Bario is the entry point for the Kelabit Highlands, a beautiful mountain valley situated over 1000 metres above sea level. Isolated until World War II, the Kelabit people and other communities of the highlands had little contact with the outside world. The only means of travelling to or from the coast was to walk along forest trails for seven to ten days. Today the highlands are accessed via daily Twin Otter flights.
Bario is essentially a large village with an airstrip and has some accommodation and a few coffee shops or cafes. The Kelabit live in large longhouses widely dispersed throughout the highlands. One of the biggest attractions of the Kelabit Highlands is trekking from longhouse to longhouse through the jungle and past the rice fields. These treks vary in difficulty from easy walks to tough adventure treks. Most of Borneo Adventure’s treks and tours of Bario are for physically fit and experienced hikers.
