A Community Based Eco-Tourism Project | Experience Murut Hospitality With Orou Sapulot
In the interior division of Sabah, there is a small town called Sapulut. Within Sapulut, are several remote villages that are taking part in Orou Sapulot Eco-Tourism Project. ‘Orou’ means the sun in Murut language; this can be easily associated with the warm hospitality of the Murut community in Sapulut.
Orou Sapulot is founded by Richard Gunting, the leader of the longhouse in Romol Village. Through his leadership, and his vision to conserve the fading forest and the Murut culture, all the activities, facilities and services are developed on a communal approach. Local communities from different remote villages in Sapulut are involved in the project, such as the building of guesthouses, maintenance of facilities, and forest protection. Even the drivers of the van/boat/4WD, and the guides for the cave exploration and limestone climbing activities, are all from the villages around the area.
The strong Murut young man who spent so much energy to push the boat upstream against the shallow river and strong current.
“Eat, Eat, Eat”
One of my most enjoyable things in Orou Sapulot is the food! Each meal was diligently prepared by the Murut ladies with the best and freshest ingredients of the day. Every meal was so satisfying and you’ll be sure to end the meal with a full stomach.
Enjoy 5-star authentic meals in the heart of Borneo
“Low Impact Meaningful Adventure | Giving Back To The Community”
The fund goes back to the local communities, which supports them and creates improvements of the livelihoods in these rural and remote villages. According to the person in charge of Orou Sapulot, each village has an education fund. A part of the income goes into these education funds to support the children to receive proper education.
Orou Sapulot: The Perfect Nature And Cultural Experience For Everyone Of All Ages
Whether you are a thrill seeker looking for an adventure, or a laid-back city dweller who wants to experience nature and authentic culture without being too far out of your comfort zone, Orou Sapulot is the perfect place to go!
The activities and locations were well planned with balanced difficulty/comfort. It felt like I was gently pulled in and out of the comfort range, without being too far out on both ends. For examples: I was surprised with the nice facilities in the eco camp on the first day after a pleasant boat ride along the river. Then, we got into a cave full of creepy crawlies. On day two, climbing the nerve wracking limestone peak, and then relaxing by the waterfall.
It seemed like we had a full day of activities but nothing is done in a rushing manner. We were just relaxing and doing things naturally.
There was also a kid during my tour and he was doing really well. It is indeed a good experience for the younger generations to indulge in. So, are you ready to book your tour?
Where To Book For Orou Sapulot, Directly With Lower Fee
Orou Sapulot is created and licensed under Borneo Outback Tours Sdn Bhd (not to be confused with Outback Venture). While there are several travel agencies that offer Orou Sapulot tours, they all have to go through Borneo Outback Tours, which is the owner of the whole Orou Sapulot project. By booking directly with the company, the fee is lower as you do not have to pay for the extra service charge by the agencies. Simply go to their website for the package details and booking methods.
Another perk of booking directly with Borneo Outback Tours was they did not charge a single supplement for solo travelers. If you are going alone, however, it is recommended to check with them on the dates where there are also other people joining, as it would be awkward and inconvenient for the whole community to get involved with the preparations for just one person.
Orou Sapulot Tour & Activities
Quick Links
I went for Package A (4D3N), which includes all activities except for the rapid shooting. Here were the itinerary:
Day 1
Pick Up & Bus Ride to Keningau
Get picked up from your hotel in Kota Kinabalu to Padang Bus Terminal. The driver will then purchase the bus ticket for you. The journey will take around 2.5 hours.
Land & River Transfer to Orou Sapulot
Upon arrival at Keningau, you’ll get picked up by a private van to Sapulut.
After almost 3 hours, we switched to a motorized wooden boat for a ride downstream.
15 minutes later, we docked nearby our camp.
Pungiton Eco Camp
Our camp for the first day – simple yet deluxe. I love the stretcher bed, complete with mosquito net, pillow and blanket. At night, we had nature’s million-dollar soundtrack, the sound of forest, to fall asleep to.
Lunch time! Our first meal of the trip: Wild ferns, tilapia raised in the village, and venison (wild deer). We ended our meal with the very sweet pineapple from their farm.
Pungiton Caves Exploration
After having some rest and fried banana fritters for tea time, we took a short hike to the entrance of the multi-leveled Pungiton Caves.
We walked through the dark caves and were amazed by the cave formations, accompanied by various creepy crawlies and lots of bats!
After exploring the caves, we took shower (there are bathrooms and toilets at the camp area), before ending the day with dinner and hanging around with new friends.
Day 2
While leaving the camp to our boat after breakfast, our guide found a shedded snake skin near the river. Could be a cobra.
Boat Transfer to Batu Punggul
Checked out from Pungiton Eco Camp and took a boat ride towards Batu Punggul.
There were some tricky shallow spots, where the skillful boat driver and navigator had to really fight the strong river current to go upstream against the flow. Way to go buddies!
Looked like a water horse-dragon popping its head out of the water.
The river got calmer when we were near the base of Batu Punggul.
We get to briefly look at the mighty peak of Batu Punggul on the way there. It looked so intimidating!
Batu Punggul Climb
After docking the boat, we started hiking from the base of Batu Punggul.
20 minutes later, we arrived at the starting point of the real climb.
This optional climb is for the adventurous. We started by climbing around the side of the limestone.
Climbing this 300 meters limestone outcrop looks scary, especially if one is afraid of height. But in general, the steady wall of limestone had good grips and you’ll be fine climbing it one step at a time.
(Fact: Batu Punggul is considered sacred by the Murut and is viewed as an obstacle to overcome when significant life decisions have to be made. To get the approval of a decision, one must climb to the top of Batu Punggul and return without a scratch. The guide would give some examples there.)
Fret not! The guides are very helpful in guiding you step by step on where to hold and place your foot on. Also, climbing back down became much easier than it would be, as the guides would guide us and gently pull our legs to the correct spots where we cannot see to be stepped on.
Long way down
The magnificent panorama view above the jungle canopy.
A great spot for a nice shot.
Many thanks to the local guides who brought us up here!
A unique horned insect spotted on our way back to the river.
Delicious picnic lunch by the riverbank.
Our friend here decided to take a swim to cool down from the climbing activity. (There is no crocodile here due to the rocky-type river)
Hidden Waterfalls
After our lunch, the boat transferred us to a land where we were picked up by 4×4 vehicles (about 1.5 hours ride) to our next camp by the Vangkaakon waterfalls.
A short walk and a river crossing were involved to reach the camp.
We found some wild boar’s footprints along the trail.
Our camping site
Common & dining area
Bathroom and toilet available
The camp is just at the side of the river, close to the waterfall.
Tea time!
Slightly upstream is a mini waterfall with a pool. We took a swim before dinner.
Day 3
Vangkakon Waterfalls
We spent our morning chilling and exploring more of the waterfalls, with just a little climb up via the rocks.
There is also a trail up to view the upper most part of the waterfalls.
One level down, there is another mini waterfall with a nice pool to swim.
Another luxurious lunch before we head off to our next destination.
We left the camp and hopped back into the 4×4 to our final destination, we stopped by a long suspension bridge connecting the road to a village.
Romol Eco Village
WIthin one hour, we reached our last accommodation at Romol Village.
A nice lodge built for the guests.
Tea time!
Different cozy rooms in the guesthouse.
Farm Tour
In the evening, we had a tour around the farm.
I’ve never seen a papaya tree that huge and tall before!
Other than the typical tropical fruits and vegetables, the cacao (chocolate) trees thrive here.
The farm is surrounded by primary forests.
They also have various fish ponds.
The most luxurious dinner of the tour. Each family prepares a dish for us and the food is delicious!
Tradisional Murut sweet dessert made of banana and sago for a perfect end of the feast.
Cultural Performances at Murut Longhouse
After dinner, we were invited to the modern longhouse to be entertained with Murut’s traditional dances and music.
The performances would be incomplete without the iconic Magunatip (Bamboo Dance).
We were invited to join in their dances, including the fun rhythmic bamboo dance.
Traditional Rice Wine Tasting
Drink bottomless rice wine with a bamboo straw from the huge ceramic jar, accompanied by a side dish of meat. Notice a stick with notches? Those are the scoring lines for the competitive drinking game, party on!
Day 4
Departure
We packed up and got transferred back to Kota Kinabalu after breakfast. We got pretty close after doing the activities together for three days and I’ll miss everyone I met here. I am happy to get to meet new friends, including the guides and the family that joined the tour. Oh, and I’ll miss the meals too!
Epilogue
If you are looking for an authentic and epic adventure in the heart of Borneo, without having to push too far out of your comfort zone, Orou Sapulot is the perfect adventure for you! You get to indulge into the wild and pristine environment, yet feeling safe and comfortable like it is of your element. Throughout the days, the activities felt like a gentle pull, in and out of our comfort zone, yet without being too far out. I actually felt pampered because pretty much everything was well taken care of. Moreover, the feeling of warmth from the community was awesome. Orou Sapulot is a very valuable eco project that brings the local community together for a better, sustainable lifestyle.
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*Captain Planet passing by* Remember, please take care of our environment, and please don’t destroy the Nature. Leave no trash behind and take back only photos and memories (and also some trash if you can). BE ONE WITH NATURE *flies away*
