SEARCHING FOR ORANGUTANS – BORNEO'S MUST-SEE ANIMAL
Your guide to seeing orangutans in the wild*
Without a doubt, the animal you most hope to get a glimpse of while you’re visiting Borneo are the orangutans – the famous gentle giants of the jungle. Orangutans live only in the rainforests on the remote island of Borneo, sothey are incredibly special creatures to see swinging through the trees with your own two eyes.
This guide details the best way for travellers to witness free-roaming orangutans in Borneo and how to support the ongoing conservation efforts protecting these special orange primates.
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There are a number of ways to see orangutans while in Borneo, whether through on an adventurous jungle trek, floating down the river on the popular Kinabatangan River cruise, or at one of the orangutan rehabilitation centres dotted around Borneo. The first of its kind, and among the most visited, is Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
SEPILOK ORGANGUTAN REHABILITATION CENTRE
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre was founded just over 60 years ago in 1964 and is the first and largest of its kind. It was set up to help rehabilitate, provide care, teach survival skills, and provide access to food for orangutans that have been injured, rescued, or orphaned. The centre is on the edge of the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve which is a wonderfully preserved primary rainforest. This means the jungle is in its natural, undisturbed state, preserving the original ecosystem. Pretty nice place for the 60 to 80 orangutans of Sepilok to live freely!
The purpose of the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre is to provide necessary care, teach survival skills, and provide access to food for orangutans that have been injured, rescued, or orphaned. The orangutans are entirely free-roaming and can come back anytime they want for a meal, albeit a intentionally basic one, but the goal is for them to fully develop those critical skills to survive independently in the surrounding rainforest.
visiting Sepilok
Getting There
Orangutans are the animal of Borneo – so first and foremost, you will need to find yourself in Borneo! Sepilok is in Malaysia’s North Borneo Province, Sabah near the northeastern city of Sandakan.
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is on the edge of the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve just west of the city, about a 30-minute drive from the centre. You can get there and back easily using the popular ride-hailing app Grab, or by taking the public mini bus from the Sandakan Harbour.
If your time in Borneo is very limited and you’re desperate to see the orangutans at Sepilok, you can even visit as day trip from Sabah’s capital, Kota Kinabalu, and likely other cities in Sabah. This does require a round-trip flight to Sandakan to be done all in one day, but at just 45 minutes each way, and approx. $60 CAD, it is do-able. From Kuching in the west of Borneo, you would be better to visit the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre. The experience there is very similar to Sepilok.
Open Hours + Feeding Times
The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is open year-round, every day from 9AM to 4PM, closing between 12 and 2PM for a break.
The two feeds at the main viewing platform happen at 10AM and 3PM, with the outdoor nursery feedings happening 30 minutes earlier. If you show up at opening, in either the morning (9AM) or afternoon (2PM), and follow the park guides, you can’t miss it.
Morning
Open: 9:00AM
Nursery Feed : 9:30AM
Main Platform Feed : 10:00AM
Closed for a break : 12:00PM
Afternoon
Open : 2:00PM
Nursery Feed : 2:30PM
Main Platform Feed : 3:00PM
Closed for the day: 4:00PM
Sepilok limits the hours where visitors can be in the jungle with the orangutans as to not keep them on constant alert. The centre is only open for a few hours at a time.
Tickets
Tickets can only be purchased in person, on site, day of. The entrance fee is 30RM ($9.50 CAD), cash only, for foreign tourists, and half-price for children. Your ticket allows you entry into both feedings, but the price doesn’t change if you only stay for one.
Leave everything in the locker
Once you’ve purchased your ticket you will need to leave everything in a secure, complimentary locker. No bags, food or drinks are allowed into the forest reserve, not even bottled water. I brought only my phone for photos and my charging bank in my pocket. This is truly all you will need, and it is for the safety of everyone, humans and orangutans alike.
Orangutans also share a remarkable 97% of our DNA, so they are susceptible to human diseases. Leaving all your belonging in the lockers helps limit exposure to human things and protect them from potential human spread illness.
WHAT TO WEAR
Despite being tucked away the rainforest, the path is not challenging as visitors are restricted to walk along a designated boardwalk. What to wear will depend on what you find most comfortable. It is best to wear light, breathable clothing that will keep you comfortable in the hot and humid rainforest. Neutral, earthy colours are best for blending in with your leafy surroundings, and to not disrupt the orangutans. Any comfortable shoes will work, but for protection closed-toe shoes are recommended.
A hat and sunscreen are always key for sun protection and a rain jacket or poncho can keep you dry on a rainy day – this is a rainforest after all. Be sure to put on a bit of insect repellent before you head into the forest to protect from the bugs. The risk of malaria is low, but it is always best to take the simple precautions.
Tour or Self-Guided
A visit to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre can easily be done independently. If you want to spend your day with the Orangutans uninterrupted, or on a budget, a self-guided visit is without a doubt your best bet.
If you prefer the simplicity of a joining a tour, there are tour options available with Viator or Get Your Guide and other local tour agencies.
Observing the Gentle Giants of the Jungle
If you enter right at opening, either 9AM or 2PM, you will be able to visit the outdoor nursery before moving to the main feeding platform. Without a doubt I would recommend going in right at opening and spending the full time available to you! Be the last one to leave, you won’t regret it. Now more than ever, with the orangutans critically endangered status, take the time while you can to spend it watching these incredible creatures.
During my visit to Sepilok, I was able to see 2 adult orangutans (and their 2 little ones) at the main feeding platform, plus around 10 of varying ages at the nursery. I’d consider that a good orangutan sighting for a visitor, and frankly, a success for Sepilok’s rehabilitation efforts. The fewer orangutans you see getting fed by the human intervention, the better.
nursery
At the outdoor nursery, you are actually indoors and kept behind glass windows to observe the young orangutans outside – this definitely feels like less of an authentic orangutan viewing, verging on zoo-like, but it is still well worth stopping in, especially in the downtime before the main feeding.
While you’re inside (enjoying a bit of air-con), the young orangutans are on the outside enjoying their freedom, some fresh fruit, and a jungle gym of ropes and towers which helps them familiarize with the jungle experience. The process of pairing the younger orangutans with older ones mimics the experience of growing up in the wild. They learn the ropes (literally!) of being an orangutan, which can take up to seven years.
The nursery feed happens at 9:30AM and 2:30PM and that’s when the real action happens. Lots of baby and juvenile orangutans came out of the jungle to play and eat. The little ones are some of the most playful, goofy, reckless creatures you’ll ever see. I truly felt like I was a recess monitor watching a bunch of 7-year-olds run around and roughhouse on the playground.
main feeding platform
You do not need to rush out of the nursery to make it to the main feeding platform on time. It is an easy 3-minute walk along the boardwalk to the main observation area. It can get a bit busy, but there is plenty of space, so you should easily be able to find a spot with a clear view of the orangutans in their natural habitat, even if you show up right at feed time (10AM and 3PM).
The day I visited, there was one adult with a young one just lounging on the platform, before the keeper even showed up with food. Not long after the keeper came onto the platform to deliver the food and watched to make sure that they were starting to eat. He hung around observing for a few minutes before leaving.
Around 10 minutes after the keeper left, I could hear a rustle coming from the trees and the big cord connecting the platform to the canopy started to sway. That was probably the coolest moment for me – the anticipation knowing something was coming down, but wondering what was about to show up from deep within the jungle. It could have easily been a common macaque monkey (one did show up to steal a watermelon slice), but seeing another adult and young orangutan come swinging down was unreal! Especially since it waited until the feeder was gone.
Eventually people started to filter out, but I stayed right until the end. It was just me and a few others, the park rangers, and the 4 orangutans in the middle of the jungle. When it was time to leave the orangutans to enjoy some alone time without humans around, I left with a full heart, and a very full camera roll.
It's not a guaranteed sighting
I was extremely satisfied with my orangutan sightings while at Sepilok, and would easily recommend it as an option for people looking to see orangutans while in Borneo! With that being said, it is not a 100% guarantee that you will have a sighting while at Sepilok, and they make that very clear to you. Simply put, there is no way to guarantee yourself an authentic, wild orangutan sighting. Visiting Sepilok or another Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, however, is one of the best ethical ways to see them in their natural habitat, with a high chance of success.
Be patient
Use the full time available to you to stay at the viewing platform for the best chances of spotting an orangutan. Like I mentioned, a second adult and baby arrived 10 minutes after the feeder left. Any people who already left missed the magical moment the orangutan (that nobody knew was there) descended from the canopy.
Consider the time of year
If it is raining heavily, or if it is fruiting season (May to Aug.) when naturally growing foods are in abundance in the reserve, the orangutans might not bother coming to the platform at feeding time, or at all.
ETHICAL WILDLIFE ENGAGEMENT
Sepilok is first and foremost a conservation-focused rehabilitation centre for orangutans – not a zoo, not a sanctuary, and not a photo-op. Although there is definitely an increased awareness today about unethical wildlife centres that try to call themselves “sanctuaries”, it is important to make conscious choices about where you visit when any wildlife is involved.
There can be varying degrees of how harmful these “sanctuaries” are for the poor animals… an easy red flag that should always make you pause when it comes to ethical engagement with wildlife is the level of contact with the animals. Any visitor hands-on contact with the animals is a big no no that should really make you turn around. In legitimate, ethical conservation visitors should not be allowed to touch, hold, interact with or feed the animals. The animals should also never have to work or perform certain behaviours for your entertainment.
Based on my experience at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, it genuinely seemed as though they were making intentional choices to always put the care and well-being of the orangutans first.
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre strictly keeps the visitors and orangutans away from each other with no interaction. Visitors are limited to a platform boardwalk separated from the orangutan feeding platforms. You cannot touch, feed, or hold the orangutans at any time while at Sepilok. They don’t force the orangutans to do anything or be anywhere for your entertainment. There is no guarantee that you will even see the orangutans while there, since they are living free in the reserve and come back for a feed only if they choose.
What else to do near sepilok
You might be wondering, what should you do while Sepilok is closed between feedings? The nearby Rainforest Discovery Centre is a hugely underrated gem and the perfect place to spend your day around your visit with the orangutans.
The Rainforest Discovery Centre is an environmental education site, with a network of trails through the Kabili-Sepilok jungle. The main attraction is a elevated walkway and watch towers that bring you up into the tree canopy. It’s an incredibly unique way to experience the jungle and see the creatures and critters that call the rainforest home.
With over 250 species of birds that fly through, and more the 60 that are only found in Borneo, it is an especially great place for birders.
Walking around the jungle trails you can feel and see how ancient the forest around you is. The RDC is part of the well-preserved Kabili-Sepilok primary rainforest, meaning there has not been significant human activity, and it is left in its natural, undisturbed state. While you’re there it is worth hiking out to pay a visit to the Sepilok Giant, an incredible old growth tree estimated to be between 800 to 1000 years old, and as tall as a 19-story building. The RDC also hosts guided Night Walks where you can see unique nocturnal wildlife like slow lorises, tarsiers, lantern bugs, fireflies, and so much more in the dark of the night.
The Rainforest Discovery Centre is open daily, 8AM to 5PM and costs 30 RM for foreign visitors. It is around a 25-minute walk between the Rainforest Discovery Centre and Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, or just a few minutes by car. It is well worth the visit to the RDC when you’re in the area!
Check out the full guide to visiting the Rainforest Discovery Centre while you’re nearby →
More Borneo + Malaysia Travel guides
Happy trip planning!
From one traveller to another, I hope this guide was helpful for you as you make your Borneo travel plans 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.
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