The essence of Borneo

Monkeys amply endowed with schlong-shaped noses, headhunters, endangered rainforests and orange-haired old men of the jungle all compete to condense the essence of Borneo. However, let’s not forget the playboy prince, cities and regions named to resemble the tumbling chimes of a gamelan and the world’s largest flower, whose bouquet cleverly mimics that of a rotting corpse - whatever fabulous images its name may conjure, the reality of Borneo is even more remarkable.

Bradt’s new Borneo guide focuses on the island’s two Malaysian provinces of Sabah and Sarawak together with the independent Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. At the junction of four seas Borneo’s separation from the Malaysian peninsula has offered some protection from the cultural corruption afflicting other parts of South East Asia, and has undoubtedly helped to save many areas of Primary Rainforest. However, it is this most precious forest resource that has proved most attractive to outsiders seeking profit at the expense of the island’s, and the world’s, biodiversity.

Author Tamara Thiessen puts it plainly, ‘Borneo’s natural wonders are undoubtedly its greatest and most famous asset. As a ‘biodiversity hotspot’, its variety and richness is unparalleled. Just 10ha of Bornean rainforest can support 700 species of tree – as many as the whole of North America! Over 5,000 of Borneo’s plant species are not found anywhere else in the world, and 500 animal species are unique to the island.’

Though not aspiring to be a comprehensive wildlife guide Bradt’s new title dedicates a whole chapter to natural history and conservation, providing almost 100 colour photographs to illustrate species from proboscis monkey and clouded leopard to lesser mouse deer, pygmy elephant and bearded pig.

Elsewhere, diving, canopy walks and river safaris are covered, together with up-to-date accommodation listings including homestays in the longhouses of the former headhunting Iban tribe where getting your head down might take on a whole new significance.

Tamara Thiessen is a freelance writer, photographer and broadcaster based in Australia. Over the past decade she’s worked for ABC, Deutsche Welle and Agence France Press together with written assignments for the Toronto Globe & Mail, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Melbourne Age and numerous others. She has been visiting Borneo since the 1990s.

Title: Borneo Authors: Tamara Thiessen
Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides
Publication: January 2009
Price: £17.99
ISBN: 978 1 84162 252 1

For more information log on to Bradtguides.com.