Borneo is a dream destination for so many people, especially anyone with a love of nature. We spent several weeks in Borneo in 2024 during our family gap year. It was definitely a big hit with us all! It’s such a spectacular part of the world to visit. But is it worth visiting Borneo for a shorter trip (say a family holiday)? We certainly think so! Read on for our suggestions for the perfect two week itinerary for Borneo (with or without kids).
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Where is Borneo?
Borneo is an island in South East Asia famous for it’s incredible biodiversity and wildlife spotting opportunities. It’s split between two countries – the northern stretch of the island is part of Malaysia whilst the southern part is Indonesian. As well as expanses of jungle it also boasts a ton of amazing white sand beaches and clear blue seas (plus some of the best sunsets in the world!).
How do you get to Borneo?
Most international flights connect through either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. From there it’s a 2-3hour flight in to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah (the northern Malaysian state in Borneo) or Kuching (in the state of Sarawak to the South). AirAsia fly this route, as do Malaysia Airlines.
Most people opt to visit the state of Sabah if heading to Borneo on a family vacation. The famous Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is over in Sepilok, there are amazing wildlife watching opportunities and stunning beaches. There’s even diving over towards Semporna in the far East of Sabah.
Once in Borneo you can connect to Sandakan in the East (gateway to Sepilok, the River Kinabatangan and Semporna) via AirAsia.
Why visit Borneo?
Lush jungle teeming with life. Stunning white sand beaches. Clear turquoise seas. The most spectacular sunsets you’ve ever seen. Orangutans!
You really can pack so much into a two week Borneo itinerary. And best of all you can balance nature-based adventures with plenty of time to chill by the beach! The best of both worlds for a family holiday.
It’s the nature activities here that make it a dream holiday for so many. The opportunity to see orangutans, pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys and a whole host of rare birds in the wild is one not to be missed. And best of all, it’s really not that difficult. You might think that visiting the deep, dark jungles of Borneo would be a bit of a mission. But actually in Borneo it’s much easier than you might imagine.
Where is best to visit in Borneo?
There are two states that make up the Malaysian part of Borneo – Sabah to the North East of the island and Sarawak below. Whilst both of these states offer amazing access to nature and some fabulous sights, most tourists head to Sabah. Sabah is relatively easy to navigate and really packs a punch in terms of wildlife spotting. Sabah is home to the famous Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the River Kinabatangan, which gives you the chance to spot a whole host of amazing animal and birdlife up-close. It’s also got some fabulous stretches of beach and beautiful clear seas. Concentrating on this region of Borneo means that you can get those amazing animal encounters, plus dreamy beach days, all in a relatively short space of time.
Show me a two week itinerary for Borneo!
Having travelled Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak) as a family, we’ve put together an easy itinerary for anyone thinking of planning a visit.
The two week Borneo itinerary we would suggest includes Kota Kinabalu, time in Sepilok to visit the world-famous Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Rainforest Discovery Centre and the Borneo Sunbear Conservation Centre, an intrepid couple of nights deep in the jungle on the River Kinabatangan to spot the best of Borneo’s nature in the wild and a whole chunk of time at the end in the BEST family hotel ever, right on the beach.
Best of all, you can download this as a simple PDF planner via our Leap store – completely free! Use this handy planner to help shape your two-week Borneo itinerary.
Is Borneo expensive?
Borneo is incredible value for money for a family holiday. Whilst the flights might be long and possibly expensive (depending on where you are travelling from) the cost of hotels, tours and internal travel is low. This means that once you’re there you can really enjoy yourself without worrying too much about the costs!
It’s also a great place to stretch the budget a bit if you want to stay somewhere fabulous. Whilst it’s not backpacker levels of cheap, you can stay at really luxury family-friendly hotels for less than £150 per night. In terms of value for money this is definitely the place!
How much does a two week holiday to Borneo cost?
Obviously costs for each family will vary depending on the level of luxury you want and how much you want to pack in to your two week Borneo itinerary.
If you followed our Borneo two week itinerary, you’re likely to end up with the following approximate costs:
Accommodation
2 nights in Kuala Lumpur in a two-bed apartment with access to pools/gym etc: £130
3 nights in Sepilok in a family room at Sepilok B&B: £160
2 nights at Osman’s Homestay on the Kinabatangan River (including all boat safaris, transfers and meals): £400
(Read our full review of our stay at Osman’s here)
7 nights in a family room at the Shangri-La Rasa Ria outside Kota Kinabalu (including a MASSIVE breakfast): £1,000
(read our full review of this amazing hotel here)
Which comes in at £1,690 in total (based on two adults and two children).
Activities
There are several day trips/activities that you absolutely do NOT want to miss if you’re planning a trip to Borneo (and the good news is that you can fit all of these in to your two-week Borneo itinerary!). All of these are in and around Sepilok so are easy to do during your time there:
Rainforest Discovery Centre (day visit): £17/RM100
Night Walk at the Rainforest Discovery Centre: £26.50/RM150
Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre: £22/RM120
Borneo Sunbear Conservation Centre: £26.50/RM150
All of the prices above were correct at the time of writing and are based on two adults and two children.
Flights
You’re likely to need to fly between key locations if you’re planning a two week Borneo itinerary. AirAsia flies throughout Malaysia and Borneo and flights run regularly between Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan (gateway to Sepilok and the River Kinabatangan). These are costs based on what we paid for a family of four:
Kuala Lumpur-Sandakan: £300 including check-in luggage (20kg per person)
Sandakan-Kota Kinabalu: £80-100 including check-in luggage (20kg per person)
Kota Kinabalu-Kuala Lumpur: £250 including check-in luggage (20kg per person)
So if you put all of this together you’re looking at a cost of around £2,422 for accommodation, flights and activities (not including return flights to/from Kuala Lumpur from your home country).
Other costs
Your daily spend will completely depend on how much you want to eat out and how much you walk vs taking Grab taxis. But the cost of living in Borneo is very low compared to places like Europe and North America.
To give you an idea, we paid anywhere between £6-20 per meal for the four of us (when eating out or ordering in via Grab). Grab taxis are very good value for getting around as a family of four, with short trips only costing £1-2. Longer airport runs (such as from Kota Kinabalu to the Shangri-La) were around the £20-25 mark for us.
Given the amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experiences you can pack in to this two week itinerary for Borneo, it really is incredible value.
And all of these approximate costs and links for booking accommodation are all included in our downloadable Borneo itinerary RIGHT HERE. Download yourself a copy now and start planning your dream Borneo trip!
Top tips for visiting Borneo with kids
- It sounds obvious, but Borneo is a hot and humid destination. Plan in plenty of downtime inside air-conditioned spaces and/or around a pool so you can all cool off!
- Make sure you download the Grab app before you head to Borneo (or anywhere in SE Asia). Grab is your friend if you want to book taxis or cheap food for delivery!
- Watch some of the good old David Attenborough documentaries on the wildlife of Borneo before you head out – great for getting the kids (and the adults!) excited!
Planning a trip to Borneo?
Check out our other posts here for more reviews, tips and essential info.
