Malaysia Travel: Wildlife, Borneo and World-Class Diving
Malaysia is one of my favorite destinations for wildlife and scuba diving.
I spent three action-packed weeks traveling through Malaysia as part of a six-month backpacking trip through Asia. Most of my time was in Malaysian Borneo, where I traveled from east to west, planning the journey as I went rather than joining an organized tour.
That turned into one of the most memorable stretches of my travels.
I dove with sharks and sea turtles around Sipadan, stayed on Mabul Island, searched for orangutans and pygmy elephants, traveled along the Kinabatangan River, celebrated Chinese New Year in Kota Kinabalu, explored rainforest and coastline at Bako National Park, and eventually discovered one of Borneo’s strangest animals: the proboscis monkey.
I’d absolutely go back.
Exploring Malaysian Borneo
Borneo was the main reason Malaysia became such a memorable part of my Asia travels.
I arrived with an interest in wildlife and diving, but without a detailed itinerary. I figured things out as I went along, gradually making my way across Malaysian Borneo.
That freedom led me to some incredible experiences.
Wild Orangutans in Borneo
Seeing orangutans in their natural environment was one of the biggest highlights of my time in Malaysia.
I visited orangutan rehabilitation centers on both the Sabah and Sarawak sides of Borneo, and also explored the rainforest looking for wildlife.
Orangutans are one of the animals that make Borneo such a special destination for wildlife travelers.
Proboscis Monkeys
I eventually made my way west toward Bako National Park in Malaysian Borneo, where I discovered another animal that seems almost designed to make you stop and stare: the proboscis monkey.
With their enormous noses and distinctive appearance, they’re unlike almost anything I’ve encountered elsewhere.
Pygmy Elephants on the Kinabatangan River
One of my most memorable wildlife experiences was taking a safari along the Kinabatangan River.
I was able to see wild Bornean pygmy elephants, including baby elephants, moving through the jungle.
Seeing elephants in the wild is always special, but watching a family with young elephants in the rainforest made this experience particularly memorable.
Bako National Park
Bako National Park brought together several things I love about travel: wildlife, rainforest, hiking and dramatic scenery.
It was also where I discovered proboscis monkeys, making it one of the most memorable stops on my journey through Malaysian Borneo.
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
Not every wildlife encounter needs to happen deep in the jungle.
Sepilok is one of the world’s best-known orangutan rehabilitation centers, and visiting gave me another perspective on the challenges facing these incredible animals.
Diving in Malaysia
Malaysia is also one of my favorite destinations for scuba diving.
The waters around Sabah are home to some spectacular marine life, and diving around Sipadan was one of the experiences that convinced me I would happily return to Malaysia just for the underwater world.
Sipadan: One of the World’s Great Dive Sites
I traveled to Mabul Island to dive around Sipadan.
Sipadan is famous for its incredible marine biodiversity, including sharks, turtles, barracudas and enormous schools of fish.
It lived up to the reputation.
Swimming With Reef Sharks
Sharks were one of the things I was most nervous about before getting into the water.
Eventually, I found myself swimming alongside whitetip reef sharks in the clear waters around Sipadan.
It was a pretty good way to confront a fear.
Mabul Island
Mabul Island was my base for diving around Sipadan.
The island itself was part of the experience, with its small-island atmosphere, local culture and spectacular marine environment.
Malaysia Beyond Wildlife and Diving
Wildlife and scuba diving may be what made Malaysia one of my favorite destinations, but they weren’t the only memorable experiences.
Traveling through Malaysia also introduced me to food, celebrations and everyday cultural experiences that I hadn’t encountered before.
Chinese New Year in Kota Kinabalu
I happened to be in Kota Kinabalu during Chinese New Year.
Celebrating the holiday while traveling gave me a chance to experience Malaysia from a different perspective than I would have gotten simply visiting the country’s major sights.
Some of my favorite travel memories come from being in a place when something unexpected is happening.
Malaysian Food
Malaysia became one of my favorite countries in Southeast Asia—not just for the wildlife and diving, but for the food and unexpected cultural experiences along the way.
Malaysian food deserves its own category.
I loved discovering local dishes and experiencing the variety of influences that make Malaysian cuisine so interesting.
One of my travel experiences even involved getting outside my usual habits and learning to eat with my hands.
A Few Things Didn’t Go According to Plan
Not every Malaysian adventure went perfectly.
That’s part of traveling independently, especially when you’re planning your route as you go.
One of my Malaysian adventures at Niah Caves turned into a travel fail rather than the experience I’d imagined.
I also had a few smaller experiences that became memorable precisely because they weren’t things I’d planned on doing.
Even something as ordinary as getting a haircut became a cultural experience worth remembering.
The Sunsets of Borneo
Some of my favorite memories of Malaysian Borneo aren’t about a particular animal or dive site.
They’re simply the landscapes.
Borneo produced some spectacular sunsets during my travels, and I still have plenty of photographs from those evenings.
Why I’d Go Back to Malaysia
Three weeks wasn’t nearly enough.
I traveled through Malaysia quickly, especially considering how much of the trip was spent exploring Malaysian Borneo. I was planning the journey as I went, which gave me the freedom to follow whatever looked interesting next.
That led me to some incredible places.
I saw orangutans and pygmy elephants in the wild, discovered proboscis monkeys, explored rainforests, celebrated Chinese New Year, ate my way through local food and dove in some of the clearest and most spectacular water I’ve ever experienced.
Malaysia remains one of my favorite destinations for wildlife and scuba diving, and I’d happily return.
There are still plenty of places I haven’t explored, and I’m sure Borneo would give me another completely different adventure.
Malaysia was one of the highlights of my six-month backpacking journey through Asia—and I’m not finished with it yet. There’s so much more to explore!