Schildpaddeneiland en de Kinabatangan rivier – Kom dicht bij wilde dieren in Sabah, Borneo
Een bezoek aan Turtle Island (ook bekend als Selingan Island) en de Kinabatangan-rivier zijn populaire keuzes tijdens een vakantie in Sabah, Borneo. Met deze 3-daagse Turtle Island & Kinabatangan River Cruise combineer je deze twee unieke locaties in één eenvoudig te boeken reis. Tijdens deze reis geniet je van een overnachting op Selingan Island, gevolgd door een verblijf in een lodge aan de Kinabatangan-rivier (Tanini Kinabatangan, voorheen Nature Lodge Kinabatangan).
Selingan Island ligt in het Turtle Island Marine Park en 40 km ten noorden van Sandakan in de Suluzee. Het Marine Park is een veilig toevluchtsoord voor de schaarse groene en karetschildpadden. Selingan is het grootste eiland onder de andere drie eilanden in Turtle Island Park, Sabah, Borneo. Op Selingan Island kun je schildpadden zien landen en nesten maken tijdens je verblijf (dat gebeurt meestal elke nacht). De Turtle Hatchery zal ook in de schemering jongen uitbroeden als onderdeel van hun voortdurende programma om schildpadden te beschermen.
Ontdek de wonderen van Sabah – 3D2N Schildpaddeneiland & Kinabatangan Rivierreis, Sabah, Maleisië
Na je bezoek aan Turtle Island bezoek je op dag 2 ’s ochtends een voedersessie in het Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre voordat je wordt overgebracht naar de Kinabatangan rivier om deel te nemen aan riviercruises op zoek naar de fantastische wilde dieren van Sabah. Tijdens je bezoek aan de Kinabatangan River zul je deelnemen aan verschillende activiteiten om wilde dieren te zien: twee riviercruises en een nachttrekking. Op de laatste dag van je reis bezoek je ook het Rainforest Discovery Centre voordat je wordt teruggebracht naar Sandakan.
Als je meer wilde dieren wilt zien en je hebt een extra dag vrij, kies dan onze 4D3N Turtle Island & Kinabatangan rivierreis met de kans om te genieten van meer riviercruises langs de Kinabatangan rivier.
Man van het bos | Orang-oetan | Borneo droom
Reisroute – 3-Daagse Schildpaddeneiland & Kinabatangan Rivierreis, Sabah, Maleisië
Dag 1 (Maaltijden: L & D)
~08:00hrs – 09:15hrs: Je wordt opgehaald bij je hotel in Sandakan of Sepilok of op Sandakan Airport. Als je naar Sandakan Airport vliegt om aan de tour deel te nemen, moet je om 08:00 uur op SDK zijn. Je wordt per minibus/bus naar Sandakan Yacht Club gebracht voor je boottocht naar Selingan Turtle Island Park. 10:00 uur: Je boot vertrekt naar Turtle Island.
De reis naar Turtle Island duurt ongeveer 45 minuten (afhankelijk van de toestand van de zee). Bij aankomst registreer je je bij het Parks HQ en check je in in je chalet.
12:00 uur: Geniet van de lunch in de cafetaria op Turtle Island. De rest van de middag is vrij om het eiland te verkennen, te chillen op het strand of te gaan snorkelen in de zee (snorkelspullen zijn te huur bij Turtle Island).
Vroege avond: Je dineert in de cafetaria. Na het diner zullen de Rangers je roepen om schildpadden te observeren die eieren leggen. Kijk hoe de Ranger de eieren naar de broederij brengt en geniet van de mogelijkheid om te observeren hoe de babyschildpadjes in open zee worden vrijgelaten. De Ranger zal je ook roepen als er een gelegenheid is om een schildpad te zien nesten (eieren leggen).
Overnachting op Turtle Island in een gedeelde tweepersoonskamer (met eigen badkamer met douche en airconditioning). Klik hier om foto’s van Turtle Island Resort en de accommodatie te bekijken.
Dag 2 (Maaltijden: B, L & D)
07:00 uur: Vertrek met je boot van Turtle Island en transfer terug naar Sandakan. Vervolgens ga je naar het Sepilok Orang-oetan Rehabilitatiecentrum.
10:00 uur: Neem deel aan de ochtendvoedingssessie in het Sepilok Orang-oetan Rehabilitatiecentrum. De voedertijd van de orang-oetans is 1000 uur. Orang-oetan rehabilitatie is het belangrijkste doel van Sepilok.
11:30 – 12:00 uur: Na de voedersessie in Sepilok ga je lunchen in een lokaal restaurant in de omgeving van Sepilok.
13:00 uur: Na de lunch word je overgebracht naar Tanini Kinabatangan, dat in het Lower Kinabatangan River Sanctuary ligt. De reis duurt ongeveer 2 uur en voert langs Kota Kinabatangan en oliepalmplantages. Als je aankomt in Kampung Bilit, word je overgebracht naar de Kinabatangan lodge, die op slechts een paar minuten varen over de Kinabatangan rivier ligt. Bij aankomst worden welkomstdrankjes geserveerd.
15:00 uur: Bij aankomst in de Lodge krijg je een welkomstbriefing, inclusief een oriëntatie van de Lodge en de omgeving. Check in in je Bangkatan kamer bij Tanini Kinabatangan.
16:00 uur: Neem deel aan de riviercruise in de namiddag over de Kinabatangan-rivier op zoek naar wilde dieren en vogels langs de oevers.
18:00 uur: Terugkeer naar de Lodge om je op te frissen en dan te genieten van het diner in het restaurant van de Lodge te midden van de Kampung Bilit secundaire jungle.
Maak daarna een begeleide nachtwandeling achter de lodge om van de wildernis te genieten en naar slapende vogels en nachtwezens van de jungle te kijken.
Overnachting bij Tanini Kinabatangan in een Bangkatan-kamer (met twin- of doublebed, airconditioning en ensuite doucheruimte). Klik hier om foto’s van de accommodatie bij Tanini Kinabatangan te bekijken.
Dag 3 (Maaltijden: B)
06:00 uur: Ga vroeg in de ochtend mee op een Kinabatangan River cruise om meer vogels en wilde dieren te zien.
07:00 uur: Terugkeer naar de Kinabatangan lodge voor het ontbijt. Na het ontbijt check je uit in je Chalet.
08:30 uur: Begin je transfer per minibus/bus terug naar het Sepilok-gebied.
~10:30 tot 11:00 uur: Aankomst bij het Rainforest Discovery Centre. Volg de Rainforest Skywalk, de langste canopy walk van Sabah, en geniet van het panoramische uitzicht over het bladerdak van het regenwoud. Hopelijk zie je een aantal van de exotische vogels die hier voorkomen en mogelijk een orang-oetan. Je maakt een wandeling met een gids over een van de gemarkeerde paden om “Old Sepilok”, de hoogste boom in het centrum, te bezoeken. Het is alsof je een reus uit het oeroude verleden van het regenwoud ontmoet. Als de tijd het toelaat, breng je ook een bezoek aan de botanische tuin om enkele inheemse bloemen van Borneo te bekijken.
12.30 – 13.00 uur: Vervolg je reis terug naar Sandakan en transfer naar je hotel of Sandakan Airport (aanbevolen vlucht AK6497 ETD 14.50 uur of later). We hopen dat je hebt genoten van je Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge reis.
Reisvoorwaarden – 3D2N Schildpaddeneiland & Kinabatangan Rivierreis, Sabah, Maleisië
Deze 3-daagse tocht is voor iedereen toegankelijk.
Inclusief – 3-daagse Turtle Island & Kinabatangan riviertrip
- Retourtransfers over de weg zoals vermeld en retourtransfer per boot naar Turtle Island.
- Maaltijden (2 Ontbijten, 2 Lunchen & 2 Diner).
- Bezoeken (en entreegelden) aan Turtle Island, Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre en het Rainforest Discovery Centre.
- Op de Kinabatangan rivier: 2 x riviercruise (1 ochtend & 1 laat in de middag), 1 x begeleide nachtwandeling. De Kinabatangan riviercruises die bij deze reis zijn inbegrepen gaan tot ~7 km stroomopwaarts naar Pontian Point en maximaal ~10 km stroomafwaarts naar Tenegang Besar Point.
- 1 overnachting op Turtle Island in een tweepersoonskamer met een eigen badkamer.
- 1 overnachting in een Bangkatan kamer (twin / double of triple bedden, ensuite doucheruimte en toilet, aircon) bij Tanini Kinabatangan.
- Je wordt tijdens je hele reis begeleid door een Engelssprekende, ervaren, gepassioneerde natuurgids met licentie.
- Gratis koffie/thee en vers water zijn verkrijgbaar in het restaurant van Kinabatangan Nature Lodge.
- Turtle Island Resort verstrekt beperkt gratis drinkwater (1 kleine fles per persoon bij de lunch en het diner).
- 0% omzetbelasting en servicebelasting op de tourprijs, zoals van toepassing vanaf 6 mei 2019.
Exclusief reis – 3D2N Schildpaddeneiland & Kinabatangan Rivierreis
Camera/video conservation fee bij Turtle Island (RM10 per item), Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (RM10 per item) en het Rainforest Discovery Centre (RM10 per item), extra flessen water bij Turtle Island, frisdrank of alcoholische dranken. We raden je aan een grote fles drinkwater per persoon mee te nemen, aangezien Turtle Island Resort beperkt gratis drinkwater verstrekt. Eenpersoonstoeslag als je deze reis alleen boekt (voor alleenstaanden die een kamer delen).
De nieuwe toeristenbelasting – De toeristenbelasting is momenteel vastgesteld op RM 10 per kamer per nacht en wordt in rekening gebracht aan niet-Maleisische of buitenlandse toeristen.
Aanbevolen paklijst voor de reis – Schildpaddeneiland & Kinabatangan rivier
Om het meeste uit deze reis te halen, neem alsjeblieft een regenjas, pet/hoed, insectenspray, zonnebrandcrème, zwemkleding voor Turtle Island, handdoek, comfortabele wandelschoenen, comfortabel katoenen T-shirt, top met lange mouwen, lange of korte broek, verrekijker, zaklamp, camera en persoonlijke medicijnen (indien nodig) mee. Neem uw paspoort mee op deze reis – uw paspoorten zullen worden gecontroleerd bij Turtle Island en de Kinabatangan Lodge.
Aantekeningen – 3D2N Schildpaddeneiland & Kinabatangan Rivierreis, Sabah, Maleisië
Turtle Island Park ligt zo’n 40 km van Sandakan City. De boottocht van de aanlegsteiger naar het eiland duurt 45 minuten tot 1 uur. Als je last hebt van zeeziekte, is het aan te raden om zeeziektepillen te nemen. Voor boottransfers van/naar Turtle Island Resort, zal de Sandakan Marine Department dagelijks, op basis van weer/getijde updates, een veiligheidsbeslissing nemen of boottransfers worden toegestaan. In het geval van een woelige zee, kunnen staatsouders de bootovertocht naar Turtle Island ongeschikt vinden voor baby’s. Voor personen met rugproblemen of zwangere vrouwen kan de boottocht naar Turtle Island ongeschikt zijn bij ruwe zee.
Sabah Parks (die de instandhoudingsactiviteiten van Turtle Island beheert) onderschrijft de volgende instandhoudings- en veiligheidspraktijken op Turtle Island. Dit minimaliseert elke negatieve impact op de schildpadden die eieren komen leggen op het eiland.:-
- Sabah Parks staat alleen het gebruik van een camera zonder flits toe om de schildpad te fotograferen (video- of digitale videocamera’s zijn niet toegestaan).
- Bezoekers mogen van 18.00 tot 6.00 uur niet zelfstandig over het eiland rondlopen.
- Bezoekers van Turtle Island mogen slechts één (1) schildpad per nacht zien.
In Turtle Island Resort is gedeeld driepersoonsgebruik alleen toegestaan voor kinderen jonger dan vijf jaar met ouders. Een derde volwassene moet zijn/haar eigen kamer hebben met een extra toeslag voor een eenpersoonstoeslag. Alle tochten zijn onderhevig aan weersomstandigheden.
LeapFrog –
I’d really recommend Borneo Dream to take the hassle out of your holiday in Borneo. We booked our flights directly, then booked diving, nature reserve, Turtle Island, and a few other things too. With all these different elements, we were worried things might not work out. But as they’re based in Borneo, they clearly knew how to put the whole package together and made us feel assured things would go well – and it did !
Nigel Martin –
we had a tight schedule to fit in Turtle Island, Orangutan Sanctuary and Kinabatangan River trip in 3 days. Borneo dreams were absolutely excellent in swift response to our enquiries and everything worked like clockwork in Borneo. The staff all went the extra mile for us, carefully pointing out all wildlife, explaining conservation methods, coping with no power when camping out to the 5.30 am gong for morning cruise. We cannot thank them enough for all of their efforts. Use this company without hesitation.
Lynne & Brian Brough –
We had an amazing trip with your company. Everything ran very punctual. We saw a turtle laying her eggs and even better saw the little ones released into the sea. At Sepilok watching the orangutan in the nursery was so amusing. Down at the feeding station a large male came down and being so close was something we won’t forget. On the river cruise we saw crocodiles, monkeys, birds and a lizard. The accommodation and food were better than we expected.Thanks again for so many memories. We will definitely be recommending you to people at home.
Annette Murphy –
We would like to say that we enjoyed the 3 day 2 night Turtle Island and Kinabatangan river trip. It was the highlight of our holiday in Asia. All our guides were truly amazing and gave us good amount of time to appreciate he wildlife in their natural habitat. We would definitely book with Borneo Dream again as the whole experience from planning was easy.
Jessica Tagg –
The trip was amazing. We had a fantastic time and we have been recommending it to all of our friends and family. We had two guides during our trip. Both of them were extremely knowledgeable and friendly. They made our trip very enjoyable. We were lucky enough to be the only two people on the three-day trip, which meant we had a lot of attention from the guides and were able to tailor the trip to exactly how we wanted it. It was perfect!
Vanessa Ambler –
The Turtle Island trip was amazing – we loved every second. The staff were very attentive and the experience was unforgettable. 30 turtles came up to lay on the night we were there, laying 1760 eggs!
The Kinabatangan river trip was also excellent although we were disappointed with the accommodation. It was much more run down than we had expected (mainly the bathroom) and the staff were not warm or welcoming as we had experienced elsewhere.
Thank goodness for Sam our guide from Borneo Dreams who was fantastic. It would not have been nice staying there without him. Seriously suggest you look at getting the lodge to refurbish their accommodation and train their staff to smile. It would make a massive difference.
We would do the Turtle Island again but wouldn’t stay at the lodge
Bailey050276 Barnstaple, United Kingdom (TripAdvisor) –
This is the goto company for Borneo trips! – These guys are so professional and our excursion was amazing and toned to perfection. Watched a green turtle lay eggs, hatchlings released into the sea then our jungle trip was out of this world. So many animals in their natural habitat that it blew our minds. If you’re looking for a company who really know how to organise trips and excursions you won’t go wrong using them.
Sid T Mumbai (TripAdvisor) –
Excellent Tour Agency That Cares for the Customer’s Experience – During our recent trip to Sabah, we used Borneo Dream to help us arrange a 3D2N tour of Turtle Island and Kinabatangan river. We also did a 3-dive tour within Kota Kinabalu. We were happy with both experiences, with the diving trip to Sapi island well organized, with good equipment (that actually fits and works!), and a strong attention to safety. Our divemaster Sabari was exactly what we wanted, he was attentive to our specific needs and helped us improve during the course of the day.
Overall, we were glad we booked using them and would recommend them if you are looking to dive around Kota Kinabalu or are planning a tour in Sabah.
Bengaluru, India (TripAdvisor) –
Extremely professional and responsive – We booked the 3D2N Turtle Island Kinabatangan river tour with Borneo Dreams, and then decided to also go with them for a day of scuba diving in TARP because of the ease of the booking process. We were not disappointed, and a couple of comments are below:
Scuba at TARP: Our last dive was over a year ago, at the Nilaveli Dive Center in Trincomalee – it left a bad taste in the mouth as we are inexperienced divers and were assigned an aggressive, constantly critical and unpleasant dive master who left us wondering whether we should give up diving or if there was any possibility of us improving our technique. Borneo Dreams were the first dive operators we opted for after that experience, and they went a long way in creating a safe, constructive environment. First – they proactively asked for dive history, equipment sizes etc. in advance and arranged for a 15 minute refresher before we went into the water. The dive master Sabri was the epitome of patience, handled a difficult situation with a diver very well and gave us several helpful tips that enabled us to improve our technique. We were very happy that we decided to add the diving component to our trip at last minute.
Turtle Island Tour: We landed in the Sandakan airport and were picked up for the Turtle Island tour. The car is comfortable and our guide Adrian was friendly and knowledgeable. He accompanied us to the island – not something we expected, but it seems to be standard practice with tour groups since the facility itself is government run. The experience was magical and I would recommend it whole heartedly, particularly for children. We saw three turtles over the course of our day there. The snorkelling was enjoyable and the island itself is idyllic. The accommodation is basic, which we were prepared for. They also have a vegetarian option at all meals – it isn’t fine dining but it gets you by. We did look into the option of booking directly with the Turtle Island folks instead of through BD – however, it wasn’t easy and in retrospect we were happy to have opted for the tour. It is all in all good value for money as permits to Turtle Island are restricted and stay seems expensive.
Sepilok: On the next day morning, we came back to Sandakan and were taken to the Sepilok orangutan sanctuary by another guide. Sepilok is a short, fun trip and we enjoyed going there. We did not think a guide was required or a significant value add on this section.
Kinabatangan Cruise: After Sepilok, we headed to the Kinabatangan Nature Lodge for the river cruises and a night stay. BD houses you in the Agamid Chalets which are air conditioned and seemed to be the nicest accommodation in the Nature Lodge. We got one of the two river facing rooms and were quite happy with it. We saw several primates on the river cruise, including two orangutans in the wild.
On the next day, we asked to be dropped off at he Sukau junction as we were heading to the Danum Valley Field Center and needed to catch a bus to Lahad Datu. They were able to arrange it for us and the switch to the bus was seamless. The bus was comfortable as well.
We would certainly book with Borneo Dreams again on our next trip to Sabah, particularly for itineraries such as the Turtle Island tour which provide a bang for a buck.
Hayes –
Borneo Dreams arranged a 3D2N Turtle Island & Kinabatangan River Trip for our family. We have a 10 year old boy and 6 1/2 year old girl. We all enjoyed this part of our trip to Malaysia and Borneo very much!
The accommodation on Turtle Island is basic but we did not feel that we needed anything more luxurious as we were there for the snorkelling and turtles. We were fortunate to see a turtle lay eggs, see the ranger put the eggs in the hatchery and watch the ranger release 15 turtles into the sea (we had to help a few which were insistent in going the wrong way). This was all done with the welfare of the turtle at the forefront. Each night, tourists are only allowed to view one turtle laying her eggs and help one set of turtles head back out to sea so as not to disturb the natural process. The number of people staying on the island is also kept quite small. This is certainly a positive aspect of the experience. The snorkelling around Turtle Island is also good and the coral is quite close to the surface of the water.
We enjoyed viewing the orangutans at Sepilok Sanctuary. The orangutans are free to move in and out of the Sanctuary as there are no fences. Orphaned orangutans are rehabilitated so that they can return to a life of living in the wild.
All transfers between the locations/activities worked well and we were fully informed of what was happening. I suggest that you take plenty of water for the two hour coach/mini bus ride from Sandakan to Kinabatangan. On the way there our bus broke down but a replacement was swiftly organised and we were soon on our way again.
The lodge at Kinabatangan was basic but comfortable and in a fantastic setting. On the river cruises we saw lots of monkeys (including proboscis monkeys), kingfishers, hornbills, egrets, and a crocodile. It is definitely worth doing the early morning cruise as well. The guide was fantastic at spotting the animals and birdlife for us. The night walk was also a fantastic experience of the children and we saw a number of interesting insects. We probably would have seen more but our family and the other family that we were with were probably a little too noisy to see more! The lodge has wellington boots that you can borrow – you’ll need them as it is muddy! There are currently no small children’s sizes though…
We also enjoyed visiting Labuk Bay Sanctuary to see the proboscis monkeys. They are fascinating animals to watch. The Rainforest Discovery Centre was also very much worth the visit!
Finally, the food provided throughout the tour was very good. All guides and staff were very helpful, friendly and professional. We will definitely book trips through Borneo Dreams in the future.
R Myers –
My husband and I spent Christmas Eve on Turtle Island and Christmas Day at Kingabatangan River and had a wonderful time. Our guide, Jam, was incredibly knowledgeable and could answer all our questions about the huge array of wildlife we saw during the three days.
At turtle island we saw two turtles laying their eggs and enjoyed releasing the hatchlings afterwards. As it was raining, there wasn’t much to do on the island for most of the day, but we enjoyed snorkelling all the same.
The river trip definitely exceeded expectations. We saw loads of monkeys and birds, crocodiles, and even wild elephants and orang utans.
Again, there’s not much to do at the lodge but it’s a lovely place to relax and the atmosphere was really nice.
At both places the accommodation was basic but perfectly adequate and the food was good.
The boat crossing to the island was not for the faint hearted so bring travel sickness tablets if you need them!
My husband loved the visit to the cave but if you don’t like cockroaches and bat poo I’d advise you stay away…
We’ll definitely be recommending this trip to friends.
Wendy Mabilat –
Turtle island certainly lived up to very high expectations! We loved every minute of our trip with Borneo Dream. We had an excellent guide, Rudy, who was very knowledgeable on the subject of turtles and in fact nature in general and he looked after us well. It was wonderful to have most of the day to acquaint ourselves with the island and relax. Once night arrived, there was a buzz of excitement as we all scrambled on the uneven sand in search of the chosen turtle – all this in semi-gloom! Mother turtle was already laying her eggs when we arrived and they were carefully taken away eventually to the hatchery. We also helped around 30 scampering baby turtles towards the sea.
The river trips were awesome and we saw Pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, hornbills, sea eagles and many other specimens!
Jo Melville –
This was a great trip which was well organised by Borneo Dream and Nasalis Larvatus. My guide, Dino, was very nice, helpful and full of knowledge. We saw loads of animals and were also lucky to see Orang Utans in the wild!
Matt Vincent, April 2016 –
Hi,
We returned from our trip today and I wanted to pass on our thanks!
The trip was absolutely fantastic and certainly an experience that will live with us all forever!
It was superbly organised and our guide Dino was both knowledgeable and passionate about the wildlife.
You are all very lucky to live in a country with such beautiful and marvellous wonders and this trip really paid tribute to it!
Many thanks again!
Erica Hu –
Borneo Dream provide a professional guide , we get lots of useful information from him. It’s really helpful for foreign tourist, so we get a perfect trip from Borneo Dream.