Getting To Borneo

Travelling by air is the primary way to reach Borneo from Kuala Lumpur or other countries. To travel within Borneo, a major highway links the towns and cities. However, there are no proper railways, with only one in Sabah which is more of a scenic ride. To reach rural areas inland, boats and ferries are used to ply river routes.

By Air

To get to Borneo from Kuala Lumpur, there are two airline companies that fly to Sabah and Sarawak. Malaysian Airlines (MAS) operates flights from several countries to major cities and towns in Borneo while Air Asia plies routes from Peninsular Malaysia to and around Borneo. The main airports in Borneo are the Kuching (Sarawak) and Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) Airports.

Major airports are also located in other towns and cities such as Miri, Sibu, Bintulu, Labuan and Lahad Datu. Some rural areas have air strips for communication as their terrain is inaccessible by car.

MAS
Local - 1300 88 3000
International - +60 (0)3 7846 3000

Air Asia
Local - 1300 88 99 33
International - +60 (0)3 7884 9000

By Road

To travel between towns and cities in Borneo, there is a major highway called the Trans-Borneo which connects Kuching in Sarawak all the way through Brunei to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. The highway is constantly being updated with new roads to connect to rural areas.

By River

Rivers are an integral part of Borneo’s transport system, especially in Sarawak where there are many large rivers. Sometimes, you need to ride a boat or ferry to get to certain places within Borneo, especially for visiting longhouse communities. In Sarawak, there are a total of 55 rivers which are used for transportation and communication between the coastal towns and inland areas. 50 percent of the time, the vessels are used to transport passengers while the rest are for timber. The Rajang River is the most used, with up to 500 boats and other vessels plying the route daily.