Sandakan … They have a beautiful harbour. The town's a bit of a tip, but nice people. No rip-off tourist prices. If you found a place outside town, could be a place to spend winters if you are from, say, Europe or Japan. There are a lot of places to visit in the area. Borneo tea is very nice. February is reasonably cool in morning and evening.
Sepilok Jungle Resort in Sandakan … This place is absolutely fabulous!!! It has a great room at a great price, and it's set in beautiful gardens--paradise! It's right next to the Orang Utan Sanctuary, so you can go and avoid the tour groups. It has lovely food--try the sweet-and-sour chicken. Mrs. Lim is really friendly and helpful--all you need to do is ask. We were going to stay a few days and stayed a week, wishing we could stay longer. Miss it and miss out.
Sepilok Jungle Resort in Sandakan … This is a fantastic place to stay. The staff were very friendly, and willing to help. The food was fantastic (the best Malaysian food I had in the whole of Malaysia!). The bar area is a great place to sit out at night and meet people. I would definitely go back again!
Nature Lodge Kinabatangan in Sandakan … Really enjoyed it: saw quite a lot of nature, including wild orang utans which - even after spending a few days at the sepilok reserve - was awesome. Didn't see any elephants unfortunately.
It's quite basic but that seems appropriate in light of the fact it is a nature experience. And giving you anti-mozzie coils to burn under your bed at night is a really nice touch.
As is the hotel california sing-along!
Sepilok Jungle Resort in Sandakan … It is worth staying here at least one night so that you can visit both feedings at the sanctuary next door and have somewhere to retreat during the hottest part of the day (and it gets hot!). We thought the food was pretty good, and the grounds are well-kept -- although its picture-perfectness is showing signs of age and it would probably nicer if it was a bit more jungle-like and a lot less cultivated. It is a tad overpriced though because of the location, location.
Sepilok Jungle Resort in Sandakan … The hostel rooms and double rooms in the back part, left of the restaurant when you face it, are dark and damp. Expect to share your room with cockroaches the size of your fingers. When you brush your teeth in the sink, you may find squirming antennae through the sink holes. If you must stay here, try to be sure to get a room that is closer to the restaurant. The more upscale rooms are less used and exude a strange smell. The food is very bland and truly disappointing for anyone who enjoys Malaysian cuisine. The canteen at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is more palatable. The grounds themselves are very kitschy. The concrete mushroom picnic bench is really over the top. It's a very perverted twist on the concept of a jungle. Your best bet to visit Sepilok is to take a day trip from Sandakan.
Sepilok Jungle Resort in Sandakan … What a fantastic setting Sepilok Jungle Resort is in -- and only a half-hour drive from the main town of Sandakan and its airport. You are in fact in the jungle. The Sepilok Orang Utan sanctuary is only a ten-minute walk from here. The grounds here are immense and extend quite some distance, but…
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