A small settlement on the edge of the jungle is the first stop on your journey to explore the local wildlife. Thanks to local rescue stations, you can come face to face with orangutans and Malayan bears, plus there's a great Rainforest Discovery Centre with treetop trails and plenty of activities.

Sepilok is really just a cluster of hotels and attractions that are well worth a visit. You can use Sandakan as your base for exploring Sepilok, or stay right here at the rainforest resorts.

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

A famous conservation centre where small critically endangered orangutans are d:ochred for rehabilitation and breeding. Here you can see an interesting exhibition, an orangutan nursery with baby orangutans and also take a walk through the jungle paths where the semi-wild orangutans live.

Your best chance of spotting orangutans is during feeding time - orangutans (and sometimes other primates) from the surrounding forests flock to the centre in search of food.

Feeding takes place every day at 10:00 and 15:00. Come early to ensure you get a good spot to watch the feeding.

The rehab center is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You pay admission 30 myr at the door. You may not bring any luggage inside except for a camera or cell phone.

Borneo Malayan Bear Conservation Centre

Right next to the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is also a centre where you can see the tiny Malayan bears that are often hunted by poachers. There are currently 43 rescued bears at the centre.

The centre is open every day from 09:00 to 15:30, you pay a fee to enter 50 myr (10 myr Malays). Adoption of one of the bears or a volunteer program is also available.

Rainforest Discovery Center

The big rainforest discovery centre is often forgotten in Sepilok, as the chances of spotting large mammals are much lower here. Still, a visit is worthwhile.

Rainforest Discover Center, Sepilok

The area includes treetop walkways from which you can observe many species of monkeys, bird species and some reptiles as well. The center is also surrounded by a series of jungle trails that you can explore on your own to soak up the jungle atmosphere. Inside the centre you will also find a botanical garden, a nice museum and a good and cheap restaurant.

The Rainforest Discovery Center is open every day from 08:00 to 17:00. Tickets cost 30 myr for international visitors and 7 myr for Malaysians.

Booking kahau nosata Labuk Bay

The bizarre kahau-nosed monkeys are one of Borneo's iconic animals. The chances of spotting them in the wild are quite high, but if you want to be sure, you can visit this reserve. However, it has been associated with somewhat controversial behaviour towards primates in the past, so consider your visit well.

You'll see most of the kahau nosed ones at feeding times, these take place on two platforms each day. On Platform A you will see feeding times at 09:30 and 14:30, and on Platform B at 11:30 and 16:30.

Booking is open every day from 08:30 to 17:30. You will pay for your ticket 60 myr, for Malaysians only 15 myr.

If you want to bring your camera or camcorder inside, you still have to pay extra. You can buy tickets in advance at proboscis.cc.

Accommodation in Sepilok

Sepilok is the site of beautiful and comfortable jungle resorts that you can use. Some of the most popular ones include:

Transportation Sepilok

Sepilok doesn't have very good transport links, so it may be worthwhile to use the shuttles of the hotels. There are also Grab buses that run around Sepilok, which are handy for getting between centres quickly.

If you want to get to Sepilok, you have the following options:

By bus - All buses to/from Sandakan can stop at the junction to Sepiloku. However, you still have to walk 3 km by road directly to Sepiloku or take a taxi/Grab.
By shuttle - There is a shuttle directly from Sandakan to Sepiloku every day at 9:00am, booked by calling the hotel reception.