Sepilok & Sandakan Travel Guide: Wild Orangutans, Sun Bears & Kinabatangan River
Sepilok is the world's most celebrated orangutan rehabilitation centre — a 4,300-hectare protected lowland rainforest just outside the Sabah port town of Sandakan, in north-east Borneo. Together with the neighbouring Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and the wild Kinabatangan River corridor (3 hours' drive south), Sandakan and Sepilok form Borneo's most rewarding wildlife circuit — the place where almost every premium Borneo tour delivers its definitive wild-orangutan moment.
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History & Cultural Influence
Sandakan was British North Borneo's capital from 1884 until World War II destroyed the city; Sabah's capital moved to Kota Kinabalu in 1946. Sandakan rebuilt as a regional port and the gateway to the Sepilok rainforest, where the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre was founded in 1964 to rescue orphaned and displaced orangutans from logging and the pet trade. Sixty years later, Sepilok has returned more than 800 orangutans to the wild and remains the gold standard for great-ape conservation in Asia.
The wider area — Sepilok forest, the Kinabatangan River flood-plain, the Gomantong Caves and Turtle Islands Park — represents one of South-East Asia's richest wildlife landscapes. Wild orangutans, pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, hornbills, sun bears, saltwater crocodiles, leopard cats and clouded leopards all live here. For nature lovers, Sandakan and Sepilok are the heart of Borneo.
Quick facts:
Location: Sabah, north-east Borneo
Distance from Kota Kinabalu: 45 minutes by air, 6 hours by road
Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre founded: 1964 (the oldest in the world)
Best for: rehabilitated orangutans, sun bears, Kinabatangan wildlife, sea-turtle hatchery
Best season: March–October (driest)
Top Attractions
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre — two daily feedings (10am & 3pm); orphaned orangutans return to the feeding platform as part of their rewilding.
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre — Asia's only sun bear rehabilitation centre, adjacent to Sepilok; rescued bears in spacious forest enclosures.
Rainforest Discovery Centre — canopy walkway, jungle trails and night walks for the chance to see flying squirrels, slow lorises and tarsiers.
Kinabatangan River — 3 hours south; wild pygmy elephants, orangutans, proboscis monkeys and hornbills on dawn and dusk boat trips from Sukau or Bilit.
Gomantong Caves — 90 minutes east; bat-and-swiftlet caves famous for edible birds' nests (the basis for shark-fin-soup price birds' nest soup).
Turtle Islands Park — 90-minute boat from Sandakan; nightly nesting hawksbill and green sea turtles, year-round.
Sandakan Death Marches Memorial — World War II Australian-British POW Memorial; a sobering historical pause.
Must-Try Dishes
Sabah seafood — tiger prawns, mantis shrimp and butterfish from the South China Sea; the freshest in Malaysia.
Tuaran mee — Sabah-style fried egg noodles topped with char siu pork.
UFO tarts — a Sandakan dessert classic: meringue-topped sponge tarts.
Birds' nest soup — controversial Chinese delicacy from Gomantong swiftlet nests; sold in Sandakan Chinese restaurants.
Hinava — Kadazan-Dusun lime-cured fish; the Sabah version of ceviche.
Festivals & Local Celebrations
World Orangutan Day — 19 August: Sepilok and Borneo Sun Bear Centre hold education days.
Tadau Kaamatan — May: Kadazan-Dusun harvest festival; spillover events around Sandakan.
Sabah Fest — May: Sabah's biggest culture festival; runs in Kota Kinabalu but draws Sandakan participation.
Christmas — December: Sandakan's Christian Kadazan-Dusun and Chinese communities celebrate widely.
Borneo Eco-Tourism Festival — varies: celebrates Sabah's eco-tourism leadership.
What to Do
Attend the 10am orangutan feeding at Sepilok, followed by the Sun Bear Centre.
Take a 2-night Kinabatangan River cruise from Sukau or Bilit — dawn and dusk boat trips through the wildlife corridor.
Visit the Rainforest Discovery Centre canopy walkway at dawn for hornbills.
Take a night walk at the Rainforest Discovery Centre or your jungle lodge for flying squirrels and tarsiers.
Day-trip to Gomantong Caves for the birds' nest harvest and bat-emergence experience.
Visit the Sandakan Death Marches Memorial and Agnes Keith Heritage House.
Shopping
Sepilok souvenir shop — orangutan plushies, conservation T-shirts; proceeds fund the centre.
Sun Bear Centre shop — sun-bear themed merchandise.
Sandakan Central Market — fresh fish, fruit and Sabah spices.
Mile 4 Bazaar (Sandakan) — evening street market with batik, souvenirs and street food.
Weather: Best Time to Visit
March–October (Best): driest period; better Kinabatangan visibility and Sepilok jungle trails.
November–February: wettest period; some Kinabatangan boat trips cancelled.
June–October: haze possible from Indonesian Borneo fires.
Daily temperatures: 24–32°C year-round.
Cultural Etiquette
At Sepilok, observe orangutans from the platforms only; no feeding, no flash, no touching.
At Sun Bear Centre, do not stretch arms over the enclosure — sun bears can climb.
On Kinabatangan boats, stay seated and silent during sightings.
Cover shoulders and knees at mosques and indigenous sites.
Photograph indigenous communities respectfully — ask first.
Essential Travel Information
Getting there: Daily flights from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Tawau to Sandakan Airport (45 minutes from KK). Most premium tours arrange airport transfers.
Getting around: Sepilok is 25 km from Sandakan town — your jungle lodge or driver covers it. Kinabatangan lodges arrange road and boat transfers.
Money: ATMs throughout Sandakan town. Cash is preferred at the rehabilitation centres for entrance fees.
Connectivity: Reliable 4G in Sandakan; patchy at jungle lodges (most have Wi-Fi in main areas).
Visa: Most nationalities receive 90-day visa-free entry to Malaysia.
Where to Stay
Eco-lodge — Sepilok Forest Edge Resort (steps from the rehabilitation centre), Sepilok Nature Resort, Sepilok Jungle Resort.
Kinabatangan luxury — Sukau Rainforest Lodge (the area's flagship eco-lodge), Borneo Eco Tours Sukau.
Sandakan city — Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan, Hotel Sandakan, Sandakan Lodge.
Best base: Sepilok area for orangutans and sun bears; Sukau Kinabatangan for river wildlife; Sandakan town for hotel comfort but you'll drive in/out daily.
Explore Tweet World Travel Malaysia Small Group Tour or contact Tweet World Travel for a tailor-made travel experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Helpful answers for travellers planning a Sepilok/Sandakan stop on a Borneo tour.
How many days should I spend at Sepilok and Sandakan?
Two to four nights — one night to see Sepilok and the Sun Bear Centre, two nights on the Kinabatangan River, one optional for Turtle Islands. Pair with 2–4 nights at Kota Kinabalu.
Will I definitely see orangutans?
At Sepilok feeding times, sightings are common but not guaranteed — semi-wild orangutans only come to the platform when forest fruit is scarce. The Rainforest Discovery Centre and Kinabatangan boat tours add wild-sighting opportunities.
Sepilok or Semenggoh (Sarawak)?
Sepilok is bigger, more established and the world's leading orangutan rehabilitation centre. Semenggoh in Sarawak is smaller and quieter. Most premium Borneo tours include only one — Sepilok wins for variety with the Sun Bear and Kinabatangan add-ons.
When is the best time to visit?
March to October is driest. Sepilok is open year-round; Kinabatangan boats are more reliable outside the November–February monsoon.
How do I get to the Kinabatangan River from Sandakan?
Most lodges arrange 2-hour road transfers from Sandakan/Sepilok to Sukau or Bilit, ending with a short boat hop to your lodge.
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