The Kinabatangan River cruise in Sabah was the highlight of our two-month stint in Borneo. We saw the Big 5: orangutans, proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, hornbills, and crocodiles, plus some other weird and wonderful wildlife. It’s an activity worth flying across the world for and surprisingly easy and affordable, all things considered.
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Is the Kinabatangan River cruise worth it?
Omg so worth it. Even if you’re not usually a tour person, this Kinabatangan River tour will have to be an exception. Nearly everyone (myself included) books a package that bundles in the transfer to the lodge from either Sepilok or Sandakan, which makes the logistics a breeze.
While the package tours might feel a bit expensive if you’re a budget traveller, I promise this is worth the splurge. The value for money and unique experience make it totally worthwhile. Money is for spending on cool stuff!
It cost us 1,720 MYR as a couple for 3 days and 2 nights in a private bungalow. This included transport to/from the lodge, all meals during our stay, and 2 river cruises per day. If you’re travelling alone, you can do a dorm for 655 MYR.
How to get to the Kinabatangan River
The Kinabatangan River is in eastern Sabah, on the Malaysian side of Borneo. Sandakan is the nearest city. How far is the Kinabatangan River from Sandakan? About a 2-hour drive away.
While you can take a bus from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan, I really don’t recommend it. (We did it!) It’s not the worst idea. Like, if you’ve already booked it, don’t panic. But it’s a long haul and actually more expensive — and more uncomfortable — than flying.
Just fly in and out of Sandakan for your Kinabatangan River cruise adventure.
Flights from KK to Sandakan usually run about 140 MYR one-way, per person with Air Asia. It’s a consistent price and there isn’t much fluctuation. By comparison, the 12-hour one-way bus cost us 280 MYR each!
From Sandakan, it’s about a 2-hour drive and transport is included with your Kinabatangan River tour package. They can also pick you up from Sepilok, which is about 30 minutes from Sandakan on the way to the Kinabatangan River.
The benefit to Sepilok is that you can visit the orangutan and sun bear rehabilitation centres in the morning before you join the tour. That’s what we did, and it was really nice — you’re not guaranteed to see orangutans when you’re out on the river and it’s highly unlikely that you’ll spot a wild sun bear. So seeing them in these genuine, ethical rehabilitation centres is the next best thing.
With respect, there is really nothing to see in Sandakan. So you might as well stay in Sepilok and cut down some of the drive.
How long to stay on the Kinabatangan River
You need to stay at least 1 night for the best experience. But I seriously suggest you do 2 nights (like we did).
A couple came along on our bus from Sandakan for a “day trip” but that meant they arrived at 4 PM for one river cruise and left at 7:30 PM. That’s like four hours in a bumpy van for two hours on a boat. They were lucky and saw a ton of wildlife, but I dunno man. Doesn’t seem worth it.
Imagine the weather is bad or you don’t see any animals on the one boat excursion, then have to get back in the van. Nightmare.
Treat yourself to a night or two at the lodge. The dorms also make it a reasonably affordable option if you’re on a tight budget. We chatted to some people in the dorms and they said it was very comfortable!
What to expect at the lodge
We absolutely loved the lodge. Our little bungalow sat on stilts overlooking a pond, and we could watch the macaques playing in the trees around sunset. It had a private bathroom and a big comfy bed with a bug net — but for a jungle lodge, we were surprised that there were no bugs inside. Maybe the odd mosquito, but everything felt super clean and cozy.
All meals are all included and served buffet style. They even do a little afternoon tea with cakes at 3:30 PM. The kitchen will accommodate dietary preference and allergies if you give them advance notice.
You can pay for wifi at the lodge, but my eSIM worked fine — even out on the river! I needed internet to upload orangutan pics immediately. I’ve been using Holafly for about a year now and it’s the best.
The lodge crew makes everything really easy. They tell you where to go and when, guides know everything and work really hard to make sure you have the best chance to see everything. And there’s a good amount of down time between activities so you’re not bored, but can also chill overlooking the Kinabatangan River, read a book, or have a nap. The rooms are too nice not to spend time in!
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Activities included in your stay
Here are some activities included or available during your stay at the Borneo Natural Sukau Bilit Resort on the Kinabatangan River:
- Day 1: Afternoon cruise 4 PM (2 hrs)
- Day 1: Optional night walk or cruise 8 PM (1 hour)
- Day 2: Morning cruise 6 AM (1 hour)
- Day 2: Morning walk 9 AM (1 hour)
- Day 2: Afternoon cruise 4 PM (2 hrs)
- Day 2: Optional night walk or cruise 8 PM (1 hour)
- Day 3: Morning cruise 6 AM (1 hour)
The option night walk cost 30 MYR while the optional night cruise is 90 MYR per person. They both start at the same time, so you can’t do both on the same night. We did one night walk and one night cruise — best of both worlds!
The morning walk is free, and it’s still totally worth doing, but we didn’t really see anything. It’s a nice walk through the jungle, though.
Kinabantangan River day cruises
The team takes you to different parts of the river looking for specific animals. They know where different species usually hang out and they’re experts at finding monkeys and small birds hidden among the tree branches. But you’ll get pretty good at spotting all the unique Borneo wildlife on the Kinabatangan River on your own by the end of it.
And the team is really organized and quietly keep track of who has seen what to give you the best chance of catching the Big 5. We saw the whole gang — orangutans, proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, hornbills, crocodiles — and more.
I love silver leaf monkeys, and if you’re lucky you’ll see one carrying around its little orange baby. For some reason they start out orange and slowly turn grey as they become adults. We also saw a serpent eagle, different types of hornbills (always in pairs — they literally end things if their partner dies), and big lizards. The hornbill thing was so cool because we’d been told we were unlikely to ever see one, but then we saw tons!
My orangutan pics are brutal, so here are some other cool little guys.
Night cruises
On the night cruise, we saw sleeping birds (mostly different types of kingfishers), civats, and crocodiles. Lots of crocodiles. It’s actually spooky how many pairs of little eyes you’ll see poking out of the water’s surface in the dark. The Kinabatangan is not a destination for swimming.
Night walks
We primarily saw some weird bugs on the night walk. There isn’t much hanging out around the lodge, and the night walk effectively just explores the backyard. But it’s still worth the 30 ringgit.
Cloud leopards live in the jungle and are incredibly rare to see, but you only really stand a chance of spotting them at night. Our guide said he hadn’t seen one in months, but it wasn’t unheard of. Slow loris are also pretty rare, but keep those eyes peeled just in case!
My favourite was the weird white cotton bugs. I thought it was just a caterpillar at first, but then they started moving and my mind was blown.
Tips for visiting the Kinabatangan River in Borneo
Here are some quick tips to help you prep for your cruise excursion along the Kinabatangan River in Borneo:
- Bring your passport. We needed this for our hotel in Sandakan, the lodge, and our flight back. I think because it’s just a domestic flight I didn’t reallly think I’d need it but I was so happy I brought it lol.
- Bring your own binoculars. Rentals are available but not guaranteed, so be proactive about asking because they’re limited. We paid 50 MYR to use them for all three days — otherwise you can pay 20 MYR per trip. The binoculars were good quality, but we really wish we just had our own. So if you’ve got ’em, bring ’em.
- Get an eSIM. There’s paid wifi at the lodge that only works in the lobby. And while you don’t really “need” it, it’s nice to stay connected.
- They provide boots, but bring socks. You don’t need to worry about packing sturdy hiking shoes or getting your own stuff muddy. But you do want thick/high socks so you’re comfortable in the boots.
- Bring bug spray and sunscreen. These feel obvious, but the bug spray is particularly important. Especially if you plan to do any of the walks — we didn’t need it so much on the boat. The boats aren’t shaded at all, so sunscreen and a hat are going to be lifesavers if the sun is out in full force.
What to wear on a Kinabatangan River cruise: Bring light-weight long pants and long sleeves in case the bugs are bad. You can wear flip-flops around the lodge, and you’ll want comfy clothes for sleeping in. We also brought rain jackets, just in case. The cruises will still go ahead in the rain as long as the conditions aren’t dangerous.
Naomi Lai
Naomi is a Canadian travel editor and writer with 13 years of international travel across Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, New Zealand, and beyond. She covers everything from budget backpacking to luxury travel — always from personal experience.
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