A PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE TO Borneo

BORNEO IS UNIQUE ON SO MANY LEVELS.

It’s the third-largest non-continental island in the world, after Greenland and New Guinea. It’s also an island divided by three countries: Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. And it’s one of only two places on the planet where orangutans exist in the wild, the other being Sumatra.

While the Indonesian sector known as Kalimantan comprises approximately 73 percent of the total landmass, many of the tour operators that bring clients face-to-face (at least with long lenses) with the indigenous wildlife focus their programs on Sabah, one of Malaysia’s two states on the island.

Starting In Sandakan, Malaysia

For wildlife in Sabah, Sandakan is the usual jumping-off spot. The city was the pre-World War II state capital and is still the largest population center on the east coast. Off the coast in the Sulu Sea are the Turtle Islands, where ongoing turtle conservation efforts take place.

Great apes are the focus at the Sepilok Orangutan