"Borneo Backcountry" 9-day, 2000+ KM Tour from €2485

Borneo Backcountry Expedition

(By Reservation Only)

For riders who measure adventure in kilometers, not comfort, the Borneo Backcountry Expedition is the ultimate test. Covering 2,000 kilometers across Malaysian Borneo, this demanding journey combines the long-distance pace of our “Borneo Blast” with selected highlights from our “Best of Borneo" tour, then adds several days of true backcountry riding deep in the interior. This tour can be unpredictable and features many spontaneous side trails, stops, and experiences not listed in the overall mileage and riding times. Riding times are on-the-bike moving times and do not account for the various stops.  

This is not a beginner’s tour. Riders should be experienced, physically fit and fully prepared for long days in the saddle, punishing tropical heat and humidity, and extended stretches of rough terrain. Days 5 and 6 venture into extremely remote country with no villages, no cellphone coverage, and no easy exit route. Satellite communication is our only connection to the outside world, and accommodations during this stage are simple and off-grid.

If you’re looking for polished highways and short riding days, this isn’t your ride. If you want remote jungle roads, river , crossings, mountain tracks, coastal riding, indigenous culture, and the satisfaction of conquering one of Southeast Asia’s last true overland frontiers, welcome to Borneo.

This is not a deep, cultural immersion tour, for that, you should choose our "Best Of Borneo" tour which gives you a complete picture of Borneo, its people, its foods, and its wildlife. 

This schedule can leave on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

The minimum number of participants to run this tour is 3. 

That can be 1 motorcycle with a single rider, plus 2 people on 1 motorcycle OR 3 riders on 3 motorcycles. 

Contact us to book this tour! 

No hidden fees or surprise charges. Our tours are all-inclusive and always include:

• Late model 450cc or larger motorcycle custom fit to you
• Motorcycle insurance with a reasonable deductible
• All fuel
• English-speaking guides and all guide tips
• Every experience
• Nightly stays in private, air-conditioned rooms
• Every meal and non-alcoholic drink
• Some beer, tuak, and langkau 
• Support vehicle
• Airport transfers

Once on our tour, you can have a complete experience and not spend one extra $, €, or £!  

We call this “Day Zero” because many guests choose to arrive several days early. We strongly recommend arriving at least 2 days before the tour begins to allow for flight delays and jet lag recovery.

Upon your arrival, our team will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in Kuching. You must be available at our office in Kuching by 10:00 AM on Day 1. For guests arriving early, we can assist with discounted hotel arrangements. Arriving early will also allow you to experience Kuching, which offers a spectacular waterfront, amazing dining, museums, and its own adventures. 

*We highly recommend all tour participants arrive 2 days early to account for flight delays and jet lag. See our FAQ page for details.  https://borneodiscoveryroute.com/faqs

Distance: 40 KM
Riding Time: about 1 Hour
Possible Tour Start Days: Friday / Saturday / Sunday

Riding Conditions: Smooth suburban roads with moderate to light traffic.

Your adventure begins promptly at 10:00 AM in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. The morning starts with a mandatory rider briefing and orientation session before motorcycle keys are issued. During the meet-and-greet, you’ll meet your fellow riders and support crew, receive a full safety and route briefing, get added to the WhatsApp group, and receive GPS waypoints for the expedition. We’ll also confirm that your SIM card and offline maps are functioning properly, and can assist with obtaining a local SIM card if needed.

Following the briefing, we move to motorcycle setup. Since we collect rider measurements and preferences before the tour, your motorcycle should already be closely tailored to you. We’ll review controls, GPS systems, riding modes, and ergonomics before heading out for a short test ride and making any final adjustments.

Once setup is complete, we depart on a relaxed group ride through two-lane countryside roads to a Bidayuh town beside a scenic lake for lunch. Food is an essential part of Malaysian culture, and throughout the expedition, we introduce guests to the unique cuisines and traditions of Borneo’s many ethnic communities.

After lunch, we return to Kuching, leaving the afternoon free for self-exploration. Recommended attractions include the Borneo Cultures Museum, Kuching’s historic colonial district, and Chinatown — all within walking distance of your hotel.

In the evening, we walk to Kuching’s waterfront for dinner at a legendary Chinese hawker center known for exceptional seafood and local specialties. We’ll introduce you to dishes unique to Borneo and show you how to navigate a hawker center like a local. Dinner includes two non-alcoholic drinks, with beer available for purchase.

The night concludes with a relaxing river cruise featuring traditional music and dance performances, along with drinks and light snacks, before returning to the hotel to prepare for the road ahead.

Distance: About 250 KM
Riding Time:  About 4 hours
Tour Days: Saturday / Sunday / Monday

Riding Conditions: Light urban riding followed by winding low-traffic village roads, broken tarmac, mountain roads, jungle sections, and scenic coastal highway riding.

After breakfast, we leave Kuching behind and head into the countryside. Once clear of the city, the roads become quieter, narrower, and far more entertaining, flowing through villages, jungle-covered hills, and remote farming communities.

Our first major stop is one of the world’s premier orangutan rehabilitation sanctuaries. We exchange motorcycles for electric carts that carry us deep into protected rainforest. From there, easy jungle trails lead into the sanctuary where wild, free-roaming orangutans are often seen moving through the canopy overhead.

Back on the motorcycles, the riding intensifies with twisting village roads climbing and descending through dense jungle terrain before we arrive at the remarkable Fairy Cave. Accessed via a steep staircase through a limestone opening, the cave opens into an enormous cathedral-like chamber filled with natural light, bats, and swiftlets. Adventurous guests may continue deeper into the cave system through narrow tunnels leading toward the mountain summit.

The afternoon delivers some of the finest motorcycling in all of Borneo. Smooth winding roads lead toward the northwestern tip of the island, locally known as Kilometer Zero, the beginning of the road system in Malaysian Borneo and only one kilometer from the Indonesian border.

This remote coastal region is beloved by local motorcycle clubs but rarely visited by international travelers. The road snakes between rainforest-covered mountains and mangrove-lined coastline with almost no traffic.

At Kilometer Zero, we arrive in a tiny coastal village of only 55 households. Here, guests can swim in crystal-clear waters, relax on one of Sarawak’s most pristine beaches, browse local handicrafts, or simply enjoy the sea breeze. Freshwater showers are available, and lunch will be served local-style either here or in a nearby village.

From there, we continue another hour along the coast to a hidden beachfront resort rarely found on travel websites. Despite its secluded setting, the resort offers comfortable air-conditioned rooms, a swimming pool, and excellent stargazing thanks to the absence of light pollution.

Dinner is a traditional Bidayuh and Iban BBQ prepared by our family, with free-flowing water, soft drinks, and beer.

Distance: About 275 KM
Riding Time: about 6 hours
Tour Days: Sunday / Monday / Tuesday

Riding Conditions: Scenic coastal roads, beach riding, light urban traffic, broken tarmac, gravel, sand, and low-traffic rural roads.

We begin the day with breakfast overlooking the coast before setting out on one of the most visually diverse riding days of the expedition.

The route skirts Gunung Gading National Park, where we may stop to view blooming Rafflesia flowers, the largest flowers on Earth. From there, the road winds through pepper farms, rice fields, and jungle-lined hills before reaching a wildlife rehabilitation center where guests can observe sun bears, langurs, monkeys, porcupines, and other native species during a short jungle walk.

Later, the road reaches the coast where several kilometers of hard-packed beach serve as an actual roadway. Riders can enjoy this unusual stretch at their own pace, whether casually cruising or playing in the sand with the locals.

The afternoon continues along remote oceanfront roads with sweeping sea views on one side and traditional villages on the other. Along the way, we cross two of Borneo’s largest rivers and occasionally spot wildlife along the roadside.

By evening, we arrive in a small coastal town for dinner and overnight accommodation in a clean, air-conditioned local-style hotel.

Distance: about 350 KM
Riding Time: about 6 hours
Tour Days: Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday

Riding Conditions: Smooth coastal roads transitioning into rougher inland terrain with narrow jungle roads, farms, mangrove swamps, and occasional rough surfaces.

Today marks the transition from coastal Borneo to the rugged interior.

After departing from our coastal hotel, we ride toward the riverside city of Sibu for lunch and a visit to one of Sarawak’s most impressive Buddhist temples. From here, the route turns inland toward the remote highland town of Kapit.

Until only a few years ago, Kapit could only be reached by river. Although a road now exists, sections remain rough and undeveloped, merely a preview of the terrain awaiting us deeper in the interior.

Kapit retains a true frontier-town atmosphere. Strongly influenced by Iban culture yet shaped by Chinese settlement and wartime history, the town offers an intriguing blend of heritage and remoteness. We’ll explore its colonial-era fort and enjoy a substantial dinner before the expedition enters far more isolated territory.

Accommodation tonight is in a clean, but basic, local-style hotel with private, air-conditioned rooms.

Distance: about 245 KM
Riding Time: 7 Hours
Tour Days: Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday

Riding Conditions: Remote dirt and gravel roads featuring mud, ruts, loose rock, steep hills, sand, logging traffic, and mountain terrain.

We depart early to avoid the midday heat and begin what many riders consider the most demanding stage of the expedition.

The first portion of the route is deceptively manageable, narrow but mostly paved mountain roads winding through dense rainforest. Then the pavement ends.

For the remainder of the day, the route becomes a true overland challenge: loose gravel, mud, deep ruts, steep climbs, river crossings, logging traffic, and isolated mountain roads with no guardrails and no outside assistance.

The rewards are immense: towering limestone mountains, untouched rainforest, fast-moving rivers, improvised wooden bridges, and tiny jungle settlements inaccessible to most travelers. We stop regularly for drinks, photographs, and food, though facilities are extremely limited. By evening, we arrive at a newly built off-grid jungle house powered by solar and battery systems. There is no air conditioning or hot water, but there is a crystal-clear river directly outside — perfect for a refreshing jungle swim while the support crew prepares dinner.

The night ends with a BBQ, cold beer, and the sounds of the rainforest surrounding your private room.

Distance: 245 KM
Riding Time: 7 Hours
Tour Days: Wednesday / Thursday / Friday

Riding Conditions: Remote dirt, gravel, mud, sand, steep hills, logging roads, and narrow tarmac sections.

Day 6 retraces our route back toward civilization, though the return ride often feels faster and more enjoyable now that riders know what to expect.

After an early breakfast prepared by the crew, we begin the long journey back through the mountains and jungle tracks. Riders typically tackle the terrain with far more confidence on the return leg, and the atmosphere becomes noticeably more relaxed and celebratory. We stop at stunning hilltop viewpoints, pineapple plantations, and chat with the rangers who patrol this area.

By evening, we roll back into Kapit where a proper meal, cold drinks, and air-conditioned rooms await as a well-earned reward after conquering one of Borneo’s most remote road systems.

Distance: About 360 KM
Riding Time: About 6 hours
Tour Days: Thursday / Friday / Saturday

Riding Conditions: A mixture of highway, rural backroads, smooth and broken pavement, winding mountain roads, and optional rough sections.

Today’s ride covers a wide range of terrain as we travel south toward the highland border region near Indonesia.

Our first major stop is Betong, an overwhelmingly Iban town where we visit Fort Lily, a colonial fort dating to 1858, and learn about the region’s history and indigenous heritage.

After lunch and an opportunity to purchase supplies, we continue through winding highland roads toward Lubok Antu, where we check into a comfortable riverside guesthouse.

In the evening, guests have the option of riding approximately 20 kilometers along rough village roads and wooden bridges to a traditional Iban longhouse belonging to our “Mentua,” a respected family elder and headman whose community receives no other tour groups.

This is not a staged tourist performance. It is a genuine invitation into an active longhouse community.

Guests are welcomed with traditional Tuak and Langkau (rice wine and distilled spirits), followed by an evening of Iban food, music, dance, and storytelling. Dinner includes dishes such as bamboo-cooked chicken pansoh, grilled pork, jungle vegetables, and freshly caught fish.

Beer, soft drinks, and water are included, and additional homemade rice wine may be purchased directly from the villagers.

Guests who choose to drink will return safely via support vehicle, as no riding is permitted after alcohol consumption.

Overnight accommodation is in private, air-conditioned riverside rooms.

Distance: about 270 KM
Riding Time: about 4 hours
Arrival Days: Friday / Saturday / Sunday

Riding Conditions: Mountain roads, lake access roads, village routes, smooth highway sections, and bumpy backroads.

After a relaxed morning, we ride toward the spectacular highland lake region of Batang Ai. Fed by mountain rivers and surrounded by rainforest-covered hills, Batang Ai is one of the most beautiful and remote lakes in Borneo. We board local boats with Iban guides to explore the lake, hear local stories and folklore, meet fishermen, and experience daily life in this isolated region.

The scenery here is extraordinary, and wildlife sightings may include wild orangutans and the rare Rhinoceros Hornbill.

Returning to the motorcycles, we continue to Sri Aman, where we explore preserved colonial buildings, including a majestic fort, the local market, and enjoy lunch before heading west toward the frontier town of Siniawan.

Siniawan is a 170-year-old Chinese frontier town that was once nearly abandoned but has since become famous for its lively riverside night market and unique atmosphere.

This final evening is intentionally relaxed. Guests are free to wander the market, sample local food, enjoy riverside bars, photograph the lantern-lit streets, or simply celebrate the completion of the expedition with fellow riders.

Accommodation is in a clean, air-conditioned hotel.

Today is yours to enjoy at your own pace.

Breakfast will be served at a nearby hawker center offering both Western and local Malaysian options. Depending on your onward plans, we will arrange either an airport transfer or transportation back into Kuching city.

Your Borneo Backcountry Expedition officially concludes here, though the stories will likely stay with you for years to come.

Because this tour is an introduction to Borneo, focusing on riding, we recommend that our guests visit national parks, caves, and other attractions before or after this tour. We will assist you with planning those, help you make a schedule, show you public transportation options, and tell you the best and most affordable ways to visit each one. All pre- and post-tour traveling planning and advice is 100% free. If you wish to see all the attractions while on our motorcycle tour, please review our 9-day "Best of Borneo" tour, which visits all the major attractions. https://borneodiscoveryroute.com/9-day-best-of-borneo-tour