Borneo To Be Wild Tour

Distance Riding Day 6 - 203 kilometers | 126 miles
Hours Riding - 1.5 hours
Max Elevation - 42 meters | 137 feet
Elevation Rise - 34 meters | 112 feet
Meals Included - Breakfast
​Activities - Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Reserve, Sepilok Orang-Utan Sanctuary
Start & End Location - Sepilok Forest
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Breakfast

After a peaceful night of listening to the sounds of the jungle, we'll wake up with the sun and get going bright and early. Because we have a lot of monkeys to see today!

But of course, we must have breakfast first! The rainforest resort that we're staying at offers a buffet of breakfast options, and even has an egg-frying chef ready to make your eggs how you like them. Other breakfast items include toast, fruit, cereals, and yogurt, along with Malaysian-style options such as rice or noodles.

Ride to Labuk Bay

In order to get to the monkey reserve that will be our morning's destination, we will first ride through an active palm oil orchard and the surrounding wetlands. This is a dirt and gravel road, but it's pretty straightforward (literally), with some easily avoidable mud sections. You can always take the support vehicle today, or ride your bike and splash through the mud if you prefer...

Once we get to the reserve, we have to be careful to securely attach all of our belongings to the bikes. This is not because people will steal it, it's because the monkeys will steal it! There are monkeys everywhere out here!

Proboscis Monkey Reserve

Welcome to the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, where you can see these incredible monkeys that are known for their extremely large noses, and are only found here on Borneo! Proboscis monkeys are undeniably some of the coolest wildlife we've ever seen, and a part of that is because they are so human-like. And sometimes, in a not-so-flattering way.

Males have larger noses.

And females have slightly smaller or upturned noses.

But mostly it's a combination of how they sit, how they grunt, and their other mannerisms that make me think of humans. In fact, during the time of colonialization, the locals of Indonesia called their Dutch colonizers after the proboscis monkey. 

Though the reserve is small (400 acres), all the wildlife here is free-range. In the mid 1990's, this land was allocated to be cleared for palm oil development. But the owner noticed some proboscis monkeys living here, and decided to set aside this area for them to live on. Today, there are about 150 proboscis monkeys living here, and they are all pretty used to being around people. So even though we have our designated areas, sometimes the monkeys come right up to you! They are very passive and slow-moving, just going from one place to the next. So we just stand there and let them pass. 

And it's not just proboscis monkeys that live in this reserve. We will definitely be encountering some macaques, and if we're lucky, we might see some giant hornbills!

Lunch

After watching monkeys munch on leaves all morning, we'll have worked up an appetite for sure. So we'll have lunch back the the resort. 

Sepilok Orang-Utan Sanctuary

And now, for what we've all been waiting for - the orangutans.

Sepilok Orang-Utan Sanctuary was established in 1964 as a place to rehabilitate orphaned, injured, or displaced orangutans back into the wild. What started out as a single feeding platform has expanded to also include an outdoor nursery viewing area, making it one of the biggest and well-known orangutan sanctuaries in the world.

Not including the orphans that are kept in the nursery, around 75 wild orangutans roam free in this area. We'll be there for the afternoon feeding time, during which some of these wild-roaming orangutans should show up, and we'll have a front-row seat to observe them.

These "People of the Forest" are amazing to watch, and I could do so all day. Once they start coming around, you really get a sense for how huge they are, yet at the same time, soft and graceful. A truly inexplicable experience.

Found only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, orangutans are Asia's only great ape. The name orangutan comes from the Malay words "orang" and "utan," meaning "People of the Forest." It's a pretty accurate name, especially since orangutans share more than 97% of their DNA with humans! Also, the females usually only have one baby at a time, and will raise their offspring until it is around 8 years old. That's a long time in the animal world, which shows just how nurturing these apes can be.

My favorite is watching the little ones play. As Tim says, "They are both bald and completely fuzzy at the same time." I guarantee your heart will be alight with joy after spending the afternoon watching these incredible creatures.

Your Accommodations

Once we're done with all this monkeying around, we'll head back to the our jungle chalets to have a rest before dinner. 

Dinner

This evening, we'll head out to a nearby restaurant. It's situated overlooking a gorgeous little lake, all nestled within the Sepilok forest itself (so orangutans do occasionally show up for a photo op here). 

As we relive all the unforgettable experiences of the day, we can order both Western and Malaysian dishes, including burgers that people say are fantastic.

I would highly recommend the Char Kweh Tiao, which are thick rice noodles stir-fried in a richly flavored sauce. It's a specialty of Penang Island in West Malaysia, and it can be made spicy or not spicy, however you like.

But what really steals the show here are the specialty cocktails, mocktails, milk shakes, and smoothies that they make. This restaurant is only a few minutes drive from our rainforest resort, and so anyone who wants to be driven over and brought back in the support vehicle instead of ride over on the motorcycle is more than welcome to.

Distance Riding Day 7 - None, we're heading deep into the jungle's river system
Meals Included - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
​Activities - Rainforest Discovery Centre & Skywalk, Gomantong Caves
Start Location - Sepilok Forest
End Location - Kinabatangan River Basin
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Breakfast

Once again, we'll wake up to the sounds of the jungle, and the smells of coffee brewing and breakfast cooking.

But we'll eat quickly, because this morning we are going on a skywalk tour into the canopy of the world's second oldest rainforest - the ancient forest of the Borneo Lowlands.

Rainforest Centre Skywalk

Walking distance from our accommodations is the Rainforest Discovery Centre of Sandakan.

Along with an educational exhibition hall, and a Plant Discovery Garden (featuring carnivorous plants and over 250 kinds of orchids), the Rainforest Discovery Centre also boasts a 363 meter-long canopy skywalk (1,190 feet). These viewing platforms and walkways are as high as 28 meters (92 feet) above the ground, which is the same as a 25 story building! It offers a breathtaking view of the forest, as well as the perfect way to spy on wildlife as if you are merely a bird in the trees.

Wouldn't it be special if we saw a pygmy elephant while there? This is an area where they are sometimes seen!

At 140 million years old, the rainforest that you are stepping through is as old as the dinosaurs. And you can almost envision them walking through this dense and teeming jungle full of vines, moss, ferns, and incredibly unusual animals.

Borneo is also home to the world's largest flower, the Refflesia, a parasitic enormous beast of a plant that eats flies and smells horrifically of rotting carcasses. It's pretty rare to catch one of these blooming (it only blooms for about 5-7 days), but if there is one in the area, you better believe that everyone in the nearby vicinity will know about it.

Lunch

Nearby to the Rainforest Discovery Centre is a lovely little restaurant that is known to the locals as serving some of the best food in the area. It's a humble place, but you can get all your favorite Malaysian and Western fare here. 

Bus to Kinabatangan

Today we say goodbye to our motorcycles, and we'll get picked up by bus for a special escort to the remote Sukau Rainforest Lodge deep in the Kinabatangan River Basin. Let's soak up the air-conditioning while we have it!

The Kinabantangan River Basin is a large protected area of Sabah that consists of Malaysia's second longest river, the Kinabatangan. The region is home to some of Borneo's highest concentrations of wildlife, and what makes it truly special, is that many of these animals regularly congregate around the river, including pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, gibbons, hornbills, kingfishers, wild boars, monitor lizards, tarsiers, crocodiles, and of course, orangutans. A trip to Sabah wouldn't be complete without coming here.

Gomantong Caves

Along the way to the river basin, we'll have the opportunity to explore one of the area's most beautiful and bizarre sights (it's not for the faint of heart). Gomantong Caves is one of the biggest cave systems in Sabah, and it winds its way through the largest limestone outcrop in the Lower Kinabatangan area. Made up of two chambers, the White Cave and the Black Cave, the boardwalk-lined trek through the caves does not take long, but its the creatures inside the cave that make this truly special (and also the stuff of nightmares).

This is because the caves are home to a massive and thriving population of bats, as well as cockroaches and centipedes. There is also a lot of swiftlet birds living here, which means that the swiftlet nest production industry in the caves is alive and well. Although sometimes the industry closes the caves for nest collection, if they are open for us (fingers crossed), then we'll be able to witness the incredible lengths people go to collect these bird nests in order to sell them as health and wellness products.

Once we've survived the caves, we'll get back onto the bus and take one of the only roads that has been built through this part of Borneo. All other traffic through here goes by river, since that is the way people have traversed this environment for thousands of years. At the end of this road we'll find ourselves transported to distant universe that feels cut off from the rest of society - a world-renowned eco-lodge nestled onto the banks of the Kinabatangan River.

Sukau Rainforest Lodge

For the next two nights, you will have the privilege of staying in one of the most "unique" accommodations of your life - the Sukau Rainforest Lodge. This conservation-embracing eco-lodge is a real highlight of Borneo, and it received the "Unique Lodges of the World" Award by National Geographic in 2015. Only 61 properties worldwide can claim this title, and Sukau Rainforest Lodge is one of only 6 in all of Asia. 

Sir David Attenborough is a Conservation Fellow of Sukau Rainforest Lodge, and he actually came here in 2011 to film a documentary about the wild orangutans of the area. There is a boardwalk named after him, and even the boat that he and the BBC crew used has been converted into a breakfast buffet table!

Sukau Rainforest Lodge has received numerous awards over the years, but it is well-deserved, because the lodge works hard at not just providing an excellent experience for its clients, but they take important steps to help preserve and protect the surrounding rainforest. Through its non-for-profit organization that is responsible for community and environmental work, the BEST Foundation, Sukau purchases pristine rainforest as part of the Borneo Land Conservancy Initiative. Our stay here helps contribute to that foundation.

Your Accommodations

Each room is decorated in the traditional Bornean style, and is equipped with inverter air-conditioners, spacious private bathrooms, and views of the surrounding forest. Along with the lodge's modern amenities, Sukau makes sure that every room takes in the ambiance of being a part of the rainforest and one with nature.

In order to be as ecologically sustainable as possible, and with little impact on the surrounding environment, the running water here is recycled from rainwater (including the swimming pool). Electricity is powered by solar panels, and food is sourced locally. Even the towels and bedding are sent to be washed all the way in the city of Sandakan to minimize the impact on nature.

Dinner

Needless to say, the food here is superb. Though all meals here are served buffet style, the cooks at the Melapi Restaurant take great care to cater to everyone's specific needs. If you have any dietary restrictions, we'll let them know ahead of time, because these chefs can work wonders.

As nightfall descends over the forest, we will be engulfed in the orchestra of Bornean sounds, welcoming us to their home. Having heard the night sounds of rainforests all around the world, I find that Borneo's jungles provide a unique experience. It has a particularly exotic quality that is musical, ancient, and humbling.

And to the buzzing melodies of the forest singing us to sleep, we'll peacefully dream of what tomorrow will bring (it will be a good one, I guarantee it).

Distance Riding Day 8 - None, but we will be traveling quite a ways along the Kinabatangan River
Meals Included - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
​Activities - Sunrise River Cruise to Oxbow Lake, Hornbill Boardwalk, Sunset River Cruise & Safari
Start & End Location - Kinabatangan River Basin
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Sunrise River Cruise to Oxbow Lake

This morning we will get up right as the jungle starts to wake, and head into the Sukau Lodge's river boats that will take us on a journey upriver and into the mists.

Here is Sir David Attenborough in 2011 doing a similar tour to what you will experience along the Kinabatangan River.

Our goal this morning is to get a peak at all the incredible wildlife of the Kinabatangan River Basin. We're talking rainbow-colored birds galore, crocodiles large enough to eat people (and they do sometimes, but we'll be safe), orangutans, gibbons, king cobras, flying foxes, proboscis monkeys, otter, deer, wild boars, sun bears, sunda clouded leopards, and of course, the elusive but incredible pygmy elephant! This is by far the best place on earth to see some of these animals. Most people say these boat trips are the absolute highlight of their time in Borneo.

​Sukau takes detailed reports of all wildlife sightings on every expedition, and according to their research, the chances of seeing wild proboscis monkeys and macaques is 100%! Some other surprising data shows that they see water monitors 97% of the time, crocodiles 82%, and adorable palm civets are seen 87% the time! This is why the BBC chose to come here to film wildlife! Nothing can match the Kinabatangan River Basin for a truly wild Bornean experience.
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The Sukau Rainforest Lodge is the only place along the Kinabatangan River that uses electric powered boats to explore the waterways. This isn't just great for the environment and prevents harmful pollutants from contaminating the river, but because it's super quiet, our presence in the boat is less likely to scare the wildlife.

Spotting Pygmy Elephants

One of the most thrilling animals to try to see on our voyage through the rainforest will be the pygmy elephant. More officially called Borneo Elephants, this particular species of elephant is found nowhere else on earth. 

As the name suggests, pygmy elephants are small compared to African elephants, though the name is a bit of a misnomer since they are relatively the same size as peninsular Southeast Asian elephants. In other words, they're huge.​

One of the really great things about going on a riverboat safari is that these elephants like to hang out by the river's edge. And they're there for so much more than drinking.

Elephants by nature simply love to play and cool off in the water, and they will spend hours by the banks of the Kinabatangan, just waiting for us to come by so they can show off their water spraying skills. Plus, they are truly gentle giants, and they don't seem to mind the presence of humans in boats at all.

Although the island of Borneo is massive (it's the third largest island on earth), because of habitat loss, human development, and limited mineral resources, the range of pygmy elephants has been restricted to the northern and northeastern portion of Borneo. This means that there are really only a few specific places in which you can see them, and the Kinabatangan River Basin is the most prominent location with the largest population.

These elephants are rare. In 2024, the Borneo Elephant was listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List.
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Because of their endangered status and elusive nature, seeing a pygmy elephant in the wild is an incredibly special experience. Although there is no guarantee that we will see them, the Sukau Lodge reports spotting them 39% of the time, which is fabulous! Certainly, this is where we will have the best chances possible of having this unforgettable experience..

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Once back at the lodge, it will be time for breakfast!

Because we'll be spending all day at the lodge, our three meals today (and any other food you'd like to eat) will be served for us at the Melapi Restaurant. Every breakfast, lunch, and dinner served here is included and complementary of your stay. Extra snacks and alcoholic or specialty drinks are not included (see our What's Included page for more). 

The meals will all be served buffet-style, so you'll have plenty to choose from, but I highly suggest trying some of the Malaysian curries on offer. Although some curries here are made Indian-style, Malaysian specific curries have quite different flavor profiles, and can be made with coconut milk-based sauces. They are more similar to Thai curries, though not quite as spicy (and sometimes they aren't spicy at all).

Enjoying the Rainforest Lodge

During the heat of the day, this is the perfect time to take advantage of your gorgeous and fascinating surroundings. The Sukau Rainforest Lodge has lots of activities to partake in, as well as many comfortable spaces in which to relax. You could take a dip in the pool, or grab a drink at the Gecko Bar. Stop by the Kadai Souvenir Shop, or explore the Ape Gallery.

You could try your hand a traditional Bornean musical instrument, or even treat yourself to a massage at the spa. 

After all this adventuring, you deserve something nice. And there is always something fun going on at the Sukau Lodge.

Hornbill Boardwalk

But my personal favorite thing to do is take a stroll down the Hornbill Boardwalk. Because who knows what incredible wildlife you'll see out there.

Over 500 species of birds have been spotted at and around the lodge. So if you like birdwatching, this place is for you.

And if the boardwalk isn't enough, the Sukau Lodge offers guided rainforest walks for any groups that want to get more up close and personal with the jungle.

Sunset River Cruise & Safari

This evening, as the sun begins its descent, we're going to head out on another riverboat safari. This is one of the best times to see jungle life, and our guides are fabulous at spotting every bit of movement in the brush.

And if we're lucky, we'll be able to check off our list of the Borneo Big Five - the orangutan, pygmy elephant, proboscis monkey, rhinoceros hornbill, and the estaurine crocodile. If we do see all of these, the lodge will give us each a certificate!

Evening at the Lodge

Wow, what a day.

​At dinner time, we'll all reconvene, tell stories, and watch the sunset as we eat another fresh and tasty meal, letting the stars of the incredible Borneo night sky twinkle above us.

Distance Riding Day 9 - None, we fly back to Kota Kinabalu
Meals Included - Breakfast, Dinner
​Activities - Bongawan River Boat Cruise & Firefly Sunset Dinner
Start Location - Kinabatangan River Basin
End Location - Kota Kinabalu
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Breakfast and Journey to Sandakan

Today we are waking up with the peaceful dawn, and saying our farewells to Sukau Rainforest Lodge. We'll pack up, and eat breakfast quickly, because we have a lot of ground to cover today. Our transport that will be taking us back to the city of Sandakan leaves first thing in the morning.

As we wind our way through the jungle, we'll say our goodbyes to Asia's last and greatest rainforest.

Flight from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu

We're going full-circle today, back to where we began in the city of Kota Kinabalu. The flight (included) is pretty short, only 50 minutes from takeoff to landing. So before we know it, we'll be back in the city of KK (as the locals call it).

Kota Kinabalu is a fairly small city, and the airport is very near to the boardwalk downtown area. So it shouldn't take long for us to get back to the wonderful hotel where we stayed at for our first night in East Malaysia.

Your Accommodations

Remember this lovely place with the refreshing pool? Well this is where we are going to stay again for the last night of our tour together.

Lunch

Lucky for us, this hotel serves up an excellent lunch. They have both a restaurant and a bar, and we don't even need to leave the poolside if we don't want to. The restaurant specializes in a fusion of Asian and Western flavors, including a dish that is Tim's personal favorite in Malaysia - Beef Rendang. It's shredded beef cooked in a sauce that's got so many good flavors to it, I don't even know how to describe it. It's just fantastic!

And don't forget the dessert menu that features cinnamon chocolate and lemon merengue éclairs, and a sugar-free Malaysian pandan layer cake, a specialty of East Malaysia! Oh my!

Mangrove Forest Boat Cruise

And now I have something great planned for us this afternoon! Since this is our last day together, I figured we should end our trip with a bang. And so I have booked us a private river boat cruise of a mangrove forest along the coast!

We'll be heading up the Bongawan River, which is a very different habitat from the Kinabitangan, because this is coastal swamplands. It zigs and zags through dense tropical wetlands where many incredible birds, lizards, monkeys, and crocodiles can be spotted.

These monitor lizards can be HUGE (they can get to be more than 3 meters long, or 10 feet)! I think of komodo dragons when I see them (or just regular dragons...).

Soon the river will narrow and we'll be in the thick of the mangrove forest. Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees that play a vital role in climate health by storing carbon and reducing coastal erosion. And it's incredible to see their aerial roots!

The Stork-Billed Kingfisher is one of Borneo's most iconic birds. Look at that huge heavy head! Tim took this picture.

Monkey Spotting

As the afternoon fades into evening, monkeys love to come by the river banks to hang out, especially proboscis monkeys! We'll have to keep our eyes on the treetops...

Mirror Sunset Beach

And now as the sun sets and our cruise comes to where the mangrove forest meets the sea, there is a very special natural phenomenon here that we can take part in. Since the coast is so shallow, there is an area where the water is only a few inches deep for what seems forever. And with the sun setting directly behind this "mirror," it can create some stunning photo opportunities (these photos are courtesy of Bongawan River Cruises).

Dinner

After that spectacular sunset, we'll get back on the boat where we'll have our dinner. It will be a simple affair of Malaysian-style rice, chicken, and vegetables, but it's the setting around us that will be spectacular.

And then after dinner, we have something that Tim and I are so excited to show you, a hidden secret of the island of Borneo.

Firefly Fireworks Finale

It's pretty impossible to capture on film, and even harder to explain, but I'll do my best. When Tim and I were first told about the fireflies of Borneo, I thought, that's nice. But I've seen fireflies before, and they're always nice, but nothing new. Right?

The difference between these lightning bugs and any others I've ever seen (including the giant ones in Costa Rica, and the mountaintop ones in Zambia) is that these lightning bugs are tiny, and there's zillions of them, and they're all clustered together. In fact, they'll pick out a certain tree, and then they'll twinkle like the stars above us... I don't want to give it all away. You'll just have to see it for yourself.
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This is an experience to be had. Not one that can be captured and contained on a phone or in an Instagram photo. It's simply a moment to be felt.

I feel similarly about this webpage that I've made on our trip. I've tried my best to express what I've seen and experienced out here, but I can only do so much.
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The rest must be experienced first-hand to be understood. It's as simple as that.

Distance Riding Day 10 - None, it's Departure Day.
Meals Included - Breakfast
Start Location - Kota Kinabalu
End Location - Wherever the rest of your journey may lead you...

This is it, we've come to the end of our incredible journey.

Breakfast

As we have our final breakfast together back at the hotel, we'll reminisce about all the fantastic moments we've had in the past ten days. From ancient rainforests, to staring orangutans in the face, to the Tip of Borneo, and reaching that hill overlooking Mount Kinabalu... From the coral reefs of the Sulu Sea, to riding a motorcycle on that gorgeous beach... This has been the stuff of dreams.

​But what has made it all the more special, is that we got to share these experiences with each other, new lifelong friends that we've made. So whether your plans from here are to head home, or to continue your adventures around Southeast Asia, you will always be able to look back at these moments we've had and simply smile.

If you're interested in this tour,
​then we'd love to hear from you!
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I'm Interested!