Sandakan wildlife tour: Orangutans, proboscis monkeys, sun bears

Three sanctuaries, three species, one morning and afternoon

A full-day guided tour from Sandakan visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, with stops at Puh Jih Shih Buddhist Temple and Sandakan Central Market. The tour includes an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, lunch at a local restaurant, entrance fees, and transport in an air-conditioned vehicle. You watch animals at feeding platforms and walk boardwalks through lowland rainforest and mangrove forest to observe wildlife in their habitat.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre2h · entry included
2. Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary1h · entry included

Sepilok and Sandakan City Tour

• Travel to Sepilok Orangutan Centre
• Walk boardwalk to orangutan feeding platform
• Visit Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary
• Watch proboscis monkeys feeding
• Explore Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
• Visit Puu Jih Shih Buddhist Temple
• Stroll Sandakan Central Market

The experience

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre sits 25 kilometres west of Sandakan in the Kabili-Seppilok Forest Reserve, where rescued orphaned orangutans have been cared for since the centre opened in 1964. You walk a boardwalk through lowland rainforest to reach the feeding platform where orangutans come to eat. The centre rescues animals from logging sites, plantations and illegal hunting. From there the tour moves to Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary in the mangrove forests of Semawang, where you watch Borneo's indigenous proboscis monkeys feed at their own platform in their natural habitat.

The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre focuses on rehabilitation and research for the Malayan sun bear, the world's smallest bear species: adults stand roughly 120 to 150 centimetres tall and weigh between 27 and 65 kilograms. After the sanctuaries, the tour includes a visit to Puh Jih Shih Buddhist Temple, built in 1987 on a hilltop overlooking Sandakan Bay, and a stroll through Sandakan Central Market where hundreds of stalls display local goods and food. Lunch at a local restaurant is included, along with all entrance fees and transport in an air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• English-speaking guide throughout the day.
• entrance fees to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.
• set lunch at a local restaurant.
• visit to Puh Jih Shih Buddhist Temple and Sandakan Central Market.
• sales and service tax.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 42 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availableInfants must sit on laps

Operated by TOUR EAST MALAYSIA

Is this one for you?Book this if you're visiting multiple sanctuaries in one day. You'll move between Sepilok, Labuk Bay, and the Sun Bear centre with boardwalk walks between each stop.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. No refund if you cancel.

What time does the tour pick me up and when does it end?

The tour runs for 8 hours and includes hotel pickup from your accommodation in Sandakan, though specific pickup times depend on your hotel location and the operator's schedule on your booking date.

Can I take photos of the orangutans and other animals?

Photography is permitted at all three sanctuaries. However, camera and video fees charged by the national parks or conservation centres are not included in the tour price and are paid separately at each site.

Is the boardwalk walk difficult or steep?

The boardwalk through the lowland rainforest at Sepilok is a gentle walk on a constructed path, and the tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The site is wheelchair accessible with accessible surfaces throughout.

What is a proboscis monkey and why do they look different?

Proboscis monkeys are Borneo's indigenous primates with distinctive large noses. They live in mangrove forests and are found nowhere else in the world, and the sanctuary at Labuk Bay lets you watch them in their natural habitat at a feeding platform.

Does the tour include meals and drinks?

Lunch at a local restaurant is included in the tour price. Beverages during lunch and any personal meals or drinks outside the set lunch are not included and are your own expense.