How to get there
Since the river is quite far east of Sabah, it does take some time to get there. From Kota Kinabalu, the capital city of Sabah, there are several transport options to the Kinabatangan river. For all of these, the first step will be to go to either Sepilok or Sandakan, two cities up north from the river.
We stayed in Sepilok as we were coming from Kota Kinabalu, and it would cut 30 minutes from the already 7 hour long bus drive.
From there you will need to get to either Sukau or Bilit. These are the two main villages along the river which have accommodation, and it’s where the tours start from.
To Sandakan or Sepilok
- By bus: you can take a local bus from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan (which also stops in Sepilok). Busses from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan leave 4 times a day from Terminal Inanam in KK (8AM – 10AM – 2PM – 8PM) and cost 43 MYR one-way. The drive takes about 7.5 hours, so make sure your phone is charged and bring enough snacks and water! Bus tickets can be booked on “easybook”.
- By car: you can also hire a private driver. This is the most expensive option.
- By plane: There is a domestic airport in Sandakan, so this would be the quickest way.
Note: The roads are very rough along the way so we’d highly recommend not hiring your own car/scooter
To Sukau or Bilit
Some accommodation in Sukau and Bilit include pickup services from either Sepilok or Sandakan. But in case this is not offered, you can get to the river by car through:
- Mr Choy: this is a local driver that arranges shared transport from Sepilok/Sandakan and back. You can simply text him (number: +60 19-536 1889) to schedule a date and pick up time. Expect to pay 60-70 MYR per person.
- Taxi (grab): can be booked by the grab app, but this is by far the most expensive option because grab drivers would bring you all the way to the river without taking anyone back.
- Mr Jo: this is also a local driver that arranges transport. Just like Mr Choy, text him (number: +60 19-679 7192) to schedule a date and time. Expect to pay 60-70 MYR per person.
Where to stay on the river?
As we said, the two main villages to stay in near the river are Sukau and Bilit. We stayed in Sukau, but the villages are close to each other and both offer a similar range of river tours. Both villages have both budget friendly and more luxurious options.
We stayed at Osman’s homestay, which is run by a husband and wife. They don’t have a website for booking, but after reading good reviews on Google we just texted Osman’s wife on WhatsApp (+60 19-841 5259) to ask for availability.
The rooms are basic but had all that we needed and the food prepared by Osman’s wife was delicious. By going to Osman’s homestay you’ll have a more personal and connected stay. We met two other couples and had communal meals, which we enjoyed.
Wanting to book?
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Cruises on offer
The river cruises are all run through accommodations along the Kinabantagan river. Most are similar, offering 2D1N or 3D2N packages for sunrise, lunch and afternoon cruises with night jungle walks possible as well.
But Osman’s appealed to us as it wasn’t a fixed itinerary, rather we were able to choose when we wanted to go. We really liked this aspect, as we could go when the weather was good or when there was a recent sighting of either elephants or orangutans.
We ended up doing 4 cruises. 2 afternoon, 1 noon, and 1 morning cruise. All were great, here is a summary:
Morning cruise
We had to wake up early, as the boat would leave at 6AM. It was a bit cooler as the sun was still rising. We saw a lot of different monkeys during these early hours and the views of the river and the jungle were beautiful, definitely worth waking up early for!
Noon cruise
Even though our noon cruise was still great, it was our least favourite. The weather in the middle of the day was extremely hot. Many animals also seek shelter during this time, so makes it harder to spot them. You’ll see more birds during this time.
Afternoon cruise
On our first afternoon tour, we stayed on the boat for sunset and drove back in the dark. We do recommend this cruise as it is a really nice experience to see animals migrate to the river before the sun sets. A night cruise is very good too. The river and the jungle turn to pitch black and a sky full of stars appears.
You’ll also be able to search for nocturnal animals. We saw the reflections in the eyes of hundreds of crocodiles, which was quite scary.
Wildlife
The jungle alongside the Kinabatangan river is home to many animals, some more common than others. Many people hope to spot the Borneo big five, which are: the pygmy elephant, proboscis monkey, orangutan, hornbill, and salt water crocodile.
Of these, you will very likely see proboscis monkeys, crocodiles and many hornbills. To spot the elephant and orangutan you have to get lucky. But besides these big five there are many more animals to spot.
We came to the Kinabatangan river hoping to spot orangutans but sadly didn’t spot them. You shouldn’t forget that this is wildlife, you cannot predict where they’ll be.
But the experience itself and the many other animals you’ll see is definitely worth going! We got lucky and saw a group of pygmy elephants as they came to the river for a drink and bath.
What to bring
- Cash – bring enough as there are no ATMs anywhere nearby Sukau or Bilit
- Sunscreen – it can get very sunny during noon boat tours, so protect your skin
- Hat and/or sunnies – as the sun can be extremely bright, bring something to cover your eyes so you can spot the wildlife better
- Binoculars – we did not have these, but borrowed Osman’s every now and then. If you have them at home, do take them. The forest is very dense and you’ll only see wildlife from far away or high up in trees, so binoculars are a great item to have
- Mozzie spray – jungle plus river means paradise for mosquitos
- Clothing layers – while boat tours can get very hot during the day, the early morning and evenings can get quite chilly. Therefore, bring a jacket or jumper.
Our itinerary
Day 1
10:30 AM pick up from accommodation in Sepilok by Mr. Choy
1:00 PM arrive at Osman’s Homestay
1:30 PM lunch prepared by Osman’s wife
3:30 PM leave on afternoon cruise
7:00 PM return from afternoon cruise
8:00 PM dinner
Day 2
6:00 AM start of morning cruise
8:30 AM return from morning cruise
9:00 AM breakfast
11:30 PM noon cruise
1:00 PM lunch
3:30 PM afternoon cruise
7:00 PM return from afternoon cruise
8:00 PM dinner
Day 3
7:30 AM breakfast
9:00 AM leave Kinabatangan River
Where to stay in Sepilok
In Sepilok, we stayed in the Paganakan Dii Tropical Retreat that we found on Booking.com. We paid about 70 MYR per person for a night with breakfast included. We stayed in a sort of rustic tree house which was very nice.
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