About Us

Selamat datang from Kota Kinabalu! Kotakinabalu-travel.com is managed by me - Albert - and my team from Borneo Eco Tours. We are your local connection in Borneo.

In 1991, after a period working in a family hotel I realised my dream of opening an inbound tour business specialising in Borneo and so Borneo Eco Tours was born. For the last three decades I have been a pioneer of the eco-tourism industry in Malaysia. As the operator of Sukau Rainforest Lodge we have implemented sustainable practices such as using solar panels for water heating, using recycled cooking oil for lighting fuel and commissioning the local community to hand make river boats to provide them with income and employment opportunities. For me, this Lodge is an education tool for locals and travellers alike on sustainable living and sustainable tourism. The Lodge was designed to be a beacon of best practice sustainable tourism in Malaysia. To this end, I co-wrote Saving Paradise: The Story of Sukau (co-authored with Carol Patterson) to share the vision and knowledge of commencing and running a successful eco-lodge.

I am genuinely interested in seeing the development of sustainable accommodation and tours in Malaysia. To achieve this goal I am promoting other leading eco-tourism product through this travel portal.

Operating Borneo Eco Tours has also allowed me to nurture my interest in photography, trekking and the great outdoors. I have trekked over 1,000km around Borneo, climbed Mt Kinabalu five times, and published eight books and over 150 postcards and bookmarks on the subject.

I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to share with local and international travellers some of Malaysia's national treasures. Four of my most memorable experiences are:
1) Experiencing weightlessness while diving in the waters of world famous Sipadan Island,
2) The exhilaration of conquering Mt Kinabalu and witnessing the beginning of a new day on her summit,
3) Witnessing green turtles laying their eggs by moonlight on Selingan Island, and
4) A Kinabatangan River cruise on a misty morning sunrise over the rainforest.

But I'm biased! I love the outdoors. There are mountains of cultural experiences just waiting to be explored.

More About the Rest of the Team

Baton Bijamin, General Manager
I've had a passion for tourism and the hotel industry since I started in this industry in 1991. My career in tourism is both challenging and rewarding. The reward comes from being able to have a positive impact on the environment and local communities through the work we do. I was part of the team that established Sukau Rainforest Lodge. I look forward to developing new product in Malaysia into the future.



Susan Soong, Assistant General Manager
With a passion for travelling I was so happy that I could turn this joy into a career. I love meeting people, exchanging cultures, eating exotic food and having new experiences. Like when I touched snow for the first time in Europe, scaled the Great Wall of China, got up close and personal with the adorable Philip Island penguins and saw glow worms in New Zealand. One of my favourite Malaysian spots is Sukau not far from Sandakan. Instead of searching for the BIG FIVE in South Africa, we board a small river boat and cruise along the longest river in Sabah in search of the FABULOUS FIVE: the orang utan, proboscis monkeys, gibbons, pygmy elephant and hornbills.


I love working with this genuine team who have the same goals as I do: to support positive socio economic outcomes for local communities and to preserve our beautiful diamond landscape - Malaysia.