Things to do in Sandakan

Unforgettable experience. My guide Fazley went above and beyond. Truly made the experience even more elevated. It was absolutely brilliant. I felt really welcome and taken care of, everything from the food, accommodation to the tours.

We were picked up from our hotel by our driver, who drove only us throughout the day. Unfortunately, he spoke very little English, so the 2.5-hour drive was quiet. When asked where we would be taken first, he couldn't answer and had us speak to the (presumably) tour guide via his phone. Our first stop was a local restaurant called "Restaurant Simpang Tiga" directly on the Kinabatangan River, where we were asked to have drinks and food. The restrooms there were in local conditions (no flush, no paper). Afterward, our driver took us to Lepit Jetty (Sukau Backpackers), where we were equipped and boarded a boat with about 8 other people to go out on the river. We were very lucky that day, as we saw orangutans, hornbills, elephants, and proboscis monkeys. The river cruise was therefore beautiful. Our guide unfortunately didn't talk much with us, but it was also his first tour.

Unfortunately, the forest resort was fully booked, so we switched to the Sandakan Hotel, which meant we couldn't experience the jungle atmosphere. The first day of the itinerary started with airport pickup at 7:30 AM, picking up other group members along the way. In the morning, we watched the orangutan feeding show and sun bear feeding within the park, which involved a lot of walking. We had lunch at the Banana Cafe, where we could upgrade our drinks for an additional charge. In the afternoon, we visited the Rainforest Discovery Centre, learning about local bird species, frogs, plants, and their history. The center had many specimens of beetles, butterflies, snakes, and more; it was a small exhibition hall but packed with rich resources. Afterward, we went on a rainforest hike, actually walking through the jungle to look for small creatures. During the hike, the guide asked us which route we preferred and helped us take photos. This part lasted about an hour, and we listened to the guide's explanations along the way. They were enthusiastic in answering any questions we had. We arrived at our accommodation around 3 PM to rest. In the evening, we had dinner at the hotel, and breakfast was provided the next morning. Although there weren't many choices, it saved us the trouble of deciding what to eat. The next day was just the airport drop-off. It's a shame we couldn't spend more time exploring the forest resort, but overall, it was still a good experience.