Borneo Nature Lodge

Amazing experience, we had 2 nights in the lodge and a night on Turtle Island. Food was good, rooms basic but clean. The people are lovely. Special thanks to Loy, our guide for making our holiday, knowledgable and caring. He took the time to make sure we were ok at all times, quite important for 2 females on their own. Thank you l!

I do want to share my dissatisfaction with the Borneo Nature Lodge service and miscommunication I experienced. My understanding was it seemed every other group staying there had a boatman and a guide. I was only provided a boatman. When I checked in, no one explained to me that a button needed to be pressed outside of the bathroom for hot water in the shower, which caused me to take an extremely cold shower. I was told the last evening, 30 min before the tour that I had an evening cruise and was told that my transportation would be picking me up the following day at 10am and to be ready by 9:50am. I had gotten up early to attempt to pay extra to search for the elephants, but at that time there was no available boats. I had decided to go ahead and have breakfast and make my way back to my room. At 7:40am, I got a knock on my room door that the transport has arrived. I had to take a few more minutes to get everything together. I was unaware that I needed to pay a tourism tax. So I paid and was rushed to the jetty. The transportation got me to the orangutan sanctuary at 10:30am, passed the feeding time, so I missed the orangutan sanctuary, which was really disappointing.

Fabulous welcome and made to feel at home as a solo traveler. Amazing surroundings. It was very quiet when I stayed as things were just starting up again after Covid, and really appreciated the time and effort given to me while I was staying at the lodge. Great food and would definitely stay again!

Great place to stay with chalet type accommodation we had a herd of 30 odd pigmy elephants come though our lodge so lovely to see them so close up. Meals where very good even made us a birthday cake staff friendly and boat tours amazing looking for the wildlife on the river.

Borneo Nature Lodge is a 2 star accommodation on the Kinabatangan River in Sandakan. The lodge is indeed very charming, and graced with a most delightful and helpful staff. The river safari is a wonderful experience transporting the traveller into a world of Pygmy Elephants, Orang Utans, Proboscis Monkeys, Hornbills, and Water Monitor Lizards. The local guides are extremely knowledgeable and will seek and wait and listen patiently until they hear an interesting sound that may be investigated. Do not expect many creature comforts here; this is a Rainforest. And although laudably Eco-friendly, I feel a hotel should also consider its guests....The accommodation was spartan verging on primitive, and the bathroom was dingy with a broken tap. You need no carbon footprint to fix a tap, or to clean the windows. My advice to travellers is to do your research into the lodges in Borneo before you travel. Then enjoy the wonderful experience that is Borneo.

Our group of 6 stayed in 3 chalets, reservation staff was great to arrange rooms with interconnecting door for family with children. They were clean and comfortable with air-conditioner. We enjoyed our meals, banana fritters were our favourite tea snack and connecting with nature. Our guide Rizal and boatman were exceptional, we saw wild orang utan, proboscis monkey, and baby crocodile.