Be enchanted by Borneo

Few islands in the world evoke the sense of mystery and fascination that Borneo does. Throughout history, the world’s third-largest island (after Greenland and New Guinea and excluding the continent of Australia) has attracted a rich array of merchants, adventurers and entrepreneurs, and now intrepid travellers and tourists can be added to the list of visitors as they pursue their own personal adventures in Borneo.

Most visitors are captivated as Borneo is a truly enchanting island where it’s possible to experience many wonderful natural attractions and a fascinating and diverse culture. Some of the most ecologically rich and biologically complex ecosystems in the world are to be found in Borneo. While logging and the cultivation of plantations have taken their toll on the rainforests, there are still large tracts of unspoiled primary vegetation to explore.

Borneo’s flora and fauna are amongst the world’s richest. Kinabalu Park, for example, supports some 5,000 known plant species (excluding mosses and liverworts) plus many more that have not even been identified yet. Ornithologists have recorded 673 bird species with 59 being endemic (found only in Borneo). Borneo so impressed the great naturalist Charles Darwin that he called it ‘one great luxuriant hothouse made by nature for herself’.

Borneo’s diverse flora and fauna and its unique geography have inspired the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to set up the Heart of Borneo project to support the three governments in their efforts to establish a network of protected areas. The aim is to prevent further destruction of the Borneo rainforest, and it is targeted that one third of the island will eventually be set aside as protected areas.

Visitors to the Sarawak Cultural Village on the outskirts of Kuching quickly discover that Borneo is an ethnically diverse island of about 23 million people who belong to 32 recognized ethnic groups. Seven main groups have been identified – Barito, Bidayuh, Dusin-Kadazan Murut, Iban, Kayan-Kenyah, Kelabit-Lun Bawang and Maloh.

Comprising the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, the independent Sultanate of Brunei and the Indonesian state of Kalimantan, the island of Borneo is a treasure-house of natural beauty and biodiversity. Described by Charles Darwin as 'one great luxuriant hothouse made by nature for herself. Borneo is home to a rich profusion of flora and fauna, including 673 bird species; a diversity of mammals, including the Proboscis Monkey, the Bornean Pygmy Elephant, and the Orang-Utan; and an immense variety of marine life, Invertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles.

From the spectacular peak of Mount Kinabalu, one of the tallest mountains in Southeast Asia, to the depths of the world's largest cave in Sarawak's Mutu National Park and encompassing some of the world's most exotic wildlife-watching locations along the Kinabatangan River and at Danum Valley, Borneo is an unrivalled destination for adventurous and eco travellers.

Extracted from 'Enchanting Borneo' by David Bowden,
published by John Beaufoy Publishing, UK
(www.johnbeaufoy.com).