Sepilok
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With its famous orangutan rehabilitation centre and nearby Borneo Sunbear Conservation Centre, Sepilok attracts everyone from avid wildlife photographers to our youngest visitors, more easily impressed by a close-up view of an orang-utan than a fleeting glimpse in the wild. Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre is lesser known compared to the sanctuaries but should certainly not be forgotten! Boasting the longest skywalk in Sabah at 620m and a myriad of trails, as well as a nature interpretation centre, Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre is a great place to while away a few hours in the afternoon, you can even return after dark for a night walk! All these places are well set up for visitors and can be visited independently, but joining a guided visit will enhance your experience, as well as taking care of all your transport arrangements.
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Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
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Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre was established in 1964 and was the first place in the world to dedicate itself to the rehabilitation of orangutans, aiming to care for, rehabilitate, and finally reintroduce, orphaned baby orang-utans and injured adults, into the wild. The centre is run by Sabah Wildlife Department with the support of Orangutan Appeal UK.
Located in the 43sq km Sepilok-Kabili forest reserve, orang-utans have the option to roam freely, as well as supplementing their diet during the twice daily feedings (10am & 3pm). The food provided during these feedings is deliberately monotonous, encouraging the apes to forage for themselves, rather than becoming reliant on the feedings. For this reason, you may see a small handful orang-utans at a feeding, despite there being around 60 individuals at the centre. It is rare for none to show up but it does sometimes happen, especially in the event of very heavy rain. |
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There are no fences at the sanctuary so the inhabitants are free to roam as they please, including into the nearby Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre and even into hotel grounds in Sepilok, particularly those with mature fruit trees such as Sepilok Jungle Resort and Sepilok Nature Resort. If you are staying the night, you may even encounter an orang-utan hanging out in the trees near your room!
Our visits to Sepilok Orangutan sanctuary start at 9am (latest pick up from Sandakan airport at 8.15am) and usually include an educational video, a look at the younger orangutans in the nursery who enjoy their own separate, more playful, feeding time and a visit to the adult feeding platform.
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Borneo Sunbear Conservation Centre
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Founded in 2008 by Dr Wong Siew Te, the Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre provides a safe refuge for rescued, orphaned, injured, trafficked or otherwise endangered sun bears.
Beyond providing a rich habitat for the sun bears to live in, the centre aims to raise awareness internationally about the plight of the world's smallest bears, all too often taken illegally as pets and kept in substandard conditions. Where possible, the bears will be rehabilitated and released back into the wild but for others who have spent too long in captivity before being rescued, the centre will become their permanent home, providing specialised care and a diverse environment in which to live. Our guide will bring you here after the morning feeding at the orangutan sanctuary to observe the sun bears from a series of walkways and viewing platforms as well as learning more about the dangers they face. |
Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre
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Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre is home to Sabah's longest skywalk (620m) and well as a multitude of trails and an informative nature interpretation centre, allowing visitors to learn more about rainforest ecosystems and their inhabitants.
In contrast to the rope bridge style canopy walks found at Poring hot springs & Mulu National Park, the skywalk at Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre is a wider, more stable, metal structure, making it suitable for visitors of all ages. As you meander above and between the trees, keep an eye out for various species of birds or even the occasional orang-utan! At dusk, the nocturnal animals of the centre make their appearance and you may see anything from a flying squirrel to a tarsier with a whole host of insects, amphibians & reptiles in between! From 1st Jan 2025, our Sepilok Rainforest Discover Centre tours are conducted after lunch on your check-out day, in combination with a trip to the Gomantong caves, or you may opt to be dropped off here after checkout for an independent visit. |
Labuk Bay
At this time, we are not providing any tours to Labuk Bay Proboscis monkey sanctuary but fortunately our guests can see many wild proboscis monkeys during their river cruises at Hornbill Lodge. Unlike the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey sanctuary has no ultimate rehabilitation goal and its inhabitants are fed a somewhat unnatural diet. If you are looking for close-up photos of proboscis monkeys and silver leaf monkeys then it can be worth a visit, but otherwise we recommend skipping it in favour of seeing proboscis monkeys in the wild.
