What guests say about their Deramakot experience — from TripAdvisor, Google and beyond.
"You know that sense of wonder, intrigue and deep heartfelt dissonance that resonates within the final scene of Jurassic Park? A week at Deramakot is likely as close as you'll ever get to experiencing such a strong sense of wonder in a wild place. A truly unique beacon of wildlife in Sabah — unquestionably one of the world's best locations to observe endangered species including wild Orangutans, Clouded Leopard, Marbled Cats, Leopard Cats, Colugos, Slow Loris, Binturong and Civets. Without our guide Mike and driver Lang, we'd have returned home seeing little more than a shadow of the flora and fauna. Their dedication enabled us to have multiple incredibly close observational encounters. I highly recommend booking this expert crew. They catered exactly to our interest, skill and fitness levels and delivered well beyond our expectations."
"I have been to most famous conservation areas of Sabah — Danum Valley, Maliau Basin, Imbak Canyon, Tabin, Kinabatangan — but Deramakot is the best place ever for mammal watching, especially night safari for wild cats. My camera traps also captured a clouded leopard, banded linsang and western tarsier. I have never seen so many high-profile wildlife in any other reserve in Borneo. I really had a great time and will definitely go back."
"Deramakot forest is by far the best-kept secret in Borneo for wildlife. We went with Adventure Alternative Borneo and had an amazing guide in Mike. Beyond every expectation — I could happily stay there for months. It has everything on the wildlife checklist. I have been on many safaris around the world and this is right up there with the best. Make it your number one place to go in Borneo."
"I joined a Deramakot trip and it was an amazing experience from start to finish. Our guide Adi was incredibly knowledgeable about the local wildlife and ecosystem. She patiently answered all our questions, was always eager to help us spot animals and explain behaviour. The itinerary was well planned, accommodation and food exceeded my expectations. I especially want to say that Adi is a wonderful role model for young women in this industry — she truly made this trip special."
"Adventure Alternative Borneo organised the most amazing trip! We just wish we could've stayed longer. Deramakot was awesome — seriously a hidden gem. We saw so many amazing animals! The guides were the best — the way they spotted animals was unbelievable. The birding was also incredible. If you are travelling to this part of Borneo for animals, DO NOT MISS Deramakot. The facilities were comfortable and newly constructed. Everyone we met were really nice. We want to go back!"
"Booked our 3 night stay at Deramakot through AAB. Everything was fantastic!! Adi was a brilliant guide!! Very knowledgeable staff and truly passionate about beautiful Borneo."
"Four of us did a trip to Sepilok, Deramakot and the Kinabatangan. Our guide Siti was amazing. Without her, the only animals we would have seen were the pygmy elephants. She was brilliant at spotting wildlife, keeping lists of our sightings and informing us about the wildlife and local culture. Our 3-day list included 32 species. I have never seen so many high-profile mammals in such a short time. Highly recommend!"
"My friend and I spent 4 days/3 nights at Deramakot. Guide Mike is the best guide I've ever had in multiple years of wildlife watching around the world. Our first night was very successful with multiple exciting sightings. When we met, I told Mike my target animals — and he was always looking for them. He found a binturong eating fruit in a tree and a slow loris moving slowly down a branch. The food was decent, the room good and clean with hot water. I will be back."
"AAB organised our stay at Sandakan, Deramakot Forest and the Kinabatangan River and everything was perfect. They made everything very easy — communication was fluid and they gave us great advice for our itinerary. We had wonderful holidays thanks to them!"
"I found information on this site and emailed Adventure Alternative Borneo. I stayed 4 days/3 nights — early, afternoon and night trips. Food and accommodation were really good. I saw orangutans, elephants, monkeys and a sun bear — 23 different kinds of mammals, lots of birds, 4 different kinds of snakes. It was fantastic. Paid 2,100 RM — very fair for what was included."
"As for many others this was the highlight of our entire Borneo trip. We cannot recommend enough. Our stay surpassed our expectations completely — a dream team of Mike, Lang and Jeyn. With all the luck we could ever wish for we saw numerous animals, including elephants, snakes, a male orangutan and a female with baby, and YES YES — we were the lucky ones who saw the SUN BEAR for 6 unforgettable minutes. Thanks forever, from Dorig and Helle."
"I spent 5 nights spotlighting at Deramakot Forest Reserve. We saw at least 24 mammal species — the obvious highlight being a sun bear. Also binturong, banded palm civet, bornean gibbons and wild orangutans. The accommodation was surprisingly good. Our guide is an excellent spotter who is willing to work long hours to find wildlife. I will use them again."
"A LOONG bumpy drive through oil palm plantations and then jungle brings you to an oasis in the heart of Deramakot. Large, neatly landscaped headquarters with clean, comfortable chalets — A/C, hot and cold water, 24h power — and superb bird watching in the gardens. Adventure Alternative Borneo provided a skilled driver, a cook who prepared delicious meals, and a brilliant guide. Deramakot offers amazing mammal spotting — the first night we saw very little, then the second night the forest seemed to be brimming with wildlife! All up, 15 mammal species. We want to come back for longer."
"We booked 3 tours in total. It was a very good decision to choose Adventure Alternative Borneo. Communication went absolutely smoothly — always responded very quickly, even on Easter Sunday. The guides were all dedicated, reliable and gave valuable tips. Without them we would never have seen so many different animals. I would always book with Adventure Alternative Borneo."
"Simply spectacular. Three nights at Deramakot — an incredible number of birds and mammals in a truly wild environment. Every sighting felt very special. The logistics were flawless given the remoteness. Our guide Henry's skills at finding and identifying animals are a thing of wonder. An incredibly talented naturalist. This is a destination for the serious wildlife watcher and it did not disappoint."
"I recently did a 7-day private tour with Mike as my guide. Tom, Aisha and the office crew were great with communication. The lodges were clean, well maintained, with A/C. The food ranged from 'pretty good' to 'damn, that's delicious!' — Deramakot food was the best. The only thing I didn't see was a clouded leopard, but I spotted: otters, orangutans including babies, marble cat, leopard cat, binturong and palm civets in the same tree night after night, slow loris, reticulated python, gibbon and the biggest centipede Mike had ever seen. I greatly appreciated the way Mike handled every situation."
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