Sepilok

Sepilok is a small town in Sabah, Borneo that is 26 km from Sandakan. It is most famous for its Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. It also features Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and Rainforest Discovery Centre.

Understand

Get in

By bus

• From Kota Kinabalu: Catch the bus to Sandakan from Inanam station in KK (RM43.5, ~6 hours). Ask driver to drop you off at Sepilok. From Sepilok road junction take a taxi to the park or any nearby hotel, RM5 per person, taxi drivers usually wait at the Sepilok road junction.
• From Semporna: Catch the Tung Ma bus to Sandakan (RM40, 5 hr) and catch a taxi from there to Sepilok.
• From Sandakan: Bus 14 leaves ~hourly from the minibus station in Sandakan from 09:00 to 14:00. With the last bus leaving the park at 16:00. RM6 one way (2016).

By car

The road from Sandakan is well signed making for an easy journey for those self-driving.

By taxi

Taxi from Sandakan center costs aprox RM 50 one way and RM 100 for a return trip (2016). Arrangements can be made in advance with your accommodation in Sepilok for a car to meet you at the Sandakan airport, 40 MYR one way per car; the same price will be charged if arranging taxi via taxi booth in the airport (2016).

Taxi ride to Labuk Bay to see proboscis monkeys costs RM45 per person return. Taxi to Sukau (starting point for boat trips on Kinabatangan river) cost RM50 per person one way.

See

Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre

🌍 Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is situated on the edge of a forest reserve. Established in 1964, its purpose is to rescue orphaned and abandoned juvenile orangutans and to teach them to fend for themselves.

The best time to visit is at feeding times (approximately 10am and 3pm) when orangutans and monkeys such as the long-tailed macaques are likely (but not guaranteed) to appear for the free feed of bananas and sugar cane. Note that if it is raining, the feeding times may be delayed as the rangers prefer not to sit out in the rain. An informative video about the work of the centre is played at 9am and after the morning feeding.

Within the reserve, the visitor is restricted to the boardwalks leading to the feeding area and outdoor nursery (the best place to watch young orangutan if they’re there, as they exercise / play on the ropes and with each other). Visitors can only bring cameras into the reserve. Bags, water, food, etc, must be left in the free lockers near the entrance. You can buy drinks and souvenirs from the outdoor nursery. There is an average cafe outside the reserve by the car park.

As the centre is in a rainforest you may want to apply insect repellent before you go in (as you can’t any inside), and keep an eye out for signs of rain. There is no shelter at the feeding area but the outdoor nursery is enclosed (for humans) and has welcome air conditioning. They’re only a few minutes walk away from each other.

The centre is a popular tourist destination: expect that the morning feeding time will be crowded with tour buses fresh from the morning flights from Kota Kinabalu. The hundreds of sweaty visitors will keenly jostle for that perfect photo. The afternoon feeding time is a quieter choice for those with the luxury of time with the added delight of likely seeing a larger number of the animals in a more personal, peaceful atmosphere.

Admission fee: adult foreigner RM 30, Malaysian RM 5. 17 years old and below - foreigner RM 15, Malaysian RM 2. Camera fee: RM 10 (2019).

Office hours: 09:00-12:00 & 14:00-16:00. Exhibition Hall: Sa-Th 09:00-16:30.

With a ticket you can enter the park twice on the same day, but not following days. If you have time arrive for the 9am video, see the morning feeding, visit the sun bear centre next door, have lunch nearby, and return for the afternoon feeding.

• 🌍 Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (next to the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre), ☎ [phone]. 09:00-15:30. The only sun bear sanctuary in the world with about 40 bears living there. Divided into several separated areas so child bears can live apart from the adult ones (as older ones often bully younger), as well as to separate adults that try to fight each other. Bears tend to hide in the shade during the heat hours and start being very active once sun is not very high or hidden by the clouds, so it's better to get there not on a very hot day or in the morning. Centre itself is not very big, 30-40 minutes will be enough to see everything inside. Adults Malaysian RM 15, foreigner RM 30. Children aged 12-17 Malaysian RM 2, foreigner RM 5. (updated Aug 2016)
• 🌍 Rainforest Discovery Centre. 08:00-19:00, ticket counter closes at 17:00. An environmental education centre situated within the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve. Its primary function is to create public awareness and appreciation of the importance of conserving forests, as well as the sustainable use of forest resources. RDC has a 347 m-long canopy walkway strung between huge towers that allows great views of the forest canopy and is also good for bird-watchers. Adults RM 15, children 5-17 years old RM 7. (updated Aug 2016)

Further afield

• 🌍 Taman Hiburan Jalil Alip Theme Park, 1, Jalan Jalil Alip (a 5-min detour drive), ☎ [phone]. A local recreation park popular among locals, to fish, paddle boats and feed local species of deer and crocodiles in their individual sanctuaries in the park. (updated Aug 2016)

Do

There are a couple of trails within the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre area, but only the 1.1 km 🌍 Bird trail is possible without a special permit, although this trail is closed until further notice as of Oct 2016.

Whole bunch of trails are can be found inside of the Rainforest Discovery Centre, one of them requires permit, which needs to be attained at the entrance ticket booth.

Buy

The fundraising shop at Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre sells postcards, fluffy monkey toys and other touristy merchandise.

Cafeteria near the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre entrance has a small shop inside, also there is a smallish 🌍 shop on the road junction leading to RDC. Both are very small and has very limited variety of products. The nearest big supermarket is "Giant", taxi ride there costs 35 RM one way/60 RM return.

No banks or ATMs are available in Sepilok. The closest ATM is at the Mile 8 settlement, taxi there costs RM 30 one way, RM 40 return (2016).

Eat and drink

Sabah Vegetables are a local specialty. When stir-fried with garlic or other herbs/spices these ferns are tasty and have a texture like crunchy bok choy or asparagus.

Most of the hotels have their own restaurants.

• 🌍 Kantin Sepilok. M-F 12:00-16:00. Located on the territory of the Forest Research Centre and caters mainly for its workers, however, anyone from outside can eat there as well. The menu is rather limited, usually they have only couple of options available at one time, most often they have rojak and chicken soup, also fried bananas and some snacks. Food is very tasty. Meals RM6-8, drinks RM1-2. (updated Aug 2016)
• 🌍 Lepak Lounge. Till 17:09. As long as it's located inside of the Rainforest Discovery Centre, anyone wishing to dine here needs to buy entrance ticket to RDC. They always have 5-6 types of meal available, chicken soup, fried rice, fried chicken. Food is good, fast service. RM10 meals, RM5-7 juices. (updated Aug 2016)
• 🌍 Cafeteria (right next to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre entrance). Prepare simple food like fried rice, etc. It also has a small shop inside selling snacks, fruits, drinks. Can get very busy at lunchtime as tour groups finish at the conservation centres. RM15-20 per meal, RM4-8 drinks. (updated Apr 2019)
• Mama Wati's (Side of road outside main entrance to the Orangutan and Sun Bear Conservation Centres). 7am to 8pm. Basic but tasty local food at half to a third of the price of the nearby conservation centre cafe and hotel restaurants 7RM for main meal. (updated Apr 2019)

Sleep

• 🌍 Sepilok Nature Resort, ☎ [phone]. 3 star hotel with chalet-style accommodation. RM 240. (updated Aug 2016)
• 🌍 Sepilok Jungle Resort, Mile 14, Jalan Rambutan, ☎ [phone]. Pleasant if pricey resort set in the jungle around two small lakes, a few minutes walk from the orangutan and sun bear conservation centres. Has a murky but refreshing swimming pool and reasonable food at the onsite Banana Cafe / Restaurant. Note that this accommodation venue is not suitable for those who are mobility impaired as there are boardwalks and bridges connecting the main buildings. Wifi is free and surprisingly fast for Sabah. (updated Apr 2019)
• 🌍 Sepilok Forest Edge Resort. Nice looking spacious rooms ornamented with wood. It also hosts restaurant and a bar. Double RM 243+, dorms RM 42. (updated Aug 2016)
• 🌍 Sepilok Bed & Breakfast, ☎ [phone]. RM 120. (updated Aug 2016)
• 🌍 Uncle Tan B&B, Mile 14, Jalan Sepilok. Dorms RM 50+ per person. (updated Aug 2016)

Outside of town

• 🌍 Paganakan Dii Tropical Retreat (at Taman Jalil Alip), ☎ [phone]. Retreat set on top of a hill overlooking a distance of over 5km in radius and the nearby Labuk Road forest reserve. For those wishing to experience a contemporary interpretation of traditional stilt house living, and enjoying a serenity rare among the Sepilok doorstep offerings. Using recycled & rare timber, reject scraps from sawmills and redefining the use of simple and commonplace objects, the structures are created to highlight a unique, tropical design style. Only 5mins drive from Sepilok. Look for a signboard with a hornbill sitting on it. Double RM 180m, dorms RM 35. (updated Aug 2016)

Stay safe

Go next

• Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary. Tours which take in Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary often also visit the nearby Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary.
• Sandakan is the practical departure point for those travelling by air.