I knew the moment I put my foot on that plane to Borneo, that we are embarking on an extraordinary and rare journey. We were on our way to live one of the most exceptional experience, we were about to explore the vast and rare world of the island of Borneo, here we’ve got to meet orangutans in the rainforests, the sun-bear, we’ve seen the rare Proboscis monkeys, very close to us, Borneo is the only place in the world where you can see them. This place is one of the very best to visit in the world if you love wildlife. So if you want to live unforgettable moments, then maybe you should add this place to your bucket list.
In this blog post I will talk about the northern part of Malaysian Borneo, known as Sabah, then it’s very likely you’ll be visiting Sandakan, Pom Pom Island and Turtle Island, but I will share more info about those places in the upcoming blogs. If you want to plan your trip to Pom Pom, I already posted a guide, that you can read it here.
how to get to Sandakan and to Sepilok
The main airport in Borneo is Tawau, which is how we got to Borneo, with daily flights from Kuala Lumpur. From there you can either arrive to Sandakan by car or to come by plane to Sandakan, because Sandakan has its own airport. Sepilok is around a 20-30 minute drive from Sandakan, so you don’t need to take a very long ride to come here from Sandakan airpot.
You can either travel using a Grab (is the Asian Uber), or arrange your ride with your accommodation. The roads here are well maintained and it’s a very straight forward journey to Sepilok. Sepilok itself is a very small village and is walkable and very beautiful.
How long do I need in Sandakan and Sepilok?
Around 2-3 days it is a great amount of time in this area. If you’re planing a longer stay to Borneo rainforest, then 1-2 days either side, can be spent in each of these areas.
Best things to see and do in Sepilok and Sandakan
The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre was on my bucket list for years and it seems that this is one of the main reasons why many travellers are visiting. With the catastrophic deforestation rates in Borneo, this rehabilitation centre has been a lifeline for these endangered apes and the work that goes into their rehabilitation is truly incredible. But there are so many more activities and rescue centres to visit.
SEPILOK ORANGUTAN REHABILITATION CENTRE
By visiting this centre you spend money on an organization that wants to keep the wildlife of the orangutans high. In this way you also contribute to the sustainability of the rainforest on Borneo. So it’s always good to go there and spend some money, right?
In this rescue centre live around 100 orangutans, in this protected piece of land, located at the edge of the Kabili Sepilok Forest Reserve. The centre was set up in 1964 by a British woman called Barbara Harrison and is the first centre in the world to be dedicated to the rehabilitation of orphaned orangutans. There are around 70 orangutans living independently in the reserve, and around 25 orphaned orangutans living in the nursery.
info about this centre
- it opens at 9AM- 2PM for each session. I recommend you to come a little bit early and go to the nursery first, because after feeding time, they close the centre and you can’t see them.
- the daily feeding sessions are, one at 10AM and a second one is at 2PM
- your ticket allows entry for both the morning and afternoon sessions (it is closed between sessions)
- on arrival, you will be asked to leave all valuable items either in your vehicle or in one of the lockers at the entrance ( the orangutans and monkeys in the reserve can get very close and get really naughty by sealing your stuff, but you are allowed to bring the camera, so you´re safe for photos)
- cash only for tickets
BORNEAN SUN BEAR CONSERVATION CENTRE
On the other side of the road of the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre you can visit another rescue centre, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Here you can also take a nice walk through the area. The bears here in the park, just like the orangutans, they are animals that need to be rehabilitated back into nature. This bear specie is called Sun Bear because they found that light coloured crescent spot on their chest looking like a sun.
At this centre are living around 42 rescued sun bears. As well as rehabilitating the rescued bears, they are also aiming to raise public awareness, improve the animal’s welfare, contribute to research and help increase eco tourism in the area. The Bornean Sun Bears are the smallest bear species in the world and the second rarest, after the giant panda.
info about this centre
- the centre is opened daily from 9AM – 3.30PM
- the entry fee is MYR50 or 10€ for non Malaysian adults
- to enter with a professional camera, there is a fee of MYR10 or 4€
LABUK BAY PROBOSCIS MONKEY SANCTUARY
Another sanctuary that can be worth visiting is the Proboscis Monkey sanctuary. I was in doubt if to visit or not this place, because I thought is some sort of zoo, but there is nothing like that. They have plenty of space to move around, the are not forced to do nothing they don’t want to, they basically live in the forest and come here just for the food, a few calls from the staff and a bucket full of fresh fruits and they come right away.
Borneo is very special, because it is the only place in the world you can see them. In this reserve must be living up to 50 Proboscis Monkeys, including the alpha male and mothers with their babies.
info about this centre
- the centre is opened every day from 8.30AM – 5.30PM
- adult non Malaysian tickets are MYR60 or 10€
- the fee for professional camera is MYR100 or 2€
RAINFOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE
The Rainforest Discovery Centre is another beautiful place to visit, it is a nice place for a relaxing evening in the jungle, spotting amazing wildlife. You can easily spend half a day here. The opportunities to see wildlife here are endless and this is a particularly excellent location for birdwatching.
The main attraction here is the a 620m long elevated canopy walkway, which gives visitors a unique opportunity to walk high up amongst the trees. But the day we visited it was closed for whatever reason. There’s also a great cafe here where we had a very delicious lunch with the most beautiful view at the forest, a lake which you can hire a boat and take a romantic boat ride in this beautiful scenery.
When visiting Sabah, a trip to Sepilok is a perfect opportunity for animal lovers to support local conservation and rescue efforts. We got very lucky and saw a many animals during our visit and I’d highly recommend adding this stop to your Borneo itinerary. Have you visited Sepilok? Are you planning to visit? Tell me your thoughts in the comment section.
Madeleine 𓇼 