Borneo Travel Guide: Why Celebrity Race Across the World is Putting the Island on Map

POLICY WIRE — Kuching, Malaysia — The latest season of Celebrity Race Across the World kicked off in Kuching, a vibrant city located within the Malaysian portion of Borneo. While the contestants raced toward their first checkpoint near Tanjung Puting National Park, most travelers opt for a more leisurely pace to explore the world’s third-largest island.

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Borneo is not a single country but a massive landmass shared between Malaysia and Indonesia, with the nation of Brunei nestled on its northern coast. The region is a premier destination for nature lovers, boasting ancient jungles, rugged mountain peaks, and rare species like proboscis monkeys and orangutans.

Aside from the wilderness, urban centers like Banjarmasin and Kuching provide a window into local life, while the indigenous Dayak people open their traditional villages to visitors. Experts are now wondering if the island will see a ‘Race Across the World effect,’ similar to the surge in tourism seen in Central countries like Kazakhstan after the previous series aired.

George Maule, a manager at Flight Centre, suggests that bookings for the region could rise significantly as British travelers mirror the show’s journey. He noted that interest might even exceed the demand seen in the ‘Stans,’ which saw a 22 percent increase in bookings earlier this year.

Borneo serves as a seamless addition to popular British itineraries involving Thailand, Malaysia, Bali, or Australia. Maule highlighted that Kuching—the show’s starting point—is just an hour away from orangutans at Semenggoh and proboscis monkeys in Bako National Park.

The northern half of the island comprises the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, features unique architecture like the S-shaped Darurl Hana Bridge and the floating-style Masjid India Kuching mosque. The Kuching Waterfront serves as a cultural hub, filled with cafes, museums, and cat-themed sculptures that reference the city’s name.

For further adventures, Kuching accesses Bako National Park, famous for its distinct rock formations. Other highlights include Gunung Mulu National Park with its sharp limestone spires, and Mount Kinabalu, the island’s highest peak. In Sabah, visitors can explore indigenous history at the Mari Mari Cultural Village or seek Bornean pygmy elephants in the Danum Valley Conservation Area.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)