XFrom the point of being picked up at Kota Kinabalu airport by Osman right through to being dropped off at Sandakan airport to return to KK everything was perfect. The area around the foothills of Mt Kinabalu is stunning with amazing wildlife to be seen. Selingan Island was a magical experience! Watc... (Read More)

Sophia Butt, United Kingdom

Sabah Nature Safari

Summary Itinerary Rates New Villa Photos ReviewsAbout Sukau
  

Explore Sabah's fantastic beauty on a 7 day journey with us, capturing the best parts including the nearby Tunku Abdul Rahman marine park islands, the Mount Kinabalu world heritage areas, turtle watching at Selingan island and round the trip off with 2 nights at the multi-award winning Sukau Rainforest Lodge to experience the wildlife of Borneo.

Tour Highlight

  • A brief city tour on your first day
  • Enjoy a nature trek at Gaya Island
  • Explore Kinabalu Park, a world heritage site and its surrounding area
  • Watch turtles laying eggs onshore at Selingan Island
  • 02 Nights stay at Sukau Rainforest Lodge, National Geographic unique lodges of the world, Superior Room. Travel to SRL by speedboat
  • 02 afternoon river cruises and 01 early morning river cruise in search of Borneo’s wildlife and birdlife
  • Nature walk along Hornbill Boardwalk and Attenborough Boardwalk to learn about the flora in the area and maybe even sight some wildlife and bird life.
  • At Sukau Rainforest Lodge, enjoy a night safari river cruise through Kinabatangan River to spot nocturnal wildlife (Optional Tour)
  • After breakfast in Sukau Rainforest Lodge, explore the elephant migration path on a 2-hour Rasig Wildlife Trek (Optional Tour)
  • Experience the uniqueness of Gomantong Cave and its surrounding in search of wild orangutans and then witness the amazing bat exodus at dusk (Optional Tour)

kota kinabalugaya islandkinabalu parksandakan selingan islandsepiloksukau rainforest lodge city nature wildlifeisland west coasteast coastsabah

This tour includes a stay in our Superior rooms and travel to SRL by speedboat. For an upgrade to our new Villa rooms, please see the Rates tab.

Day 1 : Kota Kinabalu - Night Market

Arrive in Kota Kinabalu and transfer to Hotel. We will pick you up in the evening for a brief sunset tour covering Signal Hill overlooking the city centre and the offshore islands. Visit the night market to bargain for the wide array of local spices, souvenirs, fruits and vegetables. Proceed to a restaurant for dinner before we return to your hotel. (Dinner)

Day 2 : Gaya Island Rainforest Boardwalk Tour

Immerse yourself in a nature trek in Gaya Island, located 30-minutes by speedboat from Kota Kinabalu. Trek to one of the trail and learn about the unique medicinal plants, tropical hardwood trees and tropical Dipterocarp rainforest. After the trek, enjoy a packed lunch by the beach before venturing for a swim, a snorkel (rental surcharge) or simply laze away. A great way to dispel the jet lag as you’ll almost certainly be well relaxed and rested after this. (Breakfast & Packed Lunch)

Snorkeling gear is available for hire at a surcharge. Only packed lunch and transfers provided.

Day 3 : Kinabalu Park World Heritage Site

Drive 2 hours overland to the foothills of Mt. Kinabalu at 1500m above sea level. Have a short stop at Pekan Nabalu market to savour local fruits in season. Visit the Education Centre and Mountain Garden in Kinabalu Park Headquarters. If weather permits, take a guided walk on one of the trails in the cool surrounding to explore the montane forest. Return to Kota Kinabalu and stay overnight in hotel. (Breakfast & Lunch)

Camera Fee is not included.

Day 4 : Sandakan - Selingan Island

Transfer to Kota Kinabalu airport for morning flight (40 minutes) to Sandakan and arrive before 0800 hours. On arrival, transfer to jetty for 1-hour boat ride to Selingan Island. Free at leisure to explore island, swim and snorkel. After dinner, wait for signal from the Park Ranger before proceeding to watch Green Turtle lay eggs on the beach, transplanting of eggs to hatchery and release of baby turtles to the sea. Stay overnight in Twin-Share room. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

For the comfort and convenience of our guests, it is recommended to travel light by preparing an overnight bag for your stay in Sukau Rainforest Lodge. Complimentary storage in Sandakan will be provided for any extra luggage. (For guests departing & returning to Sandakan Only)

Note on Camera Use at Selingan Island:

For any camera (phone, digital or still camera) for personal use are chargeable at RM10.00 PER UNIT for conservation permit purposes. Please note that FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO TAKING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED

Snorkeling gear available for hire at a surcharge.

Note: (November-February) Please be advised that our trip to Selingan Island involves boat journey via the Sulu Sea. In the event of inclement weather condition during or before the boat journey, the company will have the absolute discretion to cancel or postpone the trip if it is deemed that the journey will jeopardize the safety of our passengers. In the event of cancellation, a replacement tour will be offered. The company will not be liable for any compensation.

Day 5 : Selingan Island - Sepilok - Sukau rainforest lodge   unique-lodge

Return to Sandakan by boat. Transfer to Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. We proceed to watch a video show about the plight of the Orang Utans and the rehabilitation efforts ongoing at the Centre. Walk ten minutes through the rainforest on wooden boardwalks to witness the feeding of the orang utans at 1000hrs, and then we continue to the newly completed enclosed nursery area for young orang utans. Thereafter visit the Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre to learn about conservation of the world's smallest bear.

After lunch, transfer to Sandakan jetty for 2½ hours boat journey to the multi awards winning Sukau Rainforest Lodge along Sabah's longest river, Kinabatangan with opportunity to view birds and wildlife. Take a river cruise using electric motor in search of wildlife and birds. Enjoy candle light dinner overlooking the riverbank followed by slide show and interpretation by naturalist guide. Stay overnight at the Sukau Rainforest Lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Note on Camera Use at Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre:

For any camera with zoom lens from 100 to 400mm, video camera or other video recording equipment for personal use are chargeable at RM10.00 per unit. For any camera (fixed-lens - 400mm and above ) or any film-making equipment are chargeable at RM1,000.00 per unit. Mode of payment is cash only.

Please make sure that you travel light to Sukau Rainforest Lodge

Day 6 : Sukau

Take a 0600hrs morning river cruise up the Kinabatangan River to Kelenanap oxbow lake to view more birds and wildlife. After breakfast, proceed for an educational tour along our Hornbill Boardwalk located behind the lodge with our in-house naturalist. In the afternoon, we proceed for another river cruise for more wildlife. Stay overnight at the Sukau Rainforest Lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Experience profound relaxation and comfort at Halia Spa, Sukau Rainforest Lodge, as we provide an 'escape from the ordinary' by offering you a blend of both traditional and modern Spa treatments.

optional-tours

Day 7 : Sandakan - Departure

After breakfast, return to Sandakan by boat journey. After lunch we will proceed to airport for the 1430hrs flight to Kota Kinabalu. For those taking the evening flight, we will have a chance to visit Rainforest Discovery Centre. Take a bird view of the centre from the canopy walk and hanging bridge, explore the botanical garden, home to various species of flora. Proceed to Sandakan Memorial Park for a short visit before taking the flight. (Breakfast & Lunch)

THINGS TO BRING: Please bring along sun block lotion, personal toiletries, swim wear, torch light, insect repellent, drinking water bottle, walking shoes, binoculars, camera, hat & raincoat.

Borneo Eco Tours is moving towards a plastic-free environment, so, please join our movement by bringing your own refillable water bottle during your time with us.

Please be informed that transfer from Sukau to Sandakan will be strictly by overland basis (at a surcharge) in order to reach airport in time for any departure flight before 1330hrs.

Please make sure you are holding air ticket to Sandakan.

INCLUDES

Tours and transfers, accommodation and meals specified, entrance fees and English speaking guide.

EXCLUDES

Domestic airfare, camera fee and items not mentioned. Snorkelling gear available for hire at a surcharge, Tourism Tax (TTx) flat rate of RM10 per room per night.

Note on Travel Insurance

Customers are encouraged to purchase their own travel insurance before travelling to Borneo. We recommend you to select a travel insurance policy that covers not only your medical expenses (including emergency repatriation) but also personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage. Doing so can prevent major disruptions and additional costs.

Rates For Travelling Until 31 March 2019

  RATES PER PERSON SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
Superior RM 4265 RM 890
Villa new RM 4645 RM 1190

High season surcharge :
RM 160 per person at Sukau Rainforest Lodge (July & August)
RM 10 per room per night at Dreamtel (15 July - 31 Aug 2018)
RM 30 per room per night at Dreamtel (01st-07th Oct 2018, 24th Dec 2018 - 01st Jan 2019, 3rd Feb - 8th Feb 2019)


Rates For Travelling From 01 April 2019 and Onwards

  RATES PER PERSON SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
Superior RM 4284 RM 1082

High season surcharge :
RM 168 per person at Sukau Rainforest Lodge (July & August)
RM 30 per room per night at Dreamtel (15 July - 31 Aug 2019, 01st-07th Oct 2019, 24th Dec 2019 - 01st Jan 2020, 23rd Feb - 28th Feb 2020)

Upgrade to villa: All our 20 new villas are now up and ready for guests. If you have booked a superior room in advance but want to upgrade to a villa, you can! Just pay the price difference and you’re all set!

The following discounts apply to tours that include Sukau Rainforest Lodge ONLY:

  • Children age 3 and below - Free
  • Children ages 4 to 12 may share a room with ONE adult - 25% discount
  • Children ages 4 to 12 may share a room with TWO adult - 50% discount

Giving Back: Every international adult guest who stays at SRL contributes MYR20 for Conservation Contribution (CC).Read More

Effective 1st September 2017, foreign guests will be charged a flat rate of RM10 per room per night for all Tourism Tax (TTx) registered hotel classifications in Malaysia.

From the point of being picked up at Kota Kinabalu airport by Osman right through to being dropped off at Sandakan airport to return to KK everything was perfect. The area around the foothills of Mt Kinabalu is stunning with amazing wildlife to be seen. Selingan Island was a magical experience! Watching a turtle laying eggs was incredibly special. What really struck me was the care and attention staff at the Island give to the whole process. Finally, my time at Sukau lodge was an absolute delight! The lodge itself is beautiful and very comfortable. The food was fantastic, the staff were attentive and couldn't do enough for you. I did a number of river cruises and each was better than the one before. I opted to pay extra for the night cruise and it was worth it. Nasirun was an amazing spotter- he managed to see and show us wildlife in pitch black darkness using just a spotlight. What made the trip even better were the guides. Melvin in KK, Kurt at Selingan Island and Nexter at Sukau Lodge were all fantastic, very knowledgeable, passionate about their job, passionate about wildlife, friendly, professional, excellent spoken English and incredibly easy to get on with. Thank you to all of them for making my trip so memorable- they well and truly are an asset to the company.

Sophia Butt, United Kingdom, 17-23 Dec 2016

Everything went well we are now in the dreamtel hotel. Thanks for your help! We really really enjoyed our tour with your company and we will definitely recommend it to everyone!!! Thanks for everything and special thanks to our tour guides Sheila, Rahman and Eryanto. Please tell them we really appreciate their tours and personalities So hope to join one of your tours again in the future! Kind regards jenny and Sebastian

Jenny Dassow, Germany, October 2016

Tod, Isaac, Robbie and myself would like to thank you all so much for organising such a wonderful holiday. We have just returned to Australia and have such wonderful memories of our trip, I will recommend your company to all of our friends! Everything ran so smoothly, from pick up to drop off, we all were very impressed and have no complaints whatsoever!! We especially wanted to thank our guides Osman and driver William (in KK) and also a huge thank you to To in Sandakan, who were all excellent. To was especially great, was good with the kids and worked long hours. We did not have enough ringit left to provide them with a tip at the end of the trip, so I am hoping you can send us some bank details as we would like to transfer some money for a tip. Please ensure this gets to them, as they all deserve it! Thank you again. It was really wonderful, the activities, the accomodation, the food, the transport and the service were all outstanding!

Heidi Lavis, Australia, September 2016

Did a 15 day tour of Sarawak and Sabah and in every detail Eco tours were tantastic. Great drivers and guides for whom nothing was too much trouble. Wonderful hotels, all centrally located, and great food everywhere we went. Special mention to Sheila in KK whose knowledge and enthusiasm were astounding. From first email to last drop off a truely wondertul experience. Thank you

casper16167, United Kingdom, March 2016

Borneo Eco Tours is professional, knowledgeable, and they want their customers to have an enjoyable and worthwhile experience. Everything from arranging the tour online to being dropped off at my hotel after the tour went smoothly. I went on their Kinabatangan Wildlife tour and saw wild orangutans, pygmy elephants, monkeys, various birds, and crocodiles. The Sukau Rainforest Lodge exceeded my expectations. It is clean and has, really, whatever you need right in the middle of the jungle. I also went on their Selingan Island tour to see the turtles. My guide, Fernando, was dedicated and knowledgeable. Both tours were memorable experiences and well worth the money and time. I strongly encourage anyone and everyone to seek Borneo Eco Tours as your travel company while you are in Sabah, Borneo.

audrey metzger

Audrey Metzger, United States, 03 - 07 January 2016

Everything was covered from the airport pick-up, hotels, transfers,jungle trips...perfect. Guides and drivers were charming and spoke excellent English. The whole weeks' trip was hassle free and we enjoyed every minute of it, many thanks... a trip of a lifetime. Worth every penny, thank you.

eyequackess, United Kingdom, January 2016

The lodge was fantastic. The staff were all very good. The most outstanding was Fernando - our guide, and his commitment to us as his customers.

David Hughes, Australia, 13-15 January 2015

Happy new year.

Thanks for your mail. I came back to Japan yesterday and I and my family really enjoyed staying at your lodge. Especially food and staff were very nice and I would like to go back again in future if I have a chance. Thanks for everything and I wish you all the best for this year!

 

Satomi Nakahara, Japan, 1 - 3 January 2015

I am impressed with the guide's knowledge especially Hamid. Sukau Rainforest Lodg and the excurison, is a beautiful place in really good order, well organised. 

Evalena Nilsson, Sweden, 20 Dec 2014-1 Jan 2015

I am most impressed about the efficiency of Borneo Eco Tours's staffs. The guides are always on time, everything handled smoothly and to plan. Documnetation faultless. The vehicles are spotlessly clean! And obviously well maintained (including the boats). And on top of that, Sukau Rainforest Lodge is FANTASTIC! Such welcoming staff, great rooms and location plus eco credentials.

Melinda Michael, Australia, 24 Dec 2014 - 4 Jan 2015

sukau rainforest lodge
Announcement:

Sukau Rainforest Lodge has just recently completed its 20 units of exquisite Borneo Villas, which is an upgrade from its 20 existing Superior Rooms. The villas offer another level of luxury and comfort for guests who want to experience a finer side of Sukau. Other completed upgrades also include the lodge’s newly constructed Attenborough Boardwalk, Melapi Restaurant extension, and Gomantong Hall refurbishment.

NOTE: Wheelchair-friendly and adapted rooms are also available at the lodge.

Travel Life We’re also proud to announce that Sukau Rainforest Lodge is now certified with the Travelife Gold Certification! To know more about the certification and Travelife, go here.

Presently, Sukau Rainforest Lodge has 40 rooms; 20 Superior Rooms and 20 Borneo Villas. The lodge has also been branded as a National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World and has received numerous awards and recognition namely, the Best Nature Lodge in Sabah by Sabah Tourism in 2013/2014, Asia’s Leading Green Hotel for the 17th World Travel Awards 2010, and Best Independent Accommodation by PATA InSPIRE Awards 2015.

The ecolodge was built in 1995 in the style of traditional Malay architecture using several Borneo hardwood species. Erected on stilts on the banks of Kinabatangan River, Sukau Rainforest Lodge offers a nature and wildlife experience that goes hand in hand with luxury and comfort. The lodge also includes the Melapi Restaurant on the pier, Gecko Lounge and Bar, a plunge pool, Gomantong Hall meeting area, Hornbill Boardwalk and Attenborough Boardwalk for nature walks, Kadai gift shop and also Halia Spa amongst other conveniences.

Sukau Rainforest Lodge is doing its best to uphold its ecolodge ethos by using a Green & Sustainable policy as a guideline which both staff and guests are encouraged to follow. Some of the lodge’s sustainable practices includes rainwater harvesting for shower and solar heating to generate hot water supply. All rooms are also equipped with energy saving inverter air-conditioning and LED light bulbs. Besides that, river safari cruises are conducted by boats powered by electric motors and eco-friendly outboard engines.


The Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary which covers an area of 26,800 hectares, forms part of the Kinabatangan region which is the largest floodplain the Malaysia covering a total of 23% of the land area of Sabah or 16,800 sq.km. Gazetted in 2005 as a gift to the Earth, it has a diverse ecosystem from coastal mangrove swamp, to riparian, freshwater and dipterocarp and oxbow vegetation teaming with wildlife supporting ten species of primates including more than 1,000 orang utans, proboscis monkeys, more than 300 Borneo pygmy elephants, 50 species of mammals, 20 species of reptiles and over 1,026 species of plants.

Birdlife is especially rich here (over 325 species have been sighted in the area) including eight species of hornbills, kingfishers, darters, owls, kites, eagles, broadbills, doves, storm storks, herons, hawks, ospreys, falcon, pheasants, parakeets, bee eaters, woodpeckers, pittas, bulbuls, forktails, babblers, warblers, flycatchers, orioles, flowerpeckers, spiderhunters, among others.

AWARDS

2015 PATA InSPIRE Awards - Winner Best Independent Accommodation

PATA InSPIRE Awards Wildasia Tourism Awards awards awards awards awards awards awards awards awards awards awards

We are incredibly excited to unveil our newly built Villas! The villas are exquisitely designed and furnished with a unique Borneo flavor that we hope will provide you with extra comfort and will further heighten your Borneo experience during your stay with us.

Highlights

  • Villas are 60% larger than our superior rooms
  • En-suite bathroom features Hans-Grohe hot water rain and hand showers and are 100% larger than our Superior room en-suite bathrooms
  • Private balcony with patio chairs
  • Option of double bed and queen-sized bed arrangements
  • Energy saving inverter air-conditioning supplemented by ceiling fan
  • Villa rooms are fully mosquito netted. All windows and balcony doors have insect screens
  • 100% LED lighting
  • Decorated and furnished with Borneo styled crafts and motifs
  • More privacy, away from main areas

Photos


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