Where to see Orangutan in the wild?
Below are the best places to see wild orangutan in Sabah, Malaysia
There are three species of orangutans (scientific details about orangutan speciation is at the end of this post) live today in Sumatra and Borneo, ranging in two countries, Malaysia and Indonesia.
In this blog post we only focus on locations in the Malaysian state of Sabah, where a considerable population of wild Orangutan thrives in the wild, and one gets a fair chance to spot them with the assistance of a trained guide:
Wild orangutans are seen in all four destinations regularly, and you will have chances to see one in these forests in the order mentioned.
Deramakot Forest Reserve has earned a reputation as one of Sabah’s greatest wildlife viewing locations. While Deramakot Forest Reserve is likely more known for its cats (including the rare clouded leopard), it is also a fantastic spot to watch wild orangutans in their natural habitat. Given that Deramakot is a logging concession, this may come as a surprise. The orangutans are frequently seen along the two main dirt lanes that run through the forest reserve. They are also occasionally sighted around the Park HQ. Unfortunately, Deramakot Forest Reserve lies off the beaten path for the independent tourists, the only way to visit this secluded reserve is with a tour operator, you can contact us for an all inclusive guided Deramakot Trip.
As a result, the majority of orangutan enthusiasts visit Kinabatangan River (the villages of Sukau, Bilit and Abai) for easy access. The best way to see orangutan are early morning and late evening boat tours, which may be scheduled as a day trip from Sandakan or as an overnight stay. There are lots of hotels, homestay options in Kinabatangan. And it sometimes get crazily crowded. We recommend to stay in the Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort for the finest wildlife viewing experience away from the crowd.
Danum Valley is a remote and untamed tropical rainforest with suspended canopy walkways and various trails. Danum Valley is undoubtedly the best place to encounter a wild orangutan on foot. Just imagine yourself in front of an alpha male orangutan in a virgin rainforest, no tourist to spoil the moment. Borneo Rainforest Lodge is undoubtedly the best option to stay while exploring Danum Valley.
Tabin Wildlife Reserve is a large protected area with a fair chance of spotting an orangutan, additionally Sepilok Rehab centre is releasing semi-wild orangutans in Tabin. But it is not as likely as in Deramakot or Kinabatangan or Danum
For a detailed comparison of these four best destinations of Borneo, refer to our blog post:
