During our research of things to do in Borneo, we came across several news articles about kidnappings that have occurred very recently. Groups in the Philippines (which is very close to Borneo) believe this province (Sabah) is part of their country and perform occasional raids on resorts to kidnap tourists for ransom or worse (some have been executed).

We boarded a really nice bus in Kota Kinabalu and made our way to Sepilok, which is most famous for it’s Orangutan preserve. We had a real good traditional Malay breakfast (Roti) at the bus station and relaxed in our reclining seats.

There was a TV screen that only showed movies starring “The Rock”. After Kota Kinabalu, it was nice to see a lot more natural scenery on the ride to Sepilok.

We got off the bus at a deserted dirt road intersection. We booked ahead at a place called Paganakan Dii Tropical Retreat and their instructions told us to go into a little shop and ask the woman to call the hotel to come pick us up.

We took another winding dirt road to the resort which is nestled in the midst of a thick jungle.

There are wood cabins dotted throughout the property.

Large wood doors on the cabin slid open to expose full views of the jungle.

The open air bathroom was my favorite

After dropping off our bags, we went for a walk around the extensive grounds.

We saw a pretty big monitor lizard (about 4 feet) and other wildlife everywhere.

Flowers were blooming everywhere in the tropical climate

We grabbed our books and relaxed in the commons area with a friendly cat.