StanKase

Katie&Craig and Others; What is the difference between The Last Boutique Resort and the Lost Rainforest Resort Lodge? I am speaking about feeling of being among the animal life, actual accomodations, boat trips vs. treeking as well as comfort in terms of temperature as to sleeping comfortable at night? We just would not be comfortable sleepimg in temps og 76-78 degrees awith high humidity. We are speaking about going in mid-late March for 3 full days and 2 or 3 nights based on flights. We would then go to sabah snorkeling for my wife and some diving and then on to Java.

Kathie

Stan, I've only been to The Borneo Rainforest Lodge. It is located in the primary rainforest (never been logged, in a very protected conservation area), no where near a town or even a village. The facilities are the best possible in such "wilderness" conditions. The bathrooms in the bungalows have flush toilets, showers, etc. There is electricity (produced by generators), but no air conditioning. There were overhead fans in the cabins. We were comfortable sleeping, but I can't predict your experience. Even though we were there during rainy season, the forest was not that wet (it's rainforest, not jungle). We had one very hard rain one late afternoon, otherwise it was dry. The cabins have beautiful ironwood floors, as does the lodge. You must take off your shoes before entering, both in the cabins and the lodge.

There are no boat trips from the BRL. The lodge is located on the Danum river, which is pretty small there. I consider trekking to be multi-day trips, so I would term the walks from the BRL to be hiking. There was also a night drive with a guide spotlighting wildlife.

We saw wildlife, on our walks twice a day, and even from the lodge. The photos of the red leaf monkeys were taken at lunchtime on our last day from the dining area of the lodge.
photos: www.marlandc.com/Borneo/DanumValley/index.htm The photos I think give a feel for the rainforest there.

This is a conservation area, and animals are not fed to bring them in (like in the rehab centers), so how much you see can vary.

If I were you, I'd spend some time on the websites for both places.

I'm sure Craig can tell you why they chose the place they are going to.

Craig

We are not yet sold completely on the Last Frontier Resort. The river trips and the food are major selling points. I think the wildlife that we could see would be good at either place. The Borneo Rainforest Lodge has great reviews, not only from Kathie but from many on Tripadvisor. It would be worth your time, Stan to read the reviews of both on the TA website, since there are so many. That should give you a better feel for both. And Stan, if you make the same effort to enter the proper names of these resorts on the TA site as you have here, you will never bring up their reviews.

StanKase

Craig; The attraction of BRL is the rooms have A/C. But am I being PR'd that I can wake up at Last Frontier and likely see monkeys out my window and "might" even catch a glimpse of an orang or elephant because of it's location. On the negative side my wife and even I at age 69 may have issues with the steps twice a day to go on expedition outings. Why do you not think that you can have similar river trips if you stay at BRL??

Craig

Well, Kathie can weigh in on this but I was under the impression that they only do hikes at BRL. If I am wrong (and I haven't researched it that carefully since it is 10 months away for us) that would make my decision even more difficult as we would also prefer rooms with A/C.

Kathie

Stan, the BRL does NOT have A/C.
The BRL does NOT offer river trips (the river at the lodge is not navigable). The BRL offers only hikes.
You will likely to awake to the calls of gibbons at the BRL, and you might well see moneys and other wildlife from the dining area of the lodge (as per the photos I linked to in my first response). Orangutans are very shy, I think they would unlikely to be that close to a cabin anywhere that are in the wild (it might be different at the rehab centers where they have become accustomed to human presence).

Stan, I'm glad to be helpful to you in your planning. I have responded to the same questions over and over (as have others), which makes me think you aren't paying attention.

BTW, my name is Kathie.

Craig

I would agree with Kathie (not Katie!) that you seem to be not paying attention.

StanKase

Sorry for sensitivity Kathie why did you not tell me a year ago when I thanked you for your help prior to our trip to Java.
It is unfortunate that you both think I am wasting your time. If you think that then you really do not understand that this region is all new to me. I am certain I happenened upon a resort/lodge with a similar name to one of the two I have mentioned that has A/C but I cannot locate it again since you say neither BRL nor Last frontier as you say do not have A/C. I may have to forgo the visit to Borneo because what we require is maybe just not yet available. that is a resort/lodge in the rainforest to fully appreciate the animal life by boat/canoe outings with minimal hiking and rooms that have A/C. Our guide in Java may be able to coordinate with his contacts a location coming at it from Sumatra. If he can work the magic he did getting us into communities in Java where they had never seen people with blue eyes before maybe he can work miracles for me.

Kathie

Stan, again, I am glad to answer your questions. But I have answered the question about air-conditioning several times, twice on this thread and several more times on previous threads where you inquired. I have also answered the question about river trips twice on this thread and on two other threads, multiple times on one thread.

Here are the previous threads for you to refer to:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...n-wildlife.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...t-question.cfm

Please review the information you have asked for and received, perhaps take notes on it, then come back with any unanswered questions.

Craig's suggestion of checking trip advisor for info is a good one, but as he says, you will have to enter the names of the lodges exactly right to get the information. Also, do read the websites for both places - they have lots of info and good photos.

StanKase

The Sepilok Rainforest Lodge (spelling may be off) has rooms and even suites (which we do not need) with Air Conditioning. Not knowing the geography maybe you can tell me why we cannot stay there and take an early morning and evening boat/canoe trips Kinnabatangan River to appreciate the wild life. Maybe they are just so far apart it is impractical.

Craig

Well, there is the Sukau Rainforest Lodge which is located on the river and offers river tours in the same general area as the Last Frontier Resort. It has no a/c.

Then there is the Sepilok Jungle Resort which has a/c but is located in Sepilok near the Orangutan Sanctuary - it does not offer river tours.

I have been unable to locate anything called the Sepilok Rainforest Lodge.

Kathie

Stan, I have no idea which of the lodges with "Sepilok" in the name you are referring to, as I can find no Sepilok Rainforest Lodge. The Sepilok lodges are all located near the Sepilok Orangutan Rehab Center. So you would be likely to see orangutans, but they will not be "in the wild" but orangutans being fed at feeding ststions.

Google "Sepilok Lodge" and you will come up with many. Read what the website says about wildlife viewing at each lodge. Email teh lodge you are interested in and ask your question about boat viewing.

janev

I gave a link to Sepilok Forest Edge Resort before http://www.sepilokforestedge.com/ - I don't know if you are thinking of this?
From here it is very near (walkable in 20mins or so) to the orangutan centre.
From here to the Kinnabatangan river is a few hours drive - so possible in a day, but not something where you would go out in the morning & then come back to this hotel & then go out again!
I'm not sure what kind of thing you are looking for, but if its just to see the orangutan there is also this from the Shangri-la hotels http://www.shangri-la.com/en/propert.../rasariaresort
These are very nice hotels - see also http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...h.html#REVIEWS but again these are not in the wild.

Craig

Janev - apparently you haven't been following StanKase's numerous posts.

Stan - can you share with us where you are getting your information? Perhaps providing a link to the place or places you want to know about would help rather than asking us to try and guess which places you are referring to.