Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rates for water travel are often quite high, the crucial factor being the cost of petrol.
Chartering a boat costs much more than taking a water taxi used by locals for commerce
and commuting.
Sabah
Nature sites accessible by boat include Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, the Sempor-
na Archipelago and Pulau Tiga National Park.
In the west, sea ferries link Menumbok with Muara in Brunei; KK with Pulau Labuan;
and Pulau Labuan with Muara. In Sabah's southeast corner, speedboats link Tawau with
Tarakan and Nunukan in Kalimantan.
Sarawak
Sarawak's Batang Rejang is sometimes called the 'Amazon of Borneo' and a journey up-
river is still very romantic, despite the lack of intact forest en route.
Along the coast, speedboats link Limbang with Pulau Labuan. In western Sarawak, mo-
torboats are the only way to get to Bako, Tanjung Datu and Talang-Satang National Parks.
Brunei
Speedboats link BSB with Bangar (in Brunei's Temburong District), and car ferries leave
from the Serasa Ferry Terminal in Muara, 25km northeast of BSB, to Pulau Labuan and
the Sabah port of Menumbok. The only way to get to Ulu Temburong National Park is by
longboat.
Kalimantan
At the time of research, the direct ferry from Tawau (Sabah) to Tarakan (North Kali-
mantan) wasn't operating, but there is a speedboat service from Tawau to Tarakan via Nu-
nukan. A visa-on-arrival is available if you're entering Sabah but not if you're travelling
in the other direction, into Kalimantan.
To get around Kalimantan, the only scheduled public boats are found on the Sungai
Mahakam and sail as far as Long Bagun if the water is high enough, otherwise they stop
at Tering. For other rivers, it's necessary to charter, or else wait for a local boat to fill up.
