Sarawak

Sarawak is Malaysia's largest state, stretching along Borneo's northwest coast — rainforest, cave systems and river longhouses. It suits nature travellers on a 4-7 day leg, based in Kuching. March to September is the drier season.

• Watch semi-wild orangutans fed at Semenggoh, near Kuching — foreigner entry is around RM10 ($2.50)
• Fly to Gunung Mulu National Park — Deer Cave's dusk bat exodus and the Pinnacles
• Overnight in an Iban longhouse on the Batang Ai river system
• Bako National Park for proboscis monkeys on easy coastal trails

Fly into Kuching — about 1 hour 45 minutes from Kuala Lumpur, or direct from Singapore. Sarawak runs its own immigration, so your passport is stamped on arrival even on domestic flights. Mulu has no road access — it needs a separate short flight from Kuching or Miri, so book flights and park lodging together.

Give Sarawak 4-7 days: two or three in Kuching for Semenggoh and Bako, plus two for Mulu if you booked ahead. Pairing it with Sabah — Kota Kinabalu is a short flight away — makes a full two-week Borneo route. See the Malaysia guide for route ideas.