About

4.0

#3 of 8 Specialty lodging in Sukau

Location

Cleanliness

Service

Value

Sukau Backpackers Bed & Breakfast is a low cost accommodation and budget Kinabatangan river package tours to either locals or travellers. It is much less expensive than any other types of travel accommodation in Sukau. A simple chalet style with beautiful green lush property would make you feel peaceful and close to nature.

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Property amenities

Free parking

Bar / lounge

Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)

Airport transportation

Meeting rooms

Baggage storage

Non-smoking hotel

Express check-in / check-out

Restaurant

Snack bar

Shuttle bus service

Car hire

Shared lounge / TV area

Private check-in / check-out

Room features

Room service

Clothes rack

Bath / shower

Room types

Family rooms

Good to know

Languages Spoken

English, Malay

Location

40Car recommended

Grade: 40 out of 100

1Restaurantwithin 10 km

1Attractionwithin 10 km

3st avenue,block 20,1st floor corner,lot 1A, Sukau 90 000 Malaysia

Getting there

Sandakan Airport51 kmSee all flights

Lahad Datu Airport53 kmSee all flights

Car HireSee all Sukau car hire

See all nearby hotels

Nearby restaurants

Restoran Belono

1 review

4 minAsian

See all nearby restaurants

Nearby attractions

Kinabatangan Jungle Camp

50 reviews

4 minNature & Wildlife Areas

See all nearby attractions

33Reviews1Q+A0Room tips

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Magdalena L wrote a review Apr 2023

1 contribution

Nice cruises and chalets. NO WiFi, no card payments. Misleading advertising.

We booked 3D2N. Which is actually less than 48h as you arrive around 3pm, have 1 full day and leave the next morning before 9am. The river cruises were very nice but don’t expect to see any elephants unless you pay an extra 150RM per person (we negotiated for 100RM). They advertise that you will have a chance to search for the elephants but the truth is they are very far away from that area and you need a special ‘private’ boat to take you there which was very misleading information and not communicated to us until the last cruise. If you’re coming to see the elephants it’s probably best to book single cruises and night stays instead of the full package. Nonetheless, you do get to see a lot of wildlife on the cruises and the guide is very nice. The breakfasts were poor, dinner was better. THERE IS NO WIFI. Make sure you take cash as there is NO CARD PAYMENTS available and the nearest ATM is 30min drive away. That’s if you’re lucky, because when we went there all the ATMs were empty and we ended up bank transferring them the amount after numerous conversations and nearly missing our bus. The rooms were nice, as expected for the price. Lots of nice cats and dogs, although the dogs should be fed more as they all seemed to be starving. Staff were nice. …

Date of stay: April 2023

Value

Location

Service

Trip type: Travelled as a couple

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Response from Arsyadah Syuhadah Abdul Nasir, General Manager at Sukau Backpackers Bed & Breakfast

Responded 10 Apr 2023

Dear Magdalena, Thank you for your review! We understand about your cash issue for payment. You have requested to do a 4 - hour private cruise after done with the 3D2N package because you didn't get chance to see elephants. Misleading information about searching for elephants on kinabatangan river is not really accurate because elephants are wildlife but you were so lucky that is why our guide and boatman managed to find them for you. Thank you for having us! Best wishes, Sukau Backpackers Team

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

lithium_mt wrote a review Sept 2022

Malta221 contributions40 helpful votes

Good value but can be better

I booked a 3d/2n package directly with the lodge and communication was smooth. The only exception was that I specifically requested size 45 rubber boots for the jungle walk by email but these werent available when I got there. Ended up having to wear my running shoes and cleaning them afterwards. The room is comfortable although a power socket by the bed would make it even better. Plenty of hot water in the shower and good pressure. Towel was a little stained but seemed clean. A/c worked well. One thing to be aware of is that this lodge is very close to the road so you will hear cars regularly while in the room. It doesn't feel remote at all until you go out on a river cruise. The cruises were great and we spotted plenty of animals (elephants, orang utan, monkeys, colourful birds, baby crocodiles). The staff were all amazingly helpful and friendly. The weakest attribute was the food. It consisted of tiny portions of chicken with rice and vegetables. Only had dessert with one out of three meals and it consisted of 6 tiny bananas. Breakfast consisted of noodles, fried egg, one small sausage and sliced bread on the first morning and second morning was the same but without the noodles. They should seriously consider offering a meal upgrade option....something I would have happily paid 200 ringgit for. All in all, this place offers excellent value for money and I wouldn't hesitate to return.…

Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled solo

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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CinBT03 wrote a review Jan 2020

Caloundra, Australia50 contributions34 helpful votes

Excellent Experience, Excellent Value for Money

We stayed 3 days and 2 nights at Sakau Backpackers B&B. There are a lot of places to choose from to stay at in this area, many with similar names. We stayed as a group of 10, booking 4 x rooms, with 2 x families. Youngest aged 9 years. We had our own vehicle and booked tours and meals separately. We ended up doing all tours and eating all meals at the B&B. We were able to be flexible and decide our itinerary while at the B&B. Morning and afternoon river cruises were 2 hours duration each, 6am and 4pm start. Night cruise 7.30pm start. Cruises 60 MYR each, children under 12 yrs half price. Did jungle walk too. It was a bit of a work out uphill and through great vegetation. 30 MYR. Great walk. So glad we did it. Lots of mosquitoes so take the insect repellent. The B&B provides sausage, egg, toast, bake beans for breakfast included in 75 MYR room cost. Rooms are chalet style, basic, clean and comfortable. Beers 12 MYR and softdrink 4 MYR are on sale until 8pm with tea and coffee available all the time free of charge. Lunch and dinner was tasty, home cooking. Local beef/chicken dishes, rice and veg with fruit after. The meals we all thought were absolutely delicious, using whole food and local ingredients in a buffet set out for 20 MYR per person. They cooked plain omelette at the request of 1 person in our group. There is a small well stocked convenience store with groceries locals seem to access about 50 M from B&B. Cold drinks, ice creams, insect repellent, torches, water, crisps...anything we needed we found there. Found the staff at B&B to be friendly and accommodating. Would recommend to others. Jan and Lan were excellent boatman and guides on the river.…

Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with family

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

2 Helpful votes

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eanello wrote a review Dec 2019

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam42 contributions7 helpful votes

homey and accommodating

This place has a very homey vibe. The accommodations are very simple but they are clean and functional and worth it for the price you pay. You are best off if you sign up for a package (river cruises and meals included) directly with this place as they organise their own boat tours and cook delicious meals 3 times a day for the guests. The staff was super nice and helpful in organising transportation for us to Samporna and piking us up from the airport in Sukau.

Date of stay: October 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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NicoleXOX wrote a review May 2019

Mammoth Lakes, California9 contributions

NO WIFI!!

This place is great. It’s a simple, budget accommodation. The buffet lunches are good, and they are accommodating to special requests and dietary needs. It’s a beautiful lush green property, and the surrounding rainforest on the river is exquisite. Make sure you ask for an English speaking boat tour guide. We didn’t opt for the package deal. We did our tours a la cart, which worked out better because we didn’t want to do the walking tour. Definitely add on the Pygmy elephant safari! And bring extra sunscreen!!!

Date of stay: May 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Ld92 wrote a review Apr 2019

Manchester, United Kingdom16 contributions4 helpful votes

OK as a budget option

We did the 3D/2N package with Sukau Backpackers, mainly because it was the only option within our budget. It was as expected for a less expensive option, though some elements were disappointing and probably easy to improve. We enjoyed the 4 cruises on the river, each taking a different route. The scenery was spectacular and we saw a number of monkeys, birds, baby crocodiles and an orangutan from a distance. It seemed that the driver of the boat spotted everything we passed and positioned the boat well to watch the animals. However, he wasn’t very interactive and we ended up learning more about the animals from the guides on other boats next to us. We were also expecting a guide and a driver, and only had a driver, which was disappointing but probably to do with the budget option. There were also no binoculars available (which are essential really), and again we used some from the boats next to us. The jungle walk was disappointing and felt like a time filler. We were followed by the village dogs which barked and scared off the only monkeys we saw. After that the guide didn’t seem very interested in trying to spot anything else. The accommodation was basic but had everything we needed (air con, comfy bed, outdoor seating), and we were pleasantly surprised by how nice the garden/setting was. Transfers in private minibuses were great - pick up and drop off as expected. The food was OK for a meat eater, but the vegetarian alternative provided (plain omelette or salad) was disappointing. Some fruit for breakfast would have been nice. …

Date of stay: April 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Nina F wrote a review Jan 2019

Roskilde, Denmark25 contributions4 helpful votes

Nothing fancy but all We needed

My family of Four (kids 8 and 10) did the 3D/2N at Kinabatanga with Sukau backpackers. The rooms are basic but clean, the food was plain but pleantyfull and the Nature was beautiful and We were lucky to see two Wild orangutans pretty close to the boat. The Nightwalk wasnt worth the trouble of going through swamp and the mody Hills but We didnt see any animals. We were also dropped of at the junction but it was with Perfect timing to catch our bus to Semporna- so no complains there. All in all a worth value experience.

Date of stay: January 2019Trip type: Travelled with family

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

1 Helpful vote

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Scenic814018 wrote a review Sept 2018

6 contributions2 helpful votes

Overcharging everywhere!

The Kinabatangan river is a beautiful place to see a bit of Borneo's wildlife. This place, though, might not be the best option to enjoy because they are always looking for ways to sneak some more money out of your pockets. First, the cruises are 10-20 ringgit more expensive than anywhere else. There is a hidden "aircon fee" that you will only hear about when checking-out. The meals are scarce and overpriced because they know the closest restaurant is a 40-minute walk away. Even if it is a very special place, these people's greed manage to make you leave with a bitter taste. You better find another place around Sukau.

Date of stay: September 2018Trip type: Travelled as a couple

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Annesadventures wrote a review Aug 2018

Woerden, The Netherlands16 contributions14 helpful votes

Charge continuously extra and just dropped us at a junction

We have booked the 3 days, 2 night package. Pick up was arranged according to the package from Sandakan to the b&b. The cruises were nice although they should keep a bit more distance between the boat and the animals. Some monkeys real almost coming in boat to fight. They felt threatened. The second night we had a cruise instead of a walk. Great because the morning walk was really disappointing, just 15 minutes in the forest and the other time along the main road. In the morning of departure they suddenly charged 20Ringit per person extra. Furthermore, the bus to Semporna was suddenly not included and they booked a bus for 45 Ringit departing from Sukau junction without noticing us in advance about prices. The bus was full when he arrived at the junction and our driver from the hostel just dropped us, left us there and said it was our problem to arrange transportation in the midnights night The doctor dle of nowhere. Luckily a car stopped to give us a ride to the next big town where we arranged a minibus to Semporna.…

Date of stay: August 2018Trip type: Travelled as a couple

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Barbora F wrote a review Aug 2018

Amsterdam, The Netherlands117 contributions45 helpful votes

Excellent, knowledgeable guides

We booked a 3D/2N activity package with Sukau Backpackers and loved it (except for the jungle walk which wasn't very memorable so we skipped the second one we had scheduled and went on a night river cruise instead). While the hotel itself is very basic and the food is not that great, the room was clean and comfortable. You get what you pay for. We had some issues with the shower - both mornings around 5.30 am (probably when they turn the water back on) it started making very loud noises and they wouldn't stop unless we turn the shower on and kept it running - a bit unfortunate. Having said that, this stay was the highlight of our trip to Borneo. The river guides are very knowledgeable and were able to spot even the tiniest bird in the dark during the night cruise. We were extremely lucky with proboscis monkeys and pygmy elephant sightings (they bathed in the river right in front of us) and we even spotted a clouded leopard - everyone, including the the guides were so excited - it was only a third sighting in 5 years! Service was great and we would definitely recommend this place to anyone who is on a tighter budget. Beautiful memories! Thank you!…

Date of stay: July 2018

Value

Service

Sleep Quality

Trip type: Travelled with family

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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