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Kinabatangan Sunshine Lodge

Travelled with my partner and stayed for 1 night. We loved the river cruise and even saw some elephants. Our hosts were very hospitable and accommodating. Room was simple but did the job, we had a lovely time and would go back again :) 

We spent there a couple of days with our family of 4. Everything worked out well. At that time we were the only group staying there, so we had a really private experience. We were the only ones on the boat, for example, meaning that we also could ask to go where ever we wanted to go, take a look of the monkeys as long as we wanted, and also if something came up with the baby, we could easily ask the boat to go back to the cottages. That was just great! We felt so sorry for the customers of the other resorts, who were in fully packed boats. :) 

Our guide was truly a pro. He spotted the animals easily. Compared to other boats, many times we were the only ones that stayed somewhere because he spotted something that others didn't. So we managed to see pretty much everything, from elephants to orangutangs and crocodiles. The staff was very helpful and polite, and our guide spoke very good English. 

The cottages were decent, not anything special, just the walls, roof, beds and a modest bathroom. But just enough for a couple of nights. 

Also food was good, cooked just for us. We had a good time and were really happy that we happened to choose this lodge.

We are a couple travelling on a budget and so booked a more basic option of the jungle stay. We are so happy we booked sunshine, the guide Marino is the best, he's got some great stories, is very friendly and knowledgeable and just a cool guy. Lots of the tours we saw had full boats but we got lucky and it was only us and the guide. Also the food is delicious, we had fish and chicken options every meal and this delicious cabbage stuff. It's so peaceful and relaxing, the hut is pretty basic but does the job. We didn't notice any bugs inside. Highly recommend :)

Sadly the decimation of the forests and the planting of palm oil trees is dragging the life blood out of Borneo and Sabah and all at the expense of it's wild inhabitants. Because the forest has been squeezed onto the Kinabatangan River valley, so have all of the natural forest creatures and it is due to this that you get to see all of the less shy creatures, mainly the Monkey's, but more of that later.
We arrived at Sunshine Lodge and dropped our gear in our room, which really was very basic. There is nowhere, per se, to hang out clothing or furniture to put your clothes in/on. Having said that, you are on the edge of a small jungle and there are plenty of creepy crawlies, so probably best to keep it in your cases or backpacks. We had twin beds which were the only furniture in the room and it has a/c and a fan. There is a small bathroom with a shower, toilet and sink. Like I said, BASIC, but clean.

They provide 3 freshly cooked local meals a day and they were amazing. The flavours were outstanding and we absolutely loved it. Oh, and by the way, we were the only people staying there at that time. They do provide bottled water and tea and coffee.
They do not have a shop or anything that you can buy, so make sure if you need or want something that you buy it and take it with you. We bought the essential crate of Tiger beer and they let us put some in the fridge, which we really appreciated.

We did the 3day/2night Safari and thoroughly enjoyed every trip on the river and the two walks in the jungle on the well trailed paths. I think we saw most of the Monkey's on offer, Proboscis, Long-Tailed Macaques, Silvered Langurs, Pig-Tailed Macaques to name a few and on our first river safari we had a large male bedding down for the night and a lone female just chilling in the branches. We also had a large Monitor Lizard in the branches of a tree, Kingfishers and a beautiful Oriental Pied Hornbill as well as plenty of Crocodiles. Sadly we did not have the Elephants, but we saw their dung. On the walks there are lots of interesting insects and butterfly's to see. We also had a family of wild boar in the grounds as we were waiting to go on a morning cruise.

Tan was our guide and his knowledge of the animals was very good and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with him and his two students. Thank you for making our trip so special guys.

If you wish to experience a relaxed, welcoming and down to earth location I highly recommend this Lodge to you. Facilities are basic, but clean and comfortable. If you want all the five star luxuries, then other options available will suit you better, but if you want an extremely good value for money, hosted by truly local staff, in a well run operation, then choose the Sunshine Lodge. The worst thing about the lodge is the website, it does not do it justice. The best thing is the staff. All staff were friendly, courteous, efficient and deserve high praise. I must single out for mention Tanchong, our guide during our stay. He is a lovely young man full of vitality, and has a love for his job that is obvious. Having been born and raised in the village, he has a wealth of knowledge of the bird, animal and plant life in this location. He has a good command of English, and a happy disposition. He went out of his way to ensure we had every opportunity to observe the many species of wildlife in the area. As I said, the Sunshine Lodge is basic, you will get the occasional insect in the room, it is the jungle after all. The meals are mainly basic Malay, and the cook does an excellent job, tasty, filling and authentic. At breakfast there are eggs, and toast and jam etc as a concession to western fare, but also traditional Malay rice and noodle dishes. Lunch and dinner are chicken, prawn, squid, beef, vegetables, stir fry, noodle and rice dishes. Every meal has fresh fruit served with it. Again, if you want croissants, go to France, or one of the five star locations, personally, I came to Malaysia to experience Malaysia, As a retired ships Captain, I can state that the marine side of the operation is run efficiently. The vessels are well maintained, and at all times our guide was mindful of safety aspects. During our 3 day stay, we were fortunate to see 4 of the 5 species of monkey, including orangutan on 2 occasions. The gibbon is extremely rarely seen and was the only one not sighted. Bird species sighted were too numerous to name, but included several variety of hornbill. Several small and 1 large crocodile in excess of 3.5m. A civet cat visited the lodge one night, as did a type of owl, and each night several small bats would hunt the insects congregating around the area lights. The highlight for us was an extended period of time we got to spend in close proximity to the pygmy elephants. 
All in all an extremely enjoyable and rewarding experience, in no small part due to the wonderful staff. Don't come expecting five star luxury, do come with realistic expectations and I assure you that you will not be disappointed. Very highly recommended.

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What an experience of a lifetime.

Wort of every penny

Kinabatangan Sunshine Lodge. An absolute pleasure...

Amazing experience! 10/10!

Lovely stay 

Breakfast included

Free Internet

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Suitable for children

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Conference hall

Spa Services

Ski slope nearby

Beach nearby

Air-conditioning

Pets allowed

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Private Bathroom

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Electric car charging

Kinabatangan Sunshine Lodge

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