|
Orangutans and a jungle boat cruiseRoute: Sandakan - Sepilok - Kinabatangan - Sukau - SandakanDuring this Borneo trip, you'll visit the world famous Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre where you'll come face-to-face with adorable young primates. You'll also explore the wonders of the emerald forests when you leave the mainland and sail across Borneo's longest river, deep into the jungle and away from civilisation. No other spot on Borneo features such a wide variety of wild animals: monkeys (Proboscis, Gibbons, Orangutan, and Macaques), monitor lizards, crocodiles, hundreds of species of tropical birds and if you're lucky you may even see wild elephants! You'll spend the night deep in the heart of the jungle. Just like a scene in an Indiana Jones movie, you'll watch the sun start to sink in the horizon as you sail slowly past the wooded shores of the jungle while enjoying the incredible experience of being surrounded by wilderness. Sound good? You can start building your own Borneo trip using our bite-sized Borneo tours. Or, alternatively you can take your pick from our range of suggested holidays in Borneo. Want to combine your Borneo adventure with a trip to West Malaysia? No problem. Simply choose from our selection of bite-sized Malaysia tours or ready-made holidays in Malaysia. |
| Duration |
3 days / 2 nights departs daily from Sandakan |
Accommodation |
Wooden jungle chalets (see our photos here). Comfort level 2 (see accommodation). |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Price |
£425 per person - based on 2 people sharing £458 per person - based on 2 people sharing for trip to Selingan (see below) |
Includes |
Bus and boat transfers to and from Sandakan, entrance fees, jungle river safaris, 2 nights accommodation incl. 2 x breakfast / 3 x lunch / 2 x dinner Optional alternative: trip to Selingan with night on turtle island available on request |
|
Transport |
Minibus and boat |
Excludes |
All other extras |
Day 1: Sandakan - Sepilok - Kinabatangan - SukauOn day one of your Borneo trip, you'll be picked up in the morning at your hotel or at Sandakan Airport for the 30 minute drive to the world famous Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. The centre prepares mostly young, orangutans that have been orphaned by deforestation for an independent life in the wild. At 10:00am it's feeding time and you'll be able to see the adorable primates come out of the jungle to eat as much fresh fruit and nuts as they want. Aside from primates, you may also be lucky enough to see Sumatra rhinos and Pygmy elephants in the park!From here you'll drive to Sandakan Harbour where you'll leave the mainland behind and board a boat for a beautiful ride across the Kinabatangan River, Sabah's longest river. This area is teeming with (proboscis) monkeys and you may even see orangutans and elephants. After stopping for a tasty lunch, you'll continue along the mighty River to Sukau where you'll check into your charming, wooden jungle lodge. Late in the afternoon, relax on a cruise on the Menangul River and watch the animals come to life as the sun goes down- the sunset is amazing from here. In the evening you'll have dinner back at your lodge. |
|
|
Day 2: SukauIt's the second day of your Borneo trip and where else but here would you be awakened by screeching gibbon monkeys and the sounds of hornbills? Early in the morning you'll sail towards nearby lakes where you'll slowly see the animals on the shores come to life. Animals to look out for are otters, large lizards, crocodiles and of course loads of monkeys. Later on in the morning you'll sail back to your lodge for breakfast. In the afternoon you can either go for a walk, visit the nearby Gomantong Caves or just sit back and relax with a good book on your porch. In the late afternoon you'll set off again in search of wild animals. Once the sun begins to set you'll sail back to the lodge for dinner and you'll spend your last night of the Borneo trip in the jungle lodge. |
Day 3: Sukau - SandakanIt's day three of your Borneo trip and after a relaxed start to your day and a buffet breakfast, you'll sail for about 2.5 hours back along the River until you reach Sandakan. If you look up high in the trees, you'll see the monkeys looking down on you as they scurry about. Once you arrive in Sandakan you'll head up to the elevated Chinese Puu Jih Syh temple. The temple offers an incredible view of Sandakan Bay. Then, after lunch in a local restuarant you'll be taken to the airport or your hotel.After this impressive Borneo trip, you could try some Borneo diving as you explore the deep blue underwater world of Sipadan reef during a stay on Mabul Island. You can also choose to fly to Kota Kinabalu, where you can relax and unwind after your jungle experiences. |
|
|
Alternative Tour Option: Orangutans, turtle eggs and a jungle boat cruise
If you'd like to see even more of the local wildlife during your Borneo trip, you can change your Borneo travel plan to include a visit to Selingan to spot sea turtles. This addition isn't exactly an extension; instead you’ll spend one night in a resort on Selingan Turtle island and one night in the jungle lodge in Sukau.On the first morning of this Borneo trip, you will either be picked up at your hotel or the airport in Sandakan. From here you will be transferred to the jetty for your boat transfer from Sandakan to Selingan Turtle Island. On arrival you'll have lunch at the resort restaurant and enjoy the rest of the afternoon on the beach or swimming in the sea. After dinner you’ll be picked up by the local ranger and taken down to the stretch of beach where turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. Sometimes they appear at 8pm, or you have to wait patiently till after midnight. If you’re lucky you can help release the newly emerged baby turtles safely into the ocean. After this amazing Borneo travel experience, you'll spend the night in one of the park chalets on the island. |
Day 2 & 3: Selingan Island - Sandakan - Sepilok - Sukau - SandakanThe following morning you will return to Sandakan by boat and continue your Borneo trip to the Sepilok Orangutan centre. Here you will be able to observe the Orangutans at their feeding platforms in the rainforest.From the centre you will be transferred back to the jetty in Sandakan for your boat transfer along the Kinabatangan River deep into the mangrove forests. As you float on by, make sure you keep your eyes open to see if you can spot any monkeys hiding in the rainforest. After stopping for lunch, you will arrive at your jungle resort in Sukau. You will spend the afternoon taking a river cruise up the river in search of wildlife before returning to your accommodation for the night. After breakfast the next day, you’ll travel back to Sandakan for a visit to a traditional stilted village of the Kadazan tribe, and the lively local market before being transferred back to your hotel or the airport. |
|
|
Best time to travelThis Borneo trip to see the orangutans is appropriate for any time of year, however, March to October tend to be better as the chance of rain is slightly less than other times of the year. As these tours can be booked up months in advance, to avoid disappointment we advise you to book your Borneo trip very early!Gomantong Caves Approximately 32km south of Sandakan lies the largest cave system in Sabah. If you decide not to visit the Gunung Mulu National Park caves on Sarawak, then you should certainly try to visit these caves. Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre Deforestation and poachers have caused many young orangutans to become orphans. This centre cares for the orphaned primates and prepares them for their release into the wild. This is done in various different ways and the primates are cared for at different levels, two of which you'll be able to experience. At the first level you'll see the smallest primates learning essential skills such as climbing. Normally young orangutans would have learned this from their mothers. You'll then go on to visit the second level where monkeys live independently and are only dependent on food from human beings. At the final level, there is little to none human intervention before the primates are returned to the wild. This level is not accessible to visitors. Click here to find out more about the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. |
Borneo orangutan tour accommodation (Click to enlarge)
 |
 |
 |
Click here for the quote request form
Take a look at our bite-sized Borneo tours
For inspiration check out our suggested holidays in Borneo
Follow Rickshaw Travel and be inspired...
