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Reviews of Nature Lodge Sepilok

2.5 out of 5
Nature Lodge Sepilok
Jalan Sepilok, Sandakan

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 32 out of 60 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 18 out of 60 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 9 out of 60 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 60 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 60 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

7.2/10

Amenities

8.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Donna

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness
This is a lovely property overall and is very good value for money. It is ideal for visiting the orangutan and sun bear sanctuaries as well as a great place to stay for the rainforest development centre. Rooms are basic but functional and do have air conditioning. Grounds are very well maintained and staff work hard to keep things nice. A sun lounger chair on the patio of each property would have been ideal for relaxing and enjoying the peace and tranquility of the gardens. Reception staff were welcoming upon arrival though only one member of the team appeared knowledgeable about the area; others were very reserved which came across as a little unhelpful at times. Water went down for 24 hours, though communication on this was very poor. Internet also went down for 48 hours and whilst we understand these things happen, again - no communication. Reception staff could have been more proactive here. Housekeeping services, were none existant. Whilst i can make my own bed, clean up after myself etc. I was surprised that there were no visits in a whole week, with some guests having to return dirty linen or collect their own toilet rolls from reception. Having dropped a pen, i looked under the bed only to find at least three inches of dust. Sad reflection on cleanliness. Restaurant. These young men work extremely hard and very long shifts. They are respectful, friendly and very helpful. Unfortunately the menu is very basic and food hygiene standards could be much better.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very conveiniently located for bird livers as only 600m to Rainforest Discovery Centre. Room is well designed with outsidet but secured toilets which is great for us as we could leave our cameras there during the night to avoid to ac condensation. Staff is hepful, food is ok. Only minus is the steps to reception and room.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Deborah

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

6/10 Okay

Christine

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Basic but clean.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

8/10 Good

Ahaliar

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Disliked: Staff & service
We had a good stay. The location is ideal but the breakfast was too repetitive and staff there was not friendly and accommodating. They were more engaged with other staff members rather than the guests. The front desk staff was good and initiated conversations. This is important as I felt like he was ensuring that we were comfortable and happy.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Trevor

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Candace

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The resort is easy and very relaxing it is also very close to all the sites….
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Linda

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We stayed in one of the newer units and the room and bathroom were clean and big. However, Expedia advertised that daily housekeeping is offered and water is provided daily which is not true. Expedia should verify with Nature Lodge and if they don't provide daily housekeeping, Expedia should update their listing. Housekeeping was responsive when I asked to have the room clean but that only happened once during our 4 day stay. There are a lot of stairs but they do provide a porter if you asked for one. There is usually no one at reception so the best way to contact them is via Whatsapp.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023

6/10 Okay

Norma

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
Despite several message to the hotel in advance. We received no reply regarding transfers and late check in. Our flight was delayed and we needed to check in late. Only that Expedia contacted them were we able to get this sorted. Even on arrival the staff could have been more helpful. The rooms were basic but clean and the location was easily within a 15 minute walk to the sanctuary which was good as there want always transport around ie Grabs available. The breakfast was very basic and we went across the road to the other hotel for dinner which was nice. All in all it was fine for a couple of nights to be close to the sanctuaries.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Danielle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good location for nature activities
This hotel is in a great location for exploring the surrounding attractions. Just a few minutes walk from the orangutan and sun bear sanctuaries, and even closer to the rainforest centre. The staff are very friendly and helpful, and the rooms are comfortable. The breakfast food was great, the dinner food was average. The nearby restaurants are overpriced and food is sub-par (except the one in the Rainforest Centre which I found to be really good). But you can order Grab delivery to the hotel so many options are available.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very much would recommend
Great experience. The staff were very kind and attentive. The property is simple but clean and well maintained. You can tell they take pride in ensuring their guests are happy and their property is presentable. Meals at the restaurant were very good and affordable.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely staff. Clean and comfy room (ours had outdoor shower, not sure if all do). Very reasonable priced restaurant and pleasant lobby to hang out if you need to chill after checking out
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

2/10 Terrible

David

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
So Very Disappointed
After a lot of research we decided to stay here for 1nt on our travels around Borneo. ..Superb 9.0 was its rating. Let me assure you this accommodation is far cry from what was promised!! On arrival we had to drag our luggage up a huge steep stairway with no assistance. The place was characterless, the adjoining shop was closed, the restaurant was closed just a very desperate looking place, but hey-ho 'only for 1nt'. Checked in and shown to our room which again was another great slog of uneven steps. When we got to the room I could not believe what we were confronted with..the place was a building site immediately outside our room...please look at my photos.. unbelievable!! We checked out and sought another hotel. Receptionist agreed room wasn't acceptable and would authorise a refund which we will have to acquire through hotels.com which is the biggest disappointment of all, as it has taken 3months of calls and all they are willing to do is offer a voucher.. so no refund even though it was not fit for purpose. We found alternative accommodation at Sepilok Forest Edge and it was superb.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2020

6/10 Okay

Sarah, Worthing

Travelled with group
Disliked: Amenities
Location was fantastic for the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and Sun Bears.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
We arrived here after spending some time in kinabatangan river. We decided to book for two nights: Day 1: We checked out the sunbear rehabilitation center. Day 2: We dedicated the whole day checking out the orangtuan sancturary. Both locations are 10 minute walk from the hotel. The road doesn't have side walks but its a nicely paved road and the drivers are safe and go slow for pedestrias. The hotel is also next door to the discovery rainforest park, we didnlt check it out but we been told is awesome and includes suspension bridges. That being said the hotel is located in a convinient location. They have a resturant on premise, another resturant/cafe across the street and a very photogenic resturant by the orangutan sancturary called lake bistro or on the lake, recomment going there for a drink or lunch. All in all you can easily spend two or 3 nights here and not feel rushed. The rooms are very clean and beds are very comfortable. The customer service is superb and I highly recommend this hotel. It is also 20 min from Sandakan airport and you can easily hire a car with the grab app with. Is cheaper then arranging transportation via taxi or through the hotel.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Simon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Amazing place, only 1k from orangutan sanctuary. Clean and spacious room.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing place in the middle of the nature. The staff was really helpful and polite
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from Regards, NLS Team on 3 Sept,2019
Hi, Thank you for taking your time for sharing your feedback. Glad to know that you have a great time with us. Do have a safe onward travel and do not forget to recommend us to others.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

We did get to stay at The nature lodge as we were moved to the Jungle resort instead!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Scott

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Staff went out of their way to make the stay very comfortable
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Regards, NLS Team on 28 Jun,2019
Hi Scott, Thank you for taking your time for sharing your feedback. Glad to know that you have a great time with us.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Staff was helpful and friendly. Facility was 15-minute walk to Sun Bear and Orangutan sanctuaries, so was very convenient. Arranged pickup at airport, but pickup did not happen. Staff helped when our next hotel was canceled. Food at on-site restaurant was good &reasonably priced at dinner, but breakfast was lacking in variety. Fruit was limited.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2019
Response from Regards, NLS Team on 24 May,2019
Hi, Thank you for taking your time for sharing your feedback. Glad to know that you have a great time with us.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The resort was amazing, tranquil and relaxing. Our cabin was fab with a sunken bath, we even had a resident fruit bat above our door ( cabin14) right round the resort away from the restaurant area. The sounds from the rainforest made it so peaceful. We spent 4 nights but probably 3 would have been enough to see everything.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2019
Response from NLK team on 26 Apr,2019
Hi, Thank you for taking your time sharing your feedback. Glad to know you had a good time staying with us.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
A very lovely place to stay. The rooms are large, cool and comfy. Everything is very clean, the staff couldn't be more friendly and helpful, and we loved the outside bathroom.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2019
Response from NLS team on 28 Feb,2019
Thank you for taking your time to share your feedback. Glad that you enjoy the stay.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019
Response from NLS team on 28 Feb,2019
Thank you.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Sarka

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay. It is a quiet place, not much to do after sunset. Adie is super helpful. Don't rely on the shops opening hours but you can get water refill in the restaurant. Deposit 30rm wanted for stay in a dorm and high rates for any damage you might cause.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Nice location close to the wildlife centres. The room was clean and comfortable. No bar fridge, so had to buy cold drinks from the shop. The restaurant is only open at meal times, so no meal options if hungry outside these hours. We were also turned away at lunch because of tour buses. No communication about the need to book. Meals were slow (45mins plus) but nice. Breakfast was ok but not buffet as advertised. Wifi only works outside the tour shop and there is limited transport available if you want to go somewhere else for the day. Not really anywhere else to sit during the day except your room, there is no pool or bar to go to. There is an outdoor reception area you can sit but it's not air conditioned and it felt a little bit like we were intruding into the managers family space. Overall it is a great spot for 1 or 2 nights, any longer and it gets a bit hard to take ( we stayed 4).
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2018

10/10 Excellent

Julie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely place welcoming, staff very helpful and friendly. Place clean and comfortable.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2018

10/10 Excellent

deborah

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best place in Sepilok
Amazing place, but what set it apart was the helpfulness of the staff. They went out of their way to help when they didn't have to. I will always remember them.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2018

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay!
I stayed for two nights to be close to the rainforest discovery Center and orangutans which this place is. It’s conveniently located so you can walk to all of these places. It is very remote with nothing else around which is peaceful for a couple of nights but not too long. Staff were very friendly and would always greet you by name. The restaurant is good quality and very cheap. Only negative was very poor WiFi connection, doesn’t reach rooms and doesn’t work with multiple people using - but maybe this is good to help you experience the surrounding area better
Stayed 2 nights in May 2018

10/10 Excellent

Sarah

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Would love to stay again.
Friendly staff from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. Greeted with a welcome drink to dropping us off to our bus to leave. The rooms were amazing, hammock outside on the decking overlooking the lake. And a huge bed inside with great air con. Rustic look with amazing comfort.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018
Response from NLS Happy Team on 13 Apr,2018
Hi Sarah, thank you for taking the time to provide us with your valuable feedback.

6/10 Okay

marg, canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Pleasant and helpful people
Arrival was a hassle because expedia gave me wrong information , regarding phone numbers for contacting shuttle
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2018

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good Value, attractive lodging in Sepilok
Nature Lodge Sepilo is a beautiful property, well run and professional yet friendly staff. Our room was lovely with a very comfy bed and an gorgeous outdoor bathroom. The lodge is within 15.minutes walking of the three local attractions.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2018

10/10 Excellent

Peter

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very good value for less money and nice Lodge
I was very satisfied with this Nature Lodge, all was perfect, only wifi is so poor. Breakfest OK.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
the review
comfortable stay near orangutan, sunbear, and proboscis monkey facilities. Reception area is nice to simply sit and relax under several fans. Bathroom area provides nice outside vista under solid canopy.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2018

10/10 Excellent

Gabriela

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
good value for money, highly recommend
My husband and I chose to spend 2 nights in Nature Lodge Sepilok to take our time while visiting the surroundings. It is perfectly located 10m walk to the Rainforest Discovery Center and 20min to the Orangutan and Sun bears rehabilitation center. Our room was rather big, with many facilities offered -drinking water, coffee, tea. I have to say that I am quite sensitive with the living things in the rooms (bugs, ants, gekos etc), but this place even though it has an outside bathroom, there was no trace of any other "guests". The breakfast is really basic : eggs, sausages, beans, bread and some butter and jam and also fresh fruits. We also had lunch and dinner at the restaurant, again, very basic but overall ok. You are in the middle of the nature, there is no high end cuisine going on. A minus would be the lack of Wi-Fi at the premises - only the "office" area has coverage and it is quite far from the lodges. On the other hand, the staff is really kind and helpful and everybody speaks English.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Nature Lodge is conveniently located in walking distance to rainforest discovery center, orang utang sanctuary and sun bear sanctuary. Rooms and facilities are on the basic site, but good enough to get a feeling of rural djungle settlement and the comfort of modern life. The friendly stuff does everything they can to make the stay as enjoyable as possible. An incoming agency, a kiosk and a restaurant (complimentary breakfast) on the property serve the guests' demand.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2017

8/10 Good

Kay

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent staff, location but beware of mice!
The staff make this place, very kind, patient and helpful. Great value with breakfast, tasty restaurant (amazing chicken skewers) & comfy beds. Shame about bad mice infestation near dorms - could hear scratching all night and one chewed holes in my toiletry bag!! Mouse dropping on sinks - reported to staff. Dorm had x4 sockets for 6 beds but thankfully I had dorm to myself. Wifi available in reception although rather intermittent at times. Excellent location and would nevertheless recommend for budget traveller.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2017

8/10 Good

Nathan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great budget option
Nature Lodge Sepilok is perfectly located close to the RDC, the Sun Beat Sanctuary and the Orang Utan sanctuary. The room itself is basic but is spacious with an outdoor bathroom and is a great option for those on a budget.

10/10 Excellent

Mathan, KL

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent choice!
Very comfy and clean room! The staff at the front desk as well as those at the restaurant were extremely friendly. This is definitely the place to be if you are planning on putting up a night or 2 in Sepilok :-)

8/10 Good

Sipilok, Horsham

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel
Nice hotel within walking distance of the rainforest experience (excellent) orang utan rehab centre (excellent) and the sun bears centre (again excellent) The staff didn't speak much English and the tour company were difficult to speak to consequently we organised our own taxi and tours.

6/10 Okay

Jacobus

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Very basic
Book by accident, will never go back. Very basic!!! Adie very helpfull

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Eloise

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely hotel near the orangutans
Excellent room - very clean, big bed, ketttle and tea and coffee. The bathroom so awesome as it is outside. Quite an experience!! A 15 minute walk from the orangutans and sun bears. The food was quite simple but we had not expected much. They are very willing to please and very helpful with any bookings/buses/tours/ongoing journeys etc. A great stay!

10/10 Excellent

Zachary, United States

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Cozy Rain forest stay
My wife and I had a cozy stay at the Nature Lodge Sepilok. The bed was very comfy and the rooms are quite nice. Ours had a very nice outdoor bathroom. Location wise it is great with easy walking to go see the Orangutans, Sun Bears, and Rain forest discovery center. The staff was very welcoming and quite helpful throughout our stay and got us to the airport on time.

8/10 Good

FUJIO

Travelled with group
Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Maiken

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
.

10/10 Excellent

Ivonne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Fiorenza

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Meraviglioso!!!!
Siamo andati a dormire li con un bimbo di 5 anni, è stata un’ Esperienza meravigliosa! Stanza davanti alla giungla, grande e pulitissima, pace e tranquillità, cibo ottimo, personale cordiale e preparato. Posizione ottima! A 10 minuti a piedi si arriva al centro di conservazione degli oranghi e agli altri resort per provare anche gli altri ristoranti. Consigliatissimo!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

Laura

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019
Response from Regards, NLS Team on 31 Dec,2019
Hi Laura, Thank you for taking your time for sharing your feedback. Glad to know that you have a great time with us. Do have a safe onward travel and do not forget to recommend us to others.