Utan Rainforest Lodge
Location
Wildlife diversity is staggering in the VJR. The headliner animals include Bornean orangutans, proboscis monkeys, sun bears, pygmy elephants and the elusive helmeted hornbill. There have also been sightings of clouded leopards, and there are plenty of other species to see too: three species of civet, gibbons and monkeys of various varieties, and hundreds of types of bird, including the rare, endemic ground cuckoo.
Some come here specifically to spot Irrawaddy dolphins, of which there are only 300 left in the wild.
You’ll find 14 air-conditioned ensuite rooms at the lodge, and, while the large windows look out into lush nature, comfort has not been sacrificed to the wild. They’re neutral-toned and contemporary in style, spacious, and come with hot showers and eco-luxe amenities.
Dining is a gentle ritual here: meals are crafted with care and served with grace. The cuisine is not extravagant, but it is nourishing, flavourful, and infused with local character. As dusk settles and the canopy darkens, the dining room glows like a lantern in the woods, inviting guests to gather and share stories of the fantastic wildlife encounters they have had.
Experiences
- Walk through the Nipah palms towards the sea. That’s where you’ll find orangutans during the day and a dazzling spectacle of fireflies at night.
- Night excursions will reveal the nocturnal animals, including the slow loris and western tarsier. There have even been sightings of clouded leopards.
- Make use of the purpose-built ground cuckoo hide where you might get a photo of one of Borneo’s most sought-after endemic birds. There’s also a mammal hide.
- On river excursions, you’re likely to see proboscis monkeys, along with kingfishers and fruit bats. This is also the opportunity to spot an extremely rare local resident: an Irrawaddy dolphin.
- The banks of the river are also home to pygmy elephants, sambar and barking deer, and six different primate species.
- With your binoculars out, you’ll be able to tick off seven out of Borneo’s eight hornbill species, including the rare and spectacular rhinoceros hornbill. Bird lovers will see dozens of other species on each foray, with the best named one being the thick-bellied flowerpecker.
Transferred into the Tabin rainforest reserve by helicopter, you’ll meet with senior conservationists at BORA (Bring Back Our Rare Animals) and see their inspirational work at the Sabah Ficus Germplasm Centre. Here, they cultivate more than 90 varieties of fig tree so that they can safeguard the habitat and year-round food source that’s so vital to orangutans and the other species that surround them.
This isn’t just a learning experience; its also a chance to venture out to see orangutans in the wild, and then you’ll leave having played your part in their future. Taking a seedling from this, the world’s largest living collection of wild figs, you’ll plant it so that the future is improved.
We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.
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