KINABATANGAN RIVER CRUISE IN SABAH BORNEO: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE!
WANDERING HOW TO PLAN A KINABATANGAN RIVER CRUISE WHEN VISITING SABAH BORNEO?
KINABATANGAN RIVER CRUISE: AN INTRODUCTION
Located north of Sabah, Borneo is the mighty Kinabatangan River, the second longest river in Malaysia. The enriched river banks and dense canopies are home to the highest concentration of wildlife in one place in Borneo!
The ability to take a cruise down the Kinabatangan River allows visitors to head deep into this epicentre of activity with ease to spot the very best of Borneo’s wildlife.
When we visited Borneo, the majority of wildlife we saw – including orangutans, pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, macaques, dozens of birdlife and saltwater crocodiles – was on a Kinabatangan River cruise!
When we say cruise, we’re not talking a big catamaran. A river cruise on Kinabatangan River is always in a small motor boat, with usually no more than 6 to 8 guests plus guides.
From our own personal experience, we compiled all of the information below to help you easily plan your own epic experience on the Kinabatangan River.
PLANNING A KINABATANGAN RIVER CRUISE
Before we headed to Borneo, there was very little information about how to plan a Kinabatangan River cruise. We were under the assumption that you had to be part of an organised, all-inclusive tour to be enrolled on a cruise.
So when we arrived, it surprised us to find out that in fact most accommodation dotted along the Kinabatangan River (from the luxury Sukau Rainforest Lodge to the budget lodges) offer their own in-house cruise experiences on the Kinabatangan River.
There really is an option to suit everyones travel preferences and budget. We explain the two options in more depth below:
OPTION 1: ALL-INCLUSIVE HOTEL & CRUISES
The first option is to book your stay at Kinabatangan on an all inclusive basis, which includes all transfers from the airport and onward travel, all food and drinks throughout your stay and – most importantly – all river cruises already reserved and booked.
Many visitors may prefer this for peace of mind that everything is already sorted before you arrive, all you have to do is turn up!
If you do decide this option, we highly recommend using local tour agency Sticky Rice Travel. We personally used them to organise our trip to Kinabatangan and they provided a great, reliable service. Check out all of their Kinabatangan River all-inclusive tour options here.
While this option may be the most expensive, Sticky Rice Travel do give 3 accommodation options to choose from to help cater to different budgets, ranging from ultimate luxury at Sukau Rainforest Lodge (where we stayed) or mid-range premium at Borneo Nature Lodge or Borneo Eco Camp.
OPTION 2: BOOK CRUISES INDEPENDENTLY AT CHOSEN ACCOMMODATION
The second option is perfect for those who don’t mind not going all-inclusive and looking for a more budgeted, independent travel experience.
You can easily find some great budget Kinabatangan River lodges (we recommend Kinabatangan Wildlife Lodge), which you can easily reserve the best deal yourself on Booking.com.
You can contact them directly before you even arrive to confirm they do provide Kinabatangan River cruises, and even pre-pay / pre-book river cruise time slots for the duration of your stay for added peace of mind.
In 2023, a cruise per person at Kinabatangan Wildlife Lodge is 80 MYR (Approx. £13 GBP / $17 USD).
If you aren’t too fussed about pre-booking, you can always book your cruises when you arrive (though we recommend to pre-book during Borneo’s busier period between May to September).
GETTING TO KINABATANGAN RIVER
As the Kinabatangan River is in a protected and relatively remote location, it’s super handy to know all viable options on how to get there easily. We lay out all of the best options to consider below. You will notice we have broken this down into two simple steps:
- Arrive into Sandakan Airport (SDK)
- Land transfer to Kinabatangan River
ARRIVE INTO SANDAKAN AIRPORT (SDK)
The closest airport to the Kinabatangan River is Sandakan (SDK), a very small local airport on the North coast of Sabah. You can fly into Sandakan from multiple nearby airports:
INTERNALLY FROM BORNEO:
✈️ You can fly direct from Kota Kinabalu (BKI) to Sandakan Airport (SDK). Kota Kinabalu is Borneo’s main International airport, located on the left-hand side of Borneo. From Kota Kinabalu, there are multiple internal flights to Sandakan every day. The flight duration is 50 minutes.
✈️ You can fly direct from Lahad Datu (LDU) to Sandakan Airport (SDK). Lahad Datu is a tiny airport located on the right-hand side of Borneo. There is 1 direct internal 35 minute flight available every day. As a side note, Lahad Datu is the closest airport to Borneo Rainforest Lodge in the Danum Valley.
FROM MALAYSIA:
✈️ You can also fly directly from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Sandakan (SDK) airport. There are multiple direct 2 hour 50 minute flights available every day. We personally did this option, and flew with AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur straight to Sandakan.
LAND TRANSFERS FROM SANDAKAN AIRPORT TO KINABATANGAN
From Sandakan airport, it is roughly a 2 hour drive to Kinabatangan River. On reaching the river, some Kinabatangan lodges require an additional 5 minute boat ride to get to their river bank location if they are not accessible by road. An example of this is Sukau Rainforest Lodge.
There are multiple ways you can arrange a land transfer from Sandakan airport to your Kinabatangan River accommodation:
PRIVATE TRANSFER (PRE-ARRANGED TOUR)
If you want zero hassle and all transfers booked before you arrive in Borneo, booking a pre-arranged tour is the best option for you.
From our personal experience, we recommend local tour agency Sticky Rice Travel. Check out their Kinabatangan River all-inclusive tour options here, which include all land transfers, accommodation and food.
This can also be arranged as part of a longer bespoke itinerary throughout Borneo, not just specifically for Kinabatangan. If this is of interest, contact them directly for more information.
PRIVATE TRANSFER (HOTEL PICK-UP)
If you haven’t got a fully pre-arranged tour but you have reserved Kinabatangan accommodation yourself (i.e. on Booking.com), it is very common practise to pre-arrange a transfer from Sandakan airport directly through your accommodation before you arrive.
This will be an additional cost you will settle directly with your accommodation. The average price for a private vehicle charter from Sandakan airport is around RM300 per way (approx. £56). This is a convenient option as it will ensure you are taken directly to your accommodation, including the boat ride (if required).
USE GRAB (MALAYSIA’S VERSION OF UBER)
Another option is to book a taxi ride using GRAB, Malaysia’s version of Uber which is widely used throughout Borneo. We recommend downloading the app and setting up your account before you arrive for a seamless process.
You can check approximate fares to any destination using their Fare Check service beforehand to see which is the most cost effective option.
This option however only covers the land transfer up to the river. Check with your accommodation whether it requires an additional boat ride from the river. If so, arrange a pick-up point and approximate ETA for them to then collect you.
HIRE A CAR AND SELF-DRIVE
For those wanting full control of their itinerary, another option is to hire a rental car and drive from Sandakan airport to your Kinabatangan River accommodation. For this option, first check that your accommodation is road accessible, and your lodge caters for parking).
It’s worth noting the road leading up to Kinabatangan for the last hour or so is pretty bumpy, so we would only recommend this option to confident drivers.
ACCOMMODATION AT KINABATANGAN RIVER
Dotted along the Kinabatangan River, there are approximately 15 different accommodation options to choose from, with lodges ranging from budget-friendly options to the pricier luxury lodges.
All accommodation along the Kinabatangan River will offer Kinabatangan River cruise options, either included as part of the stay or at an additional cost, which you can easily pre-book with them beforehand or just arrange once you arrive.
We have listed a few popular options to suit different budgets:
LUXURY OPTION:
SUKAU RAINFOREST LODGE 💰💰💰
MID RANGE OPTION:
BORNEO NATURAL SUKAU BILIT RESORT 💰💰
BUDGET OPTION:
KINABATANGAN WILDLIFE LODGE 💰
LUXURY OPTION:
SUKAU RAINFOREST LODGE
Sukau Rainforest Lodge is unquestionably the most popular (and most expensive) Kinabatangan River accommodation – and for good reason!
Beautifully integrated into the surrounding landscape, this eco-friendly lodge provides a sense of luxury, the perfect choice for honeymooners in Borneo!
With 40 rooms available ranging from Superior Rooms to Villas, this lodge also provides morning, afternoon and evening river cruises with incredible tour guides, has a riverside restaurant and bar, 2 dip pools with sun loungers and a nature boardwalk.
If you want to be ultra Deluxe and your budget allows, we would recommend staying in a Villa at Sukau Rainforest Lodge! While the Superior Rooms we stayed in were nice, they were smaller than expected and the Villas (from the outside) looked amazing and very big!
We personally recommend this accommodation after our stay here. You can contact them directly via their official website or alternatively, book a stay with them through our recommend local tour company, Sticky Rice Travel.
MID-RANGE OPTION:
BORNEO NATURAL SUKAU BILIT RESORT
The Borneo Natural Sukau Bilit Resort is a mid-range Kinabatangan River accommodation with an added sense of grandeur.
All room options are all-inclusive of food, drink and tours – with prices ranging from £75 per night (single dorm) to £227 a night (deluxe room, 2 day 1 night package).
The tours included during your stay here are morning and afternoon river cruises, plus guided walks to point out smaller creatures and fauna around the resort.
Nestled directly on the Kinabatangan River bank, this idyllic location does however mean there is no option to park a hire car, however the resort does offer private airport pick-up from Sandakan. Contact them to arrange in advance.
BUDGET OPTION:
KINABATANGAN WILDLIFE LODGE
The Kinabatangan Wildlife Lodge is a very budget-friendly Kinabatangan River accommodation, at approximately £60 per night for a private double room (including breakfast).
Situated just a 5 minute walk away from the Kinabatangan River, the lodge offers two cruise time slot options: Early morning (6am) and afternoon (4pm). You can book these during your stay.
To top it off, Kinabatangan Wildlife Lodge offers private vehicle transfers from Sandakan airport at 300 MYR per way (approximately £50 GBP / $64 USD). This lodge is accessible by road, so an additional boat ride is not required to get to the lodge.
Free private parking is also available on-site, perfect for those arriving by rental car.
KINABATANGAN RIVER WILDLIFE
Of course, it is down to luck and circumstance to what wildlife you will see during your visit to the Kinabatangan River.
Nonetheless, it is worth noting that best times to visit to see wildlife on the Kinabatangan River in Borneo is between May to October. This is when Borneo is at its driest and the trees begin to fruit.
This tempts all manner of creatures, especially Orangutans, down to the lower parts of the tree canopies and increasing your chances of spotting them!
To give a rough idea of what you might be able to expect, the wildlife we saw during our Kinabatangan River cruises in the month of September are:
- Orangutans
- Pygmy Elephants
- Estuarine Crocodiles
- Red Leaf Monkeys
- Proboscis Monkey
- Long-Tailed Macaques
- Pig-Tailed Macaques
- Hornbills (Pied / Oriental)
- Storks and countless small, colourful birds.
KINABATANGAN RIVER CRUISE:
“KNOW BEFORE YOU GO” FAQ’S
WHERE IS THE KINABATANGAN RIVER?
The Kinabatangan River is located on the North East of Borneo island, specifically in the state of Sabah. It is the second longest river in Malaysia, and is well known for being one the best places to see wild Orangutans in Borneo!
IS KINABATANGAN RIVER WORTH VISITING?
Yes! The Kinabatangan River is absolutely worth visiting for anyone visiting the Sabah region of Borneo. Kinabatangan River cruises allow for the best chance to see some of Borneo’s most amazing wildlife in the wild, including wild Orangutans, Pygmy elephants, Proboscis monkeys, Saltwater crocodiles and more!
HOW TO VISIT KINABATANGAN RIVER?
To visit to Kinabatangan River, you can either pre-arrange an all-inclusive tour with a local tour agency (we recommend Sticky Rice Travel). Alternatively, you can book your accommodation and cruises independently. Click here to see descriptions of both options in-depth.
HOW TO GET TO KINABATANGAN RIVER FROM SANDAKAN?
To get to Kinabatangan River from Sandakan, there are multiple land transfer options you can choose from that best suits your travel preferences or budget. Click here to see all of the best options available.
HOW LONG SHOULD I STAY AT KINABATANGAN RIVER?
From our own experience, we would suggest 3 days and 2 nights is the perfect amount of time to stay at the Kinabatangan River.
With a Kinabatangan River cruise basically being the main thing to do here, 3 days worth of cruises in the morning, afternoon and potentially at even night will give you plenty of opportunities to spot as much wildlife as possible!
WHAT TIME IS A KINABATANGAN RIVER CRUISE?
It is worth noting most Kinabatangan accommodation will offer 2 daily cruise slots, typically early morning (6am) and late afternoon into sunset (4pm).
However, some will also offer an additional night-time Kinabatangan river cruise to spot nocturnal animals. If this is something that interests you, be sure to book an accommodation which offers this service.
One such accommodation that does offer night time cruises daily is Sukau Rainforest Lodge, where we stayed. It was possible to book the night cruises last minute on the day.
CONCLUSION: KINABATANGAN RIVER CRUISE
In conclusion, from our own personal experience we would recommend a Kinabatangan River cruise to anyone visiting the Sabah region of Borneo.
The Kinabatangan River is one of the core protected areas and wild animal sanctuaries left in Borneo, meaning it is one of the best places to see a colossal amount of wildlife.
As mentioned previously, we strongly advise to visit between May to October. This is the best time to visit Kinabatangan and see Borneo wildlife, being the driest season with plenty of fruiting trees that coax Borneos wonderful creatures – especially wild Orangutans – for you to see!
With regard to accommodation, there are plenty of options dotted along the Kinabatangan River to suit all travel preferences and budgets. Likewise, there are multiple easy private transfer options to choose from to get to Kinabatangan River.
We hope you have the most incredible time, and truly wish you the best of luck seeing the ‘Borneo Big 5’ wildlife check list on your river cruises!
This blog post was written by Jordie Flain!
Founder of TheFlainsTravel.com
A travel-obsessed Sagittarius creating honest, easy-to-follow guides. Powered by tea, chocolate and a slightly concerning amount of tomato ketchup.
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