Borneo's Underrated Gem – the Rainforest Discovery Centre
When I think of the remote island of Borneo, I picture the first season of Survivor… and then I picture the wild rainforests that are home to incredible and unique plants and animals. To me, the thought of being able to explore the jungles of Borneo was such an exciting prospect, but I couldn’t have imagined how readily available it actually is for visitors. The Rainforest Discovery Centre is a woefully underrated gem that should be considered a must-visit while in Borneo! It is a uniquely accessible spot for anyone interested in the biodiversity of the rainforests.
To be honest, I get the sense that many treat the Rainforest Discovery Centre as a kind of whatever add-on to their day of spotting orangutans at the nearby Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, using it to fill time while Sepilok is closed to the public. Sure enough, most people leave saying wow that was so cool, I had no idea…
This is your guide to visiting Borneo’s underrated gem, the Rainforest Discovery Centre
EXPLORE ONE OF THE MOST ECOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT FORESTS ON EARTH
The Rainforest Discovery Centre is an environmental education site, with a network of trails through the 43km2 of protected land within the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve for visitors to explore.
The dense jungle surrounding the Rainforest Discovery Centre is considered to be among the most ecologically significant forests on Earth. As a categorized primary or virgin forest, the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve has never been significantly altered by human activity and remains in its natural, undisturbed state. Only about 1/3 of the forests on Earth remain undisturbed and receive that classification and protection.
With palm oil plantations continuing to drive deforestation and loss of habitat in Borneo, it is undeniably special to be able to walk around a truly unaltered rainforest. Deforestation puts significant pressure on the native plants and wildlife and drives them into smaller and smaller areas that have to be protected. Over 1,200 plants, 300 birds, and 13 mammals, including several globally endangered species, find refuge in this pristine little patch of rainforest.
WHAT TO DO AT THE RAINFOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE
A visit to the Rainforest Discovery Centre deserves at least a few hours – there are lots of things you can do, and it is, amazingly, a choose-your-own-adventure. Depending on your interests and how adventurous you’d like to get, you can curate an amazing afternoon at the Rainforest Discovery Centre.
Some of the activities include the Rainforest Skywalk, walking/hiking the jungle trails, rare bird-spotting, and even joining a guided night walk.
GET HIGH ON THE RAINFOREST SKYWALK
By far the main attraction at the Rainforest Discovery Centre is the Rainforest Skywalk. The skywalk is a 620 m-long elevated walkway that brings you up into the tree canopy. There are also 3 connected watch towers (the Bristlehead, Trogon, and Hornbill) that raise you into and above the trees, 27m above the ground, giving you a completely different perspective on the rainforest and its creatures.
It is unreal being raised high up into the canopy, looking out at the rich green trees dance and sway in the wind.
BORNEO'S BEST BIRDING
The rainforests of Borneo are home to many unique animals – the most famous are the gentle orange giants of the jungle, the orangutans, but others that don’t see near the same levels of fame and fortune are their little feathered friends! Borneo has 61 species of birds that are endemic to the island, and hundreds of other species of tropical birds that flock and fly through. In 2009, the area surrounding the Rainforest Discovery Centre was designated an Important Bird Area, meaning it is internationally significant for the conservation of birds. Not a bad spot to test out your bird-spotting skills, especially to try and catch a glimpse of the rare Bornean birds.
The skywalk and the watchtowers are prime locations for birding because you are raised up to a bird’s level in the tree canopy. The RDC is arguably one of the best spots to search for the Bornean Bristlehead – the trophy bird for birders in Borneo, since it is found nowhere else in the world.
I am whatever is considered even less than amateur when it comes to birding. I could hear the unique bird calls while walking through the rainforest, but my spotting skills are bad so I don’t have much to show for my birding adventure. Even though I can’t check off a rare Bornean Bristlehead spotting, I had fun trying!
WALK THE FOREST TRAILS OUT TO THE sepilok giant
Walking down the rainforest trails, you can truly see and feel how ancient the forest around you is. The RDC has a network of interconnected trails that provide easy access to get deep into the pristine rainforest, through the untouched old-growth trees and huge tropical plants.
Pick your way through the looping trails, around the lake, and under the shade of the trees. A must-do is to hike out to the Sepilok Giant – it is a remarkable ancient yellow seraya tree, estimated to be between 800 and 1000 years old and is as tall as a 19-story building. Truly unbelievable to stare up the enormous trunk of this tree that has been growing for generations.
The Sepilok Giant used to have another ancient tree standing tall with it in the forest, but it has recently been reported that the Kabili Monster has met the end of its life. The 76m (25-story) tall tree was struck by lightning and could not survive the impact, and is no longer safe to hike out to.
I feel honestly quite lucky to have been among the last to visit both of the natural giants while they both were still growing.
GO NOCTURNAL ON A NIGHT WALK
Another cool thing to do at the Rainforest Discovery Centre is to join one of their guided night walks. By day, you have the chance to spot unique birds, maybe some monkeys, and if you’re really lucky, one of the rehabilitated orangutans from Sepilok, but the best time to look for wildlife is actually after dark. The guided night walks take you out into the forest with an expert guide/spotter to look for the unique nocturnal creatures like slow lorises, the wide-eyed tarsiers, lantern bugs, and so much more under the cover of darkness.
The 2-hour guided tour starts at 6 PM, just after the park closes.
RDC Facilities
Although you’re able to get right out into the forest, the Rainforest Discovery Centre has a few facilities to make your experience at the park more enjoyable.
Located near the starting point of the canopy walk is the Keruing Cafe where you can get lunch or buy a bottle of water to rehydrate – the rainforest is hot and humid and I was sweating through my shirt hiking around the forest trails. A cold bottle of water was just what I needed to cool down.
There are also toilets available near the entrance to the RDC.
As the Rainforest Discovery Centre is an educational site, there is also a visitors centre, exhibition hall, and even a theatre.
Visitors will also find a few shelters and benches near the lake to sit and take it all in.
Add the rdc to your day with the orangutans
The perfect itinerary for a day in the rainforest is to visit both the Rainforest Discovery Centre and the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre! Many people seem to visit the RDC around their time at Sepilok but treat it just as a kind of whatever add-on to fill the time… but in truth, it is way more than a pitstop while Sepilok is closed to the public.
It is around a 25-minute walk between the Rainforest Discovery Centre and Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, or just a few minutes by car.
I spent the morning at the Rainforest Discovery Centre and then went to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre for the afternoon feeding. This could easily be done the other way around, and you might get better orangutan spotting during the first feed of the day, but this was all that worked with my schedule, and I was beyond pleased with my time at each.
Coming soon is a guide detailing the whole experience of visiting Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
Spending a day in the rainforest, with the Bristleheads and the Orangutans, was easily a highlight of my time in Borneo!
Hours + Tickets + Getting there
The Rainforest Discovery Centre is located in Malaysia’s North Borneo Province of Sabah, near the northeastern city of Sandakan. From Sandakan, the Rainforest Discovery Centre is just west of the city, about a 30-minute drive from the centre. You can easily get there and back using the popular and affordable ride-hailing app Grab.
The Rainforest Discovery Centre is open daily, 8AM to 5PM. The night walks begin after closing, at 6PM.
Tickets are available for purchase in person, cash only.
It costs 30 RM (~ $10 CAD) for foreign visitors, 20RM for children, and is free for kids under 5 years.
From the Rainforest Discovery Centre, you can also easily get to and from the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. It is around a 25-minute walk between the two, or just a few minutes by Grab.
Happy trip planning!
From one traveller to another, I hope this guide to visiting the Rainforest Discovery Centre was helpful for you as you make your plans for Borneo and set out on your next adventure!
If you read through this guide and still have questions about the experience or have other questions… fear not because I can still help! I have a personalized trip planning and advice service available to all Everywhere Travel Club readers. I’d love to chat for an hour with you and help answer any questions you’re working through, share fun ideas, and help bring your big trip into reality! For more info about the one-on-one call for advice, check out the details of my Personalized Travel Planning Sesh.
Let me know what you think about this guide or if it helped you – I’d love to hear from you! You can find me everywhere on the Everywhere Travel Club Instagram, TikTok or Pinterest!