Outdoor pool, sun loungers
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Reviews of Sepilok Jungle Resort

2 out of 5
Sepilok Jungle Resort
Jalan Rambutan, Mile 14 Sepilok, Sandakan, Sabah

Reviews

7.6

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 51 out of 182 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 73 out of 182 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 31 out of 182 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 23 out of 182 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 182 reviews" "

7.6/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Staff & service

6.8/10

Amenities

6.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Keith

Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nothing much around here. Conveniently near the Orangutan and Sunbear sanctuaries. The staff at the front desk were sometimes helpful. The restaurant staff were less so. The WIFI for the rooms is terrible.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Richard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Pleasant stay
Much better than the website photos
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Julie

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely welcome, friendly staff. Convenient walking distance to Sepilok. Breakfast had choice of few options, but toaster needs replaced! A good stay thank you.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

NEVILLE

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
home from home
The location was very good for us and the pool facilities were pleasing
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Hanna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I recommend!
A beautiful resort set in the jungle. Good breakfast, possibility of purchasing other meals, close to tourist attractions.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Zoe

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved it here. I was really worried about bugs, but there was no need. Everything was so nice and clean. Bonus was a good restaurant. The grounds were beautiful.

10/10 Excellent

Craig

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Great value in Sepilok
Stayed for 3 nights at the Seilok Jungle Resort and had a really good time. Staff are friendly and helpful and the hotel has the best location for visiting the attractions in Sepilok. Our room was comfortable, although mosquito nets for the beds would have been good, as there is plenty of wildlife onsite! Breakfast was substantial and the onsite restaurant offers a good range of options for evening meal. The pool is a bonus and very welcome after a hot day in the rainforest. Value for money is excellent, making this a great option for a stay in Sepilok.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Edward

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Orangutan sanctuary and sun bear sanctuary were in walking distance from our resort, which was great. It allowed us to spend the whole day there. A must place to stay to see the orangutans.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Susanne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

8/10 Good

Lynne

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This property has the most beautiful location & surroundings - outdoor restaurant is great! rooms fairly average but clean
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Gillian

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely setting, crossing bridges over ponds to get to rooms but an alternative route can be taken if you have suitcases. All staff were friendly and helpful. So close to the orangutan and sunbear sanctuary. Lovely meals at good prices.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023

8/10 Good

Eileen

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Pretty gardens. Run down buildings in need of repair. I feel unsafe on many of the timber walkways.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023

8/10 Good

Cheryl

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Great location for the sanctuaries. Lovely swimming pool. Friendly staff. Breakfast was dreadful as otgers said. Could really do with a fridge in the room. Whole resort is in need of refurbishment
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Great value hotel.
This is a great value hotel, it’s a little tired around the edges and needs some updating, but the staff and service more than make up for this. I read some reviews about the food not being so good but we found it lovely particularly the traditional Malaysian food, who wants chicken nuggets anyway in Borneo!!! There is loads of wildlife to see in the grounds alone and lots to do in the area. We stayed 4 days and did everything we wanted as well as some downtime round the pool (which does need some updating/maintenance).
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Dillon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing Stay. Highly Recommend
The hotel is very nice for a jungle resort and the rooms are cleaned daily. We stayed in one of the superior rooms and the A/C worked very well. The food is excellent at the hotel and they have beer and wine too. Service is amazing and we even saw monkeys on the property in the middle of the day. Pool is nice when it’s not raining and it’s an easy walk to the orangutan and sun bear sanctuaries. The wifi is also surprisingly very fast, I was getting 60-80mb on average. Definitely would recommend this place.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023

4/10 Poor

Alejandro

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
NIce setting, terrible rooms, terrible bathrooms. Food was "edible" Staff were nice
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

ANNA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

Randy

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice gardens. Staff very helpful and friendly. Property a little dated but comfortable. Close to attractions.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Randy

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice nature beauty. We liked. Staff nice and helpful.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Travis

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I don't want to go home!
This is the place to stay in Sepilok if you are after accommodation that is the closest to the local culture and nature. While the resort is definitely showing its age, out of the 3 resorts within a couple of minutes walking distance of the Orangutan and Sun Bears, this is the most down to earth. I found the adjoining resorts to be more catered to Western tastes and comforts where as SJR is more grass roots. The resort grounds are beautiful and are engulfed by the forest providing an immersive experience while not sacrificing on general comforts. Plenty of wildlife occupies the grounds with monitor lizards, snakes, geckos / skinks and a broad range of bird life seen. The age of the resort and its condition add to the natural feel and this is the only resort with a decent pool (one other resort has what I would call a wading pool). The staff keep the pool area and water remarkably clean and the pool was larger than photos may indicate. Meals at the resort cater to both local and Western cuisine and are priced very reasonably with enough variety to feed us happily for 6 nights. At the time of our stay the resort appeared to be very much impacted by the slow return to normal after COVID (Sep 2022) and the poolside Cafe was not operational however, the Banana Cafe was a a great communal area to engage with 'pet' turtles and fish and share a laugh with fellow travellers. Staff are warm and good natured and accommodating. Recommend a deluxe room with balcony.
Balcony deluxe room
Poolside
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Samuel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Craig

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Marie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Swimming pool 😀😀
Great hotel near to Orangutans 🦧 Thank you Shasha and team for the best stay ❤️❤️❤️ Good food Lovely pool Jungle surround
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

8/10 Good

Dave

Liked: Staff & service
Perfect location and a fabulous pool
We really liked this resort and the location was perfect right next to the fabulous Orang Utan and Sun Bear rehabilitation centres as well as just a short walk to the equally interesting rain forest discovery centre. Quiet if slightly tired, spacious rooms and restaurant set in wonderful gardens, great breakfast and service throughout. Absolutely loved the pool, close your eyes and it felt like a wild swim in the jungle. Would recommend,
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Brian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Comfortable and Clean
Even though the rooms are a little dated they are quite spacious and comfortable, the pool is great however the chairs are quite worn. The staff are very nice and helpful. In general we found it a good value for the money.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

8/10 Good

David

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location next to the jungle and very close to orangutans and sun bears. Good restaurant and swimming pool. The room TV was poor and the reception said someone would look at it but no one came. The staff a bit lazy.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

8/10 Good

Jane, St Helier, Channel Islands

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved the location and the whole feeling of being surrounded by nature. Would definitely recommend it. Didn't like that the tours on your little brochure had supplements for single travellers. If the tour is going anyway why charge extra for a single person? I felt it is a total con.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful surroundings and excellent location for sepilok orangutan rehabilitation centre and sunbear centre. Unique setting in the jungle and comfortable rooms. Easy check in and friendly staff. Would definitely recommend!
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Niki

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Staying here was a great experience as we were surrounded by jungle with boardwalks to the cafe where we could buy inexpensive, simple meals and take our breakfast. Simple rooms that suited the environment. Serviced to a high standard each day. Very helpful staff. It was relaxed and perfect for experiencing the Sabah jungle and very close to the Sepilok orangutan rehabilitation centre and sun bear sanctuary. We had a great few days.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019

8/10 Good

Gitana

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

david

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We love this place
This was our second visit here. In the 9 years since we were here last many additions and improvements have been made and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip again. The internet in the rooms got a little loopy, but was still acceptable. The general availability of Internet access was excellent overall, considering we are in the middle of a jungle!! A great feature is the proximity to the main attractions, Orangutan rehabilitation center, Sun Bear conservation and RDC rainforest discovery center. Excellent breakfast as well. We really love this place. The people off course are sweethearts.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2019

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
dead dog feet from dining area
The place was dilapidated and completely filthy. Unbeknownst to us, the front desk closed at 6, so when we arrived for check-in we were totally lost. Ended up checking in at the restaurant thanks to the aid of our taxi driver. The worst part was while walking before breakfast, we stumbled upon a dead, almost mummified dog only feet away from the restaurant. It had obviously been there for weeks. We let staff know and they brushed it off and it seemed like they were very aware that it was. It was literally only an inch or two from the main path, and we watched staff walk by it repeatedly. It was extremely unsanitary. We checked out a day early with no refund, and were happy to lose that money if it meant not spending another night there.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
This property is in a good location for getting to the orangutan and sun bear rehabilitation centers. It has an interesting lay out with wooden walkways in wooded areas but much of the wood had deteriorated and was rotten in places so you need to watch your step. Even though the property seems old and in need of maintainence the pool is great and was a welcome break after a long day of travel. The resteraunt is also outstanding (but be sure to wear insect repellant since it is outdoors). Check in was the worst. After waiting for the room to be ready I was told it was ready and tried to proceed down the hall with my luggage. The hall was completely blocked with a huge pile of laundry. I pushed enough aside to make a path to my room but found the door open and that cleaning from the last guest hadn’t yet started even though it was late afternoon. Getting into the room was a long, frustrating process and the place definitely seems run down and past its prime but over all I was glad I stayed there. Seeing a monkey on my way to the pool and hearing birds throughout my stay were really nice. I recommend this place but people considering staying here should know that neither the facilities or service are top of the line.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very big and beautiful property right next to the rainforest. We would like to come again!
Stayed 1 night in May 2019

8/10 Good

Melody

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic
Great service, had everything I needed.
Stayed 1 night in May 2019

8/10 Good

S&A

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful gardens with lots of birds. Refreshing pool. Done things a bit outdated.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

Stacy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect stay!
This place is fantastic! The rooms are spacious and beautiful, and the property is a dream come true. The staff, especially Shasha, is amazing! They are all so helpful, but he really goes above and beyond to assist the guests. The owner John has done a superb job with the place, and he is a really interesting man to talk to. After my 3 nights here, I stayed at their sister property on the Kinabatangan River, and it was also excellent. Everything about this stay was perfect. I only wish I had stayed longer!
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Imelda on Jan 22, 2019
Dear Ms Stacy, Thank you for choosing to stay with us. Thank you for your reviews regarding our resort, maybe you can write another review on Tripadvisor for other tourist information also. We would like to see you came back to our resort.

10/10 Excellent

Niki, Uk

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful resort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

Mindy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Great hotel next to OrangUtans
very close to the orangutan centre, lovely setting (felt like a jungle hotel). Restaurant had great food and lovely view. Rooms were a little dated, but clean and comfortable. Staff was friendly!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Very convenient for the orangutans, nice little roadside eatery between orangutans and resort. Pool great. Restaurant a bit dated.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018

8/10 Good

Alexandra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful resort with a lot to do
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018

8/10 Good

Duane, Vancouver Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
6 nights of wonderful
Loved my 6 night stay. Yes, the place is older and somewhat dated but I thoroughly enjoyed staying here. The AC and Wifi worked great. Food at the Banana Cafe very good. Breakfast was suffice. Staff was wonderful. You can stay at other places nearby for more money but I mainly picked The Sepilok Jungle Resort because it offered a swimming pool, which was amazing and a great way to cool down after a day exploring. The grounds and gardens and elevated walkways are beautiful. I will stay here again.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Amazing setting but a bit tired
Stayed for three nights. Amazing setting and location near to orangutan and sunbear sancturaries. Had the upgrade rooms with a veranda overlooking the rainforest . Loved that. Staff were amazing and evening food although limited was good. But breakfast was a real disappointment, we struggled to eat anything much. Loved the walk ways between the buildings, amazing setting and atmosphere, but not practical for people withis a great base for a couple of days in a great setting. Overall it’s a great place and amazing value for money .
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Sam

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely place right near the orangutan sanctuary
We picked here due to how close it was to Sepilok Orangutan sanctuary and it didn't disappoint, less than a 5 minute walk away. Whilst parts were a little run down and the rooms were on the basic side it had everything you needed and the service was very good. The pool area is lovely and great to cool down in. The food in the restaurant was very good and good value. If you're staying a few days then try eating at Mama Watts which is on the way to the Orangutans, big portions, delicious food and very cheap.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2018

10/10 Excellent

Louise

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Jungle
We loved the place, the jungle, the food, the pool, the room, the service. The cook gave guided night walks to see local wildlife if you asked him.