The Tungog Eco Camp (TREC)
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Nestled between the curves of the Kinabatangan River and the beautiful Tungog Oxbow-Lake, The Tungog Rainforest Eco Camp offers a different and unique experience of the Kinabatangan River.
Located 15 minutes down river from the small village of Batu Puteh, this simple but sweet eco camp is the only lodging on the whole river that is inside of a forest reserve. It was designed with the rainforest in mind and to have the least impact on the area where it lies. TREC has numerous eco design features built in to ensure zero waste, zero chemicals, a zero energy spreadsheet (there is limited solar power) and maximum water conservation. Wildlife is abundant along the river and your daily forest walks and river trips will offer incredible insight into the lowland rainforest of the Kinabatangan. TREC is run as part of The Batu Puteh Community Ecotourism Co-operative (KOPEL), which is an eco-tourism community based cooperative that was started in 1996 by a dedicated group from the villages of Batu Puteh. Their goal was to create an alternative form of income for the local people, while at the same time rehabilitating damaged ecosystems in the area, protecting the remaining rainforest and preserving the local indigenous culture. |
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VIEW 2D1N TREC ITINERARY (Short on Time)
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This option is for the traveler who is short on time and just wants a taste of the Kinabatangan River. If your goal is to see lots of wildlife, we recommend staying on the river a little bit longer to give you the best chance possible.
DAY 1 Optional pick up from your hotel in Sandakan at 10:30am or Sepilok Area at around 11.00am. Your journey will be around 2 hours before arriving at the village of Batu Puteh, which is located in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. Upon arrival at Batu Puteh, enjoy a quick lunch before hopping on a boat for the 15 min boat journey to The Tungog Rainforest Eco Camp. Check in, meet you local TREC guide, go for a short intro walk and than freshen up before the evening river cruise at around 4:00 pm. Spend the next 1 ½ hours along the Kinabatangan River in search of wildlife that call the river their home. If you are lucky you may spot proboscis monkeys, an orangutan, Bornean elephants, hornbills and much more. Once you return from the cruise, have dinner before heading out on a night walk in the rainforest. DAY 2 Wake-up to the relaxing sounds of the jungle and then head out on a morning river cruise at 6:00 am. Have your breakfast at 7:30 am. Check-out will be around 8:30 am, than an optional pickup at Batu Putih at around 9am. Arriving back to Sepilok at around 11:00 am, or Sandakan/Sandakan Airport around 11:40 am. If you want to spend the morning at TREC, later checkouts are possible. * Please enquire about the different transfer options. We also offer transfers to/from Semporna or Lahad Datu, just let us know if this is where you are coming from or heading next. |
VIEW 3D2N TREC ITINERARY (REcommended)
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DAY 1
Optional pick up from your hotel in Sandakan at 10:30am or Sepilok Area at 11.00am. Your journey will be around 2 hours before arriving at the village of Batu Puteh, which is located at the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. Upon arrival at Batu Puteh, enjoy a quick lunch before hopping on a boat for the 15 min boat journey to The Tungog Rainforest Eco Camp. Check in, meet you local TREC guide, go for a short intro walk and than freshen up before the evening river cruise at 4:00 pm. Spend the next 2 hours along the Kinabatangan River in search of wildlife that call the river their home. If you are lucky you may spot proboscis monkeys, an orangutan, Bornean elephants, hornbills and much more. Once you return from the cruise, have dinner before heading out on a night walk in the rainforest. DAY 2 Begin your morning with a 6:00 am bird watching tour and then come back to breakfast served overlooking the Tungog Oxbow Lake around 7:30 am. After breakfast, get ready for a guided jungle walk around 9:00 am. The hike will take you through the forest reserve surrounding the eco camp. Return from the hike and enjoy a well-deserved lunch. Relax by the lake or head out to help with KOPEL's tree planting activities on the outskirts of the rainforest. The next river cruise will be around 4:00 pm. Once you return from the cruise, have dinner before heading out on a night walk in the rainforest. * Guests who have chosen to add on the Supu caves & mini-summit trip will depart to Supu Adventure camp at 9am and go trekking on the Supu ancient trail before having a takeaway lunch at Supu. After lunch, visit Supu caves and climb to the top of Supu Hill before leaving back to the eco camp by boat at 5pm (afternoon river cruise). DAY 3 Wake-up to the relaxing sounds of the jungle and then head out on a morning river cruise at 6:00 am. Have your breakfast at 7:30 am. Check-out will be around 8:30 am, than an optional pickup at Batu Putih at around 9am. Arriving back to Sepilok at around 11:00 am, or Sandakan/Sandakan Airport around 11:40 am. If you want to spend the morning at TREC, later checkouts are possible. * Please enquire about the different transfer options. We also offer transfers to/from Semporna or Lahad Datu, just let us know if this is where you are coming from or heading next. |
VIEW 4D3N TREC + SUPU CAVES ITINERARY
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DAY 1
Optional pick up from your hotel in Sandakan at 10:30am or Sepilok Area at 11.00am. Your journey will be around 2 hours before arriving at the village of Batu Puteh, which is located at the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. Upon arrival at Batu Puteh, enjoy a quick lunch before hopping on a boat for the 15 min boat journey to The Tungog Rainforest Eco Camp. Check in, meet you local TREC guide, go for a short intro walk and than freshen up before the evening river cruise at 4:00 pm. Spend the next 2 hours along the Kinabatangan River in search of wildlife that call the river their home. If you are lucky you may spot proboscis monkeys, an orangutan, Bornean elephants, hornbills and much more. Once you return from the cruise, have dinner before heading out on a night walk in the rainforest. DAY 2 Begin your morning with a 6:00 am bird watching tour and then come back to breakfast served overlooking the Tungog Oxbow Lake around 7:30 am. After breakfast, get ready for a guided jungle walk around 9:00 am. The hike will take you through the forest reserve surrounding the eco camp. Return from the hike and enjoy a well-deserved lunch. Relax by the lake or head out to help with KOPEL's tree planting activities on the outskirts of the rainforest. The next river cruise will be around 4:00 pm. Once you return from the cruise, have dinner before heading out on a night walk in the rainforest. DAY 3 Begin your day with an early morning river cruise and then come back to breakfast served overlooking the Tungog oxbow lake around 7:30 am. After breakfast, depart to Supu Adventure camp by boat and go trekking on the Supu ancient trail before having a takeaway lunch at Supu. After lunch, visit Supu caves and climb to the top of Supu Hill before leaving back to the eco camp by boat at 5pm (afternoon river cruise). Have dinner then get ready to head out on your last night walk in the rainforest. DAY 4 Wake-up to the relaxing sounds of the jungle and then head out on a morning river cruise at 6:00 am. Have your breakfast at 7:30 am. Check-out will be around 8:30 am, than an optional pickup at Batu Putih at around 9am. Arriving back to Sepilok at around 11:00 am, or Sandakan/Sandakan Airport around 11:40 am. If you want to spend the morning at TREC, later checkouts are possible. * Please enquire about the different transfer options. We also offer transfers to/from Semporna or Lahad Datu, just let us know if this is where you are coming from or heading next. |
NOTE: Our 4D3N TREC itinerary was previously inclusive of a visit to Batu Tulug museum and burial caves, Batu Tulug will now be closed until 2025 due to renovation work so our itineraries have been updated in Jan 2024 to include Supu Pin Forest Reserve and Supu caves instead.
Accommodation
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TREC is designed for the adventurous traveller who doesn't mind living simply in the rainforest in order to help conserve the environment. This small eco camp has 12 A-framed huts, each built within the fabric of the rainforest. Each hut has a mattress on the floor and a mosquito net. Under the house is private bathroom with a western toilet and a basic shower. The eco camp believes in a zero energy spreadsheet, power at the camp is limited and generated by solar panels. There are no fans (or airconditioning!) in the huts but they are designed to maximise air flow and the rainforest cools down to a more comfortable temperature at night. |
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Pricing
Valid till 31st Dec 2025
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Prices are per person and exclude transfers:
Single supplement for all tours is RM350 per tour |
Transfers
Transfer to / from Sandakan or Lahad Datu (per way)
Optional extras Lunch on check-out day: RM25 Half-day visit to Sepilok Orangutan & Sun Bear sanctuaries: RM300 (Available Monday, Thursday & Saturday) |
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Included:
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Excluded:
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Additional Info
Electricity & Phone: TREC believes in a zero energy spreadsheet, which means they only have limited solar-generated power to provide light around the camp and in the huts at night. Blackouts and issues with the solar power system can happen so don’t forget to bring your torch. There is 3G/4G signal around Batu Putih but is limited at the eco camp.
What to bring: Torch light, insect repellent (with DEET), sunscreen, long sleeve shirts & long pants for jungle walks, (shorts & T-shirts are ok for river cruises), raincoat, sun hat, comfortable trekking shoes, water bottle, personal toiletries, leech socks and binoculars.
What not to bring: Alcohol & skimpy clothing! In accordance with local customs, please dress modestly and refrain from bringing any alcohol into the camp.
Guides: You will be provided a local TREC guide, who is from the area and has been trained as part of the community program to improve livelihoods. Specialist guides can be provided upon request.
What to bring: Torch light, insect repellent (with DEET), sunscreen, long sleeve shirts & long pants for jungle walks, (shorts & T-shirts are ok for river cruises), raincoat, sun hat, comfortable trekking shoes, water bottle, personal toiletries, leech socks and binoculars.
What not to bring: Alcohol & skimpy clothing! In accordance with local customs, please dress modestly and refrain from bringing any alcohol into the camp.
Guides: You will be provided a local TREC guide, who is from the area and has been trained as part of the community program to improve livelihoods. Specialist guides can be provided upon request.
Honest Pricing
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At River Junkie, we like to keep our pricing as fair, honest and transparent as possible. If you find the exact trip that we are offering for a lower price, we will either match it or beat it - this is our guarantee in providing you with honest pricing.
*Our price guarantee is for published rates only and not applicable to flash deals or last-minute promotions
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To bookEmail- [email protected]
Hotline- (+60) 01112658581 |
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