Travel to Brunei and Sabah on Borneo – Episode 947

Hear about travel to Brunei and Sabah on the island of Borneo as the Amateur Traveler talks to Max Walton about his recent trip to these contrasting locations.

Why should you go to Brunei and Sabah?

Max says, “It’s one of the least visited regions in the area. I think in 2023, only 133,000 people visited. It’s not many at all. This also offers a different side of Southeast Asia. I know a lot of people go to Vietnam, Thailand, even Bali, Indonesia, but Brunei is the only absolute monarchy in the region. It’s also governed by Sharia law. Brunei is very wealthy. It’s all because of its oil and gas.”

“I don’t think you should be going to Brunei solely for the purpose of going to Brunei. It’s perfect for a seven-day itinerary in Northern Borneo.”

Max recommends a 7-day itinerary for visiting Brunei and Sabah (northern Borneo), combining cultural experiences, nature, and adventure. Here’s a summary of the recommended itinerary:

Day 1 – Arrival in Miri (Malaysia)

• Fly into Miri (cheaper than Brunei direct flights)
• Stay at:
  • Budget: The Room Hotel (~$20/night)
  • Upscale: Miri Marriott Resort and Spa (~$80/night)

Day 2 – Transfer to Brunei with Private Tour

• Use Find Me Logistics (Pauline) for a cross-border ride and guided tour ($50 per person)
• Stops include:
  • Billionth Barrel Monument
  • Jerudong Park (drive-by)
  • The Empire Brunei hotel (visit, not stay)
  • Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque (29 gold domes)
  • Istana Nurul Iman (Sultan’s palace, largest residential palace)
  • Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque (most beautiful mosque Max has seen)
  • Kampong Ayer (floating village; take a water taxi tour)
  • Dinner with ambuyat, the national dish (a gluey sago-based food)
• Overnight at:
  • If diving next day: Poni Homestay (Muara area)
  • If staying central: Kunyit 7 Lodge (in Kampong Ayer), Radisson Hotel, or Empire Hotel

Day 3 – Choose: Scuba Diving or Jungle Hike

• Option A: Scuba Diving
  • Dive with Oceanic Quest (~$140 for 3 wreck dives)
  • Sites include WWII shipwrecks: Australian Wreck, USS Salute, 2013 Malaysian Navy ship
  • Advanced diving conditions (low visibility, eerie atmosphere)
• Option B: Jungle Adventure
  • Visit Ulu Temburong National Park in the Temburong exclave (~$120 tour)
  • Alternative hikes: Damuan Park, Tasek Lama Recreational Park, or Bukit Shahbandar
• Evening: Relax, explore beaches, or return to Gadong Night Market

Day 4 – Transit to Kota Kinabalu (Sabah, Malaysia)

• If diving: Take the bus (~8 hours, 8 passport stamps)
• If not diving: Fly from Brunei to Kota Kinabalu
• Stop for lunch in Lawas at Everyday Chicken Rice
• Stay in Kota Kinabalu:
  • Budget: Faloe Hostel (~$9)
  • Midrange: The LUMA Hotel (~$70)
  • Luxury: Shangri-La Tanjung Aru (~$150)
• Optional: Massage at Sunset Kinabalu Massage (~$10/hour)

Day 5 – Fly to Sandakan, Transfer to Sepilok

• Fly to Sandakan, then taxi to Sepilok
• Stay at Borneo Sepilok Rainforest Resort
• Visit:
  • Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (3 PM feeding)
  • Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
  • Rainforest Discovery Center (canopy walk)

Day 6 – Kinabatangan River Safari with Mr. Aji

• Book 3-day/2-night wildlife tour (~$150 total) with Mr. Aji, David Attenborough’s guide
• Transfer to Mr. Aji’s homestay
• Afternoon boat safari: Look for Borneo’s “Big 5” (orangutans, proboscis monkeys, elephants, hornbills, crocodiles)
• Evening: Local dinner + night jungle hike

Day 7 – More Wildlife + Return

• Early morning and afternoon boat safaris (different routes from main tourist boats)
• Evening: Night river cruise to spot crocodiles
• Overnight at Mr. Aji’s homestay

Day 8 – Return Travel

• Morning: Jungle road hike with chance to spot gibbons
• Return to Sepilok/Sandakan
• Fly out via Sandakan to Kuala Lumpur

Additional Notes

• Visit in summer (May–October) for the best weather
• Brunei is very safe but alcohol-free, and has strict laws to be aware of
• Diving and jungle trips are physically demanding
• Public transport in Brunei is limited; plan logistics in advance

• Go to Quince.com/traveler for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order!

• Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at mintmobile.com/traveler.

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Show Notes

Sloths with Latitude
Brunei
Miri
The Room Hotel, Miri
Miri Marriott Resort and Spa
Telegram: View @Findmelogistics (+67 3733 6377)
Billionth Barrel Monument
Jerudong Park
The Empire Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan
Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque
Istana Nurul Iman
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
Kampong Ayer
Bruneian Cuisine
Ambuyat
Poni Homestay
Radisson Hotel Brunei Darussalam
Kunyit 7 Lodge
Gadong Night Market
Oceanic Quest Dive Center
Wreck Diving Brunei
Ulu Temburong National Park with Canopy Walk
Ulu Temburong National Park
Damuan Park
Tasek Lama Recreational Park
Bukit Shahbandar Forest Recreation Park
Royal Regalia Museum
Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery
Malay Technology Museum
Brunei Darussalam Maritime Museum
Kota Kinabalu
Everyday Chicken Rice (Lawas)
Where to eat in Kota Kinabalu
Faloe Hostel
The LUMA Hotel (Kota Kinabalu)
Hotel Shangri-la (Kota Kinabalu)
Sunset Kinabalu Massage
Sandakan
Borneo Sepilok Rainforest Resort
Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
Rainforest Discovery Center Sepilok
White House Bistro
Kinabatangan River
Kinabatangan Wildlife Expeditions with Mr Aji
Travel to Sabah, Malaysia – Episode 771
Travel to Borneo (Sarawak and Sabah) – Episode 222
The Ultimate 2 Night Itinerary for Brunei Darussalam

Community

Good Afternoon Sir,

I often listen to your podcast while riding my stationary bike on days when the weather or my schedule preclude riding outdoors. I have always enjoyed travel. Most of my travel for many years looked like your family’s travel growing up. I have six children, so we often did road trips all around the U.S. and Canada to National Parks, family reunions, and those sorts of destinations. I’m a huge history aficionado, so my trips almost always have something to do with history. Now, my oldest four are out of the house, so I have a bit more freedom to do international travel. I also feel the clock ticking a bit, as I have entered my 50s. Over the past couple of years, I have made several international trips, including a circumnavigation with my 11-year-old son last summer.

One of your blog posts a few months ago dealt with Romania and mentioned the Ceaușescu mansion. I believe neither you nor your guest had been able to visit it. Caleb and I toured it on our round-the-world trip. It was peculiar in a few ways. I recommend visiting it when in Bucharest. For one thing, Ceaușescu seemed to model it after Versailles, trying to make it as opulent as they could (as you might guess from having seen the giant capital building he also had built). We found some irony in the fact that they met a fate similar to that of the Versailles occupants.

As a historian, though, I found the presentation of the mansion even more peculiar. They have intentionally hired only young people – adults too young to have lived through Ceaușescu’s dictatorship in Romania – as tour guides. I don’t think they have anyone over 30-35 working there in any capacity. I guess whoever is responsible for running the mansion did not figure anyone who had lived through that era could give an objective presentation, or any kind of non-negative viewpoint. So the tour focuses on the opulence and provenance of all of the fancy items on display in the house. The tour guides tell stories about state visits from prominent Cold War world leaders and display gifts presented to the Ceaușescu by the dignitaries. But nary a comment is made about politics, any of the ill will generated by their rule, or anything like that. They don’t even contrast the violent end of the dictator and his wife with the bloodless end of communism in the other Eastern bloc countries. They mention in one or two sentences that he and his wife were executed after a two-hour trial, implying that something about it was unfair. But that’s the extent of it.

As hard as it is to imagine a politics-free presentation by a museum depicting one of the more notorious figures on post-WWII Europe is, that’s exactly what they try to do. The only thing remotely close I remember seeing on the trip was the presentation of the Stalin home in Georgia, which we also visited on the same trip. It sought to give only a positive spin on the life of a man arguably responsible for as many deaths as Adolf Hitler…

Anyhow, I thought you might find that interesting, and thought I would comment since that was one site omitted from the discussion of Romania.

I enjoy listening, and will continue to do so. Thanks for your work on the project.

Very Respectfully,

David Pafford

P.S. While it is not exactly a blog, I have a website where I post observations and photos from my trips. It is www.farther-beyond.com.

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