Experience of a lifetime 🐢
This trip was brilliant from start to finish. Our guide, Jay, was professional, friendly, prompt and informative. The minibus was clean and safe. The trip itself was amazing and I’d recommend it to anyone’s Borneo itinerary
Memories to last a lifetime!
My husband and I have just had a fantastic experience with Borneo Eco Tours. We booked the 4D/3N Sandakan Wildlife Safari, which includes one night on Selingan Island (one of three Turtle Islands) and two at Sukau Rainforest Lodge up the Kinabatangan River. From my first enquiry, communication with Lisa was clear and helpful. We were collected from our Sandakan hotel (the Elopura) by Shirley, our guide for Selingan Island. Shirley is very knowledgeable and ensured we were looked after at all times. There were 30 guests on the island, travelling with a variety of tour companies. Some were guided, and others not. The Chalet accommodation is basic, but the rooms each have a private bathroom (with cold shower). All meals are buffet - we enjoyed trying local treats, but most things we were familiar with. Everything was delicious and the staff were cheerful. There is a limited amount of beer available at the restaurant, but they ran out the night we stayed. There is no other alcohol available so, if it's important to you, consider BYO. We noticed they do not have a corkscrew. Your afternoon on the island is free time, and the beach is the perfect place to spend the day. Just be aware, I had read on the Chalet's website that snorkel gear was available to hire, and this was not the case. The turtle experience begins sometime after dinner, whenever the first turtle is found laying eggs on the beach. The timing is random, and we were lucky our night started early, around 9pm. The second part of the evening is seeing the new eggs transplanted to the hatchery. After that the day's baby turtle 'harvest' is released on the beach, each hoping to be part of the 1% which survive to become adults. Our second day was long, starting with 7am departure from Selingan Island, with visits to the Sepilok Orang Utan rehabilitation centre, and the Sunbear sanctuary (optional), before transferring to Sukau Rainforest Lodge. The Orang Utan stop was the highlight, particularly as we were unable to find any Orang Utans in the wild later, despite the best efforts of our wonderful Rainforest guide, Yunus. He was amazing, and we could not have asked for a better guide up the Kinabatangan river. Another hint - the trip up the river is done at speed, and the noise from the outboard motors is loud. I suggest earplugs/earbuds. The Lodge was fantastic - our Villa room was quite luxurious after the simplicity of the previous night's accommodation. Again, staff were helpful and cheerful. The buffet was extensive, particularly given the remote location. A range of drinks was available to purchase at the bar. We went on three river excursions with Yunus and saw a wide variety of different animals. Our highlights were the large herd of pygmy elephants, and numerous encounters with our favourites - the proboscis monkeys. They are such fun! Thank you Borneo Eco Tours, we have memories to last a lifetime.
Once in a lifetime experience with Borneo Eco Tours!
Our tour with Borneo Eco Tours was absolutely fantastic. Our advice: book your trip with this company! We enjoyed every part of it, and everything was incredibly well organized. The guides had an impressive amount of knowledge and made sure to involve us in everything they saw, discovered, and knew. Thanks to them, we learned something new every single day about Borneo’s flora and fauna. We felt safe and very well taken care of. A lot of effort goes into the transport and logistics to make sure your journey runs smoothly. They were always on time and always friendly. We did a 10-day tour through Deramakot, Sukau, and Danum Valley. Even though the accommodations and guides varied across these locations, everything was of a very high standard, allowing us to enjoy an unforgettable time in the jungle without any worries. We saw so many amazing animals, and the plant life was simply stunning. It was pure enjoyment from start to finish. What made it even more special was that my boyfriend proposed to me during this trip, and Borneo Eco Tours went above and beyond to support him in planning this special moment. That is what makes this company so unique: they always think along with you and are genuinely there for you. We would book with them again in a heartbeat! Thank you so much, Borneo Eco Tours! A special thanks to Mr. Eddie, Mr. Jolias, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lao, Ms. Jean, and Ms. Oviera!
Unforgettable Trip
Borneo Eco Tours (Sandakan Wildlife Safari) were outstanding – everything was perfectly organised, guides were knowledgeable and friendly, and the whole experience felt authentic and unforgettable. Our guide Farhan was exceptional, he had a vast amount of passion and knowledge. This tour is highly recommend!
Borneo Big 5 and more!!!
The hotel was beautiful with great service and food! Our guide, Bennie, was fantastic. We actually saw the Borneo Big 5 on our first evening. She also focused on the little animals. We were constantly finding new animals...Snakes, 5 species of monkeys, kingfishers, hornbills and monitor lizards. What a great experience!
Borneo Big 5 ✅
We have just returned from our 3D2N adventure up the Kinabatangan River with Borneo Eco Tours. Everyone, from the initial communication with Maxwell to hotel transfers were a delight to deal with and made the trip what it was. They even went the extra mile organising a small surprise birthday celebration for our daughter! Sukau Rainforest Lodge is fabulous. Nestled in the jungle, our two villas were perfect with the side by side layout being ideal for our family of 4. The food was delicious and plentiful, with Teddy (head chef) doing a fabulous job of showcasing local ingredients and cuisine alongside some western dishes. We had Mason as our guide for the entire three days. He is engaging and informative, with his passion for wildlife conservation and guiding evident from the outset. He was keen to share his knowledge about the local area and wildlife and answer our many questions, always with a good dose of humour. Nowhere was this more evident than our river cruises. Finally the wildlife; what a treat! We were fortunate to spot 4 of the Borneo Big 5 while in Sukau; 3 of which we managed to spot on our first evening river venture. Just being on the river at dawn and dusk is enough in itself, but to then spot all the different wildlife in their natural habitat really is the icing on the cake! We unfortunately didn’t get to see any Orang Utan while up the Kinabatangan River but were lucky enough to catch a wild mother and baby on our last day with BET at the Rainforest Canopy Walk. We wouldn’t have been able to catch sight of any of these animals without the keen eye and dedication of Mason and Roslem, our boat captain. Thank you BET, especially to all the staff at Sukau Rainforest Lodge.
Trip of a lifetime and amazing tour company! If based outside Malaysia, book direct with Borneo Eco Tours.
We had a 7 night trip, 4 nights at Sukau Rainforest Lodge and 3 nights at Borneo Rainforest Lodge. We also started and finished at Sepilok Nature lodge, before heading to Lankayan island for 3 nights at the end. My review might sound sponsored, but I promise it isn't! Firstly, Cindy helped organise our trip, with lots of patience and great advice. Thank you so much for making this the perfect trip! Payment was easy, in installments. If you are based in the UK (or other countries outside Malaysia), do not book your Borneo Rainforest tour with big companies like Trip Advisor or Audley travel. There are only a select few lodges in the Kinabatangan and Danum Valley and they offer the exact same lodgings as booking direct, with the same guides and tours. However, you will pay twice the price (no exaggeration!). Borneo Eco Tours were one of the best organised tours I have ever been on. They even communicated with my accommodations not booked through the tour to arrange pick up and drop offs without my involvement. Support local tour companies that have the most specialised knowledge when booking your trip. Not only will you save quite literally £1000s on the same trip, but I ended up with more days and better accommodation than the UK travel agents were offering. As for the tours. Wow! Where do I begin... Sukau Rainforest lodge was absolutely magical. It's worth noting that Borneo Eco Tours owns this lodge, which was by far the best on the river. The absolute highlight of our trip was our guide Lee. He went above and beyond to make sure we had a fantastic experience and saw everything we hoped to see. His understanding of the area and animal behaviour was so valuable, and it is clear that he loves what he’s doing. The wildlife on the river is outstanding, even when compared to a traditional African safari. This is the place to go for the big 5 (not BRL). We saw all of the big 5 with incredible, meaningful sightings. Our favourite was the 5m crocodile majestically swimming down the Menganol River, which was used for filming a David Attenborough documentary. However we had wonderful sightings of huge herds of elephants (multiple occasions), orangutans, including mother and baby, hornbills of almost every variety, and proboscis monkeys fighting with other species. The scenery itself is absolutely stunning. What an incredible corner of the world... An absolute must visit for wildlife lovers. I noticed a few guests complaining about sightings, which I did not agree with. If you have your heart set on seeing certain animals, then give yourself the best chance by staying 3 nights or more. A 2 night stay equates to 3 boat cruises, which may not be enough time to see the big 5, especially if the weather is bad. We saw everything by day 3. If you are really keen on wildlife, like we are, 4 nights was perfect to take advantage of the optional tours and to see some of the big 5 multiple times. Of course, it is not guaranteed. I also recommend communicating with your guide in advance what you are hoping to see, so they can tailor the itinerary to give you the best chance. They understand the area and animal behaviour, so will do their best to meet your expectations. If needed, book a private guide. The tour to the Gomantong Caves to see the bat exodus is a must. Planet earth was filmed here, and you can see why! It's also another excellent opportunity to see orangutans. We saw yet another mother and baby, and more raptors picking out bats from the air than you could possibly count. The staff made Sukau Rainforest Lodge. From the staff at reception, servers, chefs, cleaners and of course, the guides and boat crew. They made you feel like you were at home. What I noticed was how happy, kind and smiley every single member of staff was. It felt very genuine. We also really enjoyed the food, and I would recommend staying in the villas if your budget affords them. For those considering this as part of a larger Borneo package, you must include this in your itinerary when coming to Borneo. If you're an avid wildlife watcher, stay 4 nights, but 2-3 would suffice if you don't care as much and just want the experience. You will see more wildlife on the Kinabatangan, and it's simply beautiful. That's being said, my advice is to book this and BRL! This was the best trip we've ever had (2 nights total Sepilok Nature Lodge, 4 nights Sukau, 3 night BRL, 3 night Lankayan Island). Borneo Rainforest Lodge exceeded all expectations, which were already exceedingly high! This is a magical place, that you absolutely cannot miss if you come to Malaysian Borneo. As far as rainforest lodges go, it surely can't get better than this. The highlight of our trip was our guide. Jean was simply exceptional in every way, and our trip would not have been the same without her! We were incredibly lucky to see many orangutans, gibbons, red leaf monkeys, flying squirrels, beautiful birds, and even elephants when leaving the lodge. If you're looking for unique wildlife, you'll find it here. If you're looking for the big 5, then visit the Kinabatangan. Overall, I would recommend staying 3 nights at a minimum. 2 nights doesn't give you enough time to explore and you'll leave feeling very sad, especially if you encounter bad weather and trips are rescheduled. The emphasis at BRL is walking, and it's very hot and very humid. However, I noticed this was tailored to the age/ability of each group, which they do their best to match ahead of time. Coffin hike and the waterfall swim is excellent if you can manage the climb in the crazy heat and humidity. The food was excellent, particularly the curries and local dishes, and the head chef knew our names by our first lunch. I highly recommend leech socks, but you can buy them from the store at a reasonable price. You will also need a highly waterproof poncho or jacket, long trousers, and preferably waterproof hiking boots. 50 MYR for a full basket of laundry, so no need to overpack. My only complaint was the cleanliness of the rooms. We had a jungle chalet, which I was a little disappointed in given the price. That being said, all common areas like the restaurant, pool, and lobby were beautifully clean. If you're deciding between the Kinabatangan and Danum Valley, then you should absolutely do both. The river offers a safari like experience, with almost guaranteed wildlife sightings. Stay here at least 3 nights, but 4 for avid wildlife lovers. We followed this up with 3 nights at BRL, which offered a completely different experience. I would have stayed longer if there was availability. You may not see quite as much wildlife (i.e., elephants, crocodiles, proboscis monkeys) but there is still plenty to see and nothing compares to being deep in the rainforest. We booked Sepilok Nature Lodge and Lankayan Island separately, but you could certainly add this to your tour and have the full itinerary planned out for you. Sepilok was much nicer than the pictures or reviews showed. Spotlessly clean and beautifully set amongst the lake. Very close to the Orangutan and Sun Bear sanctuary and Rainforest Discovery Centre. I would certainly recommend starting the trip with these stops, but DO NOT visit these and miss out on the Kinabatangan and Danum Valley. I didn't book Lankanyan through Borneo Eco Tours, but I would recommend you doing so, hence I'm including it in my review. Lankayan is just like the pictures, although hard to believe. I personally think the snorkelling is better than the diving. Turtles are in the shallow waters, all day, every day. So if you want to see them, there is genuinely no better place. The corals were beautifully in tact, with many stunning fish. Baby black tip reef sharks can be seen in the shallows, and if you're lucky, you might see a bigger sharks while snorkelling. There's also a giant bump head parrot fish swimming around each day, as well as barracudas. The rooms were stunning, and we pretty much had the island to ourselves. I would recommend the water villas, particularly villas 1-4 if you want to see the turtles from your balcony, as they are above the sea grass. The other side overlooks the corals, so still plenty to see. Turtles are absolutely everywhere! The turtles come on to land EVERY NIGHT. The beach chalets might be your preference as the turtles often lay their eggs beneath the chalets, but you will see them regardless of where you stay. We were out of season and saw 4 turtles (both green and hawksbill) laying eggs within 5 minutes, so who knows how many come to shore when it's peak turtle season each night. This was a lifetime experience. Hatchlings are released in the evening, we saw two sets released. Just magical. For anyone concerned about safety, you can buy high risk insurance for a reasonable price in the UK, which I would recommend. However, we felt very very safe. Military is stationed on the island, but you would barely know they are there. Lankayan is like a Maldivian paradise, swarmed with turtles, that is pretty much empty in September/October, so you feel like you have it to yourself. In fact, it's likely the island will come off the high risk list soon, and I expect the island will become much more popular. So I would recommend visiting earlier rather than later, and slightly out of season for a private experience. If you want crystal clear water, incredible snorkelling and dream like chalets, you won't find better in Borneo or Malaysia. I've heard that the Perhentian Islands are beautiful, but can be overcrowded. That won't be a problem here. The food was nice, but limited, served buffet style. It felt more like they were feeding you to survive, rather than 5 star luxury, but that's not what it is, despite what it feels like to be there! Either way, we still enjoyed the food. I would recommend stocking up on snacks and drinks (although drinks are available to buy) at the shop near the jetty. Going back to Borneo Eco Tours, I highly recommend you book your Borneo adventure with this incredibly organised, and friendly tour company, with expert local knowledge and world class lodges. As mentioned, they own Sukau Rainforest Lodge, which was clearly the best on the river, so you will need to book with this company to stay here. If you love nature, book more days than you think you'll need at each lodge as I promise you won't want to leave. Hopefully we'll return one day. Thank you!
Best journey!!!
来自中国的爱！ 我们是一个4人的小团队，在山打根和苏高（Sandakan & Sukau）进行了4天3晚的旅行，体验非常棒！旅途中每个人都很耐心、很乐于助人，我们的导游 Cleff 更是我见过最棒的导游之一，他知识渊博，讲解清晰，而且特别热心和善良。在他的帮助下，我们顺利看完了婆罗洲的“大五”! 同时也要特别感谢餐厅里友善的服务员、前台那个总是笑眯眯的小伙子、另一位导游 Arnold，以及这段旅程中遇到的每一位朋友！ Love from China! We are a group of 4 people and touring Sandakan & Sukau for 4 days 3 nights, great experience! Everyone in the tour is patient and helpful, our tour guide Cleff is one of the best guides I have ever known, he knows a lot, explains well and is very very helpful and kind, we finished seeing the Borneo big 5 with his help! Also shout out to the friendly waiters in the restaurant, the dude always smiling in the reception, Arnold another guide, and every one in this journey!
A Truly Unforgettable Borneo Adventure!
We had an unforgettable experience with Borneo Eco Tours! We spotted incredible wildlife ranging from beautiful birds to fascinating apes. The guides were enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and fun, making every excursion enjoyable and memorable. The resort and lodges were beautiful and comfortable, and the staff provided outstanding hospitality — always helpful and welcoming. The river cruises were conducted in small groups of no more than eight people per boat, which made the experience feel personal and authentic rather than a typical tourist excursion. All transport — whether by boat, jeep, or bus — was perfectly organized, so we never had to worry about a thing. We highly recommend Borneo Eco Tours for a truly unforgettable and seamless travel experience.
A class experience
We did two tours with Borneo Eco: Kinnabalu park 2D1N and a daytrip to Mari Mari Cultural Village. Both tours were very well prepared and executed. We had a very passionate, knowledgeable and attentive tour guide (Popoi). For this type of experience the tour guide makes a very big difference so we are very happy to have chosen Borneo Eco! Cindy at the booking office was very reactive and helpful in making the practical arrangements beforehand.
