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. It 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 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 (Tanini Kinabatangan, formerly Kinabatangan Nature Lodge, is located near Kampung Bilit). The Lodge offers spacious and comfortable accommodation, where you will stay in a Bangkatan Room.
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 leave you spellbound by 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 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 four river cruises, night treks, trekking in Danum Valley Conservation Area, and 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 can watch the rescued sun bears in the forest enclosures from a raised platform.
11:00 – Transfer 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 in the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve. The centre offers visitors an opportunity to explore Sabah’s diverse flora and fauna. Often, Orangutans from the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre can be seen in the rainforest canopy here – an incredible sight!
13:00 – Go for lunch at a cafe near Sepilok. After lunch, you will start your transfer to the Kinabatangan River lodge (a ~ 2-hour transfer by road).
15:30 – Arrive at Tanini Kinabatangan, 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 – Return to the lodge after your river cruise and check into your room. 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 Tanini Kinabatangan in a Bangkatan Room (with twin/triple/double bed, aircon and ensuite Shower Room). Click here to see photos of the accommodation at Tanini Kinabatangan, located in the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.
Meet the neighbours | Crocodiles | Kinabatangan River
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 to the Lodge for breakfast at 0800.
09:00 – After breakfast, you will trek through the secondary lowland rainforest to Bilit Ox-Bow Lake. During the trek, you will learn more about the plant 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. It’s time to freshen up before enjoying dinner at the Lodge restaurant.
~20:00 – Join another guided night trek following a different trekking route behind the Lodge. Overnight at Tanini Kinabatangan in a Bangkatan Room.
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 Lodge’s office in Lahad Datu. After registration, depart on an unscheduled transfer (a private 4WD transfer) for your two-and-a-half-hour overland journey on a gravel road to Danum Valley Borneo Rainforest Lodge. Danum Valley is located 80km from Lahad Datu. The journey begins with the first 15 kilometres 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. The check-in time is 14:00 hours.
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 360m long and reaches a height of 27m at its highest point, offering a close-up view of the rainforest.
19:00 – Dinner at the Lodge.
20:30 – Join a Night Walk or a 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.
In the afternoon, join a guided Jungle Trek or go for a relaxing session of Water Tubing down the Danum River.
19:00 – Dinner at the Lodge.
20:30 – Join a Night Walk or a Night Drive 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.
You can choose to go for a morning walk, or you can relax at the Lodge. Check out of your chalet by 11:30hrs.
12:00 – Lunch at the Lodge.
12:30 – Depart from the lodge on the scheduled transfer to Lahad Datu, a 2-and-a-half-hour drive. You can be dropped off in Lahad Datu town or at Lahad Datu Airport (you may book the MY3019 flight departing at 5.35 pm).
Trip Pre-requisites – Kinabatangan River & Danum Valley
Minimum two persons per booking. There are no specific prerequisites for joining this trip. However, at Danum Valley, we recommend that you have average fitness or above and be comfortable trekking for a couple of hours in tropical conditions. For younger children, the elderly and those with a lower fitness level, you can choose the self-guided nature trail on an elevated boardwalk (rather than joining the guided treks along some of the 22 marked trails).
Trip Inclusions – 5-Day Kinabatangan River & Danum Valley Tour
- Road transfers during the trip are shown in the itinerary.
- English-speaking qualified Nature Guide looks 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 afternoon river cruises, 2 morning river cruises, 2 night walks, and 1 Oxbow Lake trek. The Kinabatangan River cruises included in this trip will travel as far upstream as ~7 km to Pontian Point and downstream a maximum of ~ 10 km to Tenegang Besar Point.
- At Borneo Rainforest Lodge, you will join one morning jungle trek, two afternoon jungle treks (one of which can be swapped for a tubing activity along the Danum River), one night drive, and one night walk.
- Two nights at Tanini Kinabatangan in a Bangkatan Room (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 and Service Tax on the tour price.
Trip Exclusions – 5-Day Kinabatangan River & Danum Valley Tour
- Camera/video camera fees are 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 tax is currently set at 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
Bring clothing suitable for a tropical environment and any personal items you may need. Some essential items include light clothing, a pair of leech socks, trekking shoes/boots, a pair of binoculars, a walking stick, a small backpack, a raincoat/poncho for the river/water activities, a sweater/jacket for the night drive at Danum Valley, sunscreen lotion, insect repellent, a camera, a hat, sandals/flip flops, toiletries, first aid and personal medication.
Please take your passport with you on this trip, as it will be checked at both Lodges.
Notes – 5-Day Kinabatangan River & Danum Valley Tour
Please note that the timings in the above itinerary are typical. The exact timings during your trip may vary due to weather, traffic, and other factors. All activities are subject to weather conditions and your safety. There is no refund if any activity is cancelled due to bad weather or a natural disaster.
Colin Seward –
We’ve had an AMAZING holiday. All the arrangements have gone incredibly smoothly. The arrival of the king and queen in Lahad Datu yesterday caused a rush for the plane, but the pilot held up the flight as he was missing half his passengers in the traffic :-). The animals, views and sounds in the rain forest and along the Kinabatagan river were incredible.