Miri, Malaysian Borneo: A Stopover City

I visited Miri for a few days in July 2023 as part of a larger tour of Borneo with my friend Helene.

Our short visit was really all about recharging from our Mulu excursions, and planning for the next leg of our travels (separately and together). We needed to book at least two tours, and Helene needed to do research for her diving excursion in Semporna in early August.

Also, we REALLY needed to do laundry. I found a cheap hotel room on Booking.com and we hunkered down for a few days.

Miri, Borneo: worth visiting?

Miri gets a lot of backpacker tourists because it’s basically a stopover point for people either going to/from Mulu National Park, or for those who want to visit the nearby islands for snorkeling and diving. It’s also a good entry point to Brunei! Otherwise, to be honest, there isn’t much to do here.

Locals come for the shopping– and Brunei citizens cross the border for that as well! It’s full of hotels and restaurants, but not many tourist-y cultural interests. I think most visitors are business people, or just day trippers from nearby areas.

Miri Sightseeing Ideas

Miri is the second largest city in Malaysian Borneo, but I didn’t find a TON of sightseeing opportunities while I was there. All of these can be seen in one day, or maybe two days if you go diving:

• Miri Waterfront: boardwalk area with some nice Miri signs for photographs.
• Miri Times Square: restaurants and shopping square, lights up at night!
• Tua Pek Kong Temple: Taoist temple near Times Square.
• Miri Central Park/Miri Bay Park: public parks and connected beaches.
• The Grand Old Lady and the Petroleum Museum: Shell’s very first oil well and now a national monument.
• Canada Hill: steep slopes and a challenging jungle hike.
• Seng Kee Miri Food Centre: a good place to get cheap local food!

There’s also the nearby Lambir Hills National Park, which you can get to in about an hour by local bus.

I enjoyed trying some delicious local food (at great prices!), looking at the retro architecture and just hanging around town relaxing. I recommend only staying maybe a night or two to recharge and then continue your adventures in Borneo.

Getting Around Miri

The main part of the city is very walkable, and there’s a few infrequent public bus lines that run through the city. Bus fare is RM1.

Otherwise, you can use Grab to book a rideshare car.

Miri: Final Thoughts

While not a must-do for a Borneo travel itinerary, Miri is a good place to stopover while on your way to another location. It’s a hub for several places elsewhere in Borneo, so you’ll probably end up there eventually!

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• Flying over Vang Vieng in a hot air balloon