Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
Sandakan, on the east coast of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, is the base for Borneo's classic wildlife circuit. The Sepilok orangutan rehabilitation center (established 1964) and the neighboring sun bear conservation center are the usual first stop; the Kinabatangan River, inland, is known for wild orangutan, proboscis monkey (found only on Borneo), and Bornean pygmy elephant sightings by boat. Selingan Turtle Island, offshore in Turtle Islands Park, adds an overnight stay with ranger-supervised turtle nesting and hatchling releases. Best season: turtles nest year round, peaking July to October for green turtles; the typical route strings Sepilok, the river, and the island into one circuit from Sandakan.
It is one of the few places in the world where wild orangutans and proboscis monkeys, two of Borneo's signature primates, can be seen on the same trip, alongside sun bears, pygmy elephants, and the ranger-led turtle night on Selingan.