Borneo Travel Information

Borneo is geographically located East of Singapore and South of Hong Kong. With the South China Sea, the Java Sea and the Sulu and Celebes Sea's surrounding its shorelines.

Borneo enjoys a tropical climate with average daytime temperatures of 23 to 32 degrees Celsius.
The rainy season from November to February brings rainfall.

English language is widely spoken throughout both countries.

The official religion for both Malaysia and Brunei is Islam, there are also Christians, Buddhists and followers of various traditional beliefs . Freedom of worship is respected and churches and temples for all major religions can be found in most towns and cities.

The time zone for Borneo is GMT + 8 hours

Things that you are suggested to bring, or you can buy it from local shopping mall.
Comfortable hiking boots or shoes, sandals or thongs, socks, a light pair of gardening gloves, long pants, long sleeve shirts, T-shirts, shorts, swimwear, a light raincoat, sweater, a light sleeping bag, rubber mat, some strong plastic bags to keep things dry, water bottle, torchlight with spare bulbs and battery's,towel, toilet kit, insect repellent, camera with films and a small first aid kit containing: (band aids, antiseptic cream, bandages, painkillers, tissues cotton swabs, safety pins)

Electricity voltage in Malaysia is 220/240 volts AC at 50 cycles per second. Standard UK type three pin plugs are used.

It is safe to drink from the taps in the major towns, however bottled water is readily available.

Local Malaysian currency is the Malaysian Ringgit (RM), largely known as the Malaysian Dollar. It is issued in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100 Ringgit notes. Coin denominations are 50, 20, 10, 5, and 1 sen (cents).

All visitors need to fill in a Travellers Declaration Form (TDF) upon entry to Malaysia.
There are no restrictions on the import or export of foreign currency.

The official currency is the Malaysian Ringgit(RM). Money can be exchanged at bank, hotels and licensed money-changer. There are also ATM machines in the towns and major airports. Credit Cards are widely accepted in urban areas.

Credit or Charge Cards like American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted by hotels, restaurants, department stores and major establishments.

Malaysia Banking and Finance Operation Hours
0930-1600 Monday to Friday; 0930-1130 Saturday.
Banks in Sabah open at 0930.
Closed on the first and third Saturday of each month. Also Sunday and Public Holidays.

The local Brunei currency is the Brunei Dollar (Br$) notes are issued in denominations of Br$ 1000, 500, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1.
Coins are in denominations of 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 cents. The Brunei Dollar is officially equal to the Singapore Dollar.

The best currency for exchange is the Pound Sterling, but US Dollars are widely accepted as are most major currencies. Currency can be exchanged at commercial banks, hotels, and licensed money changers.

Brunei Banking and Finance Operation Hours
0900-1500 Monday to Friday; 0900-1100 Saturday.

Malaysia Visa
Visitors must be in possession of a current passport or other internationally recognised travel document. They must be endorsed for travelling to Malaysia and have a period of validity of at least six months beyond the time of stay allowed in Malaysia.
No visas are required for citizens of British Commonwealth countries (except India), British Protected persons, and citizens of the Republic of Ireland, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, San Marino, Switzerland and the United States (for social, business or academic purposes only).
No visas are required for stays not exceeding three months for citizens of: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Tunisia, USA , France and Germany (except for local employment).

Brunei Visa
Visitors must be in possession of a current passport or other internationally recognised travel document. They must be endorsed for travelling to Brunei and have a period of validity of at least six months beyond the time of stay allowed in Brunei.
Malaysian, Singaporean and British nationals with the right of abode in the UK are exempted from the requirement to obtain a visa for visits not exceeding 30 days.
Visas are also waived for visits of 14 days for nationals of Thailand, Indonesia, The Philippines, Japan, France, Switzerland, Republic of Korea, Canada, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Federal Republic of Germany, Sweden and Republic of Maldives.
American nationals are not required to obtain entry visa for a stay of 90 days or less for tourist and business purpose.
All other nationals entering Brunei Darussalam must have a valid visa.