Two Weeks of Wildlife in Sabah, Borneo
Borneo, the third largest island in the world, is a paradise brimming with exotic wildlife and nature. Located in Southeast Asia, it is divided by three territories; Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. I spent 2 weeks in Sabah, Malaysian territory, during which I experienced an amazing wildlife adventure.
Like me, many people are drawn to Borneo to get a glimpse of the majestic orangutan, but there is opportunity to see so much more. This 12 day itinerary will lead you into the rainforests of Sabah to reveal some of the most exotic wildlife on the planet, including species iconic to Borneo, for example the hornbill.
Sabah contains so much beauty and 12 days was a perfect amount of time to spend exploring this region of the island. With a mix of education, being up close and personal with nature and rainforest like no other, I cannot recommend Sabah enough.
In this post…
Itinerary (day to day)
Day 1 – Arrive in Sandakan
Day 2 – Arrive in Sepilok – Visit the Rainforest Discovery Centre.
Day 3 – Sepilok – Orangutan sanctuary and sun bear sanctuary.
Day 4 – Go to Kinabatangan River
Day 5 – Kinabatangan River
Day 6 – Arrive in Semporna
Day 7 – Semporna – Snorkel or dive day trip
Day 8 – Bus to Kota Kinabalu (KK)
Day 9 – KK – Exploring the city
Day 10 – KK – Island hopping
Day 11 – KK – Mount Kinabalu Tour
Day 12 – Kota Kinabalu airport – Leave Borneo
Sandakan, Sabah (2 days, 1 night)
I started my trip in Sandakan, previously known as Elopura, on the eastern side of Sabah. It makes the most sense to start east and head west (or vice versa) instead of doing a full loop. Sandakan is a great starting point as its close to lots of wildlife opportunities.
I enjoyed a scenic dinner next to the water whilst listening to a guitarist busking on the street. Although it is a pass-through for most travelers, we still had a lovely evening in Sandakan.
Getting to Sandakan
You can fly from Kuala Lumpar airport to Sandakan. Flights depart everyday from KL and then, from Sandakan airport, you can get a taxi or Grab (Grab is cheaper but the airport wifi doesn’t work well) to your accommodation in Sandakan. Hailing a taxi at the airport cost me RM25 (approx. 6€)
If you are already in Borneo, there are buses that depart everyday from Kota Kinabalu city and take 11 hours. Alternatively, you can fly from KK to Sandakan.
Where to stay
Sandakan Backpackers Hostel is situated close to the water and bus the bus station. Its a homey hostel with simple breakfast included and there is a nice terrace with hammocks that we spent time relaxing on. Moreover, a dormitory bed only cost 7€.
In the hostel, you can book evening firefly cruises and Kinabatangan river cruises. I really enjoyed all artwork along the walls of all the Bornean wildlife, which started getting me very excited to see some orangutans.
For private rooms, there are other hotel options here. You can choose to stay longer here but I only stayed one night. Sandakan doesn’t have loads to do.
Sepilok, Sabah (3 days, 2 nights)
Above all else, I was eager to see an orangutan with my own eyes and Sepilok is the place! Sepilok throws you right in the deep end of wildlife education. With an orangutan conservation centre, and protected rainforest area for orangutan-spotting, this is certainly the best starting point in Sabah.
Getting to Sepilok
Hop on the bus from the Sandakan bus terminal which you can find on Google Maps. Take either the number 16 or 19 bus, the drivers will direct you to the right bus. It costs RM10 (2€) and takes up to an hour if it stops at all the bus stops. The bus goes at 9am every morning.
Alternatively, you can take a taxi or Grab directly from Sandakan airport if you are skipping the first night in Sandakan.
Where to stay
There is limited accommodation in Sepilok as it is a very small place. I stayed at the Sepilok Jungle Resort which was the most budget-friendly accommodation. A dorm bed cost 8€ and we ended up being the only people in the dorm. They also have private rooms available.
The breakfast is included and there is access to a big swimming pool. In addition to this, it is also walking distance to the Conservation Centres and the Rainforest Discovery Centre.
What to do
Rainforest Discovery Centre
For RM20, you can spend as long as you want on this jungle walk, spotting wildlife and learning about it with all the educational signs along the path. I walked around for 3 hours and only covered half of the pathways.
This was my first day in Borneo and I was lucky enough to see an orangutan, all to myself. I was very excited so I watched it for at least 30 minutes and it felt very special as it was just me and the orangutan. During the walk, I also spotted red leaf monkeys, lizards and some beautiful exotic birds. The RDC very educational and a peaceful place to walk around.
Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre of Sabah
You’ll want to head to the Orangutan sanctuary for feeding time at 10am. A staff member explained to me that the orangutans come to feed come from the open rainforest.
Most of the orangs we saw feeding had been previously rehabilitated into the wild by the centre and so they know to come for feeding time. Seeing the orangutans was a spectacular sight and visiting the centre allowed us to see them up close.
It closes for lunch but then re-opens at 3pm for another feeding time. I would recommend going to both feeding times as, in the afternoon, I saw 8 orangutans there. Entrance costs RM30 (7€) for all day access.
Sun Bear Sanctuary
They may not be the reason people visit Borneo but the sun bears are a sight to behold! Sun bears are the smallest bears in the world with strangely long tongues (around 25cm).
At this centre, I learnt a lot about the sun bears and how many of them are still living in captivity. The bears have all been rescued from captivity with the aim of rehabilitating them into the wild. The cost is RM50 (10€) and it is open from 9am to 3.30pm.
Having visited all three centres, I can say these projects are ethical and solely work on rehabilitating the animals back into the wild.
Kinabatangan River (3 days, 2 nights)
Next stop, the Kinabatangan river. This river cruise is a popular wildlife- spotting activity for tourists as the rainforest is teaming with life. From walking silently through jungle at night to daytime river cruises, I saw an abundance of animals that I didn’t even know existed.
Throughout our 3 days staying by the river, we spotted orangutans, probiscis monkeys, leaf monkeys, crocodiles, hornbills, kingfishers, eagles and many other tropical wildlife. It felt very special to see the animals in their natural habitat.
What’s involved
For 3 days, 2 nights, the package costs approx. 400RM. This is about 75€ and includes everything for three days: 2 afternoon cruises, 2 morning cruises and 2 night walks. There are three meals a day, plus tea and cake, all included. Transport to and from Sandakan or Sepilok is also included in the price.
Where to stay
I stayed in Sukau Bilit Resort, which I would highly recommend, as the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable, and the food was delicious. They provided us with boots and headtorches for the night walks and we rented binoculars from them for a small fee (recommended for the river cruises).
Semporna, Sabah (3 days, 2 nights)
Getting to Semporna
From the Kinabantangan river, I arranged with our resort to be dropped off where the Semporna bus passes instead of going back to Sandakan. At the resort, they reserved seats on the bus and dropped me at a restaurant to wait for the second bus. Ask the resort at the river to do the same for you.
If you are travelling from Sandakan, there are two options. There is a that bus goes every morning to Semporna and takes 5/6 hours or you can fly, but this will certainly cost more.
Where to stay
I stayed in the cheapest accommodation in Semporna, named the Tempo Ext. They had simple capsule beds with curtains and hot showers, as well as yummy fried rice for breakfast included in the price. Its also in a great location right next to the waterfront.
There are many other hostels in the area but nothing is listed on Hostelworld. Instead, you can find many accommodation options on Booking.com.
What to do
Snorkeling – take a daytrip to the surrounding islands to see the underwater tropical life. With the opportunity to see turtles, manta rays, exotic fish and incredible coral, this is a must when in Semporna. Alternatively, diving is also popular in Semporna.
Dine on the freshest seafood – during my time in Semporna, I couldn’t miss a meal on the waterfront with freshly caught fish and seafood. As we walked along, there were restaurants with tanks full of live lobsters, crabs and catfish. We chose a couple of crabs to share, as well as some rice, and had a lovely meal right by the water.
Get a drink in the bar – After dinner we went out with our dive master and his friends which was very fun. There are a couple of bars on the waterfront that you can head to that have a beautiful view in the evening. We visited Wave View bar which has happy hour everyday and looks over the the water with lights illuminated above.
Diving
The main attraction to Semporna! With some of the best biodiversity in the world, the waters of the surrounding islands make for great diving. There are at least 20 dive shops in Semporna so take some time to walk around and decide which one is best for you.
The day trip included visiting the famous sandbar at Timba Timba island, having lunch on Mataking island and diving at 3 beautiful dive spots with some of the best coral I’ve ever seen. I was fortunate enough to see many big turtles, cuttlefish, the rare nudibranch, eels and even the majestic manta ray.
Also, check out Sipadan island for some of the best Bornean diving. Between March and May, you might even see hammerheads around the island.
Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah (4 days, 3 nights)
Often shortened to KK, this city is the capital of Sabah. Clean, urban and organised, I was pleasantly surprised by Kota Kinabalu.
Despite being a major city, there are still many nature options to take from here (after all, it is Borneo). We spent a day island hopping
We stayed here for a few nights . It was refreshing to be in an urbanised city, as it had been almost 2 months that I hadn’t been in one.
Getting to KK
From Semporna, we took the day bus leaving early in the morning and arriving in the evening, with a journey time of 11 hours. The bus stops just outside the city so you’ll need to get a taxi to your accommodation.
Alternatively, you can fly from Semporna to Kota Kinabalu. This option will be faster but will definitely cost more than the bus.
Where to stay
The Homy Seafront Hostel was a great place to stay. There was a relaxing common area with access to Netflix, video games and beautiful views of the sea. As well as this, there was a shared kitchen and a simple breakfast included in the price. The beds were clean and comfortable with a lot of privacy and the general atmosphere of the hostel was very nice.
What to do
Island hopping – you can’t miss the the surrounding islands. There are many islands to choose from and you have the option of going with a tour or going alone. Moreover, its super easy to buy a return boat ticket at the Jesselton Point pier and spend the day relaxing on the lovely secluded beaches.
Api Api Night Food Market – if you are in Kota Kinabalu on Friday or Saturday, head to Gaya street in the evening. We found this to be the best place to get dinner and try classic Malaysian dishes. For example, they had stalls selling te tarik (hot milk tea) and freshly made noodle dishes. But, most importantly, there was live music which made for great evening entertainment.
Visit the handicraft market – KK was the only place in Sabah that had a good range of souvenirs so don’t miss the opportunity to get hold of some. From handmade bags to cute orangutan goodies, this is certainly the place to go!
Join a tour – there are many companies offering trips to surrounding areas, including hot springs, canopy walks and beautiful views of Mount Kinabalu. Moreover, they gave us a lot of great information about Sabah and Kota Kinabalu.
Hike Mount Kinabalu – From KK, you can join a tour to trek up the highest mountain in Malaysia. The trek consists of two days walking to its peak at 4,095 metres.
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