Sunday, January 6, 2008; P07
GETTING THERE: Korean Air has a convenient flight to Borneo, which goes nonstop (14 hours) from Washington Dulles to Seoul, then transfers quickly to a five-hour flight to Kota Kinabalu, the largest city in the Malaysian state of Sabah. KK, as the city is known to locals, is a great jumping-off point for the rest of Borneo. A round-trip coach ticket for travel within the next two months currently starts at about $2,500. Cheaper but less convenient is flying through Kuala Lumpur: For about $1,800 round trip you can fly Qatar Airways to Kuala Lumpur, with a connection in Doha, Qatar, then transfer to a nonstop flight on Malaysia Airlines to Kota Kinabalu.
GETTING AROUND: Land travel is usually difficult, so you will often need to use local air carriers to see much of Borneo. Fly Asia Express, a super discount carrier, recently was taken over by a unit of Malaysian Airlines called MAS Wings. Air Asia is another discount carrier that flies many of the main routes. Fares in Malaysia are often unbelievably cheap -- the 45-minute flight from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan can cost as little as $22 a person -- but the costs can add up if you want to see multiple parts of the island.
WHERE TO STAY: At the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre near Sandakan, stay at the Sepilok Jungle Resort ( http://www.sepilokjungleresort.com), a simple but friendly hotel in a beautiful setting. Prices range from $16 a night for a room with fans to $78 for a two-bedroom suite with air conditioning. At Gunung Mulu National Park ( http://www.mulupark.com), accommodations are limited to simple lodgings in the park or a grand hotel on stilts with huge rooms known as the Royal Mulu Resort ( http://www.royalmuluresort.com/home.htm). Rooms at the resort go for about $75 a night. After negotiating, we paid $60 a night for a two-bed room and $80 a night for three beds, plus an additional $50 per adult for tours of four caves. The Regency Pelagus Resort (011-603-2715-7927, http://www.theregencyhotel.com.my/pelagus), deep in the Sarawak rain forest, charges $175 per person for three days/two nights and $206 for four days/three nights, including all meals and tours.
WHERE TO EAT: Given how isolated many of the lodgings are, you often have little choice but to eat at your hotel. All offer a variety of Malaysian and Western dishes, of varying quality. Malaysian food is often a delicious mix of Indonesian, Indian and Chinese cooking, but the selection, while inexpensive, is fairly limited on Borneo, compared with the mainland's.
WHAT TO TAKE: Anti-malaria pills are essential throughout Sabah and outside the coastal areas of Sarawak.
WHAT TO DO: The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with an entrance fee of $10 for non-Malaysians. Feedings are at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Fees for the Mulu National Park will be included if you arrange cave tours at the Royal Mulu Resort. Selingan (Turtle) Island has very limited accommodations, and you must book far in advance. Food, basic hotel rooms and round-trip travel from Sandakan are included in the price of an overnight stay. There are many tour agencies that can book your stay, but they often charge double the cost of booking directly with the park. We paid $350 for two rooms, including an extra bed, by booking directly.
RECOMMENDED READING: "East Malaysia and Brunei," by Periplus Adventure Guides (Periplus Editions, $19.95) has great photos and detailed descriptions about key sites.
INFORMATION: Visit Sabah, http://www.sabahtourism.com; Sarawak Tourism Board, http://www.sarawaktourism.com; Tourism Malaysia, http://www.virtualmalaysia.com. -- G.K.