MY Nature Resort is a 24-room lodge located two kilometres from the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and 500 metres from the Rainforest Discovery Centre. The resort is surrounded by rainforest and is the perfect base to discover the various nature-based attractions of the wider Sepilok area.
We think My Nature Resort is the best accommodation in Sepilok and a great place to to either start or end your Kinabatangan River tour.
So what makes this the best place to stay in Sepilok?
The Location
My Nature Resort is located around 30 minutes’ drive from Sandakan airport. The Resort is set in 25 hectares of rainforest bordering the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve. It is five minutes’ drive from the famous orangutan centre and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. The entrance to the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) is only ten minutes walk away. So the resort is close to all the attractions with the added bonus of being surrounding by tropical rainforest. It is a fantastic location.
The Rooms
The resort consists of 12 semi-detached chalets offering 24 air-conditioned rooms (9 double kings, 9 twin share and 6 family rooms). The rooms are equipped with en suite bathrooms, hot showers, air conditioning, fans, safe, fridge, kettle, hair dryer and flat screen TV. The rooms are spacious and the king and twin rooms have large balconies overlooking the rainforest. The family rooms do not have balconies.
Friendly Staff
The resort is independently owned and managed by a family from Sandakan. It has a laid back feel so don’t expect the service levels of a 5-star, international managed hotel.
The staff are young and friendly, always smiling and do their best to help. The senior resort staff speak good English but some of the junior staff are not fluent. However, they do try hard. Several tour guides are stationed at the resort for the activities and they speak good English.
The Food
The food served at the resort is mostly Malaysian-style buffets with rice, noodles and a selection of vegetables, chicken, beef and seafood dishes. Examples are chicken curry, sweet and sour fish, butter prawns, pak choi, fried mixed vegetables, etc. No pork is served.
Whilst the food is Malaysian, the spice level is ‘toned’ down to a certain degree to suit Western tastes. So the curries are good but not blow-your-mind hot.
Feedback from guests who have stayed at the resort is mostly positive regarding the food. In general, the lunch and dinners are good. Breakfast is OK but could be improved. Usually there is toast, eggs, sausages, fruit cereal and yogurt for breakfast.
(If you are looking for a full service hotel in Sepilok or Sandakan that has an a la carte menu, Western and Asian food and room service then My Nature Resort is not for you. Instead opt to stay at the Four Points in Sandakan).
The Swimming Pool
There is decent swimming pool in the centre of the resort. It is great place to cool down after a day of trekking and sight seeing. There is a covered area with loungers for those who want to stay out of the sun. There is also a small children’s pool adjacent to the main pool.
One of the great things about the resort’s swimming pool is that the rainforest is nearby. You can be having a swim and then rhinoceros hornbills fly by. That certainly makes for a unique and enjoyable swim.
The Wildlife
The resort is located adjacent to a forest reserve so wildlife sightings within the grounds are quite common but you need a bit of luck to see iconic species. Some of the animals that have been spotted at the resort include macaque monkeys, gibbons, orang-utan, tarsier, monitor lizards, civet cats, various species of squirrels and a range of birdlife including hornbills.
But the real wildlife stars at MY Nature Resort are the resident red giant flying squirrels. To learn more about these wonderful creatures and their appearances at the resort see ‘Watching Giant Flying Squirrels at Sepilok’.
Activities
Shuttle vans ferry in-house guests to the orangutan and sun bear centres. You can walk to the RDC as its nearby. The shuttle service from the resort to the orangutan centre departs at 0900 hours and 1400 hours. The service from the orangutan centre back to the resort departs at 1100 and 1600 hours.
There is 1,000 feet long plank walk within the resort. You can explore this during the day or opt for a night walk with one of the resort’s tour guides.
A range of wildlife passes through the resort during the day so wildlife watching opportunities do pop up, although a bit of luck is required. Bird watching from your balcony in the mornings and evenings is also enjoyable.
A ‘must do’ activity in the evening is watching red giant flying squirrels. These emerge from the trees near the restaurant on most nights. Aim to be at the restaurant deck before 6 pm. You will be served coffee or tea and banana fritters. You can also order a beer or a glass of wine. Then sit down and watch the show.
Mobile Coverage & Wi-Fi
There are no phones in the rooms. Mobile phone coverage at Sepilok is patchy. Within the resort grounds it is best in the open car park near the restaurant.
Wi-Fi is available in the restaurant but it is very slow and sometimes does not work. The speed varies from day-to-day. In short, don’t bank on having internet access when you are at the resort. Digital detox is the order of the day. And why not when you staying in the middle of the Borneo rainforest.
To sum up, MY Nature Resort offers clean, spacious and comfortable rooms in a great rainforest setting close to all the attractions at Sepilok. It is well suited to couples or families who love nature and wildlife. The staff are friendly and try hard but don’t expect hotel-level service. The food is pretty good and the resort has a decent swimming pool. But best of all is the wildlife that sometimes wanders through the resort grounds. Having an early evening drink on the wooden deck whilst watching red giant flying squirrels whizz across the sky is one of those Borneo travel experiences that you won’t forget.
If you are interested in staying at MY Nature Resort, we offer a range of Sepilok packages which include accommodation, tours and activities.
Many of our Kinabatangan River tours also include a stay at MY Nature Resort before heading upriver.
