Sepilok is the easiest place in Borneo to see orangutans, and for many visitors it is the single reason to fly to Sandakan. The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre opened in 1964 and sits at the edge of the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, about 23 km from Sandakan town. Orphaned and injured orangutans, many rescued from plantations, are looked after here and gradually returned to the forest. Visitors watch from a raised boardwalk and viewing platform. The Sabah Tourism page for the centre lists the official hours and fees.
This guide covers feeding times, tickets, how to reach Sepilok from Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu, what sits next door, and when to go. For the wider picture of Borneo’s wildlife, see our Borneo wildlife guide.
Sepilok Feeding Times and Opening Hours
Feeding happens at 10am and 3pm every day. Rangers put out fruit on the main platform, and semi-wild orangutans that are still partly dependent on the centre may swing in along the ropes. Animals that forage well in the forest often stay away, which is a good sign for the programme and a disappointment for photographers.
Published opening windows are 9am to noon and 2pm to 4pm, with Friday mornings ending at 11am. Check the times on the day, since sources differ by a few minutes. A few practical points:
- Arrive 30 minutes early. The briefing and the viewing area fill quickly, especially around 10am when tour groups arrive.
- One ticket covers both sessions. If you hold a same-day ticket, you can return for the 3pm feeding.
- The outdoor nursery is a short walk from the platform and shows younger animals on climbing frames. Viewing is through the nursery window, and the timings are earlier than the platform feeds (around 9.30am and 2.30pm in some sources), so visit before the main session.
- Leave bags in the lockers. Food and loose items are restricted near the orangutans, and monkeys at the centre will take anything left open.
- Do not touch the orangutans. They share about 96% of our DNA and are vulnerable to human disease.
The 3pm session is usually less crowded, and the afternoon light on the platform is softer. If you only have one session, the morning gives you the nursery as well.
Sepilok Entrance Fee (as of 2026)
Entry for non-Malaysian adults is about RM30, with children about RM15. Malaysian citizens pay RM5 and RM2. Tickets are generally paid in cash at the gate, and some visitors report a separate camera fee, so bring small notes. The neighbouring Sun Bear Centre is priced separately, at around RM50 for foreign adults on its official visit page.
If you would rather arrange transport, entry and a guide in one booking, browse Sandakan tours on GetYourGuide. Half-day tours from Sandakan town usually bundle Sepilok and the sun bears, and are worth it if you do not want to coordinate taxis between the two gates.
How to Get to Sepilok from Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu
From Sandakan. The centre is 23 km west of the city, around 40 minutes by road.
- Grab or taxi: roughly RM30 to RM50 one way depending on the pickup point and haggling. Ask the driver to wait or arrange a pickup time before you go.
- Minibus: local vans run from the Sandakan bus terminal towards Batu 14 (Sepilok junction) for a few ringgit. You may need to walk the last stretch from the junction to the gate.
- Airport: Sandakan Airport lies on the road towards Sepilok, so a taxi straight from the terminal to a Sepilok guesthouse or the gate is easier than going into town first.
From Kota Kinabalu. Flights to Sandakan take about 45 minutes. Overland by bus takes 5 to 6 hours and gives you a long day. Most visitors fly, stay at least one night, and add Sepilok to a longer Sabah route. Our Kota Kinabalu guide covers the departure side.
Where to stay. Staying near Sepilok lets you catch the 10am feeding without a morning commute. Sandakan town has more choice, and our Sandakan hotels guide lists options by budget. You can also search stays in Sandakan on Booking.com.
The Sun Bear Centre and Rainforest Discovery Centre Next Door
Two other attractions share the Sepilok area, so most people see all three on the same day.
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC). It borders the orangutan centre and is open roughly 9am to 3.30pm daily, with last entry earlier. Sun bears are the world’s smallest bear, and the centre rehabilitates rescued animals in forested enclosures viewed from a raised walkway. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours. The centre’s own visit information has current hours and prices.
Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC). A short drive away, the RDC has a canopy walkway and bird trails. It suits birdwatchers more than people hoping for mammals. Entry for foreigners was around RM15 on our last check. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours, and go early in the morning or late afternoon when birds are most active.
A workable day looks like this:
- 9.30am: nursery viewing at the orangutan centre
- 10am: platform feeding
- 11.30am: Sun Bear Centre
- 1pm: lunch near the gate
- 2pm: Rainforest Discovery Centre, or back for the 3pm feeding
Full detail on all three sites, plus the town’s WWII sites, is in our things to do in Sandakan guide.
Combining Sepilok With Labuk Bay and Kinabatangan
Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary sits on a plantation near the coast, roughly 45 minutes to an hour from Sepilok by road, depending on route and traffic. Feedings are at about 9.30am and 2.30pm (Platform A) and 11.30am and 4.30pm (Platform B), and foreign adults pay around RM60 as of 2026. The proboscis monkeys here are habituated, so you get close views that a river cruise rarely delivers. A half-day tour that pairs Labuk Bay with Sepilok is common from Sandakan. Check the current times with your operator before booking, since they vary by source.
Kinabatangan River is the natural next step, 2 to 2.5 hours from Sepilok by road. The river lodges at Sukau and Bilit offer boat safaris for pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, hornbills and sometimes wild orangutans, and make a good contrast with the managed encounter at Sepilok. If you want a ready-made package, see the 3D2N Kinabatangan River stay on Klook and our Kinabatangan River guide. To base yourself on the river, search Sukau stays on Booking.com.
A common three-day Sabah wildlife loop is Sandakan and Sepilok on day one, Kinabatangan on days two and three, then a flight onwards. Our two weeks in Borneo itinerary shows where this fits in a longer trip.
Best Months to Visit Sepilok
Sepilok is open all year. The drier period from March to October is the easiest for walking the boardwalks and for adding Kinabatangan boat trips. November to February is the wetter monsoon season, with heavier afternoon rain and sometimes flooded roads on the way to Kinabatangan. Visiting in the rainy season is still worth it, but plan the feeding sessions around the weather and carry a light rain jacket.
Orangutan appearances depend more on fruit than on the calendar. When wild trees are fruiting, some animals skip the platform, so manage your expectations and treat the nursery and the sun bears as part of the visit, not a backup. Weekends and school holidays bring more visitors, so aim for weekday mornings if you can.
Planning Tips
- Book a night in Sandakan or Sepilok rather than racing in and out on the same day.
- Wear light long sleeves and closed shoes, and bring insect repellent for the boardwalk.
- Do not use flash, and keep voices low on the platform.
- Travelling with children? The centre works well for families, and our Malaysia with kids guide covers the rest of the trip.
- For same-week availability on Sabah tours, check our last-minute Malaysia tours page.
Sepilok is a managed encounter, not a wild one, and it is better for it: the money funds rescue work, and the experience is dependable enough to plan a trip around. Pair it with the sun bears and a night on the Kinabatangan and you have the core of a Sabah wildlife trip.