Day two began with breakfast of course, and Hotel Sandakan serves up a simple but good breakfast….

When we finished breakfast, we hopped onto our bus and headed to Sepilok , with the mesmerizing Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre (M) being our very first stop….

The RDC is beautifully maintained and it has one of the most amazing canopy walks (about 620- metres) that I’ve ever seen (the other would probably be Valley of the Giants in Western Australia)… RDC reminds and encourage us why we should get close to nature…

It was certainly idyllic immersing myself in the tranquility of nature despite us acting like kids, getting all excited and planning our photos and such…

If you have the entire day or such, be sure to look out for rare birds and large tree squirrels or even take a little hike and meet up with two of the tallest trees there – the Sepilok Giant and the Kabili Monster… it will create memories you will cherish forever!!!

Entry Fees:-
Malaysians are RM 7 (adult) and RM 3 (children 5-17 yrs)
Non-Residents are RM 20 (adult) and RM 10 (children 5-17yrs)
Open from 8am to 5pm

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is located about 25 km west of Sandakan …

The centre opened back in 1964 as the first official orangutan rehabilitation project for rescued orphaned baby orangutans from logging sites, plantations, illegal hunting or kept as pets. These orphaned orangutans are then taught to survive in the wild and are released as soon as they are ready. The sanctuary is located within the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve is about 10,610 acres of virgin rainforest. There is an estimated of about 60 to 80 orangutans living free in the reserve…

Along the way on the board walk you can see orangutan nests sometimes

Visitors can watch the wild orangutans come and eat sometimes at specific feeding times but sometimes these orangutans might not come… instead you might get fake orangutans appearing (pig tailed macaques who shamelessly think the food is for them)

There is also a section where visitors can view the nursery area where the younger Orangutans are taught to get use to being outdoors and encouraged to climb, swing and play on a large climbing frame.

Entry Fees:-
Malaysians are RM 5 (adult and children)
Non-Malaysians are RM 30 (adult and children)

The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) is a sun bear rescue and rehabilitation facility in Sepilok too with the same concept with the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre under the watchful care of Dr Wong Siew Te

Malayan sun bears which happen to be the smallest bears in the world are only found in Southeast Asia. Because of their size and also what some humans think are health enhancing etc, these small bears live under the threat of forest degradation, illegal hunting for bear parts and poaching to obtain young cubs for pet trade…. The results of these threats has caused young sun bears found to be living in unnatural captive conditions in Sabah, with no access to outdoor areas.

There are about 43 rescued ex-captive sun bears and 1 captive born residing at the BSBCC. The facility includes large forest enclosures to provide a natural environment suited to the needs and welfare of the sun bears and which help facilitate their rehabilitation back into the wild.

The Centre is opened to the public so that visitors can learn about sun bears and observe them in their natural habitats…

Entry Fees:-
Malaysians are RM 10 (adult) and RM 5 (children 5-17 yrs)
Non-Residents are RM 50 (adult) and RM 25 (children 5-17yrs)

After we finished visiting the cute bears, we headed to the Sepilok Jungle Resort where we had a simple lunch and admired the surroundings before we got on the bus and headed to Bilit Adventure Lodge…

Bilit Adventure Lodge is located at Kampung Bilit, Kinabatangan River. It is about 2.5 hours drive from Sandakan Town, about 2 hours drive from Sepilok Jungle Resort which happens to be it’s sister company We got off at the jetty and was transferred there by boat (3 minutes boat ride)

Bilit Adventure Lodge have 100% local people working fulltime at the lodge. Whatever you spend in the purchasing of any soft drinks, beers, snacks, ice creams, hiking boots and leech socks, participating in the night walk and tree planting, the benefits of which will go to the entire earning for the staff and their families…

We left our bags and headed for our evening cruise along the Kinabatangan… We were really hoping to see some pygmy elephants but I guess it wasn’t our luck…

We however got to see many of the “Biggest Nose of Borneo” , the Proboscis Monkey, endemic only in Borneo and recognisable by the male’s long, distinctive pendulous nose and a peculiar mix of colours – grey legs, white belly and tail, and an orange coat.

We had several sightings of that large yet surprisingly graceful primate, watching us suspiciously from where they were perched as well as the normal long tailed macaques and pig tailed macaques… we did not even see any crocodiles as the water in the river was high tide and there was nowhere for the crocodiles to bask…

After our river cruise, we then headed back to our rooms to rest before going for our dinner… and that was the end of my 2nd day in Sandakan

This trip was made possible by Tourism Malaysia Sabah, Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines, Mas Wings, Sandakan Tourism Association