I’ve been low-key obsessed with rainforests since we ‘studied’ them in second grade. They are stuffed with life, with plants growing on top of plants on top of plants, millions of insects and birds, and the coolest tree dwelling mammals: they’re immense wildlife metropolises. Some of the best rainforests on the planet, with the best opportunities to spot wildlife, are located in Malaysian Borneo.
We spent almost a month in Malaysian Borneo, during which we went to three different jungles and two different Orangutan rehabilitation centers:
- Gunung Mulu National Park
- The Kinabatangan River
- Danum Valley Conservation Area
- Semenggoh Nature Reserve
- Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
Here I compare all five experiences, and rank them in as many categories as I could think of, to help you figure out which experiences are right for you. Borneo is teeming with wildlife: visiting the jungle and wildlife spotting is a must do. Whether you prefer trekking, cruising, or day trips, I’m going to break down the best wildlife experiences, so you can make an informed choice on what to see and do in Borneo.
Table of Contents
Borneo Wildlife Experiences: At A Glance
Gunung Mulu National Park
A breathtaking tropical karst limestone rainforest. Explore huge cave formations, trek to the gorgeous pinnacles or to the top of Mount Mulu, or go wildlife spotting on elevated trails or on the canopy walk.
For more in depth information, check out my Guide to Gunung Mulu National Park.
The Kinabatangan River
The jungle foliage on the banks of this river is brimming with life. Take a boat out in the morning or evening to see proboscis monkeys, wild boars, crocodiles, and more.
Danum Valley Conservation Area
A protected tropical rainforest that is home to all sorts of jungle creatures. Go on some wildlife spotting treks with fantastic guides to see if you can spot an orangutan, gibbons, red leaf monkeys, and many more awesome animals.
Semenggoh Nature Reserve
A rehabilitation center for young orangutans that focuses on teaching them to survive in the wild. Most now live in the surrounding forest with their young, but frequently come back for a free meal, making this a great place to see semi-wild Orangutans.
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
A rehabilitation center for orphaned orangutans. Watch the young ones play and feed, or spot the adults that hang out in the reserve and swing by for a feed.
Best for Wildlife Sightings
Winner: Kinabatangan River: Animals pack the banks of the Kinabatangan River, and are easy to spot from a boat. We saw plenty of funky proboscis monkeys, macaques, langurs, a crocodile, wild boars, hornbills, kingfishers, and many more! The animal density was the highest here, and spotting them was easier because of the river. Land animals emerge from the forest for a drink, and you could see the tree dwellers easier because other trees were not blocking the view.
Runner up: Danum Valley: We saw wild gibbons, red leaf monkeys, macaques, tarantulas, hornbills, a frogmouth bird, and a slow loris and a bear cat at night! There have been spottings of orangutans, clouded leopards, pygmy elephants, and rhinoceroses. In the mornings we’d listen for the piercing gibbon song, then race along trails to see if we could spot them feeding and swinging effortlessly through the trees. Absolutely magical experience.
Best Animal Encounter
Winner: Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre: You get to observe orangutan adults and young feeding, playing, and interacting with each other. We saw teenagers play fighting, a big old male stuffing his face, and a cautious mama with a baby grabbing some free bananas before going back into the forest. Orangutans (literally ‘forest men’ in Malay), are absolutely magnificent, and nothing is like seeing one with your own eyes in its natural habitat.
Runner Up: Semenggoh Nature Reserve: This is another great spot to see semi-wild orangutans. Since they are semi-wild, sometimes they don’t show up to get the ‘free food’, so it’s not a given that you get to see them. That said, if they don’t show up in the morning, they most likely will make an appearance in the afternoon, so it’s a relatively safe bet (Your ticket is good for the whole day).
Best Rainforest
Winner: Gunung Mulu: The rainforest here is just so damn impressive. Although we didn’t see as many animals, we saw plenty of stick insects, leaf bugs, and scorpions, as well as beautiful strangler figs and carnivorous pitcher plants! The impressive jungle here will make all of your rainforest fantasies come true.
Runner up: Danum Valley: This is a conservation area with untouched, primary rainforest! It’s a stunning jungle to explore, and it’s bursting with greenery.
Best Guides
Winner: Danum Valley: The guides here were so impressive. They were clearly passionate about rainforest conservation, and extremely knowledgeable about the species that live in it. You can learn a lot here. Their wildlife spotting skills were so impressive it bordered on magical.
Runner up: Kinabatangan River: Our guide was super good at spotting animals, and incredible at identifying birds. Super cool!
Best for Photography
Winner: Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre: Without a specialized zoom lens, I found it difficult to photograph wildlife from far away, so it really helped to get up close to the orangutans in both of the rehabilitation centers. I took my favorite orangutan photo in Sepilok.
Runner up: Gunung Mulu: The Pinnacles are so impressive and photogenic. It really helps to have a focal point among the jungle, which is gorgeous to the eye but hard to photograph on its own, in my opinion.
Comparing the Logistics
Length of Trip
- Gunung Mulu: 6 days/5 nights for show caves, canopy walk, and pinnacles trek. 4 days/3 nights without the trek.
- Kinabatangan River: 3 days/2 nights
- Danum Valley: 3 days/2 nights
- Semenggoh: Day trip
- Sepilok: Day trip
Price
- Semenggoh: $1.15 per person
- Sepilok: $6.88 per person
- Kinabatangan River: $127 USD per person (inc. food and lodging)
- Gunung Mulu: $305 USD per person (inc. internal flights, food, lodging (see the breakdown here))
- Danum Valley: $367 USD per person (inc. transportation, food, lodging)
You can get more information on my Borneo budget here, as well as tips for backpacking Borneo on a budget!
Accessibility
- Semenggoh: Hire a cab (or get a Grab) from Kuching
- Sepilok: Take a bus or Grab from Sandakan
- Kinabatangan River: Minibus from Sandakan
- Gunung Mulu: Fly from Kuching, Miri, or Kota Kinabalu
- Danum Valley: Car from Lahad Datu included in tour
Type of Trip
- Semenggoh: Day trip, gentle walking
- Sepilok: Day trip, gentle walking
- Kinabatangan River: River Cruise, optional trekking
- Gunung Mulu: Trekking, caving, adventure
- Danum Valley: Jungle trekking
How to Book/ Do You Need A Tour?
- Semenggoh: Just show up and pay at the entrance
- Sepilok: Just show up and pay at the entrance
- Kinabatangan River: There are many companies that offer tours, choose your favorite one in your budget! We went with River Junkie and were very happy.
- Gunung Mulu: You need a guide for most of the activities, but you can book directly with the park, hire a local guide, or go with a tour company. We booked directly with the park.
- Danum Valley: Must go with a tour company, we again went with River Junkie, and stayed at the Field Centre. We also heard great things about Sticky Rice.
What Animals Can I See in Borneo?
We saw so many wild jungle animals in their natural environment in Borneo: it was an amazing place to visit for wildlife spotting.
In Borneo you can see: orangutans, gibbons, proboscis monkeys, red leaf monkeys, long tail macaques, pig nosed macaques, langurs, slow loris, clouded leopards, bear cats, wild boar, crocodiles, pigmy elephants, rhinoceros, hornbills, kingfishers, frog mouthed birds, tarantulas, leaf insects, scorpions, and many many more.
Best Place to see Orangutans in Borneo
The best place to see Orangutans in Borneo is in either of the two rehabilitation centers: Semenggoh Nature Reserve or Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center.
There have also been sightings around the Kinabatangan River, and in Danum Valley, although it’s not a guarantee as they like to move around in the wild.
Best Place to see Gibbons in Borneo
We saw gibbons around the Field Centre in Danum Valley Conservation Area. There’s a local family that is used to seeing humans on the trekking trails, so they’re a bit less skittish than gibbons not as used to humans.
Best Place to see Proboscis Monkeys in Borneo
We saw a bunch of proboscis monkeys along the banks of the Kinabatangan River. They like to munch on fruit on trees lining the river, so you can get a good look at the bloated alpha male with his harem.
My Favorite Borneo Wildlife Experience
Winner: Gunung Mulu National Park: The adventure, the remoteness, and the gorgeous tropical limestone forest makes this my favorite Borneo jungle experience.
Runner up: Danum Valley: Listening to wild gibbon calls in the morning and observing a family swinging in the treetops with abandon and snacking on fruits was one of my favorite Borneo experiences.
To be honest, however, all five of my Borneo jungle experiences were absolutely fantastic. I hope that I’ve provided you with the information to make an informed choice of which is the best Borneo wildlife experience for you.
