Kinabatangan Sunshine Lodge — Hotel in Borneo

Sunshine Lodge sent a staff member to pick us up from our hotel in Sandakan for MYR 120 (USD 30), but about an hour into the 2 hour drive, he began driving erratically - drifting into the other lane, then jerking back, slowing down to 5 mph, then speeding up, drifting off the side of the road. Then he fell asleep at the wheel. I suspected he was drunk as he kept hiccuping and burping during the ride. We made him pull over at a roadside shop, then we called the Lodge to tell them the situation. The woman was very unhelpful, she insisted that there was no other driver that could come get us and that we should get back in the car with him because he was "just sleepy". The driver became very angry and kept trying to force us back into the car. He claimed to be the owner's father. This went on for 2 hours. The woman would call us back & repeat that she couldn't find anyone to come get us & repeatedly told us to get back in the car with him. I think she thought we were being fussy, but we've been in SE Asia for months now, we are aware that the driving here is different from the USA. This was different, this was utterly dangerous. The guy could barely keep his eyes open. Finally, after 3 hours had gone by with us sitting on the side of the road, we found a nearby resort, Borneo Natural Sukau Bilit Resort, that could come get us. After we got a ride with them, the woman from Sunshine Lodge called us back to tell us she had found someone to come get us & that it would cost us an additional MYR 70! Completely ridiculous that she would try to charge us extra after sending us a driver who was drunk. After we got to the lodge, we did find that the accommodations were basic but nice, exactly as advertised. The cabin was clean and rustic (in a good way). The nature guide was also very nice and we enjoyed our boat rides with him immensely, he would name every bird that flew overhead, then find it in his Borneo book of animals so we could read about it. Dinner was also nice, Isa really is a good chef. However, we were a little stunned at the prices. Dinner was MYR 25 per person. In town, this would be a whole feast. Our dinner portions were tiny, I couldn't believe two of us had to share it for the price. Additionally, we had read online that boat rides were MYR 50 / person, but this was not the case. It turns out they were MYR 95 / person. Lastly, when we finally arrived, we tried to call back Siti, the woman we'd spoken with earlier, to ask her about the prices. We also sincerely hoped they would offer us a free boat ride or something to make amends for the horrible car experience, but of course no one picked up. I couldn't wait to leave. I do not recommend...

If you wish to experience a relaxed, welcoming and down to earth location I highly recommend this Lodge to you. Facilities are basic, but clean and comfortable. If you want all the five star luxuries, then other options available will suit you better, but if you want an extremely good value for money, hosted by truly local staff, in a well run operation, then choose the Sunshine Lodge. The worst thing about the lodge is the website, it does not do it justice. The best thing is the staff. All staff were friendly, courteous, efficient and deserve high praise. I must single out for mention Tanchong, our guide during our stay. He is a lovely young man full of vitality, and has a love for his job that is obvious. Having been born and raised in the village, he has a wealth of knowledge of the bird, animal and plant life in this location. He has a good command of English, and a happy disposition. He went out of his way to ensure we had every opportunity to observe the many species of wildlife in the area. As I said, the Sunshine Lodge is basic, you will get the occasional insect in the room, it is the jungle after all. The meals are mainly basic Malay, and the cook does an excellent job, tasty, filling and authentic. At breakfast there are eggs, and toast and jam etc as a concession to western fare, but also traditional Malay rice and noodle dishes. Lunch and dinner are chicken, prawn, squid, beef, vegetables, stir fry, noodle and rice dishes. Every meal has fresh fruit served with it. Again, if you want croissants, go to France, or one of the five star locations, personally, I came to Malaysia to experience Malaysia, As a retired ships Captain, I can state that the marine side of the operation is run efficiently. The vessels are well maintained, and at all times our guide was mindful of safety aspects. During our 3 day stay, we were fortunate to see 4 of the 5 species of monkey, including orangutan on 2 occasions. The gibbon is extremely rarely seen and was the only one not sighted. Bird species sighted were too numerous to name, but included several variety of hornbill. Several small and 1 large crocodile in excess of 3.5m. A civet cat visited the lodge one night, as did a type of owl, and each night several small bats would hunt the insects congregating around the area lights. The highlight for us was an extended period of time we got to spend in close proximity to the pygmy elephants. ||All in all an extremely enjoyable and rewarding experience, in no small part due to the wonderful staff. Don't come expecting five star luxury, do come with realistic expectations and I assure you that you will not be disappointed. Very highly...

If you wish to experience a relaxed, welcoming and down to earth location I highly recommend this Lodge to you. Facilities are basic, but clean and comfortable. If you want all the five star luxuries, then other options available will suit you better, but if you want an extremely good value for money, hosted by truly local staff, in a well run operation, then choose the Sunshine Lodge. The worst thing about the lodge is the website, it does not do it justice. The best thing is the staff. All staff were friendly, courteous, efficient and deserve high praise. I must single out for mention Tanchong, our guide during our stay. He is a lovely young man full of vitality, and has a love for his job that is obvious. Having been born and raised in the village, he has a wealth of knowledge of the bird, animal and plant life in this location. He has a good command of English, and a happy disposition. He went out of his way to ensure we had every opportunity to observe the many species of wildlife in the area. As I said, the Sunshine Lodge is basic, you will get the occasional insect in the room, it is the jungle after all. The meals are mainly basic Malay, and the cook does an excellent job, tasty, filling and authentic. At breakfast there are eggs, and toast and jam etc as a concession to western fare, but also traditional Malay rice and noodle dishes. Lunch and dinner are chicken, prawn, squid, beef, vegetables, stir fry, noodle and rice dishes. Every meal has fresh fruit served with it. Again, if you want croissants, go to France, or one of the five star locations, personally, I came to Malaysia to experience Malaysia, As a retired ships Captain, I can state that the marine side of the operation is run efficiently. The vessels are well maintained, and at all times our guide was mindful of safety aspects. During our 3 day stay, we were fortunate to see 4 of the 5 species of monkey, including orangutan on 2 occasions. The gibbon is extremely rarely seen and was the only one not sighted. Bird species sighted were too numerous to name, but included several variety of hornbill. Several small and 1 large crocodile in excess of 3.5m. A civet cat visited the lodge one night, as did a type of owl, and each night several small bats would hunt the insects congregating around the area lights. The highlight for us was an extended period of time we got to spend in close proximity to the pygmy elephants. ||All in all an extremely enjoyable and rewarding experience, in no small part due to the wonderful staff. Don't come expecting five star luxury, do come with realistic expectations and I assure you that you will not be disappointed. Very highly...