East Malaysian Adventures

East Malaysian Adventures

- David Bowden

The world’s third-largest island of Borneo has always been seen as a destination for wild adventures.

Towering peaks, long meandering rivers and thick tropical rainforest provide an image of lost world escapism. For the early explorers, penetrating the Bornean interior was an adventure in itself and even today, there are still places to get the adrenalin pumping with some awesome adventures in both Sarawak and Sabah. Here are five fab adventures to seek out when next in East Malaysia

MOUNTAIN BIKING, SABAH

 Mountain biking is a popular activity that almost anyone can take on these days. Bike Borneo offers several options in Sabah with an all-day mountain bike ride for beginners. Make it more adventurous with a gentle whitewater raft in the morning on the Kiulu River (not as wild as the Padas) and then some easy mountain biking after a BBQ lunch. More experienced cyclists may want to head off on a four-day adventure starting at Mount Kinabalu National Park and then downhill into the Kiau Valley. Pass Dusan villages, farms and jungle before spending the night in a local homestay. On day two, it’s a 43km cycle and day three, just 30km before returning to Kota Kinabalu on the morning of day four. A support vehicle provides invaluable backup and all meals and beverages plus accommodation are taken care of by biking professionals. Contact: bikeborneo.com

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING, SABAH