| Welcome To Sukau Rainforest Lodge
Dear Eco-Travelers,
Since the opening of our 20 rooms ecolodge in 1995 we have continuously improve our facilities and our environmental policies to create a truly unique and authentic experience for guests. We pioneered the use of solar hot water heaters, four stroke engines and electric motor for river cruise, rainwater harvesting, use of recycled cooking oil for lighting, incorporating elephant passes on our Hornbill Boardwalk among others.
Over the years, Sukau Rainforest Lodge has been privileged to receive many ecotourism distinctions and recognitions. These include British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award 1997 (Best ecolodge for Pacific region), National Audubon Society, USA 1999 (Top ten ecolodge), IH&RA Environmental Award 1999 (runner-up), Ecoclub.com (Ecolodge award 2006 Third prize), World Travel Award 2008 (Top nine World leading Eco-lodge & Top five Asia leading green hotel), World Travel Award 2009 (World leading Eco-lodge & Asia leading green hotel), and National Geographic Adventure's magazine 2009 (50 Top Jungle Lodges).
2010 will witness our lodge undergoing extensive RM2 million upgrade of guestrooms, Gecko Lounge, reception and gift shop and the addition of Gomantong Hall, a design inspired by Gomantong Caves of Sukau.
With the completion of these extensions, the Sukau Rainforest Lodge now offers the following: -
· New - Guestrooms
· New - Lounge and Reception Area
· New - Gomantong Hall · New - Gift Shop
· Kari Boardwalk (named after our landowner)
· Melapi Restaurant and jetty complete with sunset deck
· Four bird and wildlife viewing decks
· Information Gallery
· 1,500 ft long covered Hornbill Boardwalk complete with two elephant “passes”
One of the highlights is the ride between Sandakan and the Sukau Rainforest Lodge up the Kinabatangan River using four strokes / twin engines speedboats. The two and half hours journey up the longest river in Sabah affords the guest a greater opportunity to spot some of the ten species of primates including wild orang utan, proboscis monkey, and some of the eights species of hornbills and the endemic Borneo Pygmy elephant.
All our efforts to upgrade our lodge and ensure the best experience has not been at the expense of the local community and environment. Since 1995, various community and environment projects were carried out under our non profit division, Sukau Ecotourism Research and Development Centre (SERDC) and later under Borneo Ecotourism Solutions and Technologies (BEST) since 2006 . These include weed clearing, supply of over 50 water tanks for the local community, wildlife rehabilitation, tree planting project(KWICORP) and medical projects among others. To carry out these projects, we have since 2001 set aside US$1 for every international adult guest who stays at our lodge while our sister company, Borneo Eco Tours also contributed RM8.00 per tourist who stayed with us amounting to a total of RM50,000.00 per annum. Most recently in 2009, we started collecting the Voluntary Conservation Levy (VCL) of RM 20 per guest for the WWF, to enhance conservative on the Kinabatangan.
It is our hope that with your continued support, the Sukau Rainforest Lodge can continue to play a vital role in the development of ecotourism which among others help to protect the environment and bring economic benefits to the local communities. For more information, you may want to get a copy of “Saving Paradise ” co-authored by Albert Teo and Carol Patterson and launched in April 2005 at the Borneo Ecotourism Conference 2005 to celebrate our tenth anniversary, by contacting info@borneoecotours.com .
I welcome you to personally come and experience paradise at our multi international ecotourism award-winning ecolodge.
Sincerely,
Albert C.K. Teo
Managing Director
Updated: February 2010 |
