Orangutan watching tips

Daniel Waters, from our adventure specialists Wild Frontiers, shares his orangutan watching tips: “A lot of tourists go to Sepilok to do their orangutan viewing, as it’s the only place you’re pretty much guaranteed to see orangutans. They are semi-wild there, but there will be a lot of tourists with you, so you might be with 50 or 60 other people. So it’s not really the most personal experience, or the most genuine. So I was a little disappointed with the experience – although having said that I wouldn’t have seen them otherwise.“

Nicki Hollamby, from our partner Audley Travel, shares her orangutan watching tips:
“There are misunderstandings about Sepilok – people think the animals are let out of their cages in the morning to feed, but it’s not like that at all. It’s a whole open area. The newly rescued adults and the babies are in cages in a protected area while they are in the rehabilitation programme, but they do eventually get released into the area, and the hope is that eventually they will stop coming back to the platforms for food as they learn to fend for themselves. It is very open and very wild, so although they get food twice a day if they want, they are basically living in the wild. You’re going out to Borneo to see orangutans and you would be massively disappointed if you didn’t. So although you can’t guarantee seeing them in the wild, Sepilok is a very open environment and without places like it and the tourism funding, they places wouldn’t run and the orangutans would become extinct. So there are all those things to consider."

Malaysian Borneo in general is a safe destination with relatively low crime rates and no large cities. Tourists should exercise the usual precautions – not walking alone at night, not leaving valuables such as cameras and smart phones on display, and using registered taxis. In recent years there have been a few kidnappings of tourists and locals around the east coast of Sabah. Thanks to its proximity to the Philippines, this area is at a higher risk of this kind of activity. Travel to this area is largely trouble-free, but stay up to date with government travel advice on the FCO website to be sure. If you are traveling independently in this region – and particularly from the airport at Lahad Datu to your accommodation – you should be sure you are using transport organised by reputable companies. There is an increased risk of terrorist attacks or kidnappings around vacation periods including Christmas, Easter and Independence Day on 17th August, particularly in northern Sumatra and Jakarta. Follow advice on the FCO website Keep an eye on natural disasters in Indonesia, such as flooding from October to April, and volcanic eruptions. Traffic accidents are not uncommon. Choose your driver wisely, and always wear a helmet if traveling by motorbike or moped. Malaysia and Indonesia are largely conservative, Muslim countries, and you should dress modestly, particularly in rural areas, to avoid causing offence. This is even more important in Indonesia. Homosexuality is not widely accepted (homosexual acts are illegal in Malaysia), so same-sex couples are advised to act discretely in public.