Orangutans and Jungle Boats

Bite-sized trip

Itinerary:
Sandakan - Sepilok - Kinabatangan – Sukau - Sandakan
Duration:
3 days / 2 nights (flexible)
Price:
from £ 569.- per person (excluding flights)

During this bite-sized trip in Sabah, you'll visit the world-famous Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre where you'll come face-to-face with these lovable primates. You'll also explore the wonders of the rainforest when you leave the mainland and sail across Borneo's longest river, deep into the jungle and away from civilisation. You'll sleep in a lodge deep in the heart of the jungle. No other spot in Borneo features such a wide variety of wild animals: monkeys, monitor lizards, crocodiles, sunbears, hundreds of species of tropical birds, and if you're lucky you may even see wild pygmy elephants!

(This trip can't be booked on its own, but there's plenty more we can offer in Borneo so you can pick out a couple more trips to do, or just give us a call!)

Day 1 – Sandakan – Sepilok Orangutan Centre – Kinabatangan – Sukau

You’ll be picked up from Sandakan in the morning, joining a small group for the 30-minute drive to the world famous Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. The centre takes in young orangutans who have been orphaned by deforestation, and prepares them for an independent life in the wild. Mid-morning is feeding time, and you’ll be able to see the iconic great apes come out of the jungle to eat as much fresh fruit and nuts as they want. While the main focus of the center is the rehabilitation and conservation of orangutans, it also plays a role in the rescue and rehabilitation of other wildlife, including sun bears.

After leaving the centre you’ll board a boat for a ride across the Kinabatangan River, Sabah’s longest waterway. After stopping for lunch, you’ll continue upstream for a couple of hours to Sukau, where you’ll check into your charming, wooden jungle lodge. You’ll have some time to relax before your first wildlife cruise in the late afternoon, where you’ll watch the animals come to life as the sun goes down. In the evening you’ll have dinner back at your lodge, and fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle.

Day 2 – Wildlife spotting in Sukau

You’ll probably wake up when the gibbon monkeys and hornbills do…they’ll make sure of that! It’ll be an early start anyway as you set out on your first cruise of the day – heading to a nearby lake as the animals begin to wake up around its shores. After breakfast back at the lodge, you can choose to relax for a while on the porch or head out on a nature walk to some nearby caves. As the sun begins to set, the final jungle cruise of your trip will head out, and you can take one more chance at spotting the unique Borneo wildlife. You’ll return to the lodge for another night in this unique setting.

Day 3 – Travel back to Sandakan

After breakfast this morning, you’ll sail for about 2.5 hours back along the river until you reach civilisation again in Sandakan. From the port, you’ll be taken to a local restaurant where you’ll have lunch with your group, before being taken to the airport or your hotel.