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The first episode of Celebrity Race Across the World saw this year’s line-up kicking off in Kuching, a city in Malaysian Borneo.

While the celebrity teams aimed to reach their first checkpoint near Tanjung Puting National Park as quickly as possible, the average traveller can take it a little slower and enjoy all that the world’s third-largest island has to offer.

The new series has piqued our interest in Borneo, which itself is not a country, but rather an island that is home to the nation of Brunei on the northern coast, while the rest of the land is split between Malaysia and Indonesia.

The island attracts nature enthusiasts with its ancient rainforests, dramatic mountains and rare, endemic wildlife, including orangutans and proboscis monkeys.

Beyond its natural beauty, cities such as Kuching and Banjarmasin offer a glimpse into everyday life, while Indigenous communities such as the Dayak welcome visitors to their traditional villages.

Time will tell whether Borneo will experience the “Race Across the World effect”, something that happened to Central Asia following the most recent series, causing an uptick in bookings to countries like Kazakhstan after viewers were inspired by the race route.

While tourists may be familiar with popular spots in Malaysia such as Kuala Lumpur and the backpacking trails and tropical beaches in Indonesia’s Bali, to some Brits, this year’s series may have spotlighted an area of the Malay archipelago previously overlooked.

George Maule, a manager at travel agency Flight Centre, predicts Borneo may experience the Race Across the World effect, too, as British travellers take inspiration from the on-screen intrepid journey.

“Bookings for Borneo will likely climb over the coming year, and we wouldn’t be surprised if bookings even outpace the Stans,” he said, after the Central Asian countries saw a 22 per cent year-on-year rise in bookings earlier this year.

“Borneo fits neatly into a trip to Malaysia, Thailand, Bali or Australia, which are already top of so many Brits’ bucket lists, making it an ideal adventure-filled addition to a long-haul trip.

“Kuching, where the race starts, puts you within an hour of orangutans at Semenggoh and proboscis monkeys in Bako National Park.”

Here is everything you need to know about travelling to Borneo.

What to see and do in Borneo?

Malaysian Borneo

The Malaysian section of Borneo is found in the north, split into the states of Sabah and Sarawak.

The new series of Celebrity Race Across the World kicked off in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. The city is home to architectural wonders, including the famous S-shaped Darurl Hana Bridge over the Sarawak River and the Masjid India Kuching mosque, which was designed to look as if it were floating on water.

The Kuching Waterfront is the city’s main promenade and a focal point of its historical, cultural, and social offerings, lined with stalls, cafes, and museums. Visitors often try to spot the different cat motifs, statues and sculptures that are found all over the city, paying homage to its name Kuching, which is the Malay word for cat.

Kuching is famed for its architecture (Getty Images)

Kuching often serves as a gateway to some of Borneo’s most famous national parks, such as Bako, known for its unique rock formations, rainforests and proboscis monkeys, a distinct-looking species with enlarged noses endemic to the island.

Other highlights across Malaysian Borneo include Unesco heritage sites like Gunung Mulu National Park, known for its incredible limestone formations that rise from the ground like razor-sharp spires. Mount Kinabalu in Sabah is Borneo’s highest mountain, drawing hikers and climbers to its trails across a rocky landscape.

Gunung Mulu National Park is known for its incredible limestone formations (Getty Images)

Also in Sabah, the Mari Mari Cultural Village living museum lets visitors step back in time and learn about the history and culture of Borneo’s indigenous communities. The Danum Valley Conservation Area, meanwhile, offers a chance to spot orangutans and the critically endangered Bornean pygmy elephant.

Indonesian Borneo

Indonesian Borneo, otherwise known as Kalimantan, makes up the majority of the island and is famous for its prehistoric tropical rainforests. One of the region’s top experiences for visitors is cruising the rivers aboard a traditional wooden boat, called a kelotok, to try and catch a glimpse of some of the forest’s wildlife. Tanjung Puting National Park, near the celebrities’ first checkpoint on Celebrity Race Across the World, is one of the best places to spot orangutans on the island. The park offers many destinations accessible by guided boat tours, such as Camp Leakey, the famous orangutan research centre founded in the 1970s.

Tanjung Puting National Park is one of the best places in Borneo to see orangutans (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Central Kalimantan is also home to many indigenous Dayak communities. Some villages are open to visitors who want to learn more about their culture, such as the Tumbang Manggu Village, where people can experience traditional dances, learn Dayak handicrafts and visit traditional betanglo longhouses.

The Lok Banitan Floating Market is in Banjarmasin, where traders sell various products from traditional jukung boats.

The Lok Baitan Floating Market (Getty Images)

Just off the coast of east Kalimantan are the Derawan Islands, a cluster of 31 tropical islands popular with divers and snorkellers who want to visit blue light caves or spot turtles and reef manta rays.

Brunei

Brunei is a small nation on the north side of the island, sandwiched between Malaysia’s two regions.

The majority of the country’s population are Muslims, meaning it has some magnificent mosques and spectacular examples of Islamic architecture. Jame’ ‘Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque is known for its golden domes and elaborate mosaics, while Omar ‘Ali Saifudden Mosque is characterised by its golden dome that sits atop Italian marble columns.

For nature lovers, Ulu Temburong National Park is known as Brunei’s “Green Jewel” due to its 50,000 hectares of undisturbed rainforests where Borneo gibbons and rhinoceros hornbills can be spotted.

Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Brunei (Getty Images)

Diving deeper into Brunei’s culture, visitors often head to Kampong Ayer, one of Southeast Asia’s largest water villages. Tourists can book a homestay in a stilted house or take a self-guided walking tour starting at the Cultural and Tourism Gallery, which showcases artefacts and displays detailing the floating village’s history.

Visitors cannot enter the Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of Brunei’s Sultan and the largest palace in the world by floor plan. For a peek into the Sultan’s life, the Royal Regalia Museum is open and showcases everything from golden chariots and symbolic weapons to gifts from world leaders.

Where to stay in Borneo

One of the most iconic stays in Kuching is The Waterfront Hotel, the only independent five-star accommodation in the city with 208 guest rooms with a choice of a river or a city view.

If you want to immerse yourself fully in nature, there are plenty of options for park lodges and eco-resorts. The Borneo Rainforest Lodge in the Danum Valley has 31 chalets with en suite bedrooms, perfect for resting between safaris and jungle trekking.

For a beach holiday in Kalimantan, the Shangri-La Rasa Ria in Kota Kinabalu offers three kilometres of white sands, an 18-hole golf course and six hiking trails right on the doorstep. This large hotel has 500 rooms across 16 categories, six restaurants, a spa, gym and three swimming pools.

How to get to Borneo

Borneo has several major airports, including Kota Kinabalu International in Sabah, Kuching International in Sarawak and Brunei International airport. Royal Brunei offers direct flights to Brunei from London Heathrow. There are no direct flights to Kuching or Kota Kinabalu from the UK, so passengers can fly via Kuala Lumpur or Singapore with many different airlines.

When is the best time to go?

The island’s dry season typically runs from May to September, which is also the best time for wildlife spotting. Temperatures stay fairly consistent year-round, between 27C and 32C.

For fewer crowds and lower prices, you may have to brave the monsoon season between November and February.

How to dress in Borneo

Borneo’s humid temperature will mean you will be most comfortable in lightweight clothing such as linen or sportswear, avoiding cotton as it takes a long time to dry.

Make sure you bring a lightweight raincoat or poncho during monsoon season, and hiking boots and leech socks if you plan to hike on trails.

If you are entering a mosque, you will need to remove your shoes. Women should cover their heads and not have their knees or arms exposed.

Currency

Malaysian Borneo uses the Malaysian Ringgit (MYR), Indonesian Borneo uses the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), and Brunei uses the Brunei Dollar (B$).

Language

Due to being a multi-nation island with many Indigenous communities, a lot of different languages are spoken. However, Malay, Indonesian, Chinese, Tamil and English are the most common.

Time difference

Borneo is eight hours ahead of the UK (GMT+8).

How to get around

If you want to get from one end of the island to the other, take a domestic flight, as roads are less developed. Airlines such as AirBorneo, AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines and Batik Air offer domestic flights.

Otherwise, you can take a bus, private car, or travel by boat.

UK government travel advice

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to all islands and dive sites off the coast of eastern Sabah from Sandakan to Tawau, including Lankayan Island, due to the threat of kidnapping. This does not apply to the mainland of Sabah.

Read more: Celebrity Race Across the World locations – where is the new series filmed?