Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC), Sepilok

The Rainforest Discovery Centre was set up by the Sabah Forestry Department in 1996 as an environmental education centre for schools, and opened to the public in 2006. It sits beside a lake on the edge of the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, 23 km from Sandakan and 17 km from the airport, and it is the easiest access to genuine lowland dipterocarp rainforest anywhere in Sabah: flat trails, a paved approach, a café, and a walkway that takes you into the canopy without a climb. It's also where the Borneo Bird Festival is held, and where birders from around the world come for the Bornean bristlehead.

The canopy walkway

The headline is the steel canopy walkway, 347 metres of broad, solid, high-traffic walkway 25 metres up, linking a series of observation towers (the total elevated skywalk system runs to around 620 metres). Unlike the rope-and-plank bridges elsewhere in Borneo this one is built for crowds and for tripods; it doesn't sway, and there's no waiting. From the towers you look across the canopy to menggaris trees rising 60 to 80 metres above the reserve, and at the right hour you'll have hornbills, flying squirrels and occasionally an orangutan at eye level. It closes with the trails at dusk; early morning (from 06:00 if you've bought tickets the day before) and late afternoon (16:00 to 18:00) are the times.

Trails, lake and the Sepilok Giant

Below the walkway a network of flat trails loops through the forest and around the lake; the one-kilometre lake loop is the easy default, and paddleboats (RM5) are available at weekends. The Plant Discovery Garden near the entrance covers Bornean orchids, pitcher plants and forest medicinals, and the exhibition hall is a good rainy-hour stop with children. Further in, the Sepilok Giant is a yellow seraya estimated at 800 to 1,000 years old and 65 metres tall. Serious walkers can take the 20-km-return Kabili Trail into the reserve, which needs a permit from the ticket office, plenty of water and no particular hurry; there are three shelters along it and a guide can be arranged for around RM100.

The night walk

The RDC guided night walk runs from 18:00 to 20:00, after the day visitors have gone. A ranger leads a small group along the boardwalk and trails with torches (UV torches for scorpions), and on a normal night you'll see red giant flying squirrels launching from the towers at dusk, civets, mouse deer, slow loris if lucky, tarantulas, stick insects, lantern bugs and frogs — see honest odds for the night walk species. It's RM30 per person, minimum two to four people depending on the night, and must be booked at the ticket counter by 17:00 the same day (or by message to the centre's Facebook page a day ahead). Resorts in Sepilok will book it for you and run a RM10 return transfer. If you're only going to do one thing at the RDC, do this.

Opening hours and fees

Birds and wildlife

The Kabili-Sepilok reserve was declared an Important Bird Area in 2009 and the RDC is its public front door. More than 300 species have been recorded, and a half-day from the towers and trails typically gives a casual birder 20 to 40. The targets: Bornean bristlehead, black-and-crimson and blue-headed pittas, rhinoceros and black hornbills, crested jay, scarlet minivet, malkohas, broadbills, kingfishers — see all eight hornbills of Sabah, honestly rated. Beyond birds, expect long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques (the pig-tails can be bold; don't carry food in hand), gibbons calling at dawn, flying squirrels at dusk, monitor lizards on the lake edge, and occasionally a wild orangutan working the fruit trees near the walkway.

Best time to visit

Arrive at 08:00 when it opens, or at 16:00 and stay through to the night walk. The middle of the day is hot, quiet and the least rewarding; it's when most tour groups come, and why some visitors leave unimpressed. Dry season (March to October) is better underfoot, and March to May coincides with good birding. The centre is open all year.

Getting here

The RDC is 2 km along the reserve road from the orangutan and sun bear centres, about 25 minutes' walk or a short ride from any Sepilok resort (Sepilok Jungle Resort and Sepilok B&B are closest). From Sandakan it's the same route as the orangutan centre; ask the driver for Jalan Fabia. The "Batu 14 Sepilok" bus stops at the orangutan centre gate, from where it's a walk. See how to get to Sepilok. There's no phone signal for Grab in parts of the forest, so arrange your return before you go in, especially after the night walk.

Frequently asked

How long do I need?

Two hours for the walkway, towers and lake loop. Half a day if you add the garden and a longer trail. Two hours more for the night walk.

Can I book the night walk online?

Not reliably. Book at the counter by 17:00, via the centre's Facebook page, or through your resort or tour.

Is the walkway safe for children and for people wary of heights?

Yes. It's a wide steel structure with full railings, no swaying, and staircases rather than ladders on the towers.

Is it worth it if I'm not a birder?

For the canopy walk at dawn or dusk and the night walk, yes. For a midday visit only, it's a pleasant walk rather than a highlight.