Reviews

Setting up the tour with Clareassah Ambu at the main office was so easy. Although we had a 14 hour time difference, emails were responded to promptly, questions were answered, changes were made and she set my trip exactly as I wanted. We had four personal guides, Jaimen, Shareezam, Laslie and Eddie. Each was exceptional in their knowledge of the area, answering of questions, ensuring we were safe and making sure we knew exactly what was going on with the next tour activity. We stayed at Sukau Rainforest Lodge, Utan Rainforest Lodge, Borneo Rainforest Lodge and Kinabalu Pines Resort. Each was unique and exceptional. The food was excellent and the tours at each lodge were thorough and displayed an exceptional aspect of the area. We saw so much wildlife, including elephants, and numerous bird species. I highly recommend using Borneo Eco Tours. They are founded locally, practice exceptional ecotourism, hire locals for all positions, and proudly share their remarkable country.

Setting up the tour with Clareassah Ambu at the main office was so easy. Although we had a 14 hour time difference, emails were responded to promptly, questions were answered, changes were made and she set my trip exactly as I wanted. We had four personal guides, Jaimen, Shareezam, Laslie and Eddie. Each was exceptional in their knowledge of the area, answering of questions, ensuring we were safe and making sure we knew exactly what was going on with the next tour activity. We stayed at Sukau Rainforest Lodge, Utan Rainforest Lodge, Borneo Rainforest Lodge and Kinabalu Pines Resort. Each was unique and exceptional. The food was excellent and the tours at each lodge were thorough and displayed an exceptional aspect of the area. We saw so much wildlife, including elephants, and numerous bird species. I highly recommend using Borneo Eco Tours. They are founded locally, practice exceptional ecotourism, hire locals for all positions, and proudly share their remarkable country.

We recent visited Borneo and travelled with Borneo Eco Tours. I cannot speak highly enough of the organisation itself and of all the tour guides and staff we met along the way.

We were travelling as a family of 5 (2 adults plus kids aged 11, 9 and 7).

The preparatory information and planning with Maxwell was brilliant. He was very responsive and answered all our questions, including in relation to the boat transfer from Sandakan to Sukau (which turned out to be absolutely brilliant).

Our tour started when we met Paul, our main guide, and the two Vincents. Paul was so knowledgeable throughout our trip, as were all our guides. The river trips were absolutely fantastic - we saw pygmy elephants on the way to the lodge on the first day! On subsequent trips we saw hornbills, snakes, lizards, monkeys, an orangutan, eagles, storks and many more!

Our kids were v well looked after and we always felt full confidence in their safety. They took part in Batik art, which is now hanging up at home.

The food was great, including for three of us who are vegetarian. All in all, the Sukau Rainforest Lodge was the best place I've ever stayed and Borneo Eco Tours the best tour company. Thank you

We recent visited Borneo and travelled with Borneo Eco Tours. I cannot speak highly enough of the organisation itself and of all the tour guides and staff we met along the way.

We were travelling as a family of 5 (2 adults plus kids aged 11, 9 and 7).

The preparatory information and planning with Maxwell was brilliant. He was very responsive and answered all our questions, including in relation to the boat transfer from Sandakan to Sukau (which turned out to be absolutely brilliant).

Our tour started when we met Paul, our main guide, and the two Vincents. Paul was so knowledgeable throughout our trip, as were all our guides. The river trips were absolutely fantastic - we saw pygmy elephants on the way to the lodge on the first day! On subsequent trips we saw hornbills, snakes, lizards, monkeys, an orangutan, eagles, storks and many more!

Our kids were v well looked after and we always felt full confidence in their safety. They took part in Batik art, which is now hanging up at home.

The food was great, including for three of us who are vegetarian. All in all, the Sukau Rainforest Lodge was the best place I've ever stayed and Borneo Eco Tours the best tour company. Thank you

Fantastic eco tour 3 day/2 night Kinabatangan wildlife safari from 29/3 to 31/3.
Seamless trip and found the Sukau Rain Forest Lodge great.
Tour was enhances by Yad our guide for the whole tour - his knowledge, explanations and animal spotting was amazing. We were also fortunate to see the BORNEO BIG 5.

Fantastic eco tour 3 day/2 night Kinabatangan wildlife safari from 29/3 to 31/3.
Seamless trip and found the Sukau Rain Forest Lodge great.
Tour was enhances by Yad our guide for the whole tour - his knowledge, explanations and animal spotting was amazing. We were also fortunate to see the BORNEO BIG 5.

We had many great encounters with the birds, monkeys, orangutans and elephants. Guides were very knowledgeable and friendly. Facilities and food were above my expectations. Overall experience was worth every penny.

We had many great encounters with the birds, monkeys, orangutans and elephants. Guides were very knowledgeable and friendly. Facilities and food were above my expectations. Overall experience was worth every penny.

My friend and I did a 3 night tour recently to sukau rainforest lodge and turtle island with Borneo eco tours. The tour company was exceptional. Very professional, great communication always and the guides/staff were all very knowledgeable, welcoming and friendly! Would definitely recommend this tour company for family and friends travelling to Borneo!

My friend and I did a 3 night tour recently to sukau rainforest lodge and turtle island with Borneo eco tours. The tour company was exceptional. Very professional, great communication always and the guides/staff were all very knowledgeable, welcoming and friendly! Would definitely recommend this tour company for family and friends travelling to Borneo!

I put together our trip to Malaysia and Borneo myself but was unsure about how to organise the jungle part of the trip...until I came across BET. They really do make it extremely simple. After my first enquiry I was allocated a tour consultant Clareassah (Clare), who basically organised everything, kept un touch right up to our tour start date and then followed up afterwards to check we'd had fun. We booked on to a 3 night tour, and the only requirement on our part was to get to Sandakan. We stayed in a local hotel the night before our tour and the following morning were picked up (with a few other travellers) by Jaffra, who was to be our tour guide for the duration. He took us straight to the orangutang rehab centre, then for lunch at a hotel in central Sandakan before we went to the jetty to jump onto a 12-16 passenger speedboat (covered) to take us on the 2.5 hour journey out into the sea and then down the Kinabatangan River to the Sukau Rainforest Lodge. (After our stay there the reverse process happened - river trip, lunch then a visit to the Rainforest Discovery Centre, because we had a late flight, but essentially the programme will be fitted to your flight timings).

The tour itself was organised extremely well - a morning and afternoon activity each day (mainly river cruises, but on one occasion a visit to the Bat Cave) and then a few other optional activities could be fitted in - a nature walk in the ground of the lodge, an evening nature slide talk and an afternoon orangutang talk (which was excellent - and in an air-conditioned room!). There was also time to relax at the pools in the lodge.

The lodge itself was very good (I was worried that it might be a bit too 'eco', but actually the villa was rather luxurious!). Our villa was one of the furthest down the boardwalk and we did have to beware of macaques that sometimes blocked our way (they didn't seem to like me). The central facilities were good and I particularly liked the dining area right on the river. The food was very good given the circumstances - some delicious cooked to order breakfasts, including omelettes, eggs, chapatis, and always a 'cooked there and then' option at the evening buffet - often massive and delicious prawns!

Overall extremely happy with the tour company, the lodge and the fabulous staff members of BET. We've already recommended them to various friends. Thank you Clare and Jaffra in particular! (oh and yes, we did see the big 5!)

I put together our trip to Malaysia and Borneo myself but was unsure about how to organise the jungle part of the trip...until I came across BET. They really do make it extremely simple. After my first enquiry I was allocated a tour consultant Clareassah (Clare), who basically organised everything, kept un touch right up to our tour start date and then followed up afterwards to check we'd had fun. We booked on to a 3 night tour, and the only requirement on our part was to get to Sandakan. We stayed in a local hotel the night before our tour and the following morning were picked up (with a few other travellers) by Jaffra, who was to be our tour guide for the duration. He took us straight to the orangutang rehab centre, then for lunch at a hotel in central Sandakan before we went to the jetty to jump onto a 12-16 passenger speedboat (covered) to take us on the 2.5 hour journey out into the sea and then down the Kinabatangan River to the Sukau Rainforest Lodge. (After our stay there the reverse process happened - river trip, lunch then a visit to the Rainforest Discovery Centre, because we had a late flight, but essentially the programme will be fitted to your flight timings).

The tour itself was organised extremely well - a morning and afternoon activity each day (mainly river cruises, but on one occasion a visit to the Bat Cave) and then a few other optional activities could be fitted in - a nature walk in the ground of the lodge, an evening nature slide talk and an afternoon orangutang talk (which was excellent - and in an air-conditioned room!). There was also time to relax at the pools in the lodge.

The lodge itself was very good (I was worried that it might be a bit too 'eco', but actually the villa was rather luxurious!). Our villa was one of the furthest down the boardwalk and we did have to beware of macaques that sometimes blocked our way (they didn't seem to like me). The central facilities were good and I particularly liked the dining area right on the river. The food was very good given the circumstances - some delicious cooked to order breakfasts, including omelettes, eggs, chapatis, and always a 'cooked there and then' option at the evening buffet - often massive and delicious prawns!

Overall extremely happy with the tour company, the lodge and the fabulous staff members of BET. We've already recommended them to various friends. Thank you Clare and Jaffra in particular! (oh and yes, we did see the big 5!)

We arranged an independent trip to Borneo and came across some options online with Borneo Eco Tours. We were a little sceptical, having no experience of the company, but were reassured by the great reviews on TripAdvisor so took the plunge and reached out to them about the Borneo Big 5 tour offering 5N6D.

It involved spending 3 nights at Sukau Rainforest Lodge and then 2 nights at Borneo Rainforest Lodge in the Danum Valley. I have reviewed the lodges separately so this is specifically a review for Borneo Eco Tours.

Clare was so easy to deal with on email and WhatsApp, despite the 8 hour time difference, and was able to liaise with me to organise the perfect option for our needs.

Paperwork was all sent through with lots of tips and hints to get the best from the trip, which I would strongly recommend people read. The amount of people turning up without binoculars or leech socks was insane!

We saw four of the five as sadly the elephants eluded us but that can’t be blamed on Borneo Eco Tours.

From pick up to drop off the itinerary was jam packed and all the transfers and trips were seamless in their execution. The journey to Danum Valley is long and bumpy but the private car provided was very well equipped to handle the road. On our return from the jungle, we had a super nice driver called Anthenius who gave us so much information about the area, wildlife and life in Borneo. He was also a godsend when our flight out of Lahad Datu was cancelled and took us safely to our hastily arranged hotel for the night.

Borneo Eco Tours had recommended that we choose flight MH3019 out of Lahad Datu to Kota Kinabalu, which should have left at 16.05. We are now aware that this is suggested so that you can enjoy the jungle for the morning and have lunch before departing. However, this is the last flight of the day and is regularly delayed or cancelled altogether - the cancellation left us scrambling to find a suitable hotel in Lahad Datu at v short notice (it was 6.45pm) and losing a night of our stay in Kota ☹️ on reflection we would personally rather have left and taken an earlier flight to avoid this situation, so that’s something to bear in mind.

That said Elvin who worked at the local office in Lahad Datu was an absolute superstar as he appeared by my side at the airport, amongst all the chaos, to help us find a hotel and arranged the drop off and pick up the following morning - it would have been much more stressful without his help and we will always be grateful for his efforts.

The tour was extremely rewarding in terms of wildlife sightings and the guides are incredible at spotting the animals. Jad at the Sukau lodge was so knowledgeable on our river cruises.

We visited the Orangutan sanctuary in Sepilok, which we enjoyed, but would not recommend the sun bears across the road, which felt more zoo like in its feel. That said we did see a deadly viper up close there so it was worth the visit.

I’d have no hesitation in recommending Borneo Eco Tours - they delivered exactly what we had hoped for, were easy to deal with and everything went smoothly

We arranged an independent trip to Borneo and came across some options online with Borneo Eco Tours. We were a little sceptical, having no experience of the company, but were reassured by the great reviews on TripAdvisor so took the plunge and reached out to them about the Borneo Big 5 tour offering 5N6D.

It involved spending 3 nights at Sukau Rainforest Lodge and then 2 nights at Borneo Rainforest Lodge in the Danum Valley. I have reviewed the lodges separately so this is specifically a review for Borneo Eco Tours.

Clare was so easy to deal with on email and WhatsApp, despite the 8 hour time difference, and was able to liaise with me to organise the perfect option for our needs.

Paperwork was all sent through with lots of tips and hints to get the best from the trip, which I would strongly recommend people read. The amount of people turning up without binoculars or leech socks was insane!

We saw four of the five as sadly the elephants eluded us but that can’t be blamed on Borneo Eco Tours.

From pick up to drop off the itinerary was jam packed and all the transfers and trips were seamless in their execution. The journey to Danum Valley is long and bumpy but the private car provided was very well equipped to handle the road. On our return from the jungle, we had a super nice driver called Anthenius who gave us so much information about the area, wildlife and life in Borneo. He was also a godsend when our flight out of Lahad Datu was cancelled and took us safely to our hastily arranged hotel for the night.

Borneo Eco Tours had recommended that we choose flight MH3019 out of Lahad Datu to Kota Kinabalu, which should have left at 16.05. We are now aware that this is suggested so that you can enjoy the jungle for the morning and have lunch before departing. However, this is the last flight of the day and is regularly delayed or cancelled altogether - the cancellation left us scrambling to find a suitable hotel in Lahad Datu at v short notice (it was 6.45pm) and losing a night of our stay in Kota ☹️ on reflection we would personally rather have left and taken an earlier flight to avoid this situation, so that’s something to bear in mind.

That said Elvin who worked at the local office in Lahad Datu was an absolute superstar as he appeared by my side at the airport, amongst all the chaos, to help us find a hotel and arranged the drop off and pick up the following morning - it would have been much more stressful without his help and we will always be grateful for his efforts.

The tour was extremely rewarding in terms of wildlife sightings and the guides are incredible at spotting the animals. Jad at the Sukau lodge was so knowledgeable on our river cruises.

We visited the Orangutan sanctuary in Sepilok, which we enjoyed, but would not recommend the sun bears across the road, which felt more zoo like in its feel. That said we did see a deadly viper up close there so it was worth the visit.

I’d have no hesitation in recommending Borneo Eco Tours - they delivered exactly what we had hoped for, were easy to deal with and everything went smoothly

A perfectly arranged day. From time of booking online to pick up and drop off at airport everything was fantastic.
William handled my original booking enquiry. He is very efficient and offered advice which helped immensely.Any questions were answered promptly.

We were collected on day by lovely guide Kas and driver (Irwin?).
We visited Lambuk Bay and Sepilok. We never felt rushed . Kas is so knowledgeable and you can see he loves his job and his island. We learnt so much from him and he even kindly helped out photographing birds when I had difficulty locating in trees. He also pointed out many other things of interest during our trip which we would otherwise have missed.
Driver also excellent..

A perfectly arranged day. From time of booking online to pick up and drop off at airport everything was fantastic.
William handled my original booking enquiry. He is very efficient and offered advice which helped immensely.Any questions were answered promptly.

We were collected on day by lovely guide Kas and driver (Irwin?).
We visited Lambuk Bay and Sepilok. We never felt rushed . Kas is so knowledgeable and you can see he loves his job and his island. We learnt so much from him and he even kindly helped out photographing birds when I had difficulty locating in trees. He also pointed out many other things of interest during our trip which we would otherwise have missed.
Driver also excellent..

Everything was on time and smoothly run. The guides were exceptional! Namely Jimmy (Turtle island), Ferhan (transfer to Sepilock) and Kazree (very conscious and knowledgable in the orangutang sanctuary, also the sun bears and the RDC). We thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip and would highly recommend it all. The food was also good. Thank you all!

Everything was on time and smoothly run. The guides were exceptional! Namely Jimmy (Turtle island), Ferhan (transfer to Sepilock) and Kazree (very conscious and knowledgable in the orangutang sanctuary, also the sun bears and the RDC). We thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip and would highly recommend it all. The food was also good. Thank you all!