Borneo Malaysia Ride: Motorcycle Road Trip
If you would ask me to describe the Borneo Malaysia Ride in one word, it would be AWESOME! I’ve ridden 4245 km with no problems with my motorcycle and it has been a great adventurous ride with so many memories that I brought back with me. This trip was a continuation of my Peninsular Malaysia Ride to explore beautiful Malaysia.
As the Malay proverb says Hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri, lebih baik di negeri sendiri which means It may rain gold in someone else’s country, and be hailing stones back in your own country, and yet it is still best to be back in your own country. Yes! it is best to ride in your own country!
Article Contents
Why Visit Borneo?
The beautiful blue beaches with white sand shores, a tall waterfall, scenic views along the way in Borneo, beautiful caves, the friendliest people, the delicious foods, the adventurous roads and most of the places I went had little or no tourists. If you’re a traveller like me, you would really appreciate all the things Borneo has to offer.
Along my trip, I met so many people who are now my friends and I must say that I felt safe riding in Borneo Malaysia. Many Malaysian have ridden around the globe but if they have not ridden across Malaysia, they have missed the beautiful parts of their own country. It is a great feeling to have completed a solo ride the whole of MALAYSIA now.
One of the routes that I’ve enjoyed the most is the Marak-Parak road in Sabah. Approximately 89 km long, it consists of long stretch roads, tight corners etc. Have a look at the video below, I rode in such beautiful weather.
Marak Parak Route
Borneo Video Highlights
Borneo Travel Log
Day 1 Routes (158 KM): Kuching – Santubong – Bau – Siniawan – Kuching.
Day 2 Routes (516 KM): Kuching – Batang Ai Lake – Lubok Antu – Betong – Sibu.
Day 3 Routes (220 KM): Sibu – Tatau – Bintulu.
Day 4 Routes (260 KM): Bintulu – Gua Niah – Tusan – Lambir – Miri.
Day 5 Routes (350 KM): Miri – Bandar Seri Begawan – Limbang – Lawas – Sipitang.
Day 6 Routes (302 KM): Sipitang – Beaufort – Kuala Penyu – Kota Belud (Melangkap.
Day 7 Routes (277 KM): Kota Belud (Melangkap) – Kundasang – Ranau – Kota Marudu – Kudat.
Day 8 Routes (430 KM): Kudat – Pitas – Golong – Pamol – Sandakan.
Day 9 Routes (571 KM): Sandakan – Kinabatangan – Lahad Datu – Felda Sahabat – Kunak – Semporna.
Day 10 Routes (110 KM): Semporna – Tawau.
Day 11 Routes (410 KM): Tawau – Maliau Basin – Keningau.
Day 12 Routes (210 KM): Keningau – Tenom – Papar – Kota Kinabalu.
Day 13 Routes (112 KM): Kota Kinabalu – Tambunan.
Day 14 Routes (90 KM): Tambunan – Kota Kinabalu.
- Mileage: 4245 KM (Inclusive sightseeing, off roads etc)
- Fuel Cost: RM 430.00 (Benelli TRK 502)
- Accommodation Cost: RM 1600.00
- Sightseeing Ticket/Tour fee: RM 250.00
- Food Cost: RM 500.00
- Flight Ticket: RM 350.00
- Sea Shipping cost (Return trip): RM 2100.00
- Grand Total Cost: RM 5210.00
Questions & Answers
Any problems with your motorcycle?
Nothing with the motorcycle but the spotlight’s bracket was broken which I’ve fixed it temporarily using duct tape.
Performance of the Benelli TRK 502?
Excellent! It has been good all the way. If you would like to read my review, click here.
Shipping to Borneo
Detailed steps can be found in Shipping Car or Motorcycle to Sabah or Sarawak article.
Brunei Border Crossing
Detailed steps can be found in Malaysia – Brunei Border Crossing By Car Or Motorcycle article.
What are your luggage and tools like?
I’ve compiled a Motorcycle Travel Checklist and for most of my rides, I just follow my travel checklist and modify it accordingly to suit the trip.
Road Conditions
Some sections of Pan Borneo roads which are under construction at the moment can be a real pain at times but it is passable for vehicles. Don’t let that put you off as there are many other roads in good condition which you can enjoy cruising at a higher speed. The 200KM Kalabakan road from Tawau towards Nabawan was quite challenging as there were many potholes, broken roads etc but it was fun as it was my first time trying such a route. Rule of thumb, expect the unexpected in Borneo.
How do you manage long hours of riding?
On this trip, I had a mixture of long and short rides but I spent at least 7-10 hours daily on the road as I stopped at many places to enjoy nature, beaches, hiking etc. Going for such a trip, I slept for at least 6 hours a day, I don’t eat heavy (less or no rice before and during the ride as I tend to be sleepy on a long hours ride), I take chocolates, banana, bread, drink a lot of water and sometimes, energy drink helps.
Any reservation for Accommodations?
I usually reserve accommodation in advance but for this trip, I only reserve it (using the booking dot com app) when I arrived at the destination or decided to stop riding for the day. One of the factors that I consider to stay in a place is to have secured parking for my motorcycle. All the places that I’ve stayed have secured parking or at least someone keeping an eye on it.
Can I do this trip in less than 10 days?
Yes, it entirely depends on you! If you just want to eat miles, you can do it in less than 10 days but why would you do that? I took a few longer days to enjoy the nature, and scenery of Borneo has to offer.
Photo Gallery
Below are some pictures that I took along my ride in Borneo and if you wish to view the complete Photo Album, please click on this link.
*The Odometer reading was captured since Day 2 as I’ve forgotten to take the picture of the Odometer on Day 1 which I rode around Kuching city for 158KM. Therefore, 18139-14052= 4087 + 158 = 4245KM.
Renting a Car/Motorcycle
If you’re on a budget or prefer to ride/drive on your own especially if you want do a Sabah Road Trip, I would suggest that you rent a motorcycle/car from a reliable company which I have used their services in the past. More details can be found at the link below:
BEST Motorcycle & Car Rental In Kota Kinabalu
For navigation, you can use Google Maps or Waze.
Conclusion
That’s a wrap of my ride and I hope you enjoyed the experience I’ve shared with you. I have many people to thank especially my Boss who approved my long holiday (Without his approval, this trip would be impossible), not forgetting my number 1 fan (my Wife), Mforce (Benelli Distributor), Family and Friends who supported my incredible journey.
If you had something on your mind, go for it, don’t let anything stop you but do proper planning, and research, have some basic troubleshooting/repair skills and most importantly, enjoy every bit of your ride. The road is an open highway, go and explore them. It will be your story which will last forever. You might be also interested in reading about the best motorcycle routes in Malaysia.
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