Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre And Sanctuary Guide, Borneo 2024
You hear a rustle above and an orange flash jumps across lush rainforest, as you squint between the dense branches a face peers back at you, a Borneon Orangutan…
On the edge of the Sabah rainforest reserve in Sepilok, you can find the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre a sanctuary for Borneo Orangutans. In our eyes, an ethical centre that helps reintroduce Orangutans to the jungle allowing them to become semi-wild animals.
Orang-utan directly translates to forest human and our first thought when seeing these magnificent creatures was how like us they were. This highlights the importance of their conservation and throughout this post we will share how you can visit the centre, how you can help orangutans and everything else you need to know about visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
Contents
Where Is Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre?
Sepilok is a small town located in the area of Sabah, Malaysia. Sabah is a state in Northern Borneo and is described as a natural playground. For the adventurous traveller there is the Kinabatangan River, Danum Valley and Mount Kinabalu.
The Orangutan Centre can be found in Sepilok which is a small town in the east of Sabah, near the main town of Sandakan. Nestled between palm oil plantations and immaculate rainforest the town stands strong as one of the last frontiers protecting the natural world.
How To Get To Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre?
Once you’ve arrived in Sepilok, your hotel should be able to arrange a transfer to the Orangutan Centre or you can book your own taxi via the Grab app.
Alternatively you could walk, especially if your accommodation is close by. We stayed at The Sepilok Jungle Resort which was a beautiful oasis with a small lake on-site, perfect for early morning and evening wildlife watching, also only a 10 minute walk from the Orangutan & Sun Bear Centres. We also recommend staying at Sepilok B&B, a nice and quiet hotel with dorm rooms available just a 5 minute walk from the Rainforest Discovery Centre.
How To Get To Sepilok
From Kota Kinabalu (KK)
Like most people arriving in Sabah, we also started our journey from KK. There are two main ways to travel to Sepilok, the first is via an internal flight to Sandakan. The flight takes roughly 45 minutes and costs as little as £25 plus baggage. You can find low price flights for this route on Trip.com
Then from Sandakan to Sepilok, you can follow the section below, by getting a private car or bus. Taking a flight is definitely the more expensive option but also much more time efficient.
The second way, and the way we chose, was to get an 8 hour bus across Borneo, much more suited to couples who are on a budget. The bus passes through the Mount Kinabalu National Park so provides some impressive views, it also shows you the vast scale of the never ending Palm Oil Plantations that have taken over Sabah. Book Your Bus Here With Easy Book.
From Sandakan
The first option to get from Sandakan to Sepilok is a bus that leaves four times a day and takes around 40 minutes costing RM4 per person. The bus will drop you directly outside the orangutan centre. Another option is a private car for RM50 or a grab for RM25.
Alternatively you can book a Full Day Tour From Sandakan to eliminate any hassle.
Sandakan To Sepilok Times
9:30, 11:30, 14:00, 17:00
Sepilok To Sandakan Times
6:30, 10:30, 12:30, 16:00
Alternatively if you’re travelling in a group or a family, it would make more sense to book a private car to get from Sandakan to Sepilok.
About The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
If you visit Sepilok, you will be visiting the first orangutan rehabilitation centre ever established. The history of the centre makes it extra special and you can see all the staff aim to provide the best for one of the world's most endangered primates.
43 square km make up the reserve for the 60 - 80 semi-wild members, and there is also a nursery for around 25 orphaned or injured Orangutans. The centre provides a mixture of fruit to feed the orangutans, who are free to choose whether to partake in feeding or to forage for their own food, this means you may not be guaranteed to see any at feeding times but gets a big tick from an ethical viewpoint.
Rehabilitating Orangutans takes up to seven years and is pretty expensive but there are ways you can help which we share further on in the blog. If you want to help, skip to What We Can Do!
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre Entrance Fee and Feeding Time
The centre is open every day from 9:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:00.
Feeding times are at 10:00 and 15:00.
When you arrive you need to put all your belongings in a locker and purchase a ticket from the booth, tickets cost RM30 and the centre doesn’t allow you to pre-book. You can however book a tour, Book Your Tour Here
Photography Rules
To take in a camera or GoPro, you need to pay RM10. If your camera has a lens over 600mm you need to pay RM1000.
The Orangutan Nursery
The nursery opens at 9am and gives you an insight to some of the younger Orangutans at the centre. There are two viewing platforms, one of which has aircon. You can observe the primates swinging, eating and interacting, this is where we saw the most Orangutans and it really is a magical moment being able to see these semi-wild animals up close.
Orangutan Feeding Stations
At 10am and 3pm you can also head to the feeding platform which is where the orangutans can choose to feast on the fruit supplied by the centre, freshly foraged from one of the rangers earlier that day. There is no guarantee that you’ll see any creatures as they decide whether or not to come back and when fruit is especially plentiful in the jungle, your chance of seeing them decreases.
We were lucky enough to see around five orangutans feeding in the morning session, however nothing showed up in the afternoon due to some light rain. We then headed to watch an educational video all about the centre which you can find near the exit of the park, we were the only people watching but we found it super interesting and gave real context to our day.
The Main Risks To Orangutans
Sadly, the Bornean Orangutan is classified as critically endangered. There are lots of risks threatening Orangutans including deforestation, the pet trade, disease and climate change disrupting their natural habitat.
Palm Oil Sabah
Shocking is the word that comes to mind when talking about the Palm Oil plantations in Sabah and across Borneo. Palm Oil is one of the biggest drivers of deforestation and a huge risk to the wildlife of the jungle. On our 8 hour drive across the country we saw plantation after plantation which made us reflect on the industry and products we buy.
How Can You Help The Bornean Orangutans
Reduce your palm oil consumption
Raise awareness about the risks orangutans face
Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary In Borneo Common Questions
How Much Is Entrance Fee To Sepilok Orangutan Centre?
Tickets cost RM30 for the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and last all day meaning you can attend the morning and afternoon feed.
Best Time To Go To Borneo To See Orangutans?
The best time to visit the Orangutan Centre in Sepilok is between April and October, which will avoid the heaviest rainfall, however you can visit all year-round. During the day, if you visit in the afternoon there will be fewer people but there may be fewer orangutans meaning we recommend heading to both feeding times.
Borneo Orangutan Tour From Sandakan
Best Places To Stay In Sepilok
Sepilok town sits on the edge of the Sabah Jungle Reserve and acts as a gateway to the Rainforest; it is also home to some of Borneo’s Conservation efforts to protect the exceptional wildlife and educate us on the threats to their habitat. Sepilok is a small town with only a handful of accommodation options meaning we advise you to book in advance.
We use Booking.com and HostelWorld for all of our stays around the world!
Below is a list of top accommodations we recommend for Sepilok, Sabah:
Top Things To Do In Sepilok
Top Pick: Rainforest Discovery Centre
A bridge between human civilisation and the dense Bornean jungle, home to some of the last wild orangutans left on planet earth, the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) Sepilok is a true gem and a must visit on your trip to Borneo.
Best Experience: Orangutan Sanctuary
On the edge of the Sabah rainforest reserve in Sepilok, you can find the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. In our eyes, an ethical centre that helps reintroduce Orangutans to the jungle.
Most Educational : Sun Bear Conservation Centre
In the middle of the Bornean Jungle lies a Conservation Centre for the world's smallest and cutest bear, the Sun Bear.
Off The Beaten Track: Head to Tungog Eco Camp
Fancy an adventure? Head deep into the jungle and find on the banks of the Kinabatangan River the Tungog Eco Camp. Spend your days on the river looking for wildlife such as the proboscis monkey, trekking in the jungle and uncovering hidden caves.
Essential Travel Items You Need For Borneo
 | Jungle Formula - High Deet Mosquito Spray The weak sprays will not work! Make sure to bring a high deet percentage spray made for the tropics. We also use Mosquito Wipes. |
 | Lifestraw - Filtered Water Bottle Allowing you to fill up water whenever and wherever with peace of mind, plus you’re helping the environment! |
 | Universal Travel Adaptor With Multiple USBs Life while travelling will never be the same again! Charge multiple devices all at once in any country... game changer. |
 | Binoculars To Spot The Wonderful Wildlife You're most likely heading to Borneo for the wildlife. Don't miss out on seeing these amazing animals up close and pack a good pair of binoculars! |
Top Tips For Travelling Borneo
If you’re visiting Borneo, here's our top tips:
Try Nasi Lemak - The national dish of Malaysia, Nasi Lemak is fresh grated coconut and steamed rice served on banana leaves.
Book flights in advance - they can become expensive if you leave it last minute… Also don't forget your Apple Airtags to track your bags.
Don't skip the Kinabatangan River - It may be pricey but this is where you're going to see most of Borneo's wildlife, including wild orangutans, proboscis monkeys and pygmy elephants.
Dress for the jungle - Pack long sleeve, lightweight materials that cover you from mosquitos but will also keep you cool. Don't forget your Raincoat as tropical downpours are frequent.
Final Thoughts on The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
An incredible establishment where you can ethically observe semi-wild orangutans up close, Sepilok Orangutan Centre is a must for your Borneo itinerary. There are two great observation opportunities, the nursery with an air conditioned room and then the feeding platform. The orangutans are fed twice daily and your ticket allows you to visit the centre all day meaning you can come back and watch both sessions. This is great as you’re not guaranteed the primates will come and feed. This is what’s particularly amazing about the centre; the orangutans have been reintroduced and are free to come and go as they please, big thumbs up to ethical practices.
Travel Tools To Help You Plan
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Thank you for reading and enjoy your Borneo adventure. Reach out to us over on Instagram @KateandMikesTravels. We always love to hear from people who read our blogs!
Reduce your palm oil consumption. After you see the extensive palm oil plantations that have taken over the native jungle in Sabah, you'll realise why this is so important.
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