Borneo Travelling Tips: When Is The Best Time To Visit?

Borneo is situated in the tropical region – so if you’re planning on travelling, expect that it could be either raining, or the weather is humid all year round. Between the months of December and February is the rainy season. The best time to go for travelling is between March and October.

We have laid out a couple of frequently asked questions to help you out with your travel plans.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Borneo?

Somewhere between March to October, as this is considered to be their dry season. There could be some rain showers at this point, but not as often as compared to the last quarter of the year. This is also the time where you’ll most likely see orangutans.

If you have diving activities in your itinerary, you should visit from April to December; from July to August is the most ideal months as it has the best visibility. If you’re looking for whale sharks, you may want to choose travelling there from March to May.

Lastly, if you’re visiting to see turtles found in Lankayan Island, you should go there in between the months of June and September.

When Should You Avoid Visiting The Place?

You’re most likely to experience huge amounts of rainfall between December and January, not to mention that the waters are rough during these months. While it’s possible that you could still travel during the said months, it is difficult to see wildlife animals such as orangutans as they’ll most likely hide in the deep jungle. As much as possible, avoid travelling from December to January as much as possible.

Places to Visit By Season

As mentioned earlier, March to October is considered one of those drier days, making it the best time to travel to Borneo. However, since it is the dry season, expect the weather to be hot and humid during your stay, and it gets hotter as the rainy season approaches. Toojou Hotel stay Sabah is a great place to connect with all things Borneo.

Aside from the lack of rains during this time, this is also the season that the trees are starting to bear fruits, where you’ll see orangutans get out from the wildlife and down from the trees to eat. This is the perfect time to get Instagrammable photos and an encounter with these wildlife creatures.

As compared to those other countries, seasons in Borneo do not drastically change. You can expect the weather to be hot and humid most of the time, but during these days, the area gets busier, not to mention more expensive at the same time. Despite the sunny and humid weather, always be prepared as it may still rain, especially if you’re going to visit their rain forests.

March to October Is the Dry Season

Commonly called the “dry” or summer season, these are the months that you can enjoy most of your outdoor activities. As mentioned earlier, you may still want to make sure that you’re prepared for a little bit of rain here and there. The country’s peak tourism starts in May and ends until September, so make sure that you book up in advance as many tourists plan their travel during the said months.

This is the best season for orangutan sightseeing as fruits are starting to bear and these wildlife animals will start to get down from trees and get fruits from the ground. If you visit from June and August, you’ll see an abundant number of orangutans in the wildlife. You may check out our orangutan holidays page to learn more about the places to visit if you want to see these “men of the forest.”

November to February is the Wet Season

While this is considered the wet season, there are still a lot of things that you could do if you decide to travel during these months. Is it possible? Yes – but you should be prepared as rainfall may occur at any time, to the point that the weather forecasts make it almost unpredictable whether it’s going to rain for that day.

The good thing about this season is that it’s going to be easier to book for hotels, apartments, and lodges, not to mention less crowded attractions too. Since this is an off-peak season, the prices are considerably lower as well, and the spots you’ll most likely visit are less crowded as well.