Wildlife guide
This wildlife travel guide is meant to be like a trailer for the new Attenborough series. Because we also have individual travel guides for more specific wildlife holidays, such as our safaris, bear watching and whale watching.
Watching orangutans with kids
Hanging with an orangutan may seem like an idyllic activity for nature-loving kids, but there are many ways to see them, so do your research.![]()
Of all the places for watching orangutans with kids, Sabah is by far the most family friendly, so more cautious travellers or those with younger children would be advised to come here.
There are opportunities to see them in the wild – as well as at the excellent Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre and Rainforest Discovery Centre.
Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo are recommended only for the most intrepid families; teenagers may thrive on its rough-and-ready-ness, but language barriers and lack of infrastructure may make less adventurous parents nervous.
There are opportunities to see them in the wild – as well as at the excellent Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre and Rainforest Discovery Centre.
Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo are recommended only for the most intrepid families; teenagers may thrive on its rough-and-ready-ness, but language barriers and lack of infrastructure may make less adventurous parents nervous.
Our Orangutan family Holidays
Borneo family volunteering holiday
Encounter orangutans and meet local tribes in magical Borneo
From
£795
7 days
ex flights
Sarawak and Sabah tour, Orangutans & Ibans
Explore Borneo's unique culture, heritage and wildlife
From
£1744
13 days
ex flights
Family holiday in Sabah
Discover the best of Borneo in just under 2 weeks
From
£2155
10 days
ex flights
Family volunteering in Borneo
Family wildlife conservation volunteering project in Borneo
From
£699 to £899
7 days
ex flights
Borneo holiday, Land of the Orang Utan
Discover Borneo's magical combination of unique wildlife
From
£2408 to £2784
12 days
inc UK flights
Sabah & Sarawak holiday in Borneo
Wildlife, jungles, culture and idyllic beaches
From
£2535
14 days
inc UK flights
Borneo family holiday, tailor made
13 day Family Holiday - Wildlife, Apes & beaches of Borneo
From
£1950
13 days
ex flights
Activities for families
Sepilok Rainforest Education Centre
Sepilok Rainforest Education Centre started life as an education centre for local schoolchildren. Now also open to the public, it remains a particularly great spot for watching orangutans with kids. The huge canopy walkway is in fact a wobble-free “bridge” – safe for even the youngest of children. Orangutans and flying squirrels can be seen in the treetops, while gardens containing pepper, coffee and vanilla plants show kids where their food really comes from. This is a phenomenally informative excursion, and adults will be as gripped as kids.
Kinabatangan River
If you’d rather track them in the wild, then Sabah’s Kinabatangan River is one of the best spots to do that. You can cruise along in a boat rather than walking – much easier for little legs – and while you’re not guaranteed to see orangutans, the proboscis monkeys, macaques and hornbills should keep kids well entertained.
Stay in a traditional Iban longhouse
Sarawak is Malaysia’s cultural capital, and you shouldn’t miss the chance to stay in a traditional Iban longhouse with a dozen local families. You can buy food in the local market, cook with the community, enjoy the dances and traditional dress.
Children are wonderful ice-breakers and will soon be playing with their new Bornean friends – and discovering how life works without smartphones, laptops and TV.
Children are wonderful ice-breakers and will soon be playing with their new Bornean friends – and discovering how life works without smartphones, laptops and TV.
Our top Orangutan family Holiday
Borneo family volunteering holiday
Encounter orangutans and meet local tribes in magical Borneo
From
£795
7 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2020: 11 Apr, 11 May, 11 Jun, 11 Aug, 11 Sep, 11 Oct, 11 Nov
2020: 11 Apr, 11 May, 11 Jun, 11 Aug, 11 Sep, 11 Oct, 11 Nov
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Orangutan or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
Tips for families
Kate Tyler, from our friends at Odyssey World, shares her tips on watching orangutans with kids: “A few years ago people couldn’t stand the thought of taking children on a plane for 14 hours, but attitudes have definitely changed and we do get a lot of families now. As a family, I'd rather go to Sabah. If you’ve got teenagers then Sarawak is great, they can carry their own stuff – but if you’re carrying a small child and suitcases then it’s tough! And you’re travelling by boat and plane and getting on and off the transport – I think you have to be incredibly brave! But as a family you can definitely learn some incredible things, especially at Sepilok. The staff are so genuine and passionate about what they do.”
Nicki Hollamby, from our tailor made holiday experts Audley Travel, shares her advice on watching orangutans with kids: “Go! It’s brilliant. If I was doing a family trip to Borneo, I’d spend half the time in Sarawak because you can base yourself in Kuching and do daytrips. It’s a brilliant city with plenty of character, and it’s more of a cultural capital. Whereas in Sabah, it’s wildlife and beach, wildlife and beach. I would always take kids over to Sabah and to Sepilok, and then along the Kanbatangan River, because although you’re in simple accommodation, there’s no trekking involved, you’re just pottering up and down the river on a boat, looking at the wildlife. You’ve got other areas in Sabah where you’re going deep into the rainforest and it’s not necessarily very good for families, because it’s quite rustic. But the boat’s really relaxing."
Roger Salwey, from our tailor made holiday specialists Odyssey World, shares his advice on watching orangutans with kids: “Indonesia is fine for families with a sense of adventure. When I went there I stayed in a lodge-type hotel with a swimming pool, but you would get more comfort and convenience on the Malaysian side. The Indonesian side is more rough and ready, English isn’t widely spoken, they’re trying to speak English but they don’t get as many visitors and so don’t really have the chance to use it.”
More about Orangutan
You can see orangutans any time of year - especially if you're heading to one of the superb sanctuaries or rehabilitation centres. But if you're also planning to head to the beach, Mount Kinabalu or the jungle, read our advice on when to see orangutans.
Only two islands in the world are home to the orangutan: Borneo and Sumatra. Find out the best places to spot them swinging through the trees in their native forests as well as up close in superb sanctuaries in our orangutan watching travel guide.
Borneo and Sumatra are the only places you can see orangutans in the wild. Both Sumatra and the Indonesian region of Kalimantan, in Borneo, are somewhat more intrepid destinations, while the Malaysian provinces of Sabah and Sarawak are easier to get around.
Most travellers head to the rehabilitation sanctuaries to see orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra. But there are plenty of places to see orangutans in their natural habitat, too. Read our guide to find out the best places to see orangutans in the wild.
Orangutans are supremely adapted for life in the rainforest, but they are not the only unusual creatures you are likely to encounter here. Track sun bears in the forest; spy comically ugly proboscis monkeys; and watch out for slow lorises on night walks.
Orangutans are only found naturally on Borneo and Sumatra, yet each year thousands go on orangutan volunteering holidays to see the numbers that remain. Each visit to a sanctuary or rehabilitation centre supports the conservation of these creatures.
We've spoken to our holiday companies working in Borneo and Sumatra and asked them for their best orangutan watching tips. From wild orangutans vs. sanctuaries to how to support local communities - read their orangutan watching advice here.
Orangutans are highly endangered across their range, so responsible orangutan watching is the only way to go. Find out more about volunteering, deforestation, and how to support the communities that live alongside these "old men of the forest".
More relevant guides
protection
Photo credits: [Page banner: DUPAN PANDU] [Intro: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas]
[Sepilok Rainforest Education Centre: Mike Prince]
[Kinabatangan River: Natasha de Vere & Col Ford]
[Stay in a traditional Iban longhouse: Thomas Wanhoff]
[Kate Tyler advice: Lenny K Photography]
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