Kinabatangan River & Danum Valley | 5 Day | Sabah, Borneo

Kinabatangan River Cruise & Danum Valley – The Best Wildlife and Rainforest Adventure in Sabah, Malaysia

This tour takes you to two of the most famous locations in Sabah, Borneo, for wildlife sightings – the Kinabatangan River and the Danum Valley Conservation Area. The Kinabatangan River is renowned for the diversity of wildlife found in the lower reaches of the River and is home to endangered species such as the Orangutan and Bornean Pygmy Elephant. The Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary is home to 200 species of birds, including hornbills, stork-billed kingfishers and oriental darters. The Kinabatangan River is one of only two areas in the world inhabited by ten species of primate, four of which are endemic to Borneo, including the famous proboscis monkey. The Kinabatangan River truly is a special place for a wildlife adventure in Sabah.

You will spend two nights in a Lodge located on the banks of the Kinabatangan River in the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (Kinabatangan Nature Lodge located near Kampung Bilit). The Lodge offers comfortable, clean accommodation where you will stay in an Agamid Chalet.

Search for wildlife in the most famous wildlife spotting locations in Sabah – Kinabatangan River and Danum Valley

Following your visit to the Kinabatangan River, you will stay two nights at the stunning Borneo Rainforest Lodge located alongside the Danum River flowing through Sabah’s largest area of protected Lowland Rainforest – Danum Valley Conservation Area. Danum Valley’s sheer beauty and rugged nature will blow you away with its charm, character and teeming wildlife. This pristine rainforest is home to more than 340 species of birds, 124 species of mammals, 72 species of reptiles and 56 species of Amphibians – amazing! With the incredible Kinabatangan River, Danum Valley is where you are more likely than ever to experience the true beauty of our country in the wild.

Borneo Rainforest Lodge offers high-quality accommodation. The Lodge has 30 individual chalets with en-suite bathrooms, accommodating up to only 60 guests on any one day and on a full-board basis. Choose from a range of Chalet types that offer a very comfortable stay in this remote rainforest.

This 5-day Kinabatangan River and Danum Valley Tour really packs a punch and includes many activities to maximise your wildlife encounters, including 4 x river cruises, night treks, trekking in Danum Valley Conservation Area, a visit to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Sun Bear Conservation Centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre.

If you have more days available, why not visit Turtle Island at the start of this tour, or extend your stay at Danum Valley? We can help you make the most of your holiday in Borneo.

Trip Itinerary – 5-day Kinabatangan River & Danum Valley Tour

Day 1 (Meals: L, D)

~08:00 – Pick up from a hotel in Sandakan or Sandakan Airport (your flight must arrive at SDK by 8 am at the latest). You’ll then be transferred to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
~09:00 – Arrive at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. You’ll be here for ~ 1.5 hours and have a chance to view the outdoor nursery before watching the morning feeding session, which starts at 10:00 am. Sepilok is situated in a protected virgin lowland equatorial rainforest reserve. Around 60 to 80 orangutans live independently in the reserve, and approximately 25 orphaned orangutans are housed in the nurseries.
10:30 – Visit the Sun Bear Conservation Centre. You’ll be able to watch the rescued sun bears in the forest enclosures from a raised platform.
11:00 – Transferred to the nearby Rainforest Discovery Centre and visit the Rainforest Skywalk, Sabah’s longest canopy walkway. The Rainforest Discovery Centre is an educational and conservation facility located in the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve. The centre offers visitors an opportunity to explore Sabah’s diverse flora and fauna. Often, Orangutans from Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre can be seen in the rainforest canopy here – cool!
13:00 – Go for lunch at a cafe near Sepilok. After lunch, you will start your transfer to the Kinabatangan Lodge (a ~ 2-hour transfer by road).
15:30 – Arrive at the Kinabatangan Nature Lodge, located on the banks of the Kinabatangan River.
16:00 – Join a late afternoon river cruise (~ 2 hours) in search of wildlife along the riverbanks of the Kinabatangan River.
18:00 – Arrive back at the lodge after your river cruise and check in to your Agamid chalet. You’ll have time to freshen up before dinner.
~20:00hrs – After dinner, join a guided night walk behind the Kinabatangan Lodge in search of nocturnal life.
Overnight at the Kinabatangan Nature Lodge in an Agamid Chalet (with twin/triple/double bed, aircon and ensuite Shower Room). Click here to see photos of the accommodation at the Kinabatangan Nature Lodge located in the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.

Day 2 (Meals: B, L, D)
06:00 – Join an early morning river cruise (~1.5 hours). Various species of wildlife and birdlife may be seen during your river cruise along the Kinabatangan River, such as Proboscis Monkeys, Macaques, Hornbills, Kingfishers and even Orangutans.
07:30 – Return back to the Lodge for breakfast at 0800 hrs.
09:00 – After breakfast, you will start your trek through the secondary lowland rainforest to Bilit Ox-Bow Lake. During the trek, you will learn more about the plant life and insect life found in the rainforest in the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.
11:30 – Return to the Lodge for lunch at 1200 hrs.
13:00 – You can rest and chill out at the Lodge before your late afternoon river cruise.
16:00 – Join another late afternoon river cruise along the Kinabatangan River for more wildlife sightseeing.
18:00 – Return to the Lodge. You can join a local dance session after dinner as an optional extra at the Kinabatangan River. The Lodge team will teach a traditional dance from one of the tribes found in Sabah.
~20:00 – Join another guided night trek following a different trekking route behind the Lodge.

Day 3 (Meals: packed B, L, D)
06:00 – Join an early morning river cruise (~ 1 hour) – your last chance to see more birds and wildlife along the Kinabatangan River.
07:30 – Check out of the Lodge and collect your packed breakfast. Join a private minibus transfer to the Borneo Rainforest Lodge office in Lahad Datu, a ~ 2.5-hour transfer.
10:00 – Arrive at Borneo Rainforest’s Lodge’s office in Lahad Datu. After registration, depart on an unscheduled transfer for your two and a half hours overland journey on a gravel road to Danum Valley Borneo Rainforest Lodge. Danum Valley has located 80km from Lahad Datu. The journey starts with the first 15km of the main Lahad Datu-Tawau road. The rest of the ride is on an unsealed private logging road.
~12:30 – Arrive at Borneo Rainforest Lodge. Check-in & have lunch.
14:30 – Slide presentation in the Conference Room.
15:00 – Afternoon Trek: Introduction to the forest through “Nature Trails” and the treetop “Canopy Walkway”. The Canopy Walkway is 300m long and 26m at the highest point for a close-up rainforest observation.
19:00 – Dinner at the Lodge.
20:30 – Night Drive in an open-top vehicle searching for a nocturnal animal.
Overnight at Borneo Rainforest Lodge in a standard chalet.

Day 4 (Meals: B, L, D)
07:00 – Breakfast at the Lodge.
09:00 – Morning Jungle Trek: Trek to the Kadazandusun burial site – “Coffin Cliff” – before proceeding to “View Point” for a bird’s eye view of the area. Descend to the “Jacuzzi Pool” for a refreshing dip.
12:30 – Lunch at the Lodge.
15:00 – Afternoon Jungle Trek or go for a relaxing session of ‘tubing’ down the Danum River.
19:00 – Dinner at the Lodge.
20:30 – Night Walk in search of nocturnal animals.
Overnight at Borneo Rainforest Lodge in a standard chalet.

Day 5 (Meals: B, L)

07:00 – Breakfast at the Lodge.
Guests at their own leisure – free and easy to relax at the Lodge.
12:00 – Lunch at the Lodge.
12:30 or 13:30 – Check out from the lodge and depart on the scheduled transfer to Lahad Datu, a 2-and-a-half-hour drive. The scheduled transfers depart from Borneo Rainforest Lodge, Danum Valley, at the following times depending upon your drop-off location: –
At 1230hrs, depart the lodge for Lahad Datu Airport for MH3019 (16:30 flight departure).
At 1330hrs, depart the lodge for Lahad Datu Town.

Trip Pre-requisites – Kinabatangan River & Danum Valley
There are no specific prerequisites for joining this trip. However, for the trekking at Danum Valley, we recommend you are average fitness or above and comfortable trekking for a couple of hours in tropical conditions. Minimum two persons per booking.

Trip Inclusions – 5-Day Kinabatangan River & Danum Valley Tour

• Road transfers during the trip as shown in the itinerary.
• English-speaking qualified Nature Guide is looking after you during your trip (joining shared activities).
• Visits to (and entrance fees) – Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Sun Bear Conservation Centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre.
• At the Kinabatangan River, you will join 2 x afternoon river cruises, 2 x morning river cruises, 2 x night walks and 1 x Oxbow Lake trek. The Kinabatangan River cruises included with this trip will travel as far upstream as ~7km to Pontian Point and downstream a maximum of ~ 10 km to Tenegang Besar Point.
• At Borneo Rainforest Lodge, you will join 1 x morning jungle trek, 2 x afternoon jungle trek (one can be swapped for a tubing activity along the Danum River), 1 x night drive, and 1 x night walk.
• Two nights at Nature Lodge Kinabatangan in an Agamid Chalet (twin/double/triple beds, aircon, ensuite shower room).
• Two nights at Borneo Rainforest Lodge (Chalet types include Standard, Deluxe, Premium Deluxe and Premium Villa – chalet type based on availability and price varies by chalet type).
• Meals as stated in the outline itinerary above.
• 0% Sales & Service Tax on the tour price as applicable from 6th May 2019.

Trip Exclusions – 5-Day Kinabatangan River & Danum Valley Tour

• Camera/video camera fees at the Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Sun Bear Centre.
• Meals not mentioned.
• Soft drinks or alcoholic drinks during meals, or drinks at other times (not part of meals).
• Tourism Tax – the Tourism Tax is currently set with a flat rate of RM 10 per room per night.
• Flights, travel insurance, tipping (optional) and personal spending.

Recommended Packing List For The Trip – Kinabatangan River & Danum Valley
To get the most from this trip, please bring with you a raincoat, cap/hat, insect repellent, sun cream, sun hat, good walking shoes, comfortable cotton T-shirt, long sleeve top, long trousers (long trousers are required for treks), comfortable trekking shoes, long shorts, swimwear, binoculars for observing wildlife, head torch for night trek, water bottle, camera and personal medications (if needed) and leech socks (for the treks). Please take your passport with you on this trip – your passports will be checked at the Kinabatangan Lodge.

Notes – 5-Day Kinabatangan River & Danum Valley Tour
Please note the timings in the above itinerary are typical timings. The exact timings during your trip can vary due to weather, traffic etc. All activities are subject to weather conditions and your safety. There is no refund if any activity is cancelled due to bad weather or natural disaster.

Please contact us for a quote for our Kinabatangan River & Danum Valley 5-Day Tour.