Discover North Borneo through the eyes of a Level 6 Google Local Guide with nearly 1 million views. From the ancient rainforests of Mt. Kinabalu to the lost empires of the Levant, author Don Peter explores the intersection of environmental beauty and the enduring mysteries of human history.
A Race Against Greed
I didn’t become a Google Local Guide to collect points. I did it to collect evidence. In an era where human greed threatens our most sacred landscapes, I felt a mandate to record the beauty of North Borneo before it shifts from reality into memory. With nearly one million views across a decade of documentation, my lens has been a witness to a world that deserves to be protected.
The Borneo Soul: From Ocean to Alpine
There is a depth of beauty here that leaves no room to look elsewhere. Where else on Earth can you dive into the vibrant marine ecosystem of Pulau Gaya in the morning, and by evening, feel the temperate chill of Mount Kinabalu, one of the world’s oldest rainforests?
My journey has been a sensory map of this land:
The Golden Hour
Watching the world’s finest sunset at Tanjung Aru.
The Rare & Rugged
Finding the elusive Rafflesia in the wilds of Tambunan.
The Valley of Plenty
Waking up in a Padas Valley homestay in Tenom, surrounded by the aroma of local coffee and ripening fruit.
The Sanctuaries
Standing in silence at Sepilok, where the sunbears and orangutans remind us of our duty as stewards of the earth.
The Horizon: From the Jungle to the Crossroads
While my feet are rooted in the soil of Borneo, my mind has always been a traveler of the Ancient Crossroads. Since childhood, I have been drawn to the places where empires were forged and religions met.
In the future, my “Local Guide” journey will take me to the Levant, Anatolia, and Egypt. I seek the stone-carved history of Petra, the Byzantine echoes of Istanbul (Constantinople), and the silent authority of the Pyramids at Giza. These aren’t just tourist stops; they are the center of the world’s greatest religious and political crossroads—the very landscapes that inspired the research behind my book, DOGMA.