Borneo Primate Safari Tour
19 Days · 18 Nights · Malaysian Borneo
Asia's only great ape, and nine of Borneo's rarest primate companions, tracked privately across five wilderness locations, from the rehabilitation centres of Sepilok to the untouched primary rainforest of Danum Valley.
Enquire About This JourneyA tour built around a single goal: putting you in front of Borneo's full primate diversity, in its own remaining strongholds. Ten species, five reserves, and daily game drives that often run past eleven hours, this is a specialist itinerary for serious naturalists and wildlife photographers, not a general sightseeing trip.
Borneo
Locations
Targeted
on Peak Days
Throughout
Asia's Only Great Ape, and Nine Rare Companions
This itinerary was designed around Borneo's wild orangutan population, and built out to cover the island's full range of primate life alongside it: proboscis monkey, Bornean gibbon, red leaf monkey, silver leaf monkey, long tailed and pig tailed macaque, the elusive Sabah grey langur, and Borneo's only two nocturnal primates, western tarsier and slow loris.
Rather than one or two reserves, the tour moves privately through five, each contributing sightings and habitats the others cannot: the conservation centres of Sepilok, the river corridors of Kinabatangan, the reduced impact logging concession of Deramakot, the primary rainforest of Danum Valley, and the reserve forest of Tabin.
Wild orangutan, from Borneo.
Trip at a Glance
What sets this itinerary apart from a general wildlife safari through Borneo.
Fully Private Throughout
Every activity on this itinerary is private to your group, with the single exception of the shared return speedboat transfer on the Kinabatangan leg.
Senior Specialist Guides
Guides are chosen specifically for their primate tracking experience across each of the five reserves, not for general safari guiding.
Intensive, By Design
Most days involve up to eleven hours of guided activity split across dawn, afternoon and night sessions. This is built for serious wildlife lovers, wildlife photographers and not a leisurely sightseeing trip. We ofcourse can custom-made this into lesser hours of drive on request.
All Five Prime Locations
Very few itineraries combine Sepilok, Kinabatangan, Deramakot, Danum Valley and Tabin in a single private journey.
Five Wilderness Locations
Each reserve contributes species and habitats the others cannot. Every location below is a Safari Acacia address in its own right.
Sepilok
1 NightThe tour's gentle opening, and its conservation heart. Home to the rehabilitated orangutans and sun bears of the Sepilok centre, plus an evening search for tarsier and slow loris and dawn canipy walk in the Rainforest Discovery Centre.
Explore Sepilok →
Kinabatangan
3 NightsThree days of morning, afternoon and night river cruises through one of Borneo's richest wildlife corridors, tracking proboscis monkeys, wild orangutans and the pygmy elephant herd in a remote setting without any tourist crowd.
Explore Kinabatangan →
Deramakot
7 NightsThe tour's core, and Borneo's most rewarding wildlife filming location. Seven nights of extensive game drives across dawn, dusk and night, deep inside a certified sustainably managed forest reserve.
Explore Deramakot →
Danum Valley
4 NightsUntouched primary rainforest, explored on foot and by vehicle, with some of the best documented sightings of red leaf monkeys and western tarsiers anywhere in Borneo.
Explore Danum Valley →
Tabin
3 NightsBorneo's largest wildlife reserve, and once the last stronghold of the Sumatran rhinoceros, closing the tour with a resident gibbon family and a well earned mud spa.
Explore Tabin →Day by Day
Nineteen days, built around five reserves and the primates found in each. Select any day for the full detail. Exact timings are set with your guide, day to day, around weather and recent sightings.
Day 01Arrival in Sandakan, and Straight Into the ForestPrivate transfer · Night walk for tarsier and slow loris · Canopy walk
A private pickup from Sandakan Airport takes you to your resort in Sepilok, then a guided night walk through the Rainforest Discovery Centre in search of western tarsier and slow loris.Overnight, Sepilok Nature Lodge
Day 02Gibbons at Dawn, Then on to KinabatanganDawn gibbon walk · Sepilok orangutan centre · Afternnon cruise
An early guided walk at the Rainforest Discovery Centre for North Bornean gibbons, breakfast, then a tour of the Sepilok Orangutan and Sun Bear Conservation Centre before transferring to the Sandakan jetty for the scheduled speedboat to Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort. Check in over a buffet lunch, then an afternoon river cruise that often extends into a night cruise or walk, depending on conditions.Overnight, Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort
Day 03The Dark River and Oxbow LakeDark river cruise · Oxbow Lake · Afternoon cruise and walk
An early cruise, prioritising the dark river when conditions favour eye level orangutan photography, or Oxbow Lake as the alternative on overcast days. An afternoon cruise before dinner, followed by a thrilling guided night walk through the resort's own boardwalk.Overnight, Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort
Day 04Tracking the Resident OrangutansMorning cruise · Afternoon cruise · Night cruise, tracking the flanged male
A full day continuing the search for Kinabatangan's wild orangutans, with particular focus on locating the resident flanged alpha male, across further morning, afternoon and night cruises.Overnight, Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort
Day 05Transfer to DeramakotFinal river cruise · Road transfer to Deramakot · 4WD approach
A final morning cruise, then a boat+road transfer to the remote Deramakot Forest Reserve via Telupid, switching to 4WD for the final stretch. The first of many night game drives follows after dinner.Overnight, Deramakot Forest Reserve
Day 06-11Settling Into Deramakot's RhythmDawn drive · Dusk drive · Night drive
Deramakot runs on its own clock, dawn and dusk drives bracket a quiet midday break, with a night drive added after dinner. Your guide chooses the routes based on which roads have been most active in recent days. Fruiting trees play a vital role since ripe fruit reliably draws orangutans, macaques and hornbills. With six full days in Deramakot, there is time to reach forest blocks that shorter itineraries never see. further from camp with packed dinner, into quieter sections of the reserve. We can shift the balance toward dusk and night sessions, with a lighter dawn drive for oneday, focussing on slow loris and the wild cats and civets, for which Deramakot is famous. Overnight, Deramakot Forest Reserve
Day 12On to Danum ValleyTransfer via Lahad Datu · Danum Valley Field Centre · Afternoon and night walk
A morning transfer to the primary rainforest of the Danum Valley Conservation Area via Lahad Datu, checking in at the Field Centre, followed by an introductory afternoon walk and a guided night walk.Overnight, Danum Valley Conservation Area
Day 13The Canopy WalkwayCanopy walkway trek · Red leaf monkeys and hornbills · Afternoon game drive
A morning trek brings you to the reserve's canopy walkway, suspended above the forest floor and one of the best vantage points in Borneo for red leaf monkeys and hornbills. An afternoon game drive follows.Overnight, Danum Valley Conservation Area
Day 14To Bukit Atur and the FallsBukit Atur viewpoint · Fairy and Serpent Falls · Group-paced trek
A longer guided trek climbs to the View Point at Bukit Atur for a view across the forest canopy, continuing on to Fairy and Serpent Falls. Trek length and pace are set around your group on the day.Overnight, Danum Valley Conservation Area
Day 15The Natural Jacuzzi, Then a Final Night WalkNatural jacuzzi pool · Lighter afternoon · Final night walk
A morning visit to the natural jacuzzi pool on the Danum River, a spot most guests only discover once they arrive, precedes a lighter afternoon and a final guided night walk before the transfer to Tabin.Overnight, Danum Valley Conservation Area
Day 16Transfer to Tabin Wildlife ReserveTransfer to Tabin · Afternoon guided walk · Introductory night drive
A morning transfer back through Lahad Datu to Tabin, with an afternoon guided walk and a night drive as an introduction to the reserve.Overnight, Tabin Wildlife Reserve
Day 17Tabin's Rainforest, Full CirclePrimary forest trails · Resident gibbon family · Dawn and dusk drives
Tabin's walking trails pass through some of Borneo's most accessible primary forest, with a resident gibbon family regularly seen from the reserve's own walkways. Dawn and dusk drives bracket the day.Overnight, Tabin Wildlife Reserve
Day 18The Mud Volcano, and a Last Night DriveMud volcano visit · Optional herbal foot soak · Final night drive
A relaxed visit to Tabin's mud volcano, used by wildlife long before it became a guest attraction, with an optional herbal foot soak and mud spa. A final night drive after dinner brings the tour's wildlife programme to a close.Overnight, Tabin Wildlife Reserve
Day 19Departure via Lahad DatuMorning at leisure · Transfer to Lahad Datu Airport
A final morning at leisure before the transfer to Lahad Datu Airport, bringing the tour to a close.
Primates You May Encounter
Ten species, spread unevenly across the five reserves. Your guide tracks each by its own habits, calls and habitat, not a single generic approach.
Wild Orangutan
Asia's only great ape, and the tour's central focus, tracked across four forest habitats plus the rehabilitated population at Sepilok.
Proboscis Monkey
Found only in Borneo, often seen leaping tree to tree along the Kinabatangan's banks in the late afternoon.
Bornean Gibbon
Tracked by its haunting dawn call, with a resident family at Tabin often seen at close range from the walkways.
Red Leaf Monkey
A striking rust coloured leaf monkey, most reliably seen across Deramakot and Danum Valley's canopy.
Silver Leaf Monkey
Silver grey adults travel in troops with strikingly orange coloured infants, a common sight along the river and forest edges.
Long Tailed Macaque
Present throughout the tour, though its behaviour and confidence around people shifts noticeably between locations.
Pig Tailed Macaque
A ground dwelling macaque encountered regularly on forest floor sightings across all four reserves.
Sabah Grey Langur
One of Borneo's more elusive primates, increasingly well photographed in recent seasons across Tabin and Deramakot.
Western Tarsier
A tiny, entirely carnivorous nocturnal primate that rotates its head almost full circle to track insect prey, best found on night walks and drives.
Slow Loris
Borneo's only venomous primate, tracked slowly and quietly on night walks, occasionally spotted carrying young.
Scenes From the Trail
River cruises, night drives, and the rainforest in between.
What's Included
Included
In the Tour PriceExcluded
Arranged SeparatelyWhat to Pack
Long days on the water and in the forest, in a hot, humid climate, call for practical, neutral coloured layers.
When to Travel
Borneo by season
This is a wildlife tour rather than a beach holiday, so seasonality matters more here than on a typical Borneo itinerary. Our best estimate below reflects the general Sabah interior pattern; ask us for the latest read closer to your dates.
Borneo Primate Tour Intelligence
Questions we are asked first
Planning & Fitness
Is nineteen days too intensive for most travellers?
It is a demanding itinerary by design, aimed at serious wildlife photographers and naturalists rather than a general sightseeing trip. Most days involve early starts and long hours in the field. We are glad to build a shorter version focused on two or three of the five reserves for guests who want a gentler pace.
What is the best time of year for this tour?
Borneo is a year round destination and wildlife does not disappear in any month. March to October is generally the driest period and the easiest underfoot for trekking, while November to February brings more frequent rain, a lusher forest and noticeably fewer fellow travellers. See the seasonal guide above for more detail.
Can the itinerary be shortened?
Yes. Deramakot's seven nights are the most flexible to trim, and a version focused on Kinabatangan, Danum Valley and Tabin alone runs closer to twelve or thirteen days. Tell us your priorities and we will adjust the balance.
Do I need any vaccinations or malaria precautions?
We recommend consulting a travel health professional or your GP well ahead of departure for current guidance specific to Sabah, since recommendations do change. Please treat this as a starting point rather than medical advice.
In the Field
How much walking is involved?
Considerably more at Danum Valley and Tabin than at Kinabatangan or Deramakot, which are largely vehicle and boat based. Danum's guided treks range from an hour to a genuine half day, and pace is set around your group.
What camera gear should I bring?
At least 300mm reach for wildlife. A semi pro zoom in the 150 to 600mm range, paired with a 70 to 200mm, covers most sightings well. A wide lens is useful for the canopy walkway and river landscapes, and a body that handles high ISO cleanly matters more than reach alone on night drives.
Is a wet weather kit necessary even outside the rainy season?
Yes. Short showers can arrive at any time of year in Borneo's rainforest, and a lightweight rain jacket and a dry bag for camera equipment are worth packing regardless of season.
Can this tour be combined with Borneo's dive islands or a family friendly extension?
Yes. Sipadan Kapalai and Lankayan Island are both natural additions at either end of this itinerary, and we also offer a gentler, family paced version of the same reserves for guests travelling with children.
Begin Your Primate Expedition
We arrange every permit, transfer and guide, private throughout, for a journey through Borneo's remaining primate strongholds.
Enquire About the Borneo Primate Tour
