region. Aside from a roadside cafe stop, it was fairly eventful, driving past mainly forest. Eventually, the road climbed higher, and the forest gave way to terraced fields as we approached Sabah Tea Resort. This is an organic tea plantation that also offers accommodation, a restaurant, a shop, tours, and a traditional longhouse.
After checking in, our leader gave us a tour of the longhouse, explaining the layout where large families would live. Various tools and items were displayed on the walls, which he also talked about. It was cool to learn about the local culture here, and we learned far more than we would have without a guide!
Then we wandered down to the restaurant, which has a spectacular terrace over the valley. We had just enough time to snap pictures of the fun tea signs and sculptures before the rain hit, and we took cover. But when it eventually cleared again, the terraced hillsides were cast in moody stormcloud lighting, which was very dramatic and impressive! We snacked on some tea and cakes – it’s butterfly pea that creates the blue colour! – and bought some herbal tea bags from the shop to take home, before the rest of the group joined for dinner.
The next morning, before departing, we had time for a tour of the tea factory with the owner. This is where the harvested tea is processed into tea leaves and bags for drinking. The machinery is pretty big and impressive (no photos allowed inside), and it was great to learn more about the site. He also explained how long to correctly brew a cup! The whole stay was a lovely place for mid-trip and a different side of Borneo after the jungle.
Kampung Kiau Village
Our journey took us higher into the foothills of Mount Kinabalu in central Sabah. We arrived in Kampung Kiau, one of Borneo’s inland villages, and home to some local producers we were visiting. In 2015, an earthquake struck Borneo, and it was deemed unsafe to climb Mt Kinabalu for some time after. Many locals worked as trekking guides and porters, so with their tourism income cut off, they turned to alternative options.
First, we visited Mount Kinabalu Coffee, though we didn’t have time to go to the actual farm. Instead, in their family home, they run a demonstration of the traditional methods of roasting and grinding the coffee beans. We got to take a turn as well, then finished up with cups of steaming coffee on their terrace. There were products for sale, too, so I picked up a bag of their coffee powder.
We walked downhill through the village, encountering children and dogs, and passing simple homes surrounded by nature and breathtaking views. One of these homes hosted us for lunch, with a spread of locally sourced food, on another gorgeous terrace. Then we continued to the local community hall, which was like a museum, filled with traditional tools and items. I was especially interested in the article clippings about local community and ecotourism projects.
Our final stop was next door at ‘Everything Pineapple’, a community enterprise run by the village women. They collect their pineapple crops between them and transform them into a range of goods. We got to sample a handful: pineapple jam, chutney, juice and, most surprisingly, wine! I brought home a jar of jam. It was a unique experience, and the whole day was very educational and nice to see a different side to Borneo.
Kota Kinabalu
We swapped villages for the big city, arriving in Kota Kinabalu, our gateway stop to Borneo’s islands. We arrived late in the day and stayed for one night before our island boat the next morning. Then returned for one final night after the island, before most of us flew out again. There wasn’t heaps of time to explore, but the general consensus I’d heard before the trip was that Kota Kinabalu is just another large Southeast Asian city. It doesn’t have that many specific sites to visit, so the time we had there was probably plenty.
Our hotel was near the waterfront, not far from where most of the boats travel to Borneo’s islands off the coast. We wandered up the waterfront to see the markets, starting with the handicraft market filled with clothes, jewellery and souvenir gifts. Next to it is the Central Market, the largest in the area, which mainly sells fresh produce. Being on the coast, there was plenty of seafood, including some more unusual offerings like sea cucumbers laid out to dry in the sun! There are some sculptures nearby, too, including the ‘I Heart KK’ sign and a large marlin in the centre of a roundabout.
We then walked back towards the hotel via some inland streets, exploring a few souvenir shops our leader had recommended. Then we popped into the Centre Point mall near our hotel. One of the girls I was with hadn’t been to Asia before, and malls here tend to be quite different to those back in Europe, so it was interesting for her to experience. And we picked up snacks from 7-Eleven! We later ended up back on the waterfront for dinner both evenings, and were treated to a gorgeous sunset for the final night of the whole trip!
Manukan Island
Borneo’s islands, all of them tiny compared to the vast, main island, surround its entire circumference. But the most accessible and popular for tourists are those off the coast of Kota Kinabalu, with several of them being private resorts. The city itself is quite built-up and lacks good beaches, so the islands are where to go for some relaxation time. We took a small boat with our luggage on a short 25-minute crossing to Manukan Island. We were staying in the lodges on the island; it isn’t a high-end, luxury resort, but it was perfectly lovely. The island is open to the public throughout the day, but after the last boat heads back to the mainland, we practically had the place to ourselves from late afternoon onwards.
It’s a small island, only accessible on foot (no vehicles). There is a hiking trail to the northern end, but heavy rain had made it unsafe, so we stuck to the sandy, white beaches. We spent plenty of time on the beach and also in the pool, which is only for hotel guests. We had all our meals at the bar/restaurant, as well as many cocktails, making it a nice space to lounge around in while the weather was less favourable. Which was the case on our first night, when there was a torrential downpour! Although we still made it out to the jetty beforehand to look for sealife in the water below, once the boats had finished running for the day. The island also has a huge goa lizard, named Gerry, whom I was eager to see and finally made an appearance on our last morning!
Snorkelling
During our full day on the island, we headed out on a snorkelling trip for the morning. Borneo’s islands in this area sit in a protected marine national park, so there are plenty of reefs and wildlife to look for. We made three stops, with a lunch break on a different island between the last two. Since there had been heavy rain the night before, the visibility wasn’t great as the water was pretty cloudy with debris. However, our guide realised it was clearer if you dove a bit deeper. Resulting in me frequently abandoning the snorkel tube and holding in huge breaths to push down towards the reef.
It paid off, as I saw far more fish this way. And the biggest highlight, a glimpse of a sea turtle drifting by! It was a quick sighting only, as it was pretty deep and my breath was running out. But still exciting! I’d been so focused on the jungle wildlife at the start of the trip, I hadn’t given much thought to the snorkelling. But it was a great way to finish up the trip with some more, different animals!
Borneo’s Islands & Villages
While the orangutans and other wildlife were my main reason for visiting Borneo, I was glad our trip included other aspects of the island too. Getting to see the local people and culture, especially these community, social enterprises up in the remote villages, was super interesting. And considering how jam-packed my travels often are, finishing up with some relaxation on Borneo’s islands was a very peaceful, chill last couple of days. I’m so glad that I was able to come back to Southeast Asia and visit another part of it!
From Kota Kinabalu, I flew on to Hong Kong, where I stayed for three days. This was my first visit back since I left in 2017, so it was interesting to see what felt familiar and what had changed! I met up with old friends and mostly revisited old haunts around Victoria Harbour and Kowloon, so I’m not going to write an entire post about it when I’ve written so many others in the past! The only new attraction I visited was the M+ contemporary art museum, which opened in 2021.
Then from there, it was finally, finally time to head home after two and a half years away. From Canada and the USA, to New Zealand and Australia, I was back in Scotland at last. So, what now?
