BORNEO

Rainforest journeys

A short forest path and a remote expedition are different commitments. Compare terrain, overnight arrangements and access before deciding how far into the forest to go.

How to choose

Start with the style of visit: a guided daytime walk, a night walk, a lodge-based programme or a moving trek. A lodge stay does not automatically mean easy trails; an expedition may require carrying equipment and accepting simple facilities. Use the individual guide to check the actual route and physical demands.

Treat permits, guides and forest transfers as part of the plan. Allow room for weather-related changes and avoid a tight flight connection immediately after a remote stay. Choose a gateway hotel for the journey and a forest base for the experience; they serve different purposes.

Compare these experiences

Forest stream in Ulu Temburong National Park, Brunei (2013).

Activities

A guided forest visit to Ulu Temburong

Temburong

Ulu Temburong combines a journey along a forest river with walking beneath, and where open above, the rainforest canopy. The day is memorable for its sequence: leaving the settled valley, travelling by local boat, climbing through humid forest and seeing how the view changes with height. For travellers based in Bandar Seri Begawan, it offers a substantial nature experience beyond the capital; a Temburong stay allows a slower approach. This is an active guided park visit rather than a short roadside viewpoint. The boat journey and forest steps are part of what you are choosing. It suits visitors interested in rainforest structure and the experience of travelling into a protected landscape, with wildlife a possible part of the day rather than its only measure of success.

Pangalau · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original

Blackwater and riparian forest along the Sebangau River in Sebangau National Park

Activities

Sebangau Camp Koran guided day trip

Palangka Raya

A small boat from Kereng Bangkirai leads into a blackwater landscape before a guided walk introduces the peat-swamp forest. Camp Koran makes Sebangau possible as a day experience from Palangka Raya, without an overnight forest expedition. Choose it for the combination of water, vegetation and local interpretation rather than a promised orangutan sighting.

Mankdhay rahman · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original

Lamin Adat Adjang Lidem, the communal meeting building in Setulang.

Activities

Setulang Tane Olen community forest walk

North Kalimantan

Tane Olen is a forest governed through Dayak Kenyah customary rules. A visit from Setulang brings the forest and its community management together: the point is to understand a living protected resource, rather than enter an apparently empty wilderness.

Ezagren · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original

Explore further

Rungan River at Telok Kaja, Sei Gohong, in 2017.

Activities

A Kahayan cabin cruise with a Rungan river outing

Central Kalimantan

Combine a small-boat visit near Kaja Island with several days aboard a Kahayan riverboat, exploring blackwater habitat, village crafts and Dayak hospitality from a private cabin.

InTheLA · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original

Gunung Rian seen from the Trans-Kalimantan road in 2018; the waterfall itself is not pictured.

Activities

A forest and waterfall visit at Gunung Rian

North Kalimantan

Visit Gunung Rian’s waterfall landscape in Tana Tidung, with a road approach from Tideng Pale and time to explore the visitor area on foot. Agree the scope locally: a waterfall visit and a longer guided trek need different preparation, even when both use the same place name.

Ezagren (bicara / talk) · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original

Photograph not yet available

Activities

A guided forest stay at Imbak Canyon

Sabah

Plan an arranged visit to Imbak’s conservation landscape, choosing between studies-centre activities and a more demanding trekking programme.

Forest and buildings at Danum Valley Field Centre in March 2014, viewed from the observation tower.

Activities

A guided rainforest stay in Danum Valley

Sabah

Spend several days exploring Danum’s lowland forest with a guide, choosing your accommodation and programme before arranging the journey from Lahad Datu.

Mike Prince · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Cropped · Original

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Waterfall in Maliau Basin, photographed in May 2018.

Activities

A guided waterfall trek into Maliau Basin

Sabah

Plan a multi-day trek through Maliau’s protected forest, distinguishing the expedition to the falls from a shorter visit around the studies centre.

Dhlim2007 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original

Waterfall in Tabin Wildlife Reserve, photographed in March 2014.

Activities

A guided wildlife stay in Tabin

Sabah

Use a lodge stay to explore Tabin’s forest, mud volcano and wildlife routes, with time for different outings rather than a single rushed visit.

Mike Prince · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Cropped · Original

Haratai Waterfall near Loksado, photographed in 2025.

Activities

A waterfall outing to Haratai from Loksado

Loksado

Make time for Haratai as a separate outing from Loksado, with a locally arranged approach and a final walk to the falls. The journey through the village landscape is part of the experience; leave enough time to enjoy it without racing between river and waterfall activities.

AzraSalsabila · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original

Photograph not yet available

Activities

A wildlife drive and forest stay in Deramakot

Sabah

Travel into Deramakot with an organised four-wheel-drive programme and give patient wildlife observation several evenings to unfold.

River landscape at Menua Sadap, Embaloh Hulu, in 2013.

Activities

An Embaloh expedition into Betung Kerihun

West Kalimantan

Follow the Embaloh River from Sadap towards Tekelan on a guided expedition that combines wooden longboats, riverside camping, forest walks and an Iban village connection.

Indra Jaya Aswad · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cropped · Original

Forest walkway at Sangkima in Kutai National Park, photographed in 2019.

Activities

An ironwood forest walk at Sangkima

East Kalimantan

Follow the forest route at Sangkima in Kutai National Park, with a shorter boardwalk visit centred on a giant ulin tree and a longer walk for those who want more time among the trees. Arrange the route around current trail conditions and your group’s walking ability.

Gunawan gtp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original

Photograph not yet available

Activities

An overnight forest visit to Punggualas

Central Kalimantan

Travel into Sebangau’s Punggualas sector by road and river, sleep at a simple forest base, and explore peat-swamp habitat with a local guiding team.

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Build the rest of your journey

Use the regional guides to connect an experience with a departure base, accommodation and transport. Confirm the return journey before adding the next stop.