The Hidden Rainforests of Borneo

Few national parks anywhere in the world pack so many natural marvels into such a small area. Famous for its caves of mind-boggling proportions, this remote region of Borneo also features brilliant old-growth tropical rainforest amidst rugged karst mountains, crystal-clear rivers, and a unique mosaic of habitats supporting fascinating and incredibly diverse wildlife.

During their time in the region, travelling students spent two very full days with their local Malaysian contemporaries, many of who belong to the Iban (Dayak) tribe who have inhabited this region for some 800 years. In an effort of solidarity initiated to foster cross-cultural understanding, visiting students worked with the local children to renovate classrooms at the local school. Despite being residents of Malaysia (albeit from a vast array of different nations) themselves, most of our students had not before travelling to East Malaysia.

Designed specifically as a very activity-rich program, the trip proved highly enlightening to the travelling students, with one student remarking that she had little idea that East Malaysia was so forested’ and how strikingly different it was from the mainland (Malaysian Peninsula).

As the world’s third largest island, Borneo is home to what is thought to be the oldest tropical rainforests of the world dominating its landscape. This activity-rich program also included a fun and physical canopy walk, a dip in a subterranean river as well as a thorough exploration of the Jurassic-era jungle surrounding this remote wildness concern of Southeast Asia.