Sabah Culture When considering the culture of Borneo, it is important to keep in mind exactly which part of Borneo you are traveling in. Borneo is an island, the third largest in the world, which is made up of three countries. The southern half of the island is the Indonesian state of Kalimantan. The northern half of Borneo is split in three, in the Northwest and Northeast lie the Malaysian States of Sarawak and Sabah, respectively. Squeezed between Sarawak and Sabah is the tiny country of Brunei.
Sabah occupies the Northeastern tier of the island and is known as the wildlife hotspot of Borneo. While orangutans, pygmy elephants, and rhinoceros hornbills may top your list of reasons to travel to this corner of the world, Sabah’s cultural wealth and diversity are not to be overlooked. There are over 30 distinct and individually recognized indigenous groups in Sabah, each with their own dialect, hunting methods, cuisine, dress, dance and music. The largest is the Kadazan-Dusun, followed by the Bajau and Murut. Add to this over half a million ethnic Chinese immigrants and you will start to get a sense of the fascinatingly diverse makeup of Sabah. Influencing art, festivals, and gastronomy, Sabah’s diversity creates a cultural destination unique in the world of travel.
Religion The indigenous groups of Sabah were originally animistic, believing that all of nature’s creations have a spirit, including trees, rocks, and rivers. Later colonized by the British, Sabah has the largest population of Christians of any Malaysian state. In 1973 Islam became the official religion of the state, and Muslims currently constitute roughly 65% of the population. The Chinese influence can be seen in religion, as well, with a distinct number of Buddhist and Hindu citizens.
Customs Malaysia is an Islamic country, where conservative dress is appreciated. When traveling, it is recommended to keep knees and shoulders covered out of respect for local customs. When entering mosques or private homes, travelers should remove their shoes. In places of worship, women must cover their arms, legs, and heads. It is a good idea to travel with a sarong or large scarf in your day bag, so you can enter temples and mosques with courtesy.
Pointing at another person with your index finger is frowned upon, and beckoning with your palm up is considered rude. Instead, keep your palm down while waving your fingers. This is counterintuitive to most Westerners, but you’ll be understood in Sabah. When offering gifts or food to another, always pass with your right hand.
Openly consuming alcohol in public places (including restaurants) is frowned upon, and you’ll find in venues like the Kota Kinabalu Nightly Fish Market that vendors will serve you beer bottles in a paper or plastic bag, to cover the label. Keep the cover on, out of respect for the locals eating next to you at the table. Once you’re at a rainforest lodge or beach resort, you can feel free to consume alcohol as you would at home, since you’ll be in the company of other travelers.
Language Along with over 80 indigenous languages and dialects, Sabahans speak Bahasa Malaysia as well as English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. You will find that Sabah is one of the easiest countries in which to travel in Southeast Asia, nearly everyone will speak enough English to point you in the right direction or help you order something delicious from the menu.
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
