Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The award winning Borneo Rainforest Lodge (BRL) is nestled within 43,800 hectares of protected virgin rainforest of the Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, listed also as an Important Birding Area (IBA MY24) site. The immense biodiversity of 200 species of plants per hectare in this pristine 130 million years old rainforest is home to more than 320 species of birds and 124 species of mammals. Accessible via a 55 minutes flight from Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) and 2.5 hours overland drive from Lahad Datu (LDU), BRL has 30 chalets and a spa which adopts eco sensitivity, sustainability and minimum impact as the core principles of designs and operations. Full board packages include guides and return transfer of LDU-BRL-LDU. Reviews recommends a 4 days/3 nights package to experience the vast biodiversity of this magical 130 million years old rainforest and to pamper yourself with traditional Borneo massages at the in-house Spa.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Family
Languages Spoken
English, Malay
Location
Off Coastal Highway Block B, Lot 11 & 12, 3rd Floor, KK Times Square, Danum Valley Conservation Area 88100 Malaysia
Borneo Rainforest Lodge, Danum Valley Conservation Area
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Nestled in a unique rainforest location, the Borneo Rainforest Lodge in the Danum Valley Conservation Area is often celebrated for its luxurious amenities, including plunge pools and outdoor showers, that complement its well-appointed rooms. Guests frequently commend the attentive service and the tranquil, albeit occasionally noisy, atmosphere. While the remote position is a highlight for many, it does raise accessibility issues for some.
The lodge's commitment to cleanliness and eco-friendly practices receives accolades, even as a few guests suggest improvements. Room spaciousness and comfort are well-regarded, although there are sporadic mentions of maintenance needs. Opinions on value vary, with experiences perceived as either worthy or not quite living up to the cost.
Location
Remote
Atmosphere
Serene
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Lavish
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Gorgeous location, friendly staff. Beautiful rooms with lovely views, could easily stay there all day. Excellent food, a lot of choice. Staff treat you as individuals and make you feel very welcome. Wildlife guides very knowledgeable. The birds and scenery are stunning.
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Date of stay: September 2024
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.
If you are looking for a true feel of the rainforest, this is the place. Situated along the Danum River and at the base of a mountain, you can get lost in the views of the misty mountain and the sounds of the rainforest. Prepare for an amazing 2.5 hour trip to reach the lodge but you will see wildlife along the way...pig-tail macaque monkeys and maybe an elephant if you are lucky! The food is amazing and there is something for everyone. The dining staff is exceptional. Loved chatting with Alvis! Hats off to the staff for staying late while we made new friends over a bottle of wine. I also love how well the lodge treats their employees who are all local. It's obvious they value their family of lodge staff which warms my heart! Food and Beverage management truly provide the very best experience! We had an exceptional guide, Donny, and his knowledge of the rainforest, and my favorite, the medicinal properties of the rainforest flora, were top-notch. He prepared us well for our hike to the overlook and burial ground, pointing out so many things that I would have never seen! We stayed in PD 4, which overlooked the river and had a plunge pool. Room was spacious and the view from the fully glassed wall onto the river and rainforest was tranquilizing. Meticulously clean. Thank you Jailmal! Special thanks to Kate the Orangutan for allowing us to see her several times in the canopy close to the lodge! Amazing place!
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Date of stay: April 2024
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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This is a truly exceptional place in a beautiful vibrant natural rainforest. The setting is exquisite, the wildlife abundant, the facilities are excellent, the guides are highly professional and hugely knowledgeable. The food and service was simply the best that we had throughout our Borneo tour - an amazing feat when you consider the remoteness of this special place.
We were lucky enough to see much of the wildlife the rainforest has to offer - with Orangutan’s literally outside our villa on one occasion - with only the pygmy elephants evading us (though there was plenty of evidence that they were close by!). The hikes were great - albeit going to the viewpoint was quite a challenge. And thanks to our guide Ali - who was exceptional! How he spotted some of the smaller animals I have no idea.
It was a real privilege to spend a few days in this beautiful part of the world. Thank you to all of the staff at BRL who made this a very memorable experience.
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Date of stay: July 2024
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.
Unique experience in the pristine rainforest. The details state it is air conditioned, but the upper windows are not and just have screens, which they told us is for the hot air to escape. The result was a warmer room which did not cool off sufficiently and a huge amount of mosquito bites overnight.
The best part was Chef Jack, who took the time and attention to provide meals for a restrictive diet. The pride he took in preparing the meals was humbling and his skills made our trip outstanding. Thank you Chef Jack! Wish I could take you home!
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Date of stay: July 2023
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.
Yes, it’s very expensive, difficult to get to, it’s humid and the leeches are a pain but it’s all worthwhile for the unique experience on offer. The food is terrific; the best we have had in our month in Borneo.Mainly buffet but some freshly cooked.All excellent. No wine by the glass available , not sure why not as with so many activities you’re not going to drink much. Worth mentioning that J6 would not be my first choice of room as the back windows look over a walkway which is illuminated at night which makes the bedroom too light plus you are overlooked . J5 has no such issues. Sherwood, our guide was informative and patient. There’s no pool ; guess they can’t make it work there but it would be lovely to have a dip after a jungle hike.
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Date of stay: April 2023
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.
This was an absolutely incredible 4 day, 3 night stay in the rainforest. We were there for my 50th birthday and our room had been beautifully decorated. I even had a birthday cake after dinner!
This review simply cannot do justice to the wonderful experience we had in this very special place, but I will do my best.
The drive: We were collected from the airport and driven to BRL by Izrozwan/Wan (sorry for mispelling) who was a great character with a brilliant sense of humour. He had us laughing all the way. He was also a talented spotter and we saw several animals on the journey. It was a great start to our stay.
Room: We had a premium deluxe room which was enormous and had an outdoor shower and a plunge pool. The full height windows faced out onto the river and the rainforest, and we did not have to leave the room to engage with the wildlife. We had a herd of Samba deer sleeping right outside our room at night, we shared the plunge pool with a cheeky little frog, we saw a civet cat, monkeys and lizards all from our terrace. Importantly though, the wildlife seemed to know to stay outside!
Trekking: Our guide was Hairee. He was a lovely young man with an incredible amount of knowledge about the wildlife. His passion for conservation was contagious and he had a wonderful sense of humour. He was kind and considerate of our needs and abilities when planning our treks. When it was tough (it was SO HOT and sometimes steep) he was encouraging and offered frequent breaks.
We were offered three treks a day of varying lengths. We opted to do all but one of these, but you can do as many or as few as you wish. We saw orangutans on 3 days of our 4 day trip!
Food: The food was stunning. A really good choice of buffet and cooked to order at statins while you wait. We enjoyed everything we ate!
Staff: All of the staff were warm and friendly and we were surprised at how many remembered our names, even though we were only there for a few days. We enjoyed a massage at the spa during our stay which was very relaxing and much needed after all that trekking.
All in all, a wonderful, memorable experience and we sincerely hope to return one day!
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Date of stay: March 2024
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.
What an truly amazing experience. The stay here was the highlight of our 12 day Borneo trip, to see the pristine rainforest first hand. We travelled into the resort by Toyota Hilux pickup, 2 1/2 hours along dirt tracks through the jungle. After turning off the main road you head down to a check point with a barrier where your driver does the necessary checks with the security guards. The first 2 hours of the drive are through jungle which has been previously logged but is still an amazing sight to see, it is only when you reach the pristine forest that you see the difference. Another half an hour past the next barrier and you reach the Rainforest Lodge, wow what can I say. I thought that the lodge was going to be fairly basic due to it's remoteness, how wrong was I. The main reception building is very modern with all the modern facilities that we come to expect but maybe not in the middle of nowhere. The best internet connection that we had had so far & the accommodation and food was excellent. Buffet restaurant with a great selection of fresh cooked food & chefs on hand to cook additional dishes. All of the staff were exceptionally friendly & very eager to please. The veranda at the restaurant is a great place to sit with a drink and watch the wildlife, an evening g & t whilst watching birds etc through our binoculars. Our guides Britney and Ali were first class and very personable, they have an amazing ability to see flora & fauna that we would otherwise have missed. The guided walks were great, both day & night. The walk up to the viewpoint was done at our own pace with no rush, stopping to see things on the route. Once up at the viewpoint we were treated to a visit by an orangutang high in the canopy, the view down over the resort is well worth the hike. The only reason that this is not listed as a 5 star resort is due to the fact that it doesn't have a swimming pool ! However a waterfall with a pool is available nearby on one of the rivers, much more environmentally friendly. If you are travelling to Borneo then I would highly recommend taking the time to visit Danum Valley to see the real Borneo as it should be & as it was before being destroyed by man.
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Date of stay: March 2020
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.
Great stay. Only let down was the deluxe river view room. There was nothing deluxe about it. It was in great need of renovation, the air condition unit leaked water so was a hazard, one of the lights in the bathroom did not work, the room was redculously dark do if you have poor eyesight it is not suitable for you and the so called dip pool was not even a pool and had no water in it. The good side was the food was excellent and the head waiter was very charming, welcoming and made sure all diets were catered for. The other highlight was our private guide Nicholad who could not do enough for us from making sure we had the best wildlife viewing, great photo moments and even gave us certificates for completing the challenging coffin trail hike which is definitely recommending if you are fit.
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Date of stay: October 2023
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.
5 star resort comfort in amazing primary forest. Gourmet buffets w a " dessert room", soothing spa treatments, guided trekking thru the wild borneo jungle, night golf cart nature rides. Make sure you get the leech socks from giftshop. $20 a pair.
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Date of stay: February 2025
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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A very ecological lodge, nature, super comfortable, very good rooms. pool in every room, on the balcony, peace, tranquility, spa and excellent food. 5* staff. But above all the absolute integration in nature, highly professional and organized trails and guides, an absolute immersion in the forest, a sanctuary, with respect, sounds, smells,
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Date of stay: February 2025
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.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Halifax, United Kingdom26 contributions10 helpful votes
Depends how many nights you are going and the type of clothing you are taking. If they’re synthetic and quick drying you might get away with one set for a two night stay. We took two sets for two nights, but could have made do with one set.
Hello! Apologies for my late response - I hope you managed to get in touch!
Along with others’ responses - you contact via WhatsApp mostly! It feels abit weird at first but that’s their primary contact method!
I note that their Instagram seemed to be hacked last year, so they had to create a new account.
All the best,
Steph
Bathford, United Kingdom16 contributions12 helpful votes
You can’t explore the trails etc without a guide but you’ll be assigned a guide by the hotel when you arrive (at no extra cost). They normally have small groups (around 6/8) per guide. They are all extremely knowledgeable and talk to you about what you want to get out of your time at Danum Valley
Hi, I had military jungle boots which I usually use during such a trips but I saw many tourist in trainers and it seemed to be ok. IMHO leech socks are more crucial ;)
There are more places to choose from in the Danum Valley Conservation Area area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
borneo rainforest hotel sabah, borneo rainforest lodge
LOCATION
MalaysiaSabahDanum Valley Conservation Area
NUMBER OF ROOMS
30
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