Ting å gjøre i Sandakan

We had the most amazing and fun time on this tour. We loved our time on Kinabatang River where we saw macaque and proboscis monkeys, a Pygmy elephant, crocodiles and birdlife. Our guides Robert and Jeanette were very friendly and knowledgeable. The Bilit Lodge is simple but very clean and satisfactory. The food was also very enjoyable and tasty. Our only downside was that we booked late and couldn't secure accommodation in Sepilok so missed the opportunity to spend some additional time there. The tour company arranged alternative accommodation back in Sandakan but this meant we spent more time travelling on the first two days. Overall I thought this was very well organised and we loved the opportunity to get close up with the variety of animals. The people we met on the tour were all very lovely and safety protocols are followed on the river rides.

Dagen ble godt gjennomført av Johnny, guiden vår, som fulgte oss hele veien. Transporten fra hotellet vårt til de forskjellige stedene var godt organisert. Vi skulle gjerne ha fått bekreftelsesinformasjonen fra selskapet i forkant av utflukten. Ellers gikk alt annet bra.

Jeg var litt usikker på om overnattingsstedet ville være et feriested eller et hjemmeopphold, men jeg ble lettet over å finne ut at det var et feriested med aircondition, varmt vann og kjøleskap. Jeg var også veldig fornøyd med kveldscruiset, hvor vi så orangutanger, neseaper, krokodiller og Borneo-elefanter. På nattvandringen så vi sovende fugler og dverglorier. På morgencruiset så vi en stor krokodille. Jeg tror sjansen for å møte dyr avhenger av flaks, men jeg er veldig fornøyd med alt vi fikk se!

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.