You have most likely heard of Africa’s Big 5, but have you heard of the Borneo Big 5? Another question is…do you even know where Borneo is in the world? We had always heard of it on Nat Geo and with David Attenborough, but we we started planning our trip to Southeast Asia, I saw it on a map and decided we must go!
We used points and miles to offset our flight and hotels for this trip!
Our Viator Shop for Excursions and Experiences
Getting to Boreno
Borneo is located near Malaysia and is actually part of the country! They call it “Borneo Malaysia” and it is made up of two territories, Sarawak and Sabah. The Borneo Big 5 is famously seen on the Kinabatangan River in the Sabah region. How do you get there?
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia would be your first major stop on your journey to Sabah, Borneo. From there, it is likely a flight to Kota Kinabalu which is the biggest city in the terriority and then a short flight to Sandakan and that is where we started our journey.
Exploring Sandakan will feel like a port town or coastal town in a lot of Asia, we didn’t really spend to much time there except for the reason we came to Sabah in the first place, THE ANIMALS!
Sepilok Orangutan & Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centers
Our time in Sabah was coordinated by Borneo Eco Tours (no commission on this, just a reccomendation). While not the cheapest way to explore this region, it was certainly convenient to have everything planned ahead of time and to just show and enjoy (getting to the Kinabatangan River would be hard without some sort of arranged tour).
We did the 3 Day/2 Night tour of the region and took a super early morning flight to then head to these two conservation centers. Borneo is one of the only places in the world to see wild Orangutans (a bucket list item for Mikayla) and the only place to see the Bornean Sun Bears. While these centers aren’t considered “the wild” they are rehabilitation areas for wild animals to come and recooperate and hopefully get released back into the wild at some point.
Kinabatagan River, Sabah, Borneo
After the morning was spent at the conservation centers and a quick stop for lunch, we headed to the port to take a 2.5 hour boat ride to our river lodge for the next 2 nights. (no restroom on this boat and lots of ocean waves to crash through!). It was a fun experience but make sure you don’t get seasick very easily!!
It was a cool opportunity to start seeing some animals as we got closer and start our checklist of the Borneo Big 5: Crocodiles, Rhinoscerous Hornbills, Proboscis Monkeys, Pygmy Elephants and Orangutans. Did we see them all? You’ll have to keep reading to find out!
OOOO! There is number 1, a Crocodile! That was the only one of the Big 5 we saw, but we did encounter a lot of birds and other wildlife while on the boat. We pulled up to the lodge and it was time to unpack and relax until our evening river safari.
Sukau Rainforest Lodge
The time here was spent doing river safaris in the morning and evening and then there are leisure activities like rainforest walks, lectures, a pool, a library, game room, etc. to relax in the middle of the day. It really is in the middle of uninterrupted rainforest which is SO COOL!
The rooms have air conditioning and are pretty nice overall (3 Stars) so you will have everything you need to be comfortable. We highly recommend bringing your own pair of binoculars (you can rent them too).
One thing that is different than African safari lodges we have been to is that it is MOSTLY all-inclusive. So, keep that in mind when booking that there will be add-ons like certain desserts, alcohol, binoculars, extra boat rides, etc. that you will have to pay for in addition to your tour. None are all that expensive in comparison to US standard pricing but is definitely more of a luxury budget trip overall.
Did we get to see the Borneo Big 5 in 3 Days?
In the 2 nights we were at the lodge, we were able to see ALL 5 animal species. We did add-on one extra morning safari on the day of checkout (not included) and that was the opportunity to see Pygmy Elephants for a second time. We thought…when in Borneo!
In total, we got to see 1 Crocodile, 2 sets of Rhinocerous Hornbills, so many Proboscis Monkeys, 2 Wild Orangutans and 2 sets of Pygmy Elephants. Along with tons of other animal and bird species not on the list. The guides are fantastic at spotting and really will do their best to accomodate all requests.
We do recommend the time of year we visited which was November, but keep in mind it does rain and can rain a lot. Animals have minds of their own so it doesn’t mean you won’t get to see things if it does rain, but the boats are not covered. Rain jackets or ponchos are also recommended. They do have umbrellas to utilize around the lodge to get to and from your room, meals, etc.
The Borneo Big 5 was not something that was on our radar until planning this trip, but, if you love animals, it is worth the addition whenever you are visiting the Southeast Asian region. An off-the-beaten path gem is always right up our alley and the natural beauty of the region is really unmatched!
MC Exploring 