Borneo: a quest for the Orangutan
Borneo, the third largest island on our planet, covered with one of the oldest tropical rainforests of all. This sentence alone is enough to awaken the adventurer in most nature enthusiasts’ hearts, but if the lush landscape alone was not enough for You, maybe the chance of meeting one of the great ape species of our planet in its natural habitat will convince You. Neighbouring the mysterious Orangutan, other unique species live in the jungle, species like the Pygmy Elephant, Proboscis Monkey, Bornean Gibbon, several species of Hornbills and other colourful birds, lizards and crocodiles.
Join me on this extraordinary expedition and visit these characteristic members of this wild neighbourhood.
Outline itinerary
Day 1-4: Arrival to Sandakan, Sepilok
Day 5-9: Kinabatangan River, Sukau
Day 10: Sandakan
Day 11: Leaving for the airport
Detailed itinerary
Day 1-4
Your flight will arrive at Sandakan Airport during the afternoon, and then we head towards our accommodation in Sepilok.
After our first day we will have 3 full days here, so there will be one full day for each of the three main attractions in this area: the famous Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, the Rainforest Discovery Centre, and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Two of these are only 5 minutes walk from your room, the Rainforest Discovery Centre is the furthest, it is 20 minutes walk from the lodge, but it definitely worth the time because You will have the chance to walk up in the forest canopy with the monkeys and birds.
During your free time You will have the chance to swim under palm trees in the pool of your lodge, or just enjoy the surrounding forest filled with monkeys. The lodge is basically on the border of the Sepilok Forest Reserve. Last time I was here I could hear the gibbons singing in the distance. You will have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the restaurant of our lodge.
Day 2
After breakfast, we walk to the the Sun Bear Conservation Centre, to see the world’s smallest bear species in its natural rainforest habitat.
In this rescue and rehabilitation facility they fenced of parts of the rainforest for the rescued bears, so the animals can live in these natural enclosures. Sun Bears are really rare to see in the wild so this is the best place to see this species in its rainforest habitat. We can observe the animals from a canopy walk surrounded by large trees, where we can also meet other creatures of the forests, like colorful birds, lizards, and monkeys
After the early morning hours, we walk back to our accommodation for some free time, to relax and swim in the pool. Since our ticket allows us to enter the centre anytime during that day, we will visit the Sun Bear Conservation Centre in the afternoon again when the animals become active again. If we are lucky we may catch a feeding time or a bear climbing up high in the canopy.
In the evening, if You would like to add a little more adventure to your day, You can join a night walk in the rainforest with the help of a local guide, searching for the nocturnal forest creatures like slow loris, tarsiers, civets, mouse deer and colorful snakes. Additional 30 MYR (~7 USD) per person.
Day 3
After breakfast, we walk to the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, to see the great ape species of Borneo in person.
This place is also part of the forest reserve, so You will walk under the large trees of the rainforest. Here, there is no fence at all, the animals move around You completely freely. The sanctuary has a section where they take care of rescued orphan orangutan babies, and teach them how to live. Out in the forest, there is a feeding platform, to help the recently released animals to survive in the wild. Luckily for us, this feeding platform also attracts the big adult orangutans of the forest, which gives us the perfect opportunity to observe completely wild orangutans up close. It is not rare to see large males and females with newly born babies on their back around the feeding platform.
After the early morning hours, we walk back to our accommodation for some free time, to relax and swim in the pool. Since our ticket allows us to enter the centre anytime during that day, we will visit the Orangutan Sanctuary in the afternoon too, when the animals become active again.
In the evening, You can choose to join another night walk in the rainforest, searching for nocturnal animals in the rainforest.
Day 4
After an early breakfast, we will embark on a 20-minute walk to the Rainforest Discovery Center, located within the forest reserve.
Here, you will have the unique opportunity to explore the rainforest from above by walking along an elevated canopy walkway. This allows us to observe the upper levels of the rainforest up close while enjoying breathtaking views over the canopy. At ground level, numerous trails allow us to trek through the rainforest, exploring its dense vegetation and towering, gigantic trees. Each layer of the forest reveals a completely different and fascinating world. As we wander through this lush environment, we will keep an eye out for wildlife such as colorful birds, playful monkeys, and the majestic orangutans.
In the afternoon, we will head back to our accommodation for some well deserved rest and free time. You will spend your last night here surrounded by the sounds of the tropical rainforest.
Day 5
After checking out, we head to our lodge at the Kinabatangan River. Our lodge’s own minibus will pick us up, and after 2 hours of travel we will arrive and make ourselves comfortable in our rooms which are just under a small group of large palm trees, a few meters away from the river. In the afternoon You will participate in your first river cruise looking for wild animals in the surrounding rainforest. I am sure You will never forget that amazing tropical sunset over the river at the end of your first cruise.
Each river cruise is about 2 hours long, and is led by our lodge’s experienced local guide. During the time we are going to spend here, You will have the chance to participate in 4 morning cruises (starting 06:00), 5 afternoon cruises (starting 16:00), 1 night cruise (starting 19:30), and 1 four hours long private cruise (starting 09:30) where we dedicate our time to find the Bornean Pygmy Elephants. All breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided by the lodge.
The forest around Kinabatangan River is considered as one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, and is probably the best place in Borneo to see all the Bornean big five: the Orangutan, the Pygmy Elephant, the Proboscis Monkey, the Rhinoceros Hornbill, and the Saltwater Crocodile. One of my personal favourites, the Eastern Grey Gibbon, can also be found in this area, but You can see many other creatures as well. By staying here as long as five days, we definitely increase our chances to meet all of these unique creatures in their natural habitat.
Day 6
We will start the day with our first morning cruise, searching for the incredible and unique species of Kinabatangan. After about two hours, we head back to our lodge for breakfast.
After lunch, we will start our afternoon cruise to continue our search for the rare species of the Bornean rainforest.
In the evening, after dinner, we will embark on a short walk to visit the local village’s weekend market. Here, You can see lots of tropical fruits and local dishes and food carts. You can also try these local fruits and meals. After the visit, we head back to our lodge for some well deserved sleep.
Day 7
After our second morning cruise and breakfast, we will start our elephant cruise.
As You could guess, the main aim of this 4-hour long cruise to find the elusive Bornean Pygmy Elephant. Since elephants walk long distances every day, the herd can be far away from our lodge, this is why we need this much time, to travel the long distances with the boat. In the middle of the day, elephants often come out of the forest to cool off in the river, making it easier for us to spot this rare endemic animal.
After the elephant cruise and lunch, You will start your afternoon cruise for the day. Dinner at the lodge.
Day 8
Third morning cruise and breakfast in the morning.
After lunch You start your afternoon cruise for the day.
After sunset you will start your night cruise on the Kinabatangan River. In the dark, the river will show you a completely different face. At night, we will look for nocturnal animals like owls and civets, small colorful birds that sleep on small branches near the water, and crocodiles whose eyes glow in the light of our torches.
Day 9
On your last day around the Kinabatangan River, You will have one more morning cruise and one more afternoon cruise to find more animals, and to observe the breathtaking rainforest around us with one final sunset above this beautiful river.
Day 10
After breakfast the minibus will take us back to Sandakan. Here You can go and explore the city of Sandakan as You like. Sim Sim Water Village and Puu Jih Shih Temple are both worth visiting. You can also look for souvenirs in the local shops and markets, or You can just rest in your hotel’s pool surrounded by the forest. Local monitor lizards regularly visit the hotel’s garden to warm up in the morning sunshine. Breakfast will be provided by our hotel.
Day 11
Checking out after breakfast and leaving in time to catch your flight.
Date: 2025. September 14. – 24.
Expedition duration: 11 days/10nights
Maximum number of participants: 7
Price: 2000 USD per person
What is included in the price?
All the accommodations are included and every service which the lodges provide for the reservations, which are the following:
| Area/Lodge | Included service | Not included |
|---|---|---|
| Sepilok | Breakfast |
Lunch/Dinner Entrance tickets to the 3 mentioned attractions (~21USD) |
| Kinabatangan |
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner 10 river cruises, 1 long private cruise Transport to here and back |
|
| Sandakan | Breakfast | Lunch/Dinner |
Flights, visas, insurance and other expenses are not included in the price.
