River Wonders: Kinabatangan River

Full of wildlife.

River Safari with tree planting. Cash only...bring some money for our nature conservation! 30 RN per cutting! I had enough with me to buy 33 cuttings at 1000 RN each. Booked at the Rainforest Resort in Sepilok! Two nights and three days gave me a lasting memory! The tree planting that our guide, Rodel, did with us will make me want to come back in the next seven years and help preserve our trees! The animals are lacking habitats...check the ingredients: palm oil is carcinogenic and continues to contribute to rainforest deforestation!!! Collect plastic waste...refill your single-use plastic water bottles at the hotel water dispenser! Nature will thank us and your children...I don't have any and I'm committed to helping animals!

Ecotourism in pristine tropical rainforests is highly recommended. A 3-day, 2-night itinerary is suitable for an ecotourism trip.

A truly incredible experience that I will never forget for the rest of my life! Watching wild animals in their natural habitat along the Kinabatangan River is something indescribable – seeing the “Big Five of Borneo” with my own eyes was awe-inspiring, I simply have no words. The boat ride itself is an experience in itself. ​A few practical tips for the trip: Be sure to pack a good quality insect repellent and sunscreen. And one super tip – bring sunglasses or clear glasses, because it is super windy on the boat and after a while your eyes suffer a lot. This is an absolute must for anyone visiting Borneo!

Sukau is a village on the banks of the Kinabatangan River in the state of Sabah, on the Malaysian side of Borneo. Houses stand on stilts, surrounded by water and dense greenery. There is almost no asphalt; movement happens along the river. The Kinabatangan is one of the longest rivers in Malaysia. Along its banks, floodplain forests have survived – areas that are regularly inundated during seasonal rises in water level. Because of this, the soil is rich in silt and moisture, and wildlife tends to concentrate along the river corridor. The river functions as a natural passageway. In the morning, proboscis monkeys can be seen along the banks; they sleep above the water to reduce the risk of predators. Wild orangutans, Bornean pygmy elephants, and Crocodylus porosus (known in Russian as the crested crocodile) are also found here. All of them share the same river system rather than separate protected enclosures. Transportation is by small boats. The pace is slow – otherwise you simply miss what is happening along the banks. Animals are neither baited nor fed; sightings depend on time of day, water level, and chance. By evening, the village grows dark quickly. Electricity is available, yet the sense of remoteness remains. The main reference points are the sound of water and insects. Sukau offers a direct view into how a river ecosystem in Borneo actually functions.