In The Middle Of The Jungle – Magical Kinabatangan River

The Kinabatnangan River is also nicknamed the Amazon of the East because of its biodiversity. It is the second longest river in Malaysia, along which you can observe very unique species of animals and plants. Its shores are home to orangutans, macaques, proboscis monkeys, otters, leopards, and crocodiles. You can also see many endangered species here, such as the Bornean elephant or the spotted stork.

How to get on the Kinabatangan River

There are countless ways to visit the Kinabatangan River. You can go here on your own or with a local travel agency. If you really want to get the most out of your visit, we recommend spending at least two nights on the river and taking several cruises and nature treks.

Accommodation and trips

If you go here on your own, all you have to do is book a night in one of the seven resorts along the river through www.booking.com and then arrange the activities in this accommodation. The price of one river cruise is around 80 MYR, the price of a jungle trek from 30 MYR. In this case it is much more convenient and also more interesting to complete the entire trip with a local travel agency. From our own experience, we can recommend the River Junkie agency.

It is up to you which service package you choose, you can choose from many variants. You can spend only one evening here but also easily a week.

On the first day the driver picked us up right at the resort in Sepilok and drove us to the Kinabatangan River, where we stayed in double cabins with private bathrooms. We spent two nights here.

The price included:

• accommodation at Nature Lodge Kinabatangan
• all-day meal (it is also possible to request a special diet, e.g. vegan, gluten-free, etc.)
• 4 river cruises
• 2 night jungle treks
• 1 day jungle trek
• transport from Sepilok
• transportation to Semporna

The price for this package depends on several factors. Where and where the driver will take you, what kind of accommodation you will choose and also what time of year you will arrive here.

For the current offer, contact the agency via the contact form on the website www.river-junkie.com. When choosing the package mentioned above, expect a price in the range of 810-1114 MYR per person.

Tips for visiting the Kinabatangan River

Here you will live in a real jungle outside of civilization, and also very close to wild animals. So don’t forget to pack a good repellent, long pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Boots will also come in handy for jungle treks, but you can rent them on site for MYR 10 for the entire stay. In addition, you will certainly use a headlamp, binoculars, a raincoat and of course comfortable sturdy shoes.

Watch out

You won’t find any ATMs or shops here either. So think about it before you go. Enough money must be collected already at the airport in Sandakan. If you want an energy snack or some extra food and drink, buy them before you go here.

There are a lot of animals around the accommodation, be careful. Watch where you step, don’t leave things lying around outside (monkeys will pick them up) and if you see an animal near you, try to keep calm and don’t panic. Remember that no animal will attack you until you give it a reason to do so.

So what do you say? 🙂 If you don’t know where to go after the Kinabatangan river we highly recommend you visit Semporna!