Getting around Borneo. Borneo Visas and Permits

GETTING THERE AND GETTING AROUND

Visas and Permits

No visa is required for a stay of up to three months in Malaysia (provided it is not for the purposes of working) for citizens of the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland and the majority of other European countries. If you intend to stay in the country for longer, two-month extensions are usually easy to get from immigration offices. One year tourist visas can be granted to foreign nationals who own properties in Malaysia. These are renewed annually. At present it is not possible for foreign nationals to hold Malaysian citizenship.

Visitor passes issued for entry into Peninsular Malaysia are not automatically valid for entry into the states of Sarawak and Sabah. The reason for this anomaly is that Sarawak and Sabah maintain control over immigration, and even Malaysian visitors from the ‘mainland’ are required to obtain a travel permit to come here. Travel permit documentation is handed out on flights arriving into Peninsula Malaysia, and Sarawak and Sabah. Visitors have to go through immigration and have this paperwork stamped at each entry and exit point.

TRANSPORTATION

Despite Sarawak’s vast expanse, its major towns and cities are well connected by transportation routes. Sarawak has modern and fully equipped port and airport facilities for international and domestic linking, as well as a road network system connecting all the major towns within Sarawak as in Sabah and neighbouring countries, Brunei and Indonesia.

Air Transport

Kuching Airport is the most important sub-hub and entry point for Sarawak. New airports have recently opened up in Miri, Sibu and Bintulu, capable of handling larger aircraft than previously. Kuching is also linked with the other major cities in Malaysia, and the national carrier, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) offers air services within Malaysia as well as to more than 70 international destinations in 36 countries and 6 continents. The other significant carriers are Air Asia, Singapore Airlines and Royal Brunei Air. Malaysia Airlines which operates daily flights from the national capital of Kuala Lumpur to Kuching has direct links with the major cities in Europe, Australia, America and Asia. Air Asia also operates daily flights from Kuching to Kuala Lumpur. Kuching is also accessible to the rest of the world through connections from Singapore, Brunei and Koto Kinabalu (KK) (Sabah).

The more remote rural settlements in Sarawak are served by regular scheduled air services using DHC6 Twin Otter Aircraft. (llustrated below: entrance to the recently refurbished Kuching Airport; MAS jet being refuelled at KK Airport; Twin-Otter Aircraft on the tarmac at KK Airport; rural airstrip at Lahad Datu, Danum Valley and longboat excursion at Betang Ai.)

River Transport

Transport by boat has long been the traditional way of getting around Sarawak, though this has diminished in recent years as roads improved. Sarawak has a total of 55 navigable rivers, and of all the rivers in Sarawak, the Rejang is the most important and between 300-500 boats and vessels ply this river daily. Passenger launches known by the generic term ekspres (express) can carry around 100 people at a time and can travel up to 60 km per hour. Where and when express boats can’t go, river travel is still mainly by longboat, though nowadays these tend to be motorised.

Road Transport

The Trans-Borneo Highway connects Kuching to all major cities in Sarawak, and carried on through to the neighbouring state of Sabah through Brunei. The road system within the state is constantly being upgraded and public transport improved to cater for increasing traffic volume.

Most major towns and cities offer a variety of public transport services including buses, taxis and limousine services. Bus services are also available for those wishing to travel within the state from town to town, or even internationally to Indonesia and Brunei.

Credits

The following publications were used when compiling text for this website: www.lonelyplanetguide.com and www.footprintbooks.com

For further information about travelling in and around Sarawak, please visit the official Sarawak tourist website: www.sarawak.gov.my

There have been a great number of books written about Borneo, but none more famous than “Into the Heart of Borneo” by travel writer Redmond O’Hanlon, a copy of which can be purchased through: www.amazon.co.uk