Sepilok Favorites

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Favorite thing: It's best to get to the sanctuary early. You need time to get the tickets and stuff. Plus they have a very interesting video presentation of the sanctuary, on how the orang utans are rescued from the wild and finally releasing them back to their natural habitat. Unlike most people in KL, the orang utans are almost on time to come out for their food. They must be starving!

Favorite thing:
Well, that's an easy question to answer! To see the Orang-utans!!! Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre is a unique place where they try to rehabilitate Orang-utans back into the wild again. There are several stages / areas where they slowly help the Orang-utans into life in the wild again. This is platform B, and the last stage in the process.

These Orang-utans already live free in the surrounding rain forest, but are helped out a bit by some extra feeding. They don't need to come, only if they want to. So if you are unlucky none of them will show up. If you are lucky, you might have the unique opportunity to see these Orang-utans show up from the wild in search of some extra food.

Favorite thing:
No wonder that Orang-utan is shy, it is getting a LOT of attention and viewers! Imagine yourself going for breakfast or lunch and have this many people waiting for you to see you eat. Hahaha, I know I would be a bit shy too ;-))

It is getting close to 10 o'clock. More and more Orang-utans have arrived, and the same goes for the people. Feeding time is 10 o'clock and everyone is ready for the event. There are three viewing platforms from where you can see everything very well. If you are on time here though, you might be able to find a good spot so you have an unblocked view. Feeding times are at 10 o'clock in the morning and 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Those are the times to be here if you want to have the best chance of seeing the Orang-utans.

Favorite thing:
Not all Orang-utans are so brave though, some of them appear really shy, like this one. It just stopped at the first big tree, the last obstacle before getting to the feeding platform. It just hid behind the tree, looking shy around the corner at the people waiting for him to appear. So cute!

Favorite thing:
We have arrived at the platform where the Orang-utans will be fed. Feeding times are 10 o'clock in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. These are the best times to visit this place; because these are the times you have the biggest chance of seeing these amazing animals.

It's only 9:30 in the morning, nothing much is happening yet. But suddenly.... a sound in the forest.... could it be??? Will it be.....??? Oooooh.... my mouth dropped open in amazement.... it is one!!! An Orang-utan from the wild, slowly approaching towards us swinging on a rope......

I never believed I would actually see them! But as if they can look at the clock they know it is going to be feeding time soon. After this first one, another one appears... and another one.... wow!!

Favorite thing:
We are in the park and a comfortable boardwalk of about 10 minutes or so, lead us through the forest to the platforms where we hopefully will see the Orang-Utans. While doing that you shouldn't forget to look around you!! You might see some surprising guests lurking in the trees right next to you :-))

This is a Wagler's Pit Viper or also known as the Tropidolaemus wagleri. It's a beautiful snake to see with its green colour, but watch it.... it is venomous! The snake gets about 60 cm to a meter long and lives in the rainforests of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and southern Thailand. And apparently it feels very much at home here in Sepilok :-))

Favorite thing:
When entering the park you have to pay an entrance fee of RM10 per person (2004). Besides that you have to pay a camera fee. I can't remember exactly how much the camera fee was, but I was happy to pay it as this is camera heaven!!! I just couldn't stop clicking my camera, I was so fascinated by these animals and trying to capture them with my camera. So if you are in doubt.... just pay the fee! You will regret it if you don't!!

Favorite thing:
So where is Sepilok? It is actually not that difficult to find or visit. Sepilok is located on the east coast of Borneo, just outside of the city of Sandakan. A 30 - 45 minutes drive will bring you from Sandakan to the Orang-utan Centre. You can click on the map to get a better idea of where Sepilok is located.