The world-famous Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve in Sabah is home of some of the last wild Orangutans of Borneo. You can make a contribution to improving the plight of these endangered primates by visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre inside the reserve. You'll see orangutans that have recently been released back into the wild, being fed as they progress from captive patients to healthy animals living in the wild.
Sepilok Nature Resort is just 10 minutes walk from the reserve. The resort's amenities and proximity to the sanctuary make it the ideal place from which to visit the orangutans. Many of our guests include this resort as an 'add-on' package to their dive trip to Sabah. The centre is the biggest and first of its kind. It may ultimately be the orangutans only hope for survival, and your tourist dollars will help.
The lakeside eco-resort, set among tropical plants and orchids, trees and grasses, has comfortable timber chalets with hot and cold water shower and bath, air-conditioning and ceiling fans. It is 25 kilometres from the town of Sandakan (the name Sepilok means 16 in the local dialect - 16 miles).
Explore the natural Bornean wonders of the Sepilok Forest Reserve, where proboscis monkeys, macaques, tarsiers, amphibians, reptiles and birds abound. The trails are well marked and the local guides are friendly, reliable and extremely knowledgeable.
Destinations:
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre at Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve.
Note:
Extra trips available for purchase from tour desk - Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, Sun Bear tour, Labuk Bay and Sukau Kinabatangan River cruise to search for proboscis monkeys, guided tour of Sandakan Town to see the Water Village.
Resort accommodation includes:
Bed, breakfast, drinking water, soft drinks, hot drinks, snacks, resort transfers from Sandakan Airport. A free transfer is also provided to Lankayan Island for those that are diving there. Accommodation excludes (mandatory):
8% sales and service tax (SST) on accommodation package prices above (payable in advance), Lunch and dinner can be paid for at the resort. Malaysian tourism accommodation tax (US$ 2 per room per night), to be paid in cash at the resort. Single supplement on single travelers only, payable in advance. Single Supplement:
This is a compulsory additional charge on single travellers for the sole occupancy of double/twin accommodation. Optional extras:
Tours, alcoholic drinks, snacks. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or credit card). Note: prices of items purchased on site are subject to change.
How to get there:
The resort is located in Sepilok, just 25 km from Sandakan. Return transfers from Sandakan Airport are included. There are daily flights from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Tawau to Sandakan with Air Asia and Malaysian Airlines.
For more information on how to get there (including airlines) see our Malaysia resorts travel section.
Dive clubs and group discounts:
None. If you are part of a group but you wish to have your own room, the single supplement is an extra 50% of the room rate.
Set in a spectacularly landscaped private area of manicured lawns and rolling hills, the 23 comfortable air-conditioned twin bed chalets feature lake or jungle view balconies and private bathrooms with hot water. The surrounding gardens offer a wide array of tropical plants and grasses and a collection of more than 150 different orchid species.
All the chalets have:
Air-conditioning with individual controls
Fan cooling
Private bathtub and shower with hot and cold water
Sepilok Nature Resort is the ideal add-on package for nature loving scuba divers.
You can relax and spend a couple of days or more at the beginning or end of your dive adventure by exploring the wild forests of Borneo and encounter such rare animals as orangutans and the endemic and bizarre-looking proboscis monkey.
The reserve is very close to Lankayan, but also easy to reach from both Sipadan and Kota Kinabalu.
The Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, where young captive or abandoned orangutans are being helped to readjust to the wild, and the Sepilok Forest Reserve are just a few minutes' walk away from the chalets. See these animals in their natural environment and learn how they are re-introduced into their disappearing wild forest habitat.
The resort can also organise birding, trekking and river trips to the neighbouring areas, including the fauna-rich Kinabatangan River to see families of proboscis monkeys in the jungle. Night walks can also be arranged - they say you have not experienced the jungle until you have been there at night.
Resort facilities include: Restaurant and bar - Lounge - TV room - Internet (restaurant area only) - Souvenir shop - Guided tours - Boating on the lagoon - Conference room - Library - International telephone and fax
Location: Sepilok, near Sandakan City, Sabah, Malaysia
Meals are served in the central building open air style under covered terraces. You order from a set menu, though buffet style meals may be served on occasion.
After the kidnapping that took place at Sipadan several years ago, Malaysia takes tourist security very seriously. The resort has 24 hour security patrols.
For medical problems and emergencies, there is a hospital in Sandakan - 25 kilometres away.
If you plan on doing any jungle walking, then we strongly recommend that you take and wear proper shoes, socks and full-length trousers - there are many leeches!
"We had a ranger to take us for a night walk, walking tour to the orang-utan park and the rainforest discovery centre. The rooms were best in the Sepilok area and once again exceeded our expectation. The food was also nice and the portions were really big." - Pallavi Jayaprakash, India, 2 July 2013 ...
"Pulling together a great holiday with add ons. I added on Sepilok which was great and a different feel to the diving, giving me a multi activity holiday." - Michelle Le Herissier, Channel Islands, 14 March 2013 ...
SIPADAN ISLAND AREA Resorts
Low Budget Options
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