Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
bicycles and conduct tours of local sights; for many it's a point of pride to provide up-to-
the-minute travel information (eg regarding transport).
» Dorm beds start at about US$5 per night, while private rooms are from US$17. If you
want your own room, cheap hotels are often better value.
» Because many guesthouses (especially in Kuching) are in converted commercial build-
ings and old shophouses, not all rooms have windows. This might work with proper vent-
ilation, but in some establishments the rooms are musty enough to choke a horse.
» Kalimantan does not yet have a hostel scene, so backpackers looking for cheap digs usu-
ally bed down in an inexpensive hotel or
losmen
.
Longhouses
Until the last decade or two, passers-by were always welcome to stay overnight at long-
houses, the age-old dwellings of many (but not all) of the indigenous peoples of Borneo.
But this is changing, especially in Malaysia. For details on Dayak culture and the etiquette
of staying over,
Click here
.
Homestays
» Sabah and Kalimantan have plenty of welcoming homestays offering good value and a
local vibe.
» Brunei's homestays tend to cater to tour groups and domestic tourists with their own
cars.
» Sarawak's tourism authorities have been encouraging villagers to open homestays but
haven't always quite nailed the right mix of training, infrastructure and quality control.
Some of Sarawak's homestays are superb (eg in the Kelabit Highlands), while others are
guest-ready only on paper, with rundown facilities, hosts who speak no English and noth-
ing to do.
ACCOMMODATION PRICE RANGES
The following price ranges refer to a double room with private bathroom, except in some budget places.
Sabah & Sarawak Brunei
Kalimantan
$
less than RM100
less than B$60 less than 250,000Rp
