Back in April, JJ and I went on a bucket list trip to Malaysian Borneo. Our adventure started in the small town of Sepilok on the northeast coast of Sabah state. The Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) guided night walk offered us a perfect first opportunity to view some of Borneo’s unique nocturnal wildlife.
GETTING TO RAINFOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE SEPILOK
We caught a 3-hour direct flight to Sandakan from Kuala Lumpur. The drive from Sandakan Airport to our accommodation on the edge of Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve took about 30 mins. JJ and I walked from there to RDC (20 mins). If you’d rather not walk, it’s pretty easy to get a taxi/Grab from anywhere in Sepilok.
On our way from Kinabatangan River back to Sandakan Airport, we stopped in Sepilok again for lunch. That journey was about an hour by road.
Tip #1:
The night walk isn’t advertised on RDC’s website. Both their site and Google list the opening hours as 08:00 am – 5:00 pm daily. However, if you contact RDC and say you’re interested in a 2-hour night walk on a specific date, they’ll book you in. Just turn up before 6:00 pm on the day of your booking and pay the MYR30 p/p entry fee (cash only).
RDC NIGHT WALK EXPERIENCE
Once everyone with a booking had arrived and paid their entrance fee, we divided into smaller groups. Each group had their own guide/spotter. Our first viewing was from the ‘Rainforest Skywalk’, the 25m high canopy walkway. From there we saw red giant flying squirrels emerging from their nests and gliding between the trees. It was an incredible first encounter.
After descending from the canopy walkway, we continued along the forest floor trails. Looking up we were able to see another amazing arboreal gliding mammal – the colugo. Colugo’s are also known as flying lemurs, and they can glide for up to 200 metres between trees.
One of the mammals I was really hoping to glimpse on this walk was the western tarsier and I wasn’t disappointed. These tiny animals are just 9-16 cm long and are the only entirely carnivorous primates. Sadly, tarsiers are listed as threatened due to habitat loss and the illegal pet trade. Our group were lucky enough to see two!
If amphibians or reptiles are your fave, there’s no shortage of sightings to be had on the RDC night walk. Lowland litter frogs like to hide underneath leaves during the day and emerge after dark to feed. Borneo forest dragons are less active at night making them easier to photograph. Beautiful keeled pit vipers are primarily nocturnal ambush predators, so there’s a good chance you’ll spot one.
Invertebrate-wise there are lots of cool things to see; glow worms, lantern bugs and stick insects to name a few. The tarantulas didn’t feel like coming out of their burrows for us, BUT we did get to see a big Malaysian black scorpion with the help of our guide’s UVA torch.
Tip #2:
Don’t forget:
Binoculars/Camera – you can take pics but flash photography is not allowed cos nocturnal animals have sensitive eyes
Rain jacket or poncho – we got drizzled on so a waterproof came in handy
Wear closed toe shoes and long pants – protect yourself against insect bites
WHERE WE STAYED
Sepilok Nature Lodge borders Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve where the Rainforest Discovery Centre is located. It’s also a good place to base yourself if you’re planning to visit the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre or Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (both are within walking distance). The resort features excellent jungle and lake views, we spied so many kingfishers, hornbills, water monitors and squirrels.
Our room included an outdoor deck and spacious air conditioned interior with double bed, full bathroom and separate bathtub. JJ and I had a very comfortable 1-night stay there and found the prices pretty reasonable for the standard of accommodation.
The menu at Sepilok Nature Lodge’s onsite bistro offers both local and western options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. All our meals were fresh and well presented. However, we quickly discovered that as a tourist in Borneo (whenever you order local dishes), by default you’ll be served a bland non-spicy version. Our solution to this was to always ask for extra chopped chilis on the side🌶️
I can highly recommend the RDC night walk. We saw a few species that we didn’t see anywhere else in Borneo, so it was definitely worthwhile. I’d happily stay at Sepilok Nature Lodge again as well.
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