Sepilok Nature Resort — Hotel in Borneo

OVERVIEW Hidden amongst a veritable treasure trove of tropical plants, grasses, huge trees  and spectacular orchids in bloom, the quaint bungalows of the Sepilok Nature  Resort are within walking distance of the world-famous Kabili-Sepilok Forest  Reserve, precious home of the last wild Orang-Utans of Northern Borneo.

Combining rich traditional style with contemporary luxury, Sepilok Nature Resort is  the ideal starting point for most other wildlife land destinations in Sabah such as the  fauna rich Kinabatangan River and the surrounding Sukau area. Sepilok Nature  Resort also offers the perfect setting for relaxing after a long plane trip, before  continuing on a diving holiday to Lankayan.

LOCATION Sepilok Nature Resort is approximately a 40-minute drive from Sandakan airport. It is located within walking distance to Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre

INFORMATION Check-in time - 1400hrs Check-out time - 1200hrs

CHALETS Set in a spectacularly landscaped private area of manicured lawns and rolling hills, the 23 individual chalets are surrounded by a garden which would take half a day to explore and offers amazing array of tropical plants and grasses and a collection of more  than one hundred and fifty different Asian orchid species.

Room Facilities and Amenities

Twin Sharing Room (Triple sharing upon request)

Ceiling Fan & Air-Conditioned Room

Mini Rattan Shelf with hangers

A Private Balcony

Coffee and tea making facilities

En-suite bathroom with shower and bathtub

Basic toiletries

Bath towels

220 volts electrical point (3 pin socket - British)

MEALS AND TIMING

Breakfast –   0700hrs - 1030hrs Lunch      –  1230hrs - 1400hrs Dinner     –   1900hrs - 2030hrs

FACILITIES Front office, tour information desk and  restaurant are all integrated in the resort main building built with charming traditional wooden  interior reflecting a truly tranquil setting, overlooking the green shimmering curtain of lowland  tropical rainforest canopies with some formations reaching almost 80 to 120 feet. A view of the  beautiful natural lake at the heart of the resort is a sight not to be missed. Guest can enjoy a  sumptuous meals cooked by our chef with a fusion of local and western cuisines served in the  central building under covered terraces in a serene setting overlooking the lake and virgin rainforest.

The Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Center (where young captive or abandoned Orang Utans are  being helped by a highly trained and motivated staff to re-adjust to a life in the wild, and where a  Sumatran rhino breeding program is in progress) and the actual Sepilok Forest Reserve are just a  few minutes' walk away, and the Resort staff are happy to organize birding, trekking and river trips  to the neighboring areas (including the fauna rich Sukau area along the Kinabatangan river and  Turtle Island off North...

To be fair there aren't that many accommodation choices in the area, but if you are wanting to see the orangutans and sun bears this is a great option. In fact it is right next door to the orangutan sanctuary, and has warning signs around of what to do if one is in the complex. |The rooms are separate villas around a lake, which has a lot of wildlife around, including several birds and lizards. The rooms are large and spacious, with a massive shower area. We were a bit confused as to why there was a bath tub in front of a window, but this was not the first time we had been confused by a bath on this holiday. Rooms are cleaned daily if required, with the water and other things refreshed.|The restaurant is a la carte, with an excellent selection of drinks and food. However this is where the resort fails a bit - if you have breakfast included you only get a fixed breakfast. This is fine, but you can only choose between certain things, so if you want bacon you can't have sausage etc. Also, the service is really bad. I mean, really, really slow, with one person managing multiple items in the bar while everyone else just stands and watches them. Not saying we were in a hurry, but there were several times we were ignored for other tables and I had to actually get up and find someone to take our order. This was weird as everywhere else in the resort the service was speedy and impeccable.|But its just a small niggle. This is a great place to stay, and maybe I need to learn that things can slow down...

We stayed at the sepilok nature reserve for two nights, before embarking on our river kinabatangan cruise, and I’m soo glad we did! We stayed in lodge 14. The hotel comprises of several lodges. The lodges themselves were very clean inside (we only found 2 very small lizards, but no other creepy crawlies). It has a huge shower (you need to press the hot water switch on ten mins before you go) and a bathtub. Slippers are also provided. The views outside the lodge were stunning, so peaceful. The hammock was great addition as well. |In terms of location, it was excellent. We were a 5 minute walk from the orangutang and bear sanctuary, which meant we could get there early and watch the orangutang feeding at 10am. |The hotel organised a night walk (at the local RDC centre, price was 60 per person for the walk and transport) and we went on the 6-8pm walk. I highly recommend this, we absolutely loved it and saw soo many night animals! And the guide was excellent. Definitely a highlight of our stay. |The reason why I’ve given this 4 stars instead of 5, was the food. The dinner menu (same as lunch menu) was great, but the breakfast was a bit of a let down. There wasn’t really many options and quite plain. It would have been great if there were a few other options, as well as basics such as juice, salt and pepper for the eggs. |Other than that, we loved our stay and I would 100% recommend the...