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Welcome To Sukau Rainforest Lodge
Dear Eco-Travellers,
Since the opening of our 20 rooms ecolodge in 1995 we have been continuously improving our facilities and our environmental education to create a unique and authentic nature experience for our guests. We pioneered the use of solar hot water heaters, solar cells, four stroke engines and electric motor for river cruise, rainwater harvesting and recycling of cooking oil for lighting.
In 2001, after much research and feedback from our guests, we embarked on a major extension of our facility including Kari Boardwalk (named after our landowner) and Melapi Restaurant cum jetty complete with sunset deck. This was followed in 2002 by the addition of four bird and wildlife viewing decks, an Information Gallery and a 1,500 ft long covered Hornbill Boardwalk complete with two elephant “passes” to accommodate their regular migration of Borneo Pygmy elephants through the back of our lodge.
To further upgrade the comfort level and enhance the wildlife viewing experience of our guests, we also introduced speedboat transfers between Sandakan and Sukau up the Kinabatangan River by 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.
Various community and environment projects were carried out since 1995 under Sukau Ecotourism Research and Development Centre (SERDC) formed in 1999 which was since upgraded to Borneo Ecotourism Solutions and Technologies (BEST) in 2006 , including weed clearing, water tanks for the local community, wildlife rehabilitation, tree planting project(KWICORP), medical projects among others. To carry out all our various community and environmental projects, we have since 2001 systematically 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.
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 ecolodge), World Travel Award 2008 (Top five Asia leading green hotel) and National Geographic Adventure's magazine 2009 (50 Top Jungle Lodges).
We are pleased to announce that in 2009/10, we will be upgrading our rooms, lounge, reception, gift shop while new facilities will include meeting room for nightly slide presentation, office and also a jungle spa to complement our present foot spa services.
For more information, you may like to get a copy of “Saving Paradise ” co-authored by Albert Teo and Carol Patterson and launched in April 2005 in Kota Kinabalu at the Borneo Ecotourism Conference 2005 to celebrate our tenth anniversary.
I welcome you to personally come and experience paradise at our multi international ecotourism award winning ecolodge.
Sincerely,
Albert C.K.Teo
Managing Director
26th March 2009 |
