About Us

Who we are

40-room Sukau Rainforest Lodge (SRL) perched on the banks of Kinabatangan river was born from the vision of Albert Teo, founder and managing director of Borneo Eco Tours (BET) of the complete ecotourism experience. As Albert observed “an ecotour without a good ecolodge is not complete”, so he undertook to build a lodge that would provide great wildlife watching experiences and become a base of operations for the Kinabatangan area while also demonstrating sustainable building and operating principles.

Established in 1995, SRL is an ecotourism leader throughout borneo for over 25 years with the mission to excel as an ecolodge by providing a unique experience in hospitality, interpretation and conservation with local community participation and leadership development. SRL is owned and operated by Borneo Eco Tours. The majority of employment at the lodge are 80% locals.

Guests wildlife sighting of Pygmy elephants from Sukau Rainforest Lodge boat

Philosophy

SRL is committed to the principle of triple bottom line business (economy, social and environment). SRL prides itself on being profitable yet contributing to the local community while conserving the environment.

Our Mission

To excel as an ecolodge by providing a unique experience in hospitality interpretation and conservation with local community participation and leadership development

Policy

The lodge also embraces conservation, community development and sustainable tourism as part of its green policies, and for holding true to its ecolodge ethos

What's an Ecolodge?

“An ecolodge is a two-to-seventy five room, low impact, nature-based, financially sustainable accommodation facility that helps protect sensitive neighboring areas; involves and helps benefit local communities; offers tourists an interpretive and interactive participatory experience; provides a spiritual communion with nature and culture; and is planned, designed, constructed, and operated in an environmentally and socially sensitive manner” – Hitesh Mehta, Authentic Ecolodge

Riverside view of Sukau Rainforest Lodge's Melapi restaurant

An authentic ecolodge embodies three main principles of ecotourism.

  • Nature must be protected and conserved.
  • Local community must benefit through community outreach and education program.
  • Interpretive programs must be offered to educate both tourists and employees abut he surrounding natural and cultural environments.

An ecolodge must satisfy must satisfy at least two additional criteria for the following list of eight:

  • Use alternative and sustainable means of water acquisition and at the same time reduce overall water consumption.
  • Meet its energy needs through passive design and renewable sources.
  • Provide for careful handling (reduce, reuse, recycle) and disposal of solid waste.
  • Use environmentally friendly sewage treatment system.
  • Fit into its specific physical and cultural contexts through careful attention to form, landscaping, and colour as well as through the use of vernacular architecture.
  • Use environmentally friendly building and furnishing materials.
  • Having minimal impact on the natural surroundings and utilize traditional building techniques during construction.
  • Endeavour to work with the local community, including community members, wherever possible, in the initial physical planning and design stages of construction.

Our Sustainability Story

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Read more about how we do it

Site Map

Sukau Rainforest Lodge site map for guest's navigation

Our Companies

BEST Society

Borneo Eco Tours