Our time spent in Sepilok visiting the sanctuaries was perfect. Not only did we get a close look at the Bornean sun bears, orangutans and Proboscis monkeys, we also learned a ton of information about them and their situations.
We learned the biggest threat to all of these animals was deforestation for the expansion of palm oil plantations. As deforestation decreases their natural habitat, these animals have no place to go. This made me so thankful for the sanctuaries that work to rehabilitate them, and eventually, release them into one of Malaysia’s protected forests.
The Kinabatangan Floodplain is one of those forests.
Located on the east coast of the Malaysian state of Sabah in Borneo, it is one of the last forested alluvial floodplains in Asia and is an area of enormous importance for wildlife and the local community.
When researching things to do in Borneo, the Kinabatangan River was listed near the top with numerous tours offered by the many lodges lining the river.
But we didn’t want to stay at just any lodge – we wanted to stay at the best. So, when we discovered the Sukau Rainforest Lodge was rated as one of National Geographic’s Unique Lodges of the World, we knew we needed to stay there. If it was good enough for National Geographic, it was good enough for us!
Getting a reservation last minute took persistence. While they were fully booked, I checked daily to see if there were any new openings due to last minute cancellations. After a couple of days, there was an opening and we managed to secure a booking. We were now ready to see the unique wildlife of Borneo, in its natural habitat, at one of the most unique lodges in the world!
Borneo EcoTours handles all of the bookings and tour packages for the Sukau Rainforest Lodge. We chose the 3 day/2 night package which included transportation to/from the lodge, meals, accommodations, three river safaris, park entrance fees, and an English-speaking guide. Transportation to the lodge can be taken either by overland or by boat.
We chose overland.
They picked us up in Sepilok and we drove 1 hour and 45 minutes to a jetty on the Kinabatangan River.
From there, we transferred to a boat for a short ride across the river to the Sukau Rainforest Lodge.
Built in 1995, the Sukau Rainforest Lodge was the first lodge in the area designed on ecotourism principles.
The Lodge is built 100 feet away from the river bank (except for the Melapi Jetty) and outside the riparian reserve to prevent storm water soil erosion. The entire complex is connected by wooden boardwalks making it easy for guests to explore, while at the same time, avoiding erosion and allowing plants and animals to thrive undisturbed. Finally, the Lodge is built completely with Borneo hardwood species.
The Lodge is also completely self-sufficient in water. Rainwater is harvested, filtered, and chlorinated for kitchen and guest use. Every room has an attached bathroom with a solar hot water shower. Also, filtered water is provided in the rooms and throughout the resort to prevent the use of disposable water bottles.
To minimize air and noise pollution, and reduce stress on the wildlife, electric motors are used for river safari tours.
Finally, the Lodge supports the local community by employing 80 percent of its staff from the neighboring villages.
For more information on their ecotourism principles, click here.
When we arrived, we were given a tour of the Lodge before being shown to our room. We learned the Lodge is built on stilts five feet above ground to minimize impacts of annual flooding and to keep insects, animals, and reptiles out of the rooms. The Lodge also uses an open concept design to allow for unrestrained air circulation to maximize day time cooling and minimize energy usage.
Native vegetation has also been left intact to provide natural shade, minimize the impact of noise, and provide maximum privacy to the in-house guests.
After our tour and being settled into our room, we headed to the Ape Gallery to attend the “Orangutan Talk,” our first scheduled activity. We wanted to know everything we could about these magical apes.
The talk was informative and was a great introduction for our next couple of days along the Kinabatangan River.
After the talk, it was time for our first river safari! We grabbed our cameras, mosquito spray and rain gear, before heading to the jetty. While it wasn’t currently raining, some clouds were rolling in and we wanted to be prepared.
We loaded into one of their smaller boats equipped with an electric motor.
We headed down the Kinabatangan River before turning down a small tributary. Here, we slowly floated along the river searching for Proboscis monkeys, orangutans, and other wildlife. Within minutes, we spotted our first group of Proboscis monkeys!
Gathered in the trees above the shore, we quickly spotted more groups of Proboscis monkeys called harems. Some were groups of females led by a single male, and others were “bachelor” groups consisting of all males.
We quietly watched from the boat while the monkeys stared back curiously. Realizing we posed no harm, they continued eating, grooming, and swinging from tree to tree, giving us a spectacular show.
While we had seen Proboscis monkeys at the sanctuary, seeing them fly through the trees in their natural habitat was a completely different and rewarding experience.
Continuing along the river, the guide suddenly cut the engine as he stayed focused on one of the trees. He lifted his binoculars and searched around. We all stared up at the tree but found nothing.
“There!” he said as he pointed to the top of the tree.
We stared up and eventually saw a glimpse of red fur within the branches. We found our first wild orangutan!
As a survival technique, orangutans are solitary primates unless they are raising their offspring. To further protect themselves, they try to stay hidden high in the trees and move frequently. This makes orangutans extremely difficult to spot in the wild. Luckily, we got to see one that afternoon.
While we all stared up in the trees, the rain started to fall. Kevin and I whipped out our rain jackets and rain pants to protect ourselves. Others on the boat stared in envy as they started to get soaked from the rain.
Man, I love rain gear.
Feeling satisfied with our safari finds, we headed back to the lodge for a hot shower and delicious dinner at their Melapi Restaurant.
Overall, it was a perfect first day at the lodge!
The next morning, we were up at 5:30 a.m. for our two-hour morning cruise. We met at the dock where we grabbed a quick snack and headed out onto the river.
It was a quiet and misty morning. We floated down the main river searching for waking wildlife and birds which are most active in the morning. Eventually, we spotted a baby and mother Proboscis monkey.
We also saw birds and local vegetation.
Eventually, we made our way to Kelenanap Ox-Bow lake. We floated along the shore hoping to spot another orangutan, or maybe a crocodile, but we were unsuccessful. Luckily, we would have another chance to search for wildlife later that afternoon.
When we arrived back to Sukau Rainforest Lodge, we enjoyed our breakfast that awaited us. After breakfast, I joined an educational walking tour along the Lodge’s Hornbill Boardwalk. This boardwalk is 1500 feet long, located at the back of the lodge, and is the longest covered boardwalk in Borneo. There are two elephant passes along the boardwalk. These were built to allow for the migration of Borneo Pygmy elephants through the property.
Other than a few birds and some monkeys in the bushes, it was a quiet day along the boardwalk. I still appreciated the information on the local flora and a chance to explore the property of the Lodge.
After a snack and an afternoon tea, we headed back out to the river in search of more wildlife. While we didn’t have much success earlier in the day, I was confident we were about to get lucky.
And I was right.
After 30 minutes of cruising along the main the river, we spotted a Pygmy Elephant!
The Bornean Pygmy elephant is the smallest in Asia measuring 1/5 smaller than other Asian elephants. They are listed as endangered with only an estimated 1,500 remaining in Borneo due to habitat loss. The largest population remaining can be found along the Kinabatangan River.
We sat quietly as we watched the elephant graze along the shore. As we floated in the river enjoying the view, more and more boats pulled up next to us.
Although I have seen elephants in Africa and Thailand, I was still overcome with excitement to see another one in the wild. Elephants are one of my favourite animals. We felt so lucky to get to view this rare elephant on our river safari.
Eventually, the elephant headed away from the shore out of sight. At that time, we continued on our adventure spotting more Proboscis monkeys along the way.
As we headed back toward the Sukau Rainforest Lodge, the guide stopped the boat one last time and grabbed his binoculars. We stared up at the trees, noticing a speck of orange, although we were unsure of what we were seeing.
The guide confirmed that it was a Silvered Leaf monkey with its baby.
Silvered Leaf monkeys have grey-tipped, dark brown or black fur, giving them a uniform silver appearance. Newborn Silvered Leaf monkeys, however, differ considerably from adults. Newborns have bright orange fur that eventually changes after three to five months.
It was the perfect way to end our time on the Kinabatangan River.
We spent our last evening reflecting on the amazing adventures we had over the last couple of weeks: hiking Mount Kinabalu, visiting the Bornean sun bears, orangutans and Proboscis monkey sanctuaries, and recently, exploring the Kinabatagan River.
Borneo was constantly filled with amazing surprises, and we both agreed, it was now one of our favourite places in the world.
But our adventures weren’t over, yet. Bali, here we come!
Fore more information on the Sukau Rainforest Lodge visit borneoecotours.com.