Emily Mary Chin

Emily Mary Chin is the writer behind much of what you read across Amazing Borneo and its family of travel brands, from the practical to the cultural to the deeply personal stories of the people who make Borneo tourism what it is.


Her path here wasn't a straight line, and that's part of what shapes how she writes. Emily started her career in accounting and finance before discovering a deeper pull toward storytelling. She spent the next several years in media and documentary work — writing, producing, and directing, including the documentary Huminodun: A Woman's Legacy — followed by years working alongside Sabah's NGOs and civil society organisations on documentaries, campaigns, and websites for grassroots causes. More recently, she's supported community storytelling workshops across Sabah and Sarawak, covering community filmmaking, audio storytelling, and social media.


That background shapes how she approaches Borneo's stories, including her own. Emily is a sixth-generation Sabahan with mixed Chinese, Dusun, Kadazan, Japanese, and British heritage, and it was in uncovering her own family's layered history that she first found her love of storytelling. She holds a GSTC Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism and leads Amazing Borneo's efforts toward GSTC sustainable tourism certification.


Outside of work, she's an avid reader and an occasional cat-sitter, which she'll tell you is really just an excuse to hang out with more cats.