Tabin Wildlife Resort

The reserve had a nice diversity of wildlife, and we saw a lot on this visit: orangutan, gibbons, macaques, hornbills, flying fox, monitor lizard, lesser mouse deer, civets, buffy fish owls, snake eagles, king fishers, and others. The macaques seemed to be everywhere. We stayed at Tabin Wildlife Resort, on the far west side, so we only saw a small part of the reserve. It was much muddier than the lodges we stayed at on the Kinabatangan river. We needed mud boots and leech socks on every hike, and one of the vehicles got stuck once.

We even came across an Orangutan and Gibbon monkeys while moving quietly through the forest, along with lots of birds and insects. What a great experience. Our guide Ernest had plenty of activities planned. The cabins were comfortable, and the open-air restaurant was beautiful. Amazing place, highly recommend!

I enjoyed my time there and got lucky enough to see an Orangutan. This time of year, seeing one is a matter of luck. There were lots of trails, but I didn't try them because they were so muddy and slippery, and I didn't want to risk damaging my camera in the mud. I did see plenty of birds, including four of the reserve's eight hornbill species.

The resort is tucked into a lush wildlife reserve and felt cosy. Our stay included full-board meals, jungle walks, night safaris, and English-speaking guides. Paul & Rafel looked after the group well, explained the wildlife, and were skilled at spotting animals during both nights of safari. We stayed in a clean, comfortable lodge with air conditioning all day. Rooms are in either the hill lodges or the river lodges by the Lipad river. The dining area had Wi-Fi, and the staff were friendly and welcoming to both local and international guests. There’s a mud volcano salt lick and Lipad waterfalls to see. Highly recommended. It was a refreshing, interesting trip, and a good chance to detox. Hope to come back soon!