10 perfect days in Borneo: days seven to 10, the Kinabatangan river

The most immediate threat to Borneo’s rainforests comes from the relentless logging and palm oil plantations that have supplanted the once-abundant wilderness. As you look out the window as you fly into the eastern town of Sandakan it’s impossible to ignore the ordered rows of the cash crop planted to supply the world with palm oil. Things are improving, however. The state of Sabah has recently placed caps on the number of plantations within the state and is looking at rewilding areas, funding the return to nature with sustainable tourism. 

Part of that initiative is promoting the Borneo Big Five – a checklist of picturesque fauna for wildlife spotters to attempt to snap comprising the pygmy elephant, the proboscis monkey, the rhinoceros hornbill, the estuarine crocodile and the iconic orangutan. 

You can easily check off the latter with a trip to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, a short drive from Sandakan airport. The rehabilitation centre borders the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve and cares for orphaned or injured animals. The adult orangutans live semi-wild, emerging from the forest for two daily feeding sessions (9am and 2pm) while the infants can be observed in their outdoor nursery where they adorably learn to swing, play and wrestle.

Opposite the rehab centre is the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. They may be the smallest species of bear in the world, but sun bears can be justly put out not to make Borneo’s Big Five. They are an incredibly charismatic species and one threatened by deforestation and the demand for their bile, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine. At the centre they can be seen gambolling, snoozing and eating lunch in safety. 

Nearby is the Rainforest Discovery Centre, a much quieter attraction which offers opportunities to walk well-marked forest trails and climb a spectacular forest canopy walkway. With luck, you’ll be rewarded with the sight of flying lizards or even giant squirrels taking to the air. 

Having spent the day exploring and meeting countless critters, you can sleep surrounded by the sounds of the forest at the Sepilok Nature Resort. It’s not unheard of for orangutans to swing by this boutique eco-lodge on their way to and from the rehabilitation centre, offering a beautifully intimate up-close-and-personal encounter with these fantastic animals

Having seen at least one of Borneo’s Big Five in the controlled environment of the conservation centres, it’s time to get wild in search of the rest with a two-night stay in Sukau Rainforest Lodge, one of the eco-resorts nestled alongside the Kinabatangan, the longest river in Sabah. 

The journey to the lodge is an adventure in itself, comprising a two-and-a-half-hour speedboat ride during which the captain occasionally slams on the breaks to point out an estuarine crocodile (tick) basking in the sun. 

The lodge itself has all the trimmings of a hotel including air-conditioned rooms and two outdoor swimming pools, and is both effortlessly welcoming and brimming with animal magic. The place prides itself on benefiting the local community and not disturbing its environment; meals are a fantastic array of Malay dishes whipped up by chef Teddy Ibau and served buffet style. 

Ease yourself into life on the river with a night cruise. Without venturing far from the lodges you’ll see snoozing kingfishers, all-too-awake crocodiles and restless flying foxes.

After an early breakfast it’s time to venture out on the boat once more to explore the Kinabatangan and its tributaries. You’ll soon be rewarded for your early start as you take in one of the richest ecosystems in the world. Bulbous-nosed proboscis monkeys (tick), rhinoceros hornbills (tick), pygmy elephants (big tick) and wild orangutans (no time to tick as you stare in slack-jawed wonder) are out there somewhere along with the scores of other magnificent species that your eagle-eyed guide will point out. 

As the rising heat forces the dawn animals to retreat to the shade of the forest, return to camp where you can take a dip in the pool or a stroll along the boardwalk in search of pig-tailed macaques, paradise tree snakes and black-bearded flying lizards. 

The afternoon brings a return to the water. These wildlife-spotting cruises are both meditative – as you take in the sounds of the jungle and the vast sweeps of greenery – and thrilling each time a previously unspotted species peeks into view, flies overhead or swims past the boat. Every minute, and every dollar, you spend in this very special place is helping Sabah to push itself away from the seemingly easy pickings of the palm oil trade and embrace its wonderful biodiversity as a sustainable source of income. 

Back at your cabin there are fascinating nature talks, surprisingly competitive games of table football and a feast of rendang curries and potent cocktails to be had before being lulled to sleep by a cicada serenade.

Your final day in Borneo will be dominated by the return trip to Sandakan via speedboat, craning your eyes for a final glimpse of the island’s critters. There’s time for a brisk look around the shops and market of Sandakan before it is on to the airport and back to wherever you came from. But the beauty of Borneo is the way that you'll continue to unpack the time you spent here over the coming months. A rusty piece of metal will have you thinking of that equally orange orangutan you spotted in the canopy, a blur of city lights of those fireflies among the mango trees… It may have just been ten days but your time in Borneo will be with you for a lifetime.