Sabah · Malaysian Borneo
Rahmat Borneo Tours
Jungle, rivers and local life — I will show you the Borneo I grew up in.
About me
A local guide from Sandakan
Hi, I am Rahmat! I grew up near Sandakan and have been working as a guide and driver for many years. I taught myself English, and I know the local people — they open the doors to places most visitors never find. With me, you will experience Borneo the way the locals live it.
I love working with people. Expect a good sense of humour, the occasional song in the car, and answers to all your questions about Sabah, its nature and its culture.
My family comes first, and my work supports them. I also help children from poor local families who have been less fortunate in life. I believe nature must be protected, and I have a dream: to buy a large piece of land one day, plant trees and grow my own rainforest — a refuge for animals.
Tours
Where we can go
Not fixed departures — places I know well, combined into a trip that fits your dates and pace. Anywhere else in Sabah can be arranged individually.
Sepilok
Orangutans and sun bears
The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and, right next door, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.
- Orangutans
- Sun bears
Kinabatangan
A trip on the Kinabatangan River
The river trip can include a local guide with deep knowledge of the area, who works for an organisation protecting nature and endangered animals and working with local communities.
- Proboscis monkeys
- Pygmy elephants
- Hornbills
- Crocodiles
Gomantong Cave
The cave and the forest around it
A favourite destination with a biodiversity that surprises, both inside the cave and around it. We explore the cave and its surroundings, and finish with a beautiful view over the rainforest. At dusk you can watch a rare spectacle: a huge column of bats pours out of the cave while hornbills, among other hunters, catch them in mid-air. Inside, swiftlets build the world's most valuable edible nests.
- Bat exodus at dusk
- Swiftlet nests
- Bat hawks
- Orangutans
- Viewpoint
Labuk Bay
Proboscis monkeys up close
The place to see proboscis monkeys.
- Proboscis monkeys
Semporna
From the jungle to the reef
Combine the jungle with the underwater world: a sea full of coral and marine life. I will arrange a boat trip to spots that overtourism has not reached yet.
- Coral reefs
- Boat trip
- Snorkelling
Kota Kinabalu & Kinabalu National Park
The capital and the mountain
A walk through Sabah's capital with tips on authentic places — local markets, restaurants and more. From there, Kinabalu National Park, and I know where the rafflesia is blooming.
- City walk
- Local markets
- Rafflesia
Sandakan
Airport pick-up
I pick you up at Sandakan airport and the trip starts there.
- Airport pick-up
Everything is arranged individually
Which trip, how long, and when — it is all up to you. Write to me on WhatsApp and we will work it out together; almost anything can be arranged.
“For me it is about the authentic experience — one I want to share with you as a local guide.”
Getting there
Hotel pick-up in my own vehicles
A car for smaller groups, and a minibus when there are more of you, so larger groups are no problem either. Message me for details.
From recent trips
Seen on the way
Bornean pygmy elephant
Around a thousand left, all of them here
The Bornean pygmy elephant lives nowhere else on earth, and most of the remaining population is in Sabah. Seeing one is a matter of knowing the river and a good deal of luck.
Red leaf monkey 
Rhinoceros hornbill 
Swallowtail butterfly 
Proboscis monkey 
Orangutan mother and baby 
Bornean sun bear 
Saltwater crocodile 
Oriental dwarf kingfisher 
Tree frog, night walk 
Rafflesia in bloom
Guest reviews
What travellers say on Google
Read what my guests wrote about their trips on my Google profile — and if you have travelled with me, I would be grateful for a few words.
Why travel with me
Local experience
Years in the same places, and friends in every village along the way who make the trip better than any itinerary could.
Individual approach
Every trip is put together around your dates, your pace and what you most want to see.
Small groups
Never a crowd — small enough to move quietly and stop whenever something appears.
Learning as you go
A chance to meet people from APE, who restore Borneo's rainforest and fight deforestation.
Tell me where you'd like to go
Write to me on WhatsApp with your dates, group size and what you most want to see. I usually reply within a day.
Give something back
Plant a tree in Borneo with APE
APE Malaysia (Animal Projects & Environmental Education) is a social enterprise certified by Malaysia's Ministry of Entrepreneur Development. Through its ROAR programme — Restore Our Amazing Rainforest — it replants forest in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, reconnecting forest corridors for wildlife and supporting local communities.
A friend of mine works there, and many of my guests who care about nature have asked how they could help. This is the way I recommend.
Plant a tree
Each tree is planted within about four weeks and looked after for four years. You receive an e-certificate, a photo and the GPS location of the plot.
Give one as a gift
Trees can be dedicated to someone — a birthday, a wedding, a newborn — with a personal message on the certificate.
Meet the team
On a trip with me you can meet APE's people on the ground and see where the trees are planted.
- Cared for 4 years
- Photo + GPS
- Certificate