Borneo

The updated Bradt Borneo guidebook, now in its fifth edition, remains the essential guide for visiting this tropical island paradise. Focusing on the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the sultanate of Brunei, it provides the latest practical information for trekking through sultry rainforests, watching orangutans from longboats, visiting remote tribes, touring sapphire straits and diving coral reefs. With wide-reaching coverage of the non-Indonesian parts of the world’s third-largest and sixth-highest island, the updated Bradt Borneo guidebook offers a mouthwatering list of attractions and activities. These include fabulous wildlife watching in a renowned biodiversity hotspot, where an astonishing 5,000 plant and 500 animal species occur nowhere else in the world. Possibilities include: •Exploring the Kinabatangan River by boat, looking for Bornean orangutans and (pot-bellied, web-footed and big-nosed) proboscis monkeys; •Supporting orphaned apes at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre; •Birdwatching along canopy walkways in Danum Valley’s world-famous primary rainforest; •Witnessing an underwater kaleidoscope by diving some of world’s finest coral reefs; and •Gawping at the world’s largest individual flower, the so-called corpse flower or rafflesia (up to 1 metre in diameter!), and at carnivorous pitcher plants. For visitors interested in other types of outdoor activities, or in engaging with Borneo’s cultural and culinary diversity, the updated Bradt guide contains everything you need to know about: •Hiking up Mount Kinabalu, at 4,095 m the tallest peak between the Himalayas and Papua New Guinea; •Climbing craggy limestone pillars rising up like sharks’ teeth in Gunung Mulu National Park; •Travelling by longboat to explore Ulu Temburong National Park; •Visiting Brunei’s mesmerising mosques, including Omar Ali Saifuddien and Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah; •Savouring street food at the vibrant night markets of Gadong and Kota Kinabalu; and •Engaging with Borneo’s cultural diversity by overnighting in a 180-metre-long communal longhouse used by Iban tribes. With fully refreshed practical information, researched by experienced travel writer Tamara Thiessen, alongside in-depth coverage of flora, fauna, history, ethnology and culture, plus a deep journalistic gaze upon political and conservation issues, the updated Bradt Borneo guidebook offers everything you need to enjoy a rewarding trip to this exceptional island.