Borneo Kinabatangan River Cruise Day Trip
Beskrivning
Kinabatangan River är den näst längsta floden i Malaysia, med en längd på 560 kilometer den går över delstaten Sabah på ön Borneo, också en av de mest spännande och lättillgängliga platserna att utforska den rika biologiska mångfalden i Sabah. Det är en del av Sukau-Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. Den vackra floden erbjuder fantastiska möjligheter att se fantastiska djurliv. Vatten har en central position, människor reser med båt för att söka efter djurliv. Under ett besök kan du stöta på en enorm variation av djur.
Turalternativ
Höjdpunkter
Vad som ingår
Upphämtningsplatser och tider
Hämta scheman: i) Wisma Khoo (23:45) ii) Sabah Hotel (12:00) iii) Sandakan flygplats (12:10-12:15) iv) Sepilok-området (12:45-12:50)
Resenärers betyg
Viktig information
- Rekommenderas inte för resenärer med ryggmärgsskador
- Rekommenderas inte för resenärer med låg kardiovaskulär hälsa
- Rekommenderas ej för gravida resenärer
- Kollektivtrafiksalternativ finns i närheten
- Lämplig för alla fysiska konditionsnivåer
Recensioner(14)
10/10 recommend! The most amazing value for money Borneo trip. We did the 3D2N cruise a few weeks ago and our guide Kai was great, so knowledgeable about all the animals and the river and we saw lots across our 4 cruises. We really enjoyed all our cruises, none of which were rushed and we felt we really got the most out of them. The food was delicious and always so much available and many options. The rooms were spacious and beds super comfortable, one of the nicest dorms we’ve stayed in! All the staff were really lovely and we saw lots of animals/birds just within the lodge itself. We also did a jungle walk and night cruise with guide Tan which were fab, we don’t know how he spotted all the animals he did in the dark! Communication via WhatsApp with the company was very good too. Would definitely recommend choosing Borneo Calling for your Kinabatangan river cruise!
Had an amazing time on the river boat tour and in the corresponding lodge for half the day. The local river guide was extremely knowledgeable, gave key history and context of the area, and spotted several key species along the river. Highly recommend.
Roads are terrible - plan a long drive - don’t drive at night - stay at the lodge - the rivertour was ok but nothing g special
Hi Denny, thank you for sharing your feedback. We understand that the road conditions can be challenging, as outskirts areas might have roads that are not as well-maintained as those in urban city centers. Regrettably, this is the only route leading to the heart of Borneo's wildlife. We do agree with you; staying overnight at the lodge is often recommended for a more immersive wildlife experience. The area is renowned for its diverse and abundant wildlife, including proboscis monkeys, orangutans, pygmy elephants, and various bird species. However, some luck may be needed to catch glimpses of these fascinating creatures in their natural habitat. Have a nice day!
It was okay, you get what you paid for pretty much. We got picked up at 12.15pm from Sandakhan airport, get to the resort at around 3pm, the other people staying overnight could check in but we just waited around bored until 4pm. No guarantee to see anything on the cruise because it is wildlife so that was fine. We did see a hornbill, kingfisher, eagle and monkeys. After you have another hr from 6pm to kill till 7pm for an average dinner before you leave at 7.30pm. Extra star for easy booking (did via WhatsApp) and our driver drove us back to our accomodation was a big plus. An okay day if you have an extra day in Sandakhan.
Before and after cruise we had to wait one hour. Too much time had to be waited. No elephants. At least monkeys and crocodiles
What to expect; pick up is at 11.45, and then a 2 hr 10 minutes mini-bus ride to a rustic riverside hotel where some passengers may stay overnight for different tours. Then nothing is planned for you to do until 4pm, when you start your boat trip. So you’re denied a normal lunch, and food is not available at the river (tea, coffee and a bun is) - why not just depart at 1pm? This two hour boat ride was ok, and we did see monkeys, and hornbill birds, but we weren’t given any chance of seeing pigmy elephants, as we didn’t venture anywhere near where they know they had been spotted recently, but returning to the hotel for dinner and then hopping back in the bus was unacceptable for us. We shamed them into giving us some fried rice for lunch, and paid extra (250MYR) to go on a jungle walk. A great shame all round. 10 hours for dinner and a two hour boat ride.
It's a 2 hour drive there on pretty ordinary roads & a 2 hour drive back for a 2 hour boat cruise. Our boat experienced engine trouble & so we sat stranded on the river for an hour. The tour operators were good about it & refunded half our money. But because we were only there for a day tour, we missed out on a lot. We only saw monkeys. Which is cool, but we were hopeful of a lot more. So if you are serious about this, stay for a day or 2 & do multiple river trips. We had hoped to see pygmy elephants, but they hadn't been spotted for a long time. It is suspected that because there is a lot of water around in December, so they don't need to come to the river to drink. You might have a better chance in the dry season. We were told by people who did the night walks that the mosquitoes were think & the trails muddy. And they didn't see a great deal of wildlife. Sleeping birds were probably the main thing they saw. But with wildlife tours, you can be lucky or not.
Hello TravelDooey, Greetings from Borneo Calling! Thank you for taking a moment to share your experience with us. Unfortunately, we have no record or recollection of your experience with us, nor can we verify anything about your identity from your name in our records. Further to your feedback, the length of stay can be very subjective and individualized. But stay overnight for a day or 2 to do multiple river trips definitely the best way to see the natural aspects of Kinabatangan River :) Wildlife movements are unpredictable. Due to the inherent nature of viewing wild animals in their natural habitat, sightings always depend on a degree of luck! Chances to see them in wild always there. Last but not least, wishing you all the luck in the world on your next journey to Kinabatangan River in the future!
My family 1 day trip to Kundasang (Kinabalu Park, Poring, Alpaca Farm, Canopy Walk etc..) was so much fun. Professional and friendly+helpful tour guide (Ah Keung) and the driver was nice too. Borneo Calling definitely a recommended and reliable tour agency!
Hello Ckchung28, Greetings from Borneo Calling! Thank you very much for the 5-star review! We are so glad to hear that your trip went smoothly and that our team had provided you with excellent service! Please do not hesitate to contact us again in the future for more exciting adventures! :)
We did the day trip and it was a truly bad day out. We were picked up at 11:45 and did not arrive until 3pm. When we arrived the staff did not give a lot of guidance and weren't communicative with the guests. We sat around until 4pm for the cruise, which was 2 hours long, although we understood there is no guarantee of seeing wildlife, we didn't see much at all. Two types of bird, a couple of proboscis monkeys (which was amazing in fairness) and lots of macaques. There wasn't really a lot of wildlife out which we understand is just the way it is, nothing you can do about that. Got back to the resort at 6pm, waited until 7pm for dinner which was pretty bad, the food was cold and not very tasty. We then had the minibus back at 7:30pm and the driver was horrendous, speeding on small dark and bumpy roads and overtaking in dangerous places. I had my head over a plastic bag the whole time because I really thought I was going to be sick. Overall not a great experience and we were really frustrated to learn we paid so much more than everyone else on the trip by booking through viator. Having spoken to people on the tour and our hostel reception, you can book this trip for a lot cheaper (2 days 1 night for example for 350 ringgit) if you book with your accomodation. We booked online with viator before we arrived in sandakan thinking it would be better to guarantee our space on the tour but I wouldn't recommend doing that. We were totally ripped off by viator. Also wouldn't recommend the day trip as its about 6 hours of driving in total for no guarantee of seeing any wildlife. According to some people we met, you see many more animals in the morning than the evening so it seems like it's better value to stay overnight.
We did the 3D2N kinabatangan experience, sleeping in Borneo natural sukau bulky resort. The facility looks good and it’s well maintained. Beds are comfortable and the buffet dinner is decent. Breakfast is a bit less satisfying. What doesn’t work is all the rest. The hosts and the tour guides are not so welcoming, not rude, but they limit all the possible interaction with the tourist, making it feel like we are just of money for them which don’t need attention at all. This is way different in other lodges we visited in Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand for example. The 3D2N tour is just pointless. The place doesn’t have enough to offer in this timespan to make it a valuable experience. The right amount of time here would be 2 days and 1 night if you want to see animals. The boat tour is the same experience for 4 times in a row and the “trekking”, which is walking around the lodge for 30 minutes, are also really repetitive. The scenery is just not fascinating: you will only see little trees and muds filled with mosquitos. No trace of animals despite from macaques trying to steal some food from the resort’s restaurant. It’s not a jungle, it’s more like a swamp. The rainforest is only limited through the length of the main river, while in the remaining part is just palm trees plantations. All the animals that are visible are all along the river just for the reason that is the only place in which they can survive. It’s a really sad show, and the palms are easily visible with Google maps/earth and on the way with the bus to the lodge. I felt that the forest remains along the river makes it able to bring tourist with the little boat, making it easier for them to manage and more profitable.You see the animals, don’t get me wrong, but the reason why you see them it is just not ethical and for a sensitive tourist like me, ruins all the experience. There is no possibility to leave the boat on the side of the river and explore because the owners of the palm tree plantations don’t want tourist to see the disaster they created. The animals hear this loud sound every day in the morning and at night, they shouldn’t be happy. UNESCO also didn’t protect these lands, so they really can do what they want. Choose something else if you want to see jungle wildlife! PS: I talked with other tourists from other companies and they managed to pay a bit less than us.
Hello opocajthepianist, Greetings from Borneo Calling! Thank you for taking a moment to share your experience with us and we’re glad to hear that you enjoy your stay at the resort. First of all, we are so sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience with the resort’s staff. We have shared your feedback to the resort’s management in order to improve in these areas. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Further to your feedback, the length of stay can be very subjective and individualized. There are a variety of ways to see this area and the wildlife in it. We do have customers who spend two nights at the river like you do and they enjoyed it so much! Yes, there are two boat rides (early morning and evening) cruising up and down the river in a day as the best time of day to spot wildlife along Kinabatangan River is during dawn and dusk. The boat tours are scheduled but the wildlife sighting and the experience can be so much different. Despite the muddy trail and mosquitos, we hope you still able to enjoy getting an up-close glimpse of sleeping bird and insects spotted along the night walk. Kinabatangan is not merely rainforest, but a long river in Sabah state, 560 km running from Southwest Sabah to its outlet at the Sulu Sea, consists of limestones caves, dryland dipterocarp forest, riverine forest, freshwater swamp, oxbow lakes and salty mangrove swamps. Due to its unique characteristic, Kinabatangan River offers an incredible opportunity to see large range of wildlife in Borneo. It is undeniable oil palm plantation has posed a severe threat to Kinabatangan valuable wildlife. But Sabah government had made significant steps towards securing habitat for wildlife in the region by retains several types of protected forests, like The Lower Kinabatangan-Segama Wetland Ramsar site, The Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (LKWS), Virgin Jungle Reserves (VJR-Class VI) and other protected forests. We hoping so much for sustainable conservation and protection of wildlife habitat as you do, it is an effort of all parties to ensure Kinabatangan ecosystem to survive long into the future. Thank you once again for filling out a review. We appreciate your honest feedback and hope that we will have the pleasure of welcoming you back on a future visit :)
