Become a Virtual Tourist Member Today!  Sign Up for Free | Sign In

Off the Beaten Path in Borneo

Search:
email to friend | help
Home » Travel Guides » Asia » Malaysia » Borneo » Off the Beaten Path

Borneo Travel Guide

Off the Beaten Path in Borneo

local children of the villiage - Borneo
local children of the villiage
by HeidiR
Tips and photos of unusual, out-of-the-way Borneo attractions, posted by real travelers and locals.
Local Time 10:02 pm Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Borneo Map
• Borneo Hotels

Sponsored Links for Borneo

Borneo
Book at Borneo, Cala Millor. No reservation costs. Great rates!

Exotic Borneo Vacations
Experience The Best of Borneo In Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia

Top Luxury Langkawi Hotel
Visit Four Seasons official site. Check availability and rates now!

Luxury Condo Alternatives
Consider fractional residences Learn more with our Free Guide

Malaysia Hotels Discount
Save money on your hotel reservation in Malaysia.

Borneo Off the Beaten PathTips 1 - 5 of 5  
Popular Off the Beaten Path | Miscellaneous Off the Beaten Path Tips | All Tips (5)
Sort By:  Most Recent | Best Rated
MESCOT homestays
  • Tip Rating:
  • By HeidiR on December 23, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Borneo Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • MESCOT homestay - Borneo
    MESCOT homestay
    by HeidiR
    Send Photo to a Friend
    The MESCOT homestays are in Kampung Batiu Puteh. This is an approx 5 hrs drive from Poring hot springs. This is another oppertunity to staywith local people. Their house basically have no furniture, although most have TVs! They are known as river people. When you stay with a local family you will be invited to take a shower. Out of respectyou should not refuse, plus its so humid you probrablywill want to butyoushould use their traditional way. Women should wear a sown up sarong, men may just wear shorts. You should have 2 sarongs, one for bathing/showering and one for drying. In some of the houses they have bathrooms, over houses they have buckets by the river,

    While staying at the homestay we were also invited to a party were we were given traditional clothes to wear. So much food, the sweets are really sweet. You are expected to use your hand to eat and sit on the floor. itcanbe messy.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Iban Longhouses
  • Tip Rating:
  • By HeidiR on December 24, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Borneo Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Borneo Off the Beaten Path
    by HeidiR
    Send Photo to a Friend
    You may get an invitation to go and stay at the Iban Longhouses (we were on an Intrepid tour). The Iban used to be called the headhunters of Borneo, although they no longer hunt! If you are inited you must remember to take plenty of gifts such as rice, beans and if you really want to be appreciated a pigs head!
    Whole communities live in a long house, yes they are basically a long house with long community hall, no furniture then each family has 1 room going off the hall.the one we atayed in had 13 families, average size 10 per family. Each family owns chickens which live under the long house so canbe very noisey. dogs are considered to be vacuum cleaners. The longhouses are by the rivers were you are expected to watch. Same as in the MESCOT houses in Sabah you will need 2 sarongs one for washing/swimming one for drying.
    Watch out for the rice wine introductions again!

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Kiau-Dusan Villiage
  • Tip Rating:
  • By HeidiR on December 23, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Borneo Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • local children of the villiage - Borneo
    local children of the villiage
    by HeidiR
    Send Photo to a Friend
    If you go to far away places like Borneo its worth while spending time with the local people. Kiau is a villiage not far from Mount Kinnabalu, infact it was from here that we saw our first real look of the mountain. Most of the men in the villiage are porters and guides to the mountain. The other main source of income/food is from their farms. the local Dusan people showed us round their farm and invited out group for a meal and rice wine. In the Dusan culture its traditional to introduce yourself by downing a whole glass of rice wine and then holding the empty glass over your head. If you do not drink it in one go you get given another glass. The whole villiage gets drunk, the idea being to forget about the huge task of climbing the mountain.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Explore the caves in Mulu
  • By Bali-Babe on January 22, 2005
  • Email Me
  • See My Borneo Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Wind cave stalagtites - Borneo
    Wind cave stalagtites
    by Bali-Babe
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Mulu is not the most convenient place to get to, but it is worth the hassle. You will have to fly into Mulu on a tiny plane from Miri, Borneo. Flying into Mulu you will be shocked to see all of the logging roads and the deforestation of the area.

    Mulu is a tiny place to visit and is only for the true adventurer. There are many caves to explore with easy access, and then more difficult ones you can explore with ropes. Those you will have to squeeze into sometimes on your belly. Prepare to get very dirty for those. The easier ones you can reach by boat along the river. Hire a guide to take you to the cave entrances. You can find your way on your own if you prefer, or actually hike there instead of going by boat. It will take much more time to hike in rather than using the boat.

    Many of the caves have raised wooden pathways leading to them. The cave system in Mulu is the second largest in the world, and one of the cave systems there has the largest underground river which you can hear flowing beneath you as you wander through the cave in darkness. The caves are very dark, but the park rangers will get the generators going when they see you approaching.

    In the caves you will see stalagtites and stalagmites, and unusual limestone formations. Wind cave was my favorite cave.

    If you visit Deer Cave, go in the late afternoon. It is a huge cave and you will witness thousands of bats leaving the cave in search of food, and then returning. Standing back at one of the observation areas you can see swarms of them departing and then entering the cave.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Get in some practice fpr Mt Kinabalu
  • By Josilver on August 16, 2005
  • Email Me
  • See My Borneo Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • To get in some exercise before climbing Mt Kinabalu we climbed the hill behing the town centre. There is a really nice view of all the islands from the top. To get there go to the tourist information centre and walk 3 or 4 blocks back untill you get to a soccer pitch. Hint take plenty of water with you.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    1
    More Borneo Tips
    Overview
         		General Tips
    Tips: 1 - Photos: 0
    Restaurants
    Tips: 5 - Photos: 3    		Hotels and Accommodations
    Tips: 12 - Photos: 9
    Things To Do
    Tips: 28 - Photos: 26    		Nightlife
    Tips: 2 - Photos: 1
    Off the Beaten Path
    Tips: 5 - Photos: 4    		Tourist Traps
    » Add a tip now
    Warnings or Dangers
    Tips: 3 - Photos: 1    		Transportation
    Tips: 1 - Photos: 0
    Local Customs
    Tips: 1 - Photos: 0    		Packing Lists
    » Add a tip now
    Shopping
    » Add a tip now    		Sports Travel
    » Add a tip now

    More Sponsored Links for Borneo
    Search Hotels
    Find the best room rates
    All Borneo Hotels

    Check-In Date:


    Check-Out Date:


    Guests

    Hotels by OneTime.com




    Find:        Matching:  Advanced