Kinabatangan River Experience

June 25, 2026By maverickbirdPosted in Asia, Malaysia, Outside India

Our Kinabatangan River experience falls into two distinct categories: the jungle stay and the river cruise. It was the highlight of our Borneo trip and something we would do again. The best part was the jungle stay at Wan Die, a local boatman whose family owns a couple of homestays by the river. These are comfortable, clean places with shared bathrooms and simple meals. Some are located in jungles, while others are in small villages. They are built in the local style and are wooden buildings on stilts. The dining hut is close by, and the only access to the main road to Sepilok is by boat. It is remote, with a spotty Wifi connection, and surrounded by trees, birds, and animals. Big, old trees bearing exotic fruits and flowers surround the little property, and these attract different birds, bats, and flying squirrels.

At sunset, the Borneo rhino hornbills come to roost, and at night, the Malayan civet cats come to root among the vegetable peels. We could only see their glowing eyes in the dark and hear their rustling steps. They were often accompanied by bearded pigs, who make more noise than the civet cats, and once we heard the trampling of a herd of pygmy elephants nearby. When you are in a jungle in darkness that´s dispersed only by fireflies, your sense of hearing sharpens, and you somehow sense the world through sounds. The Kinabatangan River adds its own charm, and the sight of the sun rising above a primal, ancient rainforest is an unforgettable sight.

All you see as the sky turns silver is fog (rather aspiration from the trees) rising above the dark, brooding jungle and the river surface breaking up in ripples and bubbles. The wildlife is most active at this time, and during one of our morning boat rides, we saw elephants, crocodiles, different types of monkeys, and even an orangutan. In the afternoon, the broad, brown river flows sluggishly, and at night, it becomes active again with nocturnal animals. We went for a night walk in the jungle, and it is incredible how, under the dark cover, you end up noticing the smaller, yet nonetheless exotic wildlife like different types of frogs, insects, spiders, and snakes. It´s a completely different sensation, and you know that you have done something right when your child spends the entire day playing outdoors, exploring plants and animals rather than being glued to an electronic device.

Take a look at this photo essay and judge for yourself.