Sepilok is a bucket list destination for families. We visited Sepilok with kids aged 13 and 10 and had a fantastic time. We saw semi-wild Orangutans, sun bears and walked among giant trees in the Rainforest Discovery Centre.
How to get to Sepilok
Sepilok can be reached in about 25 minutes by car from Sandakan Airport. Grab can be used for this journey. We had stayed one night in the Kinabatangan River area, and our package included transfers, so we had them drop us off at our Sepilok accommodation. After our stay, we booked a Grab to drive us from Sepilok to Sandakan.
Disclaimer: Links in this post are affiliate. Purchasing through them earns us a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support.
Where to stay in Sepilok with kids
We stayed at Tanini Sepilok. They don’t have family rooms, however, we were in a chalet-style building with 2 rooms together. I booked the rooms on booking.com and left a note asking for them to be next to each other.
The rooms
The rooms had all been recently renovated with a simple, clean modern design. The ensuite was semi-outdoors with plants and a partially open roof. The set-up was perfect for our family. We had a double room, and the kids had a twin room right next door.
We were impressed with the coffee in the rooms. The kids had a Nespresso machine and I think ours had yet to be updated, but we had drip coffee bags by a Borneo coffee roastery. We bought a box at the BSBCC gift shop to take home because we enjoyed it so much.
The grounds
The Tanini Sepilok reception is open-air with couches, board games and a selection of books. In here, there is also a water refill station.
Unfortunately, the hotel restaurant was closed for renovations during our stay. They did still serve breakfast, which was OK, but I’m sure it will be better once the restaurant is back open.
The outdoor areas of Tanini Sepilok were beautiful with plenty of trees, plants, flowers and large butterflies. A path led to fruiting plants with information signs about each one.
Where to eat in Sepilok with kids
There are no grocery or convenience-type stores nearby in Sepilok, so if you want snacks for your stay, bring some with you. During our time in Sepilok with kids, we ate at the following places:
Keruing Cafe – located within RDC. They serve hot food here, but we stopped in late in the afternoon and had drinks and ice-creams.
Kafeteria Sepilok – located outside of the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. We grabbed some 100-plus drinks here after the morning Orangutan visit. After seeing the sun bears, we came back for lunch. The cafe was full, so we ordered takeaway fries and an iced coffee and ate in the rotunda. In the afternoon, we bought ice-creams before walking to our accommodation.
White House Bistro – We ate dinner here both nights and loved it. The Vegetable curry with Roti was delicious, and the service was friendly. We also bought beer and a bag of chips here.
Things to do in Sepilok with kids
Sepilok is located within a larger forest reserve. It is such a wonderful place to visit with kids to experience nature.
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is home to orphaned, displaced or injured orangutans. The centre provides a natural environment for rescued orangutans. Here, they are rehabilitated and taught survival skills with the aim of releasing them to live wild in the surrounding rainforest reserve.
Opening times: The centre has split opening times of 9am – 12pm (11am Fridays) and 2pm – 4pm.
The entrance ticket is valid for the day of purchase, so you are able to visit during both opening times.
Please note: no bags are allowed in. This includes backpacks, handbags, camera bags, etc. Lockers are available free of charge.
Entrance fee: Non-Malaysian Adult 30RM, Child 15RM. Malaysian Adult RM5, child RM2. Fee for camera: RM10
Please check the official website for updated information. You can also find the feeding times listed here.
Our visit to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre with kids
We arrived before opening time to line up for tickets. We were informed that no bags are allowed to be brought in as the orangutans can grab them, thinking they contain food. Lockers are provided free of charge and are located in a building opposite the entrance. We were given a key for the locker.
Feeding Platform – morning visit
Our priority was to hopefully see the wild orangutans at the feeding platform. This is an open outdoor space. The first feeding time is at 10am, and it is advised that you arrive at least 15 minutes early. The small undercover space was already quite full, so we found a spot along the front of the open viewing area.
We were very lucky because there were two mothers and their babies on the platform. One of the little ones was playing and swinging on the ropes. After a little while, one Mum and baby left, and the other spent time relaxing with her baby, which was adorable.
At feeding time, the ranger came with a basket full of fruit and vegetables. Two more orangutans came to the platform, with one helping themself to the basket. The other spent the whole time hanging on the ropes while the ranger passed them food.
Towards the end of the feeding time, a mother and baby came to the platform, perhaps the same ones from earlier. It was so incredibly special to observe these beautiful animals.
Outdoor Nursery – morning visit
We arrived at the nursery just after the feeding time. There is a grass area with platforms and ropes for the orangutans. Visitors enter the building and view the orangutan area through a glass window. There are two viewing areas, one of which is air-conditioned.
A mother and baby approached and sat next to another mum and baby, but the first one collected her fruit and left. As we were leaving, we spotted her on top of a cage with her baby on her back. I guess she didn’t feel like being social.
Outdoor Nursery – afternoon visit
After re-entering the centre at 2pm, we went straight to the outdoor nursery. There was a group of macaques running around like sneaky thieves stealing food. One mother and her baby came out onto the grass area.
We left the nursery to be at the feeding platform before the feeding time. As we were walking on the boardwalk, an orangutan swung between the trees overhead. A group stopped to watch on their way to the nursery, and a ranger came to tell everyone to keep moving. As we were heading in the opposite direction, we walked past just as the orangutan walked along the barrier with a baby clinging to her back.
Feeding Platform – afternoon visit
Arriving at the feeding platform early, we took a seat in the covered area. A black squirrel was scampering around on the feeding platform. As feeding time approached, a large crowd gathered, but only the squirrel remained. The ranger came with the basket full of food, but no orangutans turned up this time.
Should you attend both the morning and afternoon sessions?
I think it is best to attend both the morning and afternoon sessions at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. The entry ticket covers both sessions, giving you the best chance of seeing some orangutans.
The orangutans are wild within the forest reserve. The Centre works to rehabilitate the orangutans so they can return to live independently in the natural habitat. The feeding platforms are there to supplement the orangutans’ diet while they learn to find food on their own. So, it’s a great sign when they don’t return to the centre, as this shows they have become capable of looking after themselves.
As a visitor, it can be disappointing not to see any orangutans. This is why I suggest you visit both sessions to have a better chance of a sighting.
As we were leaving, I overheard a volunteer tell someone that the orangutans had moved away from the centre towards the Rainforest Discovery Centre. They talked about how this was such a good thing because it shows the orangutans are gaining more independence and how one of them was gaining too much weight, so it’s great that he is moving around and getting more exercise.
Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre
In between the Orangutan Centre sessions, we visited the Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre. The two centres are located opposite each other, making it easy to visit both in one day.
For our family of four, the visit cost 150RM. Up to date entry fees can be found on the BSBCC website.
Only found in South East Asia, sun bears are the smallest bears in the world. The centre is a rescue and rehabilitation facility with large forest enclosures.
The sun bears
Walking along the raised boardwalk, our first sighting was of a sun bear sleeping in a tree. Two viewing platforms look down into the enclosures. We only saw sun bears from one platform. We stood and watched as they all walked around sniffing and scratching the ground.
The Centre
There is a raised boardwalk connecting the two viewing platforms. The centre has an impressive amount of signage with facts and information about sun bears. At one of the viewing platforms is a large wall of photos of sun bears alongside their name. Each tells their story before they were rescued, and reading these was heartbreaking.
There is a small shop where the kids bought souvenirs, and we purchased a box of the Sabah drip coffee that was in our room.
Rainforest Discovery Centre
From Tanini Sepilok, we walked 800 metres to the Rainforest Discovery Centre. This is such an amazing place to be fully immersed in nature. We spent 3 hours in the RDC, walking the trails, canopy walk, and towers.
The kids took turns directing us with the map, and we viewed Sepilok’s giant tree and then got a little lost looking for another monster tree.
There are many other enormous trees, with large trunks, huge roots spreading across the ground, growing vines and ferns, and super-tall trees jutting out from the dense rainforest.
From the canopy walk, we spotted a squirrel with a long bushy tail in the trees. Other than this, we didn’t see any other animals. This didn’t take away from the experience, though. We were surrounded by rainforest and the noise of insects, birds and what we think was a gibbon call.
The RDC offers a night walk tour. We didn’t pre-book, and when we arrived in the morning, both nights of our stay were booked out. You may be able to WhatsApp the centre or ask your accommodation to book for you ahead of time.
Sepilok with kids tips
It can be very hot and humid.
During the morning feeding at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, we weren’t undercover, and the sun was hot on our backs. The air-conditioned nursery viewing area is a great place to cool off after being outside. The RDC is an area of dense rainforest and was extremely humid. It took a little while to get used to the intensity.
Go slowly, take rest breaks and keep hydrated.
Manage wildlife sighting expectations
Wildlife can be high in the trees and deep in the forest, so sightings can be difficult. Sightings of orangutans at the centre are also not guaranteed. My tip is to get kids excited about the nature that they will see, the lush rainforest and giant trees.
Be prepared for mosquitoes & creepy crawlies
As Sepilok is in the humid forest, there are lots of mosquitoes. We all chose to wear lightweight pants and applied repellent in the day and again in the evening. You may also come across spiders, millipedes, and various bugs and beetles. I don’t think we saw any leeches, but I expect they may be here. We had many encounters with them during our time around Mt. Kinabalu.
Enjoy your family forest time!
Sepilok is such a wonderful family destination. Surrounded by rainforest, it’s an easy place to disconnect from technology, be present and appreciate nature. After returning from the RDC and resting at our accommodation, both boys began drawing trees and birds in their notebooks. The different trees, plants and bugs sparked our curiosity, and we loved learning about new things together as a family.
