Tabin Wildlife Resort

Tabin staff met us warmly at the airport after a 5 hour flight delay. As all the other reviews say, the ride to Tabin is jarring. We liked how you saw a different side of Sabah and the palm oil industry. Upon arrival we enjoyed lunch in their lodge. Nice selection and range of foods at all meals and staff were extremely warm and accommodating. Our room was very comfortable, clean, with a river view. We arrived in a storm which delayed our first activity to the night ride. The noise of the vehicles brings out many animals even during a full moon. We saw mouse deer, civets, a porcupine, owls, an eagle and more. We woke up at Tabin to calls from the resident Gibbon family. So cool! A 6 am start took us hiking where we saw a rhinoceros Hornbill so close you didn’t need binoculars. We later hiked to a waterfall for a swim. We had a scheduled foot spa that afternoon and a private twilight ride later. We saw 4 types of hornbills and multiple other animals at Tabin and highly recommend our guide Ernest. We were in a different vehicle on our return, more comfortble and they dropped us off to our B&B. Our Tabin experience really fit well with our longer visit to Borneo Rainforest Lodge -Dannum Valley. They offer different wildlife and experiences. I strongly recommend doing both.

The trip to the Lipad mud volcano was extremely unsafe - on the back of a flat bed truck with just roll bars to hold on to over terrain that was deeply rutted and uphill - clinging on for 30 minutes plus in real danger of rolling off the back of the truck. No precautions were taken and despite being elderly no indication was given as to the potential risks. When the roll bar fell off behind us was the final straw! In addition our guide has very poor English and did not appear to have much knowledge of the wildlife and bird life. It was a disappointing part of our trip and we would not recommend it.

The resort is about 25km down an unmade road. We occupied one of the 'hill rooms' accessed by numerous stairs. However, the staff delivered and collected our bags and we only had to get ourselves up and down. The restaurant/bar is spacious. The food is good and plentiful. The rooms are clean (though we struggled to operate the room safe). Great guides, great scenery and wildlife. Saw different Orangutan every day, gibbons, various monkeys and magnificent Rhino Hornbills. If you don't fancy trekking at every opportunity you can stay in the lodge by the river. There is plenty of wildlife all around you there. The night trips are recommended.

Our three days here were full of wonderful experiences. The trips and walks arranged by the guides are a wonderful way to see the best of this area of jungle. The cabins are comfortable and well-equipped, the food provided in the dining area was always of a high standard. All members of staff were friendly, smiling and eager to please.

It’s quite a journey to get here but well worth it Like all the rainforest lodges it’s basic but in a way that enhances the experience It’s beautifully set, the staff are delightful and the food is great Rooms have a good shower and a firm bed Having a cold beer after a sweaty trip in the humid jungle and watching the night descend with all the attendant sounds is beguiling

This place is wonderfully simple and yet charming and peaceful I note some reviews mark it down for facilities but it’s a lodge in the jungle !!! If you want 5 star pampering go somewhere else Yes the rooms are basic but they have a bed and a shower and all you are going to do in them is sleep and wash FFS Some criticise the food but it’s not a restaurant The buffet is good local food and again part of the experience Some have criticised the place for stuff they didn’t raise when here which I find ridiculous The staff are lovely and if you tell them nicely about something that bothers you they will change it Some of the trips are physical and bumpy But that isn’t their fault - if you can’t take go and play golf somewhere rather than taking it our on this place and these lovely people It’s the jungle Argghhhhh We swam in the pool supplied by a waterfall It was magical We went on a night drive and saw loads of animals and birds We did the mud soak it was lovely And our guide was great Some of the rooms are up long stair climbs but so what? We carried our own luggage up - it wasn’t a problem. Short story - focus on the experience instead of whingeing about creature comforts and you will have the best time And be nice to the guides - the more you give the more you will get Ernest - you are a star - thank you

we had a good time here when we went birding. The guide was very good and tried hard to show us the birds we wanted to see. The food was generally good and they were prepared to serve us an early breakfast. The room was comfortable. I would actually give it 4.5 stars if possible

We booked a long trip to Malaysian Borneo through an agency with long experience in the field, Naturalis Expeditions inc. with which we had already traveled previously, remaining very satisfied. Unfortunately, this trip was a total disaster. Although the Tabin rainforest is wonderful, even if it is next to an endless expanse of oil palms, the Tabin Resort is one of the poorest, worst organised, dirty, unsafe and decaying places I have ever seen around the world (I have over 20 years of experience in nature travel). I attach some photos of our room only. Without commenting on them. The staff, although courteous, is in disarray, also because they are very young. Instead of organizing the work, management sits holed up in their air-conditioned office doing nothing. Don't trust the photos and videos they publish because it's something else entirely. The 4x4s are old and run down, dangerous, you risk falling off. There is no first aid kit (and we needed it). The food is always the same and, I believe, what is left over is reheated the next time. The exits are almost useless, at least in terms of how they are organised. The tower on Lipad volcano was closed because it was at risk of collapse. Other structures closed because unusable. Safe deposit boxes closed perhaps because other people have reported money stolen from the boxes. So you will have to bring everything with you (even your passports). The animals are there, but there is no communication between the guides who simply take you on tours for hours without any interest in what they are doing (at least ours). The price paid for the services is a steal. If you come from far away, trust my experience, better to go elsewhere. After sending several written warnings, no one ever responded to us. We contacted law firms in Malaysia to obtain compensation.