Sabah Ultimate Wildlife

📍 Sandakan Airport to Sepilok (17km) 20 min

After meeting with the guide and driver at Sandakan Airport, head by private minivan to Sandakan Memorial Park for a quick stopover to learn about Sabah’s fascinating role in WWII after walking through this very well maintained and beautifully landscaped park to the museum, hop back in the car and transfer to Sepilok.

After arriving in the late afternoon, there are plenty of optional activities available to fill the rest of the day. Ask the travel consultant to add one of these to the itinerary if desired. Alternatively, take some time to rest at the resort after checking in.

Overnight Sepilok

Inclusions:

📍 Sepilok Hotel to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and Rainforest Discovery Center: 5-minute

09:00 Meet and your driver and guide and transfer to Sepilok OrangUtan Rehabilitation Centre. Proceed to watch a video show about the plight of the OrangUtans and the rehabilitation efforts ongoing at the Centre. Walk ten minutes through the rainforest on wooden boardwalks to witness the feeding of the orangutans at 10:00hrs. Continue to the nursery area for observing young orangutans.

(Viewing/Feeding times: 10:00)

Thereafter visit the Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre to learn about conservation of the world’s smallest bear. There are currently 36 bears housed at the center, which have been rescued from poachers. Guests also have the opportunity to adopt a bear to ensure the programs- and the animals - survival (at guests’ own expense).

Enjoy a delicious local lunch.

Visit the interesting and educational Rainforest Discovery Centre.

Aside from the Plant Discovery Walk, which features herbs and plants used in traditional medicines, the highlight is a 347-meter-long 87-meter-tall canopy walkway. Nestled high in the rainforest canopy, this walk provides a great opportunity to spot some of the 250-300 bird species that call the area home. With a bit of luck, it’s even possible to see a wild orangutan.

Return to your hotel.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Sepilok to Labuk Bay: 30mins Labuk Bay to Sandakan Jetty 1 hr Sandakan Jetty to Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort by boat: 1.5hrs Cruise times: PM – 16:00 Cruise duration will depend on wildlife spotting: approx. 2 hours

08.30 Meet your guide and driver and head to Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, one of the best places to encounter Borneo’s one and only, the Proboscis monkey. The remarkable males sport big dangling noses, reddish flat-top hairstyles, white tails and markings, and pot bellies. The females on the other hand, are much smaller and have up-turned noses. It is also known by locals as the Orang Belanda. It was hilariously nicknamed Belanda after the dutch colonisers at the time, who were said to bear an uncanny resemblance with their large noses and red cheeks. It primarily eats fruit and leaves, and lives in groups of up to 19 individuals.

Transfer by private air-conditioned minivan with the guide to Sandakan Jetty to meet the boat (Join in Basis) and transfer to the Kinabatangan River. This two-hour boat journey passes by local villages and lush rainforest and provides excellent wildlife-spotting opportunities for those looking to gander at some of Borneo’s quirky inhabitants.

At 13:00 Arrive at the lodge, check in and enjoy lunch. The Local guide will conduct a briefing on the upcoming activities and advice on recommended gear. Time in the afternoon to relax.

Late in the afternoon, at 16:30 hop on a riverboat for a cruise up the Kinabatangan River in search for wildlife - most notably, the proboscis monkeys which is endemic to Borneo. Other fauna is likely to be spotted in the Lower Kinabatangan Reserve includes elephants, hornbills, gibbons, and many birds.  Return to the lodge for dinner before mid-evening take a stroll along the boardwalk on a lookout for nocturnal animals and interesting insects.

Overnight at Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Cruise times: AM – 06:30, PM – 16:00. EVE – 20:00 Cruise duration will depend on wildlife spotting: approx. 2 hours

Rise early in the morning at 06:30 along with the birds and other animals of the jungle for an unforgettable river cruise to Kelenanap Oxbow Lake, a crescent shaped lake that formed when the river’s meander became so wide that it cut itself off. The stillness of the lake and relative protection provides a haven for animals and plants making for an ecosystem that’s completely distinct from that of the active river.

At 08:30, continue with a visit the local fishing village, Kampung Abai. Interact with local Orang Sungai, a river people who have long inhabited the area, and observe daily activities in the fishing village.

At 10:00, return to the resort for breakfast and spend the rest of the day is at leisure before heading out in the late afternoon to watch the river activities of many primate species that become active during this time. The afternoon is a particularly advantageous time to spot wildlife and the light is perfect for photography.

After a well-deserved and hearty dinner, head out again at 20:30 for an unforgettable night river safari to see some of the jungle’s nocturnal inhabitants.

Overnight at Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort to Sukau Jetty by boat: 1hrs Sukau Jetty to Lahad Datu (Tabin Wildlife Reserve Office): up to 3hrs Lahad Datu to Tabin Wildlife Reserve: 1.5hrs

At 07:00 this morning, wake early for departure to Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Transfer one hour by boat to Sukau Jetty to pick up overland transportation to Lahad Datu. From Lahad Datu depart at 13:30 for an overland transfer to Tabin Wildlife Reserve.

Upon arrival, check into a charming wooden cottage within the reserve and take some time to freshen up or relax before heading out for a bit of exploration. In the afternoon enjoy a short trek through the jungle to Tabin’s mineral rich mud volcano. 

After dinner, enjoy a night walk to look out for nocturnal wildlife and birds. Remember to look up at the clear, dark sky of Tabin, identify the constellations above you and make a wish or two.

Overnight Tabin Wildlife Reserve

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

Join the early morning bird walk to discover some of Tabin’s rich collection of almost 300 bird species. After breakfast, a drive to the core area stop over and climb up the birds watching tower continue along the way before trekking through the lush green rainforest known for its rich diversity of plants and animal species to visit Lipad Waterfall. Take a dip in the natural pool and enjoy a natural and refreshing shower under the waterfall. Alternatively explore the surrounding vegetation or just relax.

In the afternoon, try out the Tabin Rainforest Foot Soak made with a natural blend of herbs, to relax tired muscles after long jungle treks. In the evening, a dusk drive to look out for more nocturnal wildlife & birds coming out to look for food during this time of the day.

After dinner, go for a night walk along the trail nearby the resort in search of sleeping birds, frog and nocturnal wildlife.

Overnight at Tabin Wildlife Resort

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Tabin Wildlife Reserve to Lahad Datu(Borneo Rainforest Lodge Office to pick up 4WD): 1.5hrs Lahad Datu to Borneo Rainforest Lodge by 4WD(100km): 2.5hrs (bumpy unsealed road)

After breakfast in the morning, transfer 1.5 hours to Lahad Datu.

From Lahad Datu depart for a join-in overland transfer into the thick virgin rainforest area of Danum Valley – one of the world’s most complex ecosystems. Around 30 km of this 85km journey is on sealed roads, and the last two hours are along a gravel road – so expect a bumpy but interesting ride!

12:00 On arrival at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge, check in late afternoon prepare yourself for an introduction to our nature activity for the day. Nature activities introduction includes guided nature trails, Canopy Walkway - 360m in length and 27m, high up in the 130-million-year-old rainforest which is literally humming with jungle sounds.

After dinner, board one of the open-top 4WD vehicles for an exhilarating night spotlighting tour. Accompanied by a local guide who shines a light into the jungle looking for nocturnal animals, spot a range of nocturnal animals that inhabit reserve, from samba deer to civet cats, leopards, and a stunning array of insects and frogs.

Afterwards, return to the chalet.

Overnight at Borneo Rainforest Lodge.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

At 09:00 this morning chorus of the jungle is a cacophony of sounds ranging from birds to primates, such as the gibbon. Taking a packed breakfast, travel to a 200-year-old Kadazandusun Burial Site, known as “Coffin Cliff”, along the 2.6km Viewpoint Trail. The end of this trail rewards with results in spectacular views over an ocean-like million-year-old jungle – a truly spectacular sight. The return journey includes a trip to waterfalls!

Return to the resort for lunch.

The rest of the afternoon is at leisure; however, there is a range of optional activities available, such as private trekking, tubing on the Danum River and specialised guided tours. There is also a series of tracks leading around the Canopy Walk are free to discover at will.

This evening, venture into the jungle on foot with a local guide. Quietly entering the jungle reveals a stunning array of wildlife, not to mention the variety and size of the many insects that flourish in the evening hours.

Overnight at Borneo Rainforest Lodge.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Danum Valley to Lahad Datu Airport (96km) 3 hrs (bumpy unsealed road)

Breakfast and morning at leisure.

At noon, enjoy a scrumptious lunch before checking out and then transfer to Lahad Datu Airport at 13:30 to catch an onward flight. For those wish to leave earlier, depart from the lodge after an early breakfast for an earlier flight and lunch will be in Lahad Datu.

Flight Schedule: MH3023 LDU BKI 17:40 18:35

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner