Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

2020 resolution: More orangutan

I’ve been binge watching orangutan videos now for the last two months and dreaming one day I’d loveee to do some creative work related with these guys ( maybe make a documentary film ) or just volunteer at orangutan rehabilitation centre. While it is truly heartbreaking to see human destroy their natural habitat and kill orangutan in Indonesia, visiting Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre give me not only hope but also there are so many things we can do to protect orangutan and their habitats.

I was in Kuala Lumpur visiting a good friend of mine when he mentioned about Kota Kinabalu and then I remember for the longest time I’ve always wanted to see Kota Kinabalu. So why not going then? I booked my ticket to Sandakan, visited Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre for a day then flew to Kota Kinabalu.

Visiting Sandakan even just for a very short time did not only give me a chance to hang out with orangutan at the rehabilitation centre ( dreams come true yay ) but the small town also remind me so much of Kemaman - a small town in Malaysia about three hours away from Kuala Lumpur where I started my career exactly ten years ago. I was only 20, moved to Malaysia with zero expectation but little did I know it was just the beginning of huge adventures I never thought I’d have in life. For the very first time, I experienced what it’s like to live and work alone in a foreign land. What it’s like to find new family, discover new passions, perform on stage and play different characters, learn new things, fall in and out of love, dream bigger, etc. Living overseas or traveling in general aren’t always easy nor comfortable but for sure it’s a wonderful, humbling experience. The last ten years exploring so many beautiful places around the world have taught me a lot of lessons and I can only hope I’d stay curious and never stop exploring and improving myself. Days like this when I get to witness one of my dreams come true remind me how lucky I am and being in a position of privilege, I have a duty to lift others up too.

Where to stay at Sandakan? I stayed at Four Points Sandakan

How to get to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre? There is public buses run few times a day from Sandakan to Sepilok but local people suggest me to take a cab or Grab ( RM 30 - 50 / one way ) if I want to arrive on time at 10.00 am or 2 pm during feeding time. Rehabilitation centre is closed from 12.00 pm - 2.pm so if you want to visit orangutan, be sure to arrive early in the morning before 10.00 am or after 2 pm

Entrance fee: RM 30/ person ( plus RM 10 if you bring digital camera )