Where to stay in Borneo with Kids
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Planning a family trip to Borneo sounds wildly adventurous… until you actually start trying to figure out where to stay in Borneo with kids.
Do you base yourself in Sabah or Sarawak?
Should you splurge on a jungle lodge?
Is it worth paying extra for a pool when it’s that humid?
And will your children survive without air conditioning in the rainforest? (Spoiler: maybe not. We learned that the sweaty way.)
We spent several weeks travelling through Malaysian Borneo as a family, staying everywhere from £17-a-night hostel family rooms to luxury beachfront resorts with private nature reserves. We tested jungle lodges, city apartments, riverside hotels and wildlife stays — all with kids in tow — to find the most genuinely family friendly hotels in Borneo (not just places that tolerate children).
If you’re trying to figure out where to stay in Borneo with kids — whether that’s a jungle lodge on the Kinabatangan River, a Kota Kinabalu family hotel near the beach, or Sepilok accommodation close to the orangutans — this guide breaks it down clearly. With accommodation recommendations that work whether you’re planning a full family gap year or a two-week Borneo family holiday.
We’ll cover:
- The best base in Sabah vs Sarawak
- Our favourite family-friendly hotels in Kota Kinabalu
- Where to stay in Sepilok for orangutans
- The reality of Kinabatangan River lodges with kids
- Budget-friendly stays that still feel special
If I were planning our trip again tomorrow, these are the places I’d book — and the ones I’d skip.
Table of Contents
- Sabah or Sarawak?
- Where to Stay in Borneo for Different Types of Family Trips
- Where to stay in Sabah
- Where to stay in Sarawak
- Best Places to Stay in Borneo With Kids
- FAQs About Where to Stay in Borneo
- So, Where Would I Stay Again?
- Download your free Borneo itinerary here and take the all the stress out of your planning.
- Need even more inspiration for your Borneo family holiday?
Sabah or Sarawak?
Malaysian Borneo is made up of two states – Sabah to the East and Sarawak to the West. Both have their own draws and attractions and offer some amazing experiences for travelling with kids.
Sabah though is by the far the more popular of the two with visitors. This is the home to some of the most iconic Borneo experiences – specifically, the orangutans at Sepilok, the Rainforest Discovery Centre, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and the wildlife safaris on the Kinabatangan River. If you are really short on time and can only pick one state, Sabah should be it.
But if you have even a handful of extra days to spare – or just want to visit the side of Borneo often overlooked by tourists – then Sarawak also has so much to offer for family travel. Kuching – as the main base – is a wonderful, walkable city with glorious riverside sunsets, tasty food and affordable accommodation.
It’s also a great base for a Sarawak itinerary – from here you can take day trips to Bako National Park to see the proboscis monkeys and marvel at the gorgeous beaches, visit Semenggoh Wildlife Centre for the orangutans, tour a traditional Borneo longhouse and even hike the jungle trails to see the Rafflesia flower if you’re lucky enough to be here at the right time.
Where to Stay in Borneo for Different Types of Family Trips
If you’re planning a Borneo family holiday, the best place to stay depends on what kind of experience you want:
- For wildlife and jungle adventures: Stay near the Kinabatangan River or in Sepilok.
- For beaches and easy logistics: Choose a Kota Kinabalu family hotel.
- For culture and food: Base yourself in Kuching in Sarawak.
- For a mix of everything: Combine Sabah’s wildlife with a few nights of resort downtime.
There isn’t one “best” answer to where to stay in Borneo — but there is a best answer for your family’s travel style.
Where to stay in Sabah
If you’re deciding where to stay in Sabah with kids, most families base themselves either in Kota Kinabalu for beaches and island hopping, or near Sepilok and the Kinabatangan River for wildlife. The right Borneo accommodation with kids really depends on whether your priority is relaxation, rainforest adventures, or a mix of both.
Thanks to easy hops on domestic flights with AirAsia, it’s also pretty simple to include both sides of Sabah in one two-week Borneo itinerary.
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu is the main city in Sabah and usually the point at which most visitors enter and exit the state. There are connecting flights to the rest of Malaysia and wider SE Asia, and over to Sandakan if you’re planning a trip to Sepilok or the Kinabatangan River.
Just outside the city there are some truly breathtaking beaches (and resorts) and the soaring peak of Mount Kinabalu (for those adventurous enough to tackle the hike!). There are also a couple of very good cultural museums in the city that are a great way to find out a bit more about Borneo’s history and culture, in particular the Sabah State Museum & Heritage Village.
These are our top picks for a stay in and around Kota Kinabalu.
Shangri-La Rasa Ria
Read our full, in-depth review of the Shangri-La Rasa Ria here
Honestly, this is not just our top pick for a family hotel in Kota Kinabalu but probably our top family hotel anywhere in the world. Set on it’s own private white sand beach, with a private nature reserve attached, this is the family resort stay of dreams.
The whole place is built with kids in mind, from the pool complex to the kids stations at breakfast, the kids club, the movie room, the playgrounds and the Junior Naturalist experiences in the nature reserve. The service is out of this world, the breakfast buffet has a donut wall (!), the rooms are lovely and the sunsets here are to die for.
Yes, this is a luxury stay, but it’s also incredible value for somewhere so amazing. Family rooms start at £120/US$160 per night for a family of four.
Best for: Families wanting one luxury “wow” stay.
👉 If you want one unforgettable splurge on your Borneo family holiday, this is it. Check availability here — family rooms book up quickly in peak season.
Little Borneo City Apartment
This little gem of an apartment gets consistently rave reviews on Airbnb. Sleeping up to five (with two bedrooms and a sofa bed) it’s well-equipped, super comfortable and in a great location just five minutes from the boat jetty to the islands, a few minutes from Suria Mall and a short (and cheap) Grab taxi to downtown Kota Kinabalu.
But best of all is the big infinity pool on the 7th floor with views looking out across the ocean to the forested islands. This is the perfect spot to admire the sunset in the evenings. We spent every evening of our stay by the pool, with the kids splashing about happily while we chilled out and watched the sun go down.
The hosts here are super helpful too and gave us loads of helpful tips on where to eat and what to do during our stay.
Rates for the whole apartment start at just £55/US$75 per night.
Best for: Budget-conscious families who want space.
Sepilok
Home to the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, the Bornean Sunbear Conservation Centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok might be a small village but it really packs a punch as a wildlife destination. In just a couple of nights here you can tick off so many bucket list travel adventures, even going at a slower pace with kids.
There aren’t loads of options for Sepilok family accommodation, so it’s worth booking ahead if you’re travelling during school holidays — these were our favourites.
Sepilok Forest Edge Resort
Our top tip for a stay in Sepilok – if you can stretch to a place with a pool, go for it. The heat and humidity in Borneo is no joke, and you’ll be spending a lot of time outside exploring during your time here. Having somewhere for the kids (and everyone else) to cool off and relax gives you the perfect balance between sweaty adventures and less intense downtime.
And this place – with it’s gorgeous pool – ticks the box nicely. Plus the beautiful chalet-style wooden rooms are lovely too and it’s in a great location for accessing all the main sights in Sepilok.
Family chalet rooms start from £180/US$245 per night.
Best for: Families wanting wildlife access and a pool to cool off between orangutan visits.
Sepilok B&B
If you’re on a bit of a tighter budget, the Sepilok B&B is a great option. The family rooms are massive, with private terraces and – most importantly – very good air-conditioning. Right next to the Rainforest Discovery Centre, this place also feels wonderfully remote – at night we sat out on the terrace for ages marvelling at the stars.
The little restaurant here is good too with a decent buffet breakfast included in the rates and options in the evening that even the kids really enjoyed.
The family rooms here start from £55/US$75.
Best for: Budget-conscious families who want large rooms and easy access to the Rainforest Discovery Centre.
Sandakan
Sandakan’s airport connects to Kota Kinabalu and elsewhere in Malaysia so it’s likely to be the first place you land if you’re coming to this side of Borneo to visit Sepilok or the Kinabatangan River. Many visitors head straight from the airport to Sepilok (about 30mins in a Grab taxi), swerving Sandakan altogether.
Whilst Sandakan is not a destination bursting with unmissable sights and attractions, it does have some unique, interesting spots to explore if you have the time. The Sandakan Memorial Park, built on the site of the WWII prisoner-of-war camp here, is a heavy but historically significant and highly educational stop.
And for something slightly lighter, you can enjoy afternoon tea on the lawns of Agnes Keith House on the hill overlooking town and take a tour of the preserved house itself.
Sandakan is not blessed with a wide choice of hotels and resorts – most accommodation options here are apartments in the blocks in the suburbs. If you can, stay as close to the downtown area as you can. Many of the suburban apartments have very little in the way of transport or places to eat in walking distance.
Sabah Hotel
Sandakan isn’t somewhere you come for luxury — you come because you’re heading to Sepilok or the Kinabatangan River. And if you’re arriving late or flying out early with kids, you want somewhere easy.
After landing in Sandakan, slightly sticky and slightly tired (okay, very sticky and very tired), Sabah Hotel felt like exactly the reset we needed. The pool was big enough for a proper swim, not just a token plunge, and after days of jungle heat the kids practically launched themselves into it before we’d even unpacked.
What I loved most here was the balance. You’re close enough to downtown to grab dinner or visit the Agnes Keith House, but far enough out that you wake up to birdsong and greenery instead of traffic noise. The view from our room over the forested hills gave us that “still in Borneo” feeling without being deep in the jungle.
Is it boutique and trendy? No.
Is it clean, comfortable and genuinely convenient for families in transit? Absolutely.
Rates for a family of four start at £150/US$200 per night.
Best for: Families needing a comfortable one-night stop with a pool before or after wildlife tours.
👉 If you want somewhere easy and reliable before or after your wildlife adventures, check current availability here — it’s one of the few true hotel-style options in Sandakan and rooms do fill during peak season.
Ninety1 Sandakan
Whilst there are a ton of apartments around Sandakan, this one stands out for it’s size, facilities and the lovely balcony for watching the sunset over the ocean. We also really appreciate the big water cooler with unlimited filtered water – a massive plus in this part of the world!
As with many of the rental apartments in Sandakan, the drawback is that there is very little within walking distance so you will need to rely on Grab taxis for getting around town. But if you want a quiet stay in a clean, well-equipped family apartment then this is a very good shout.
The apartment sleeps up to five (one king room, bunk beds and a sofa bed) and rates start at just £36/US$50 per night.
Best for: Longer stays or budget-focused families who prefer space and self-catering over hotel facilities.
Kinabatangan River
If it’s wildlife you’ve come to Borneo for, then the Kinabatangan River is where you want to be. The muddy brown river loops through the rainforest with a number of lodges on it’s banks. Staying at any of these includes boat safaris where you have the chance to spot orangutans, pygmy elephants, crocodiles, hornbills, proboscis monkeys and more in their natural habitat.
If you’re hoping for a true Borneo jungle lodge experience, this is as immersive as it gets — early morning mist, the sounds of hornbills overhead, and boat safaris straight from your doorstep.
Our stay at the Kinabatangan River was one of the most magical travel experiences we’ve had anywhere in the world. Lodges range from little homestays through to more-resort like stays – but bear in mind for all of these that you are staying right in the Borneo jungle and so you should expect lodges to be fairly rustic.
All the lodges offer rates that include your room, all meals and pick up/drop off from Sandakan or Sepilok.
If you’re wondering where to stay in Borneo to see all that bucket-list wildlife – then this is it.
Osman’s Homestay
Osman and his wife Yanti host visitors at their small homestay right on the river. Osman is an experienced wildlife guide (having worked with David Attenborough) and his skills meant that we saw all the wildlife we’d dreamed of during our stay (including wild orangutans).
The rooms here are basic but clean and comfortable, with basic functional bathrooms. Some of the rooms also have air-conditioning – I would highly recommend booking one of these as the heat out in the Borneo rainforest is intense.
If you’re considering a Kinabatangan River lodge with kids, this kind of small, family-run stay feels welcoming rather than overwhelming — and the guiding expertise is exceptional.
The food is also excellent (so much so that our kids still talk about the Butter Chicken and the breakfast pancakes!).
A 3-day/2-night tour package starts from £125/US$170pp.
Best for: Families who want an authentic, small-scale jungle stay with expert wildlife guiding.
👉 For an authentic jungle experience (and some of the best wildlife guiding on the river), check current tour availability here — this is a small, independent place so rooms are limited.
Sukau Rainforest Lodge
If you want the jungle experience but with a higher level of luxury, then Sukau Rainforest Lodge is widely regarded as the best on the river. It has high eco and sustainability credentials, excellent guides and pretty amazing facilities for somewhere so deep in the Borneo jungle.
The rooms here are gorgeous and feel more like a boutique hotel than a jungle lodge. And the shared spaces – the restaurant, the verandas out over the river – are wonderful places to relax between wildlife-watching safaris.
Tour package rates for 3-days/2-nights start at £750/US$1,000 per person, with discounted rates for kids up to 12.
Best for: Families who want a luxury-level Borneo jungle lodge experience without sacrificing comfort.
👉 If you want the jungle experience without sacrificing comfort, this is the most luxurious option on the Kinabatangan. Check package availability here.
Where to stay in Sarawak
The overlooked neighbour to Sabah, Sarawak still has so much to offer to travelling families. And as you can visit so much just from a base in Kuching, it really is easy to add a detour here just for a couple of days if you want to see the lesser visited side of Borneo.
Kuching
Kuching is a gorgeous riverside city that is a brilliant base for seeing many of the key sights of Sarawak. And there’s plenty on offer for the kids too. There’s a good range of accommodation options here, including some real bargains if you’re travelling on a tight budget.
Waterfront Hotel Kuching
After weeks of muddy riverbanks and jungle boardwalks, arriving in Kuching felt almost… cosmopolitan. We checked into the Waterfront Hotel and that first evening wandering along the river while the kids chased the famous cat statues was one of those quiet “this is why we travel” moments.
When choosing a Kuching family hotel, location is everything. The city is wonderfully walkable, but in the heat, being able to pop back to your hotel mid-afternoon for a swim or air-con break is priceless.
The rooftop pool here overlooks the river and Sarawak State Assembly building — and cooling off up there after a day at Bako National Park felt like a small luxury we hadn’t realised we needed.
The family rooms are spacious enough not to feel like you’re all living out of one suitcase, and breakfast is solid (which matters more than you think when you’re trying to fuel kids for museum hopping or jungle day trips).
It’s not ultra-luxury, but it’s polished, central, and incredibly practical.
Family rooms start from around £100/US$135 per night.
Best for: Families wanting a central, walkable base with the bonus of a rooftop pool.
👉 If you want walkable convenience and a rooftop pool to cool off after sightseeing, check rates here.
Treehouse Hostel
If you’re travelling Borneo on a tighter budget — especially on a longer family gap year — Kuching is where things get wonderfully affordable.
We were genuinely surprised by how comfortable Treehouse Hostel felt. The family rooms have proper beds (not just awkward bunks crammed into a corner), decent air-conditioning — which, trust me, is non-negotiable in Borneo — and access to a shared kitchen that makes breakfast and simple dinners easy.
After months of travelling as a family, one of the bonuses of our stay here was chatting with other travellers in the communal area while we cooked food in the evenings with the kids. It had that low-key, slow-travel vibe that you sometimes miss in bigger hotels (and that as adults I think we definitely miss sometimes when you stop staying in hostels).
Is it fancy? Not remotely.
Is it clean, quiet and an absolute bargain in central Kuching? Yes.
For families travelling long-term, this kind of place stretches your budget without feeling like you’re slumming it.
Family rooms start from around £28/US$38 per night.
Best for: Gap year or slow-travel families looking to stretch their Borneo family holiday budget.
👉 If you’re trying to keep accommodation costs low without sacrificing location, check availability here — family rooms are limited and it’s one of the best-value stays in Kuching.
Bako National Park
Whilst you can visit Bako National Park on a day trip from Kuching, if you stay overnight you’ll increase your chances of seeing the wildlife and you’ll get to take one of the ranger-led night walks too.
The only option within the national park is bookable through the SarawakPass. They run a range of lodges just off the beach; the cheapest are very basic (but perfectly comfortable) with just fans. If you can stretch to it then go for one of the lodges with air-conditioning – trust me, without it you’ll have a very sweaty night in the jungle heat (exactly the mistake we made in an attempt to save a paltry few quid).
Prices start at £17/US$23 a night for a room with a fan sleeping four people.
Best for: Families wanting a true national park overnight experience and a chance to join ranger-led night walks.
👉 If you’re staying overnight in Bako, book early through SarawakPass — and trust me, choose air-conditioning.
Best Places to Stay in Borneo With Kids
If you’re short on time, here’s the quick summary:
- Best luxury family hotel in Borneo: Shangri-La Rasa Ria
- Best jungle lodge in Borneo: Sukau Rainforest Lodge
- Best authentic wildlife stay: Osman’s Homestay
- Best budget family stay in Sabah: Ninety1 Sandakan
- Best city base in Sarawak: Waterfront Hotel Kuching
- Best ultra-budget option: Treehouse Hostel
This should help you quickly narrow down where to stay in Borneo based on your budget and travel style.
FAQs About Where to Stay in Borneo
If you’re short on time, Sabah is usually better for a first Borneo family holiday thanks to Sepilok, Kinabatangan wildlife and beaches near Kota Kinabalu. Sarawak is less touristy and great if you have extra days.
Two nights is ideal with kids. That gives you time for the Orangutan Centre, Sun Bear Centre and Rainforest Discovery Centre without rushing.
Yes — but they are rustic. Expect basic facilities, intense humidity and early mornings. Choose a lodge with air-conditioning if travelling with younger kids.
It can be surprisingly affordable. We found family rooms from £17 per night, though jungle lodges and luxury resorts cost more.
Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) and Kuching (Sarawak) are the easiest bases with good transport connections and family-friendly accommodation.
So, Where Would I Stay Again?
If I had to plan our Borneo family holiday again tomorrow, I’d combine three types of stays:
- A few nights in Kota Kinabalu for beaches and recovery
- Wildlife immersion on the Kinabatangan River
- Either Sepilok or Kuching as a cultural base
Borneo is the kind of place where accommodation shapes your entire experience. The right jungle lodge makes wildlife magical. The right hotel pool saves your sanity after 35°C rainforest days.
And if you’re travelling with kids, those little details — air conditioning, walkability, a decent breakfast — matter more than you think.
Ultimately, deciding where to stay in Borneo for a family holiday comes down to balancing comfort with adventure — whether that’s a luxury beachfront resort, a rustic Kinabatangan River lodge, or a budget-friendly family hotel in Kuching.
If you’re ready to start booking your own Borneo adventure, check availability for your favourite stays above and lock in your dates early — especially during school holidays.
Download your free Borneo itinerary here and take the all the stress out of your planning.
Want our full 2-week family Borneo itinerary — including exactly how we combined these stays without backtracking or burning out the kids?
Download it here and start planning your own adventure.
Need even more inspiration for your Borneo family holiday?
Check out our other comprehensive posts covering all of our Malaysia travel adventures, across Borneo and beyond.
- Borneo with Kids
- Two Week Borneo Itinerary for Families
- Budget for One Week in Kuala Lumpur (for families)
- Visiting the Rainforest Discovery Centre
- Seeing orangutans in Sepilok with kids
- Taking a Kinabatangan River tour with kids
- Shangri-La Rasa Ria: Full Review
- 3-Day Kuching Itinerary
- Visiting Bako National Park from Kuching
- 3-day Langkawi Itinerary with Kids
- Langkawi Mangrove Tour with Kids
