Top Peak Travel. Checklist for traveling to Borneo.

B O RN EO T rav e l Che cklis t

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Everything You Need to Know About Packing for Borneo The island of Borneo is the third largest island in the world just behind Greenland and New Guinea. It consists of Brunei, East Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak) and Indonesia.

Borneo is an equatorial island, which keeps the climate very consistent year round. The climate is tropical with temperatures ranging from a cool 22 degrees Celsius in the evening, to 34 degrees Celsius in the daytime.

Sarawak has higher rainfall than Sabah, and the wettest season is usually in January. Sabah has wet seasons that run from September to January, while the drier season will be from February to August. However, the weather pattern and rainfalls in Sabah can be unpredictable. However, the lowest rainfall season is usually in June and July.

Borneo is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Here you’ll find 130 millionyear-old rainforest, the world’s largest flower species (the Rafflesia), and is the only island divided between three sovereign nations.

Sabah is known as “the Land Below the Wind” due to the lack of regular natural disasters compared to the more devastating weather of our neighbors.

Sabah is known as “the Land Below the Wind” due to the lack of regular natural disasters compared to the more devastating climatesweather of our neighbors.

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Pro Tips

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Due to the humidity and diversity of landscape in Borneo, the best footwear is made locally and called adidas kampung . The best part is that they’re very cheap, at only about about 15 USD per pair. There’s no need to bring your expensive trekking boots here!

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Fancy yourself an environmentalist? Try bringing your own reusable water bottle (or buying one in the city) during your travels to cut down on plastic waste. Most shops, hotels, restaurants offer boiled water free of charge.

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Borneo is still a developing region so keep in mind to bring any necessary items and medications for allergies or sensitive skin from home.

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When packing, less is more. There are plenty of places to buy clothes or personal items here. Plus, your souvenirs make for great stories when you get back home.

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In some areas, such as local markets, haggling is still in practice. The art of haggling isn’t to get the lowest possible price. It’s to get the item for a value you feel good about! So when you haggle, smile, be friendly and understand that it’s a part of the cultural experience.

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Street food - to eat or not to eat? EAT, street food is usually the tastiest and cheapest way to get a great cultural experience. When you have a visitor to your hometown, you take them to your favorite restaurants right? Some of our street food vendors are our favorite restaurants here in Borneo.

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Let’s Talk Local Street Food

When you’re looking for street food, here are a few tips to help you get the best experience: •

Follow the locals - See where the crowd is and know that’s likely the best food! Also when street food has fast turnover it’s much more likely that the food is fresh.

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Is it cooked onsite or sold precooked? Now, this is a tricky one so follow this guideline: If there’s a crowd it’s probably ok. If not, maybe give it a miss as pre-cooked food sitting around for a long time can have “dodgy stomach” written all over it.

Wanna have the local experience? Speak with a locals! Food is a great conversation starter with Sabahans. The best part is that they are most likely curious to speak with you too, so it’s usually a good experience.

English proficiency is high in Borneo so ask “what is this?”, “Is this sweet/salty/spicy?”, or ask them to recommend “something for me to try?”

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The Best Time to Travel Borneo Borneo’s wetter months are usually November and February. However, the temperature will remain fairly consistent year round with an average of 22 degrees Celsius to 34 degrees Celsius, with humidity at around 80%. Also, Borneo’s high season is in June until September, during which time you can expect things to be dry and warm.

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Packing Checklist

Prepare to enjoy the unpredictable humid and dry weather, plus a whole lots of fun when you explore the mystical island of Borneo. We promise that you’ll feel like you’re discovering a whole new world.

Use the checklists under the categories below to make sure you pack the important essentials for your trip through Borneo

Documents Clothing Medicine & Toiletries Entertainment & Electronics Miscellaneous

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Documents

Passport Foreign Visa (many countries have free on arrival for malaysia) Hotel & Flight Information International Driver’s License Trip Itinerary Credit Cards (make sure to contact the provider to inform you will be out of the country) Passport photocopy (good to keep in a safe place just in case you lose the real one)

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Clothing

Flip-Flops / Sandal Walking Shoes Swimwear Light Jacket Hat & Sunglasses Trousers/ Shorts or skirts Short-sleeved shirts/ T-shirts Thin Towels (microfiber is the best) Waterproof Jacket/ Poncho Scarf/Shawl 6 or 7 underwear/Boxer Travel Bag/ Daypack Hoodie/ Pullover Socks for trekking

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Medicine & Toiletries

Small first Aid Kit (including painkillers & anti-diarrhoeal drugs) Personal Medication Insect Repellents Sunscreen Hand Sanitizer (optional) Toothbrush/Toothpaste Shampoo + Conditioner Body & Face wash Antibacterial wipes (optional) Comb/Brush/Styling tools Razor/Hair Trimmer Chapstick (optional) Contact lens solution & case, glasses Face moisturizer /lotion (optional)

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Entertainment & Electronics

International Plug Adapter(s) (a must have if traveling internationally) Phone + Charger Camera +Chargers MP3 Player/ Ipod & Headphone Book/Magazine/Kindle Spare batteries/memory card (or storage device) Powerback (optional)

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Miscellaneous

Plastic Bags/ Ziplock Bags (great for waterproofing small items) Torchlight + Batteries supplies Small Umbrella Pocket Tissues Binoculars Dry Bag (great for your valuables and electronics)

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Most important: Positive attitude :)

Most Important

Positive Attitude

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what people have SAId “We‘ve just returned from a 13 tour of Sabah in

“William organised our 6 day trip from KK to

Borneo with Top Peak travel. From the moment

Sandakan, visiting Mount Kinabalu, Sukou and

we made contact with TPT and Cassie, who tai-

surrounding areas. We had a fantastic time.Ev-

lored ourtrip to meet our needs and desires,we

erything was organised and efficient and great

were treated fantastically. Whenever we had an

value for money. Reina and Geoffrey (our driver

issue they were straight on it and nothing was

and guide) were fantastic and really helped to

ever too much. They made our trip a wonderful

make the experience a special one. They were

experience and the organisation is there and the

particularly great with our two young children.

communication also. I highly recommend that if

We would definitely recommend Top Peak for

you’re planning a trip to Borneo that you con-

travel throughout Borneo.”

sider TPT. Our experience could not have been better. We’re very satisfied and grateful.”

Trip Advisor Traveler Cardiff, Wales

Darren H, Wigan, United Kingdom

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Our Story When our owner, William, left the U.S. for a quick vacation, he didn’t realize his life would never be the same. After extensive travel in Asia, working as a knowledgeable tour leader, he fell in love with the untapped beauty and culture of Borneo. In Borneo, he noticed a lack of service and concern for safety for international travelers. Because of his extensive tour experience, he believed he could provide that to the travelers of Borneo. Due to his passion for travel – and honestly, because he couldn’t stop talking about Borneo with anybody who would listen – Top Peak Travel was born.

Whatever your timeline or interests are, we promise you a one of a kind adventure of a lifetime.

Whether you’re looking for lazy lounging on a 5-star beach or tough trekking through the wilderness, we’ll take you there. Our combined 20 years of tourism experience guarantees that you won’t find a better travel agency to take you around Borneo.

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thank You! Thank you for your interest in Borneo! We hope these recommendations were helpful to plan your trip. If you need our help in any way, don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions about your Borneo trip. My company, Top Peak Travel, strives you give you the absolute best experience while you’re in Borneo.

Our team of American and Malaysian staff guarantees you the best mix of western service and local knowledge. With our combined 20 years of tourism experience, you can be sure that you won’t find a better travel agency to take you around Borneo to experience your one-of-a-kind adventure!

We give you the best of both worlds: 1. An expat owned agency with Western understanding and hospitality.

2. Expert locals that can show you all the hidden gems of Borneo in both Sabah and Sarawak.

If you’d like to enjoy the same experience as our previous travelers, please contact us today and we’ll put together a custom package for you. Whether you want a taste of culture or venture into the wilderness, we can help you organize the trip of a lifetime. From the plain to the preposterous, there’s no Borneo question our expert guides can’t help you with.

C lick to Contact

088-251-254 info@toppeaktravel.com

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