Our Borneo itinerary covers just weeks in Sabah, one of the best regions to explore ancient rainforest, encounter incredible wildlife, discover world class dive sites and bag a m peak. Visit the famous Sepilok orang-utan rehabilitation centre, near Sandakan before travelling deep into the rainforest to Sukau, to a tiny village on the banks of the Kinabatangan river , home to the Orang Sungai tribe.
Here stay in a lodge and get up close and personal with incredible wildlife such as pygymy elephants and wild orangutans. Our Sabah itinerary is perfect for adventuring families, wildlife lovers or hiking addicts. Given the size of Borneo you need to do your homework and plan your trip carefully.
Our Sabah itinerary covers the main highlights of Sabah, bar diving at Sipidan Island. We chose to visit Sabah, the most northerly state of Borneo. Sabah and Sarawak belong to Malaysia, and both have a much better infrastructure than the large southern Indonesian state of Kalimatan. Disclosure: some of our articles contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a small amount of commission if you purchase one of the linked products within a certain time frame.
This comes at no additional cost to you but helps us keep the website running. We only promote products that we use or believe are of use to you. Day 1. Fly into Sandakan, stay overnight in Sandakan or Sepilok.
Arrive in Sandakan, the second largest city in Sabah and the gateway to the Kinabatangan River. The Kinabatangan River, only a few hours drive from Sandakan, is one of the best places in Borneo to see wild orang-utans in their natural habitat.
One of the most bio-diverse places on our planet, the Kinabatangan is one of only two places on earth where 10 species of primate are found. The mighty Kinabatangan river as seen from above flying into Sandakan. The Kinabatangan area is one of the best places in Borneo for wildlife encounters.
Sandakan is not a particularly attractive city after being bombed almost entirely in WWII. Many visitors choose not to stay in Sandakan, flying in and then travelling directly on to either the Kinabantagan 3 hrs drive or Sepilok 30 mins in a taxi to visit the world famous orangutan rehabilitation centre.
Most Kinabatangan River lodges arrange pick up from the airport or Sandakan. We had a pickup straight from the airport to Sepilok but did stay in Sandakan after our Kinabatangan adventure. We also visited Kampong Bull Sim Sim, a traditional stilt village 3km out of town. We opted for affordable luxury at the Four Points Sheraton in Sandakan. Travelling solo with my 10 year old, the infinity swimming pool, fabulous breakfasts and luxurious rooms at the Four Points was a no brainer for us after staying in the jungle for a week and climbing a m mountain.
Seeing the sights of Sandakan from above! To search for the best hotels in Sandakan , click here. Staying in a traditional longhouse in the middle of the jungle at Paganakan Dii Tropical Retreat, near Sepilok was a fabulous experience on our first night and a definite draw of our itinerary in Sabah.
If time is short on your schedule, definitely go straight to Sepilok from the airport. For a night of indulgence choose Sepilok Nature Resort. We stayed in a traditional long house at Paganakan Dii Tropical Retrea t photo above which we would highly recommend. To search for the best hotels in Sepilok , click here. The Kinabatangan River, km long, is home to crocodiles, hornbills and only one of two places on earth where 10 primates live together.
Day 2. Visit the world famous Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. One of the best places in Borneo to see orangutans is in the world famous orangutan rehabilitation centre. Visitors can watch released orangutans returning back to the feeding platforms twice a day. A visit to the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sepilok is a must on your Sabah itinerary — an absolute must!! The orangutans that come to feed, are now wild — released orangutans that have worked their way through the comprehensive rehabilitation programme sometimes 16 years long!
We had two orangutans come to the feeding station during our visit and it was magical. You can see the babies in their nursery with their carers through a glass viewing area. Money well spent and a great way to support this fantastic cause. After your visit to the orangutan centre, we would highly recommend taking the time to visit the Sun Bear sanctuary which is literally next door.
This incredible centre has been instrumental in keeping the sun bear from the brink of extinction. I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Wong, the founder, at the centre. His single handed conservation efforts have earned him a raft of international recognition and awards, and his hands on approach, enthusiastically showing visitors a better view of this tiny bear which Winnie the Pooh was based on through his telescope was amazing to see.
Sukau, a tiny village on the Kinabatangan River is a base for visitors wanting to encounter incredible wildlife experiences. Days Sukau, Kinabatangan River Tour. One of the best things to do in Borneo is wildlife spotting on a Kinabatangan River tour.
Most visitors stay in or around Sukau, a tiny village on the banks of the Kinabatangan. There are many accommodation providers dotted around the river from sumptuous eco river lodges or more basic, affordable accommodation.
The Kinabatangan is one of the best places in Borneo to spot wildlife. This area is teeming with a vast number of species such as the proboscis monkey, pygmy elephants, silver leaf macques, crocodiles, hornbills and of course the elusive wild orangutan.
Other than the Kinabatangan River, Bako is your best opportunity to see an endangered proboscis monkey in the wild. Don't worry: You don't have to trek far to see wildlife. Watch for hornbills and giant butterflies, but beware of the bold macaques that like to steal things from visitors.
The Sarawak Museum has an exhibit of human skulls taken by headhunters! Enjoy one last, shameless seafood experience then stroll along the waterfront knowing your one week in Borneo was well spent. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.
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Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. By Greg Rodgers. Greg Rodgers. Greg Rodgers is a freelance writer and photographer from Kentucky. He's been covering all things Asia for TripSavvy since TripSavvy's editorial guidelines. After dinner at the lodge, don't forget to take an evening walk along the boardwalks with your headlamps or flashlights to look for wildlife that emerges after dark.
Start the morning with a river cruise to Pitas Oxbow Lake , known for its mangroves and proboscis monkeys. Keep an eye out for bathing families of pygmy elephants they're common here. Once you've had your fill of elephant photo ops, follow your guide to an Abai village for a glimpse of what traditional life is like on the river. Then circle back to the lodge for a relaxing afternoon exploring the boardwalks and watching for wildlife.
In the afternoon, another cruise awaits. Board the boat with camera in hand to watch for more wildlife along the river and catch another stunning sunset.
Wave farewell to the proboscis monkeys! When you first arrive in the mid-afternoon, take some time to wander. The Lipad River area is home to a wide variety of birds, insects, and small mammals, including colorful hornbills, flying lizards, and butterflies. If you're lucky, you might even spot a clouded leopard or a Sumatran rhinoceros. And don't forget to take note of the rich variety of jungle herbs growing along the paths. They've been used medicinally by the locals for generations.
Your chances of wildlife sightings here are good since the mud volcano acts as a mineral salt lick. And if you're feeling adventurous when you arrive, experience the effects of the volcanic mud yourself. At Chimptrips we have a passion for travel and discovering new places. We love to explore and have adventures, both at home and abroad and want to inspire others. Borneo is on our list to do and this itinerary looks incredible.
Did you take malaria tablets? We did use a lot of insect repellent though! We just wanted to cram in as much as possible in the time we had. Oh this looks absolutely brilliant! No wonder it was the trip of a lifetime. We did something similar last summer when we went to Vietnam. Borneo is very much on our wishlist too — the snorkelling, the orangutans, the sun bears.
This is a really helpful guide, thank you for linking it up to farawayfiles. I had no idea that Borneo was such a big island. This makes me want to go to Borneo more than ever! Might go off and remind my other half how amazing this place looks… FarawayFiles. This sounds like a hugely memorable trip! What a fabulous experience for all of you. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.
Accept Read More. A visit to the Ffynone Waterfall in Pembrokeshire. A walk from West Runton to Cromer, Norfolk. A walk to Hurst Castle, Milford-on-Sea. Exploring Cenarth Falls and Newcastle Emlyn. Watching seals at Horsey Gap, Norfolk. A weekend in London with kids: a 2-day The best places to go pumpkin picking in See below for the full details of our day Borneo itinerary.
All accommodation and trips were booked independently in the UK before we left. Contents: click to jump to a section. Borneo is the largest island in Asia.
Borneo has a tropical rain forest climate, so is hot and humid all year round, with lots of rainfall. What to wear on the Kinabatangan River Cruise For the river cruises, we wore shorts and tops and a life jacket.
For full details of our stay in the jungle, read our post:- A trip to the Borneo rainforest. Day 5: Sandakan. Day 6: A visit to Turtle Island. You can read full details of our visit in this post:- A trip to Turtle Island. Day 8: Kota Kinabalu. For more information on our white-water rafting trip, read our post:- White water rafting on the River Kiulu.
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