Hidden amongst a treasure trove of tropical plants and grasses, hug trees and spectacular orchids in bloom, the quaint bungalows of the Sepilok Nature Resort are within walking distance of the world-famous Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, home to many of the last wild Orangutans of Northern Borneo. It is also located right next to the Sepilok Oranguntan Rehabilitation Centre where captive apes are reintroduced to the wild.

Combining traditional style with contemporary luxury, Sepilok Nature Resort is the ideal starting point for other wildlife land destinations in Sabah such as the fauna rich Kinabatangan River, Sabah's longest river, Danum Valley and the Tabin Wildlife Reserve.

Sepilok Nature Resort also offers the perfect setting for relaxing after a long plane trip, before continuing on a diving holiday to Lankayan Island.

Set in a landscaped garden of manicured lawns and rolling hills, wrapped around a natural lake, the air-conditioned twin bed chalets each have a verandah with views over the lake or the jungle, and feature private bathrooms with hot water. The extensive gardens offer a rich array of tropical plants and grasses, and a collection of more than one hundred and fifty different Asian orchid species. Orangutans themselves are not an uncommon sight.

The front office, tour information desk and restaurant are all integrated into the resort's main building, furnished with an all wooden interior, that overlooks lowland tropical rainforest canopies with some formations reaching almost 80 to 120 feet. The restaurant offers a fusion of local and western cuisines, served on shaded terraces overlooking the lake and virgin rainforest.

Orangutans are not the only draw of the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve. The forest is rich with Borneo's legendary wildlife and, if you look and listen carefully, you will be able to identify the cicada-like song of tree frogs, the booming call of the great hornbill, the soft rustling of the dead leaves on the forest floor at the passing of a bronze skink. Only then the metallic shine of spider eyes will be apparent, when the dead brown little branch suddenly starts walking with the hesitant steps of a stick insect, and the bright green leaf buds on a low shrub will suddenly take the coiled shape of a pit viper waiting in ambush.

The Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, which also houses a Sumatran rhino breeding program, is located a short walk from the resort. There are twice daily feeding sessions that take place on a platform deep into the forest, approached by a long boardwalk, where visitors can observe partially rehabilitated orangutans swinging in from the forest for some dietary supplements in the form of bananas, courtesy of the park rangers. Most visitors, however, depart quickly after feeding offering an excellent opportunity from those not in a hurray to linger on the boardwalk and to follow the well-marked trails to look for other wildlife - perhaps with the assistance of a biologist and guide from the Rehabilitation Center and his experienced eyes. Patience will reveal an amazing diversity of life.