The Kinabatangan River is the longest in Sabah, and a narrow corridor along the river has been designated as the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. Accommodation lodges are scattered throughout the area, offering overnight options and opportunities to see the wildlife that calls the Kinabatagan River home.
We stayed along the Kinabatagan River with kids as a one-night package that included boat tours to spot wildlife.
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Our other Sabah Borneo posts:
2 days in Kundasang with kids
Road trips from Kota Kinabalu
Sepilok with kids
What to do in Sandakan City
How to get to the Kinabatangan River
The most common way to stay along the Kinabatangan River is to book a package, which includes transportation. Our package included transport to and from the Sandakan/Sepilok area. We were picked up at our hotel in Sandakan, and the drive to the accommodation took just over 2 hours.
After our stay, we were dropped off at our accommodation in Sepilok, about 1.5 hours away. If you don’t have a package, you could arrange your own transport with Grab or a private driver.
The best time of year for experiencing the Kinabatagan River
The best time of year for a family Kinabatagan River experience is from March to October. This is the dry season. As it is a humid, tropical climate, there is rainfall throughout the year, so dry season doesn’t mean no rain. The dry season offers more chances of clear skies, great for bird watching and photography. It also provides better chances of seeing wildlife, as lower water levels mean animals gather at the river.
The wet season has fewer tourists, so it may be a more peaceful experience. It comes with a higher chance of boat tours being delayed or cancelled due to heavy rainfall, storms and high water levels. The higher water levels can make some of the smaller waterways harder to access, and these were our favourite part.
Our Kinabatagan family stay was in August, which is said to be peak season. Our accommodation was full, and there were many boats on the river however, with most lodges running tours at the same time, this feels inevitable. On the morning cruise, our boat left the main river and travelled down smaller waterways, and we only passed a few other boats. So, even during peak season, we were able to have a peaceful moment on the water, looking for wildlife.
Our night cruise was cut short due to a lightning storm in the area. We had already spotted some wildlife, so we weren’t disappointed. We were soaking wet because we didn’t wear our raincoats, so check if rain is expected before you go to the boat.
How many nights at Kinabatangan River with kids?
Our family stayed at Kinabatangan River for 2 days, 1 night. This was due to our budget, and we also felt it might be too repetitive for us. The 2D1N package we booked included 3 river cruises. The 3D2N package includes 1 extra river cruise and a night walk. This package itinerary has changed since we booked and now includes a gallery visit. Our package was very rushed with no free time. Maybe the extra night would feel more relaxed, but I feel it’s probably much of the same.
Keep in mind that although the packages are called 2 day/3 day, these are not full days. You arrive on day 1 in the afternoon, and on the last day, it’s an early check-out.
What is the best age to take kids to the Kinabatangan River?
This is obviously subjective, all kids are different. When we stayed on the Kinabatangan River, our kids were 13 and 10 years old. They were old enough to be responsible for themselves without us having to tell them what to do. Kids need to be able to sit still on the boat rides and be relatively quiet so as not to disturb the wildlife.
There also needs to be an understanding that the animals are wild and seeing them is not guaranteed, or that they may be very high up in trees and difficult to see. Having some binoculars would be fun. Most lodges will have them to rent, but there may not be enough to go around, so bring your own if you can.
Wildlife sightings on the Kinabatagan River
All wildlife sightings are by chance. The multiple river cruises at different times of day help you get a better chance of spotting wildlife. You may see pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, orangutans, crocodiles and hornbills; these are commonly referred to as Borneo’s big 5. You can also spot macaques, eagles, owls, kingfishers and a variety of bird species.
During our 2 days on the Kinabatagan River, we saw everything except the pygmy elephants. There is something special about being out on the river, listening and looking for wildlife.
Please note that my Kinabatangan River photos were all taken with a 55-210mm lens. Some photos have been cropped closer.
Our Kinabatangan River with kids review
This is an overview of our personal experience with a Kinabatagan River package as a family with two kids.
You can check out some packages available on Get Your Guide.
What we booked: Sukau Greenview Lodge, 2-day 1-night package.
What was included: transfers, accommodation in deluxe rooms, dinner, and breakfast. 3 river cruises – afternoon, night and morning.
Family Kinabatangan River cost: For our family of 2 adults and 2 kids, we paid RM1,616. Our 13-year-old was charged as an adult, and our 10-year-old was charged 60% of the fee.
The transfers
The minivan arrived on time to pick us up from Hotel Sandakan. Other passengers were already on board. There was a brief stop at a convenience store for people who wanted to buy snacks and drinks. It was a rough and bumpy ride to the Kinabatagan River.
The roads were patchy with potholes, and our driver did not want to slow down. The driver overtook many vehicles along the way. Later in the journey, we stopped at a fuel station to refuel. Due to the rough, bumpy drive, I felt a little car-sick and was quite dizzy once we reached the lodge.
At the end of our stay, we were grouped with other travellers also being dropped off around the Sepilok area. This driver was more cautious, so the drive wasn’t as rough. I think the first driver was rushing to get us there on time because everything has to run according to the schedule.
The rooms
I had booked 2 deluxe twin rooms next to each other. On check-in, one room number was different from my booking. I was told they had given us 1 twin room and 1 double room just across from each other. They were actually pretty far apart. Each building housed 3 rooms. The kids were in the middle of one building, and we were in the middle of the next one, further up the boardwalk. Luckily, our kids were older and were fine with not being close to us. I, on the other hand, had a case of Mum anxiety and had trouble sleeping.
The deluxe rooms had been recently renovated in a nice, clean, simple modern design. We could hear the people in the room next to us talking. The floors were also quite bouncy. One time, I thought there was an earthquake, and we laughed when the kids came to ask the same thing. It was just people walking on the outside boardwalk, shaking the room.
The Food
The meals were served buffet style in the open-air dining area. The chairs were large outdoor seating style, and there was not enough space to walk in between, so it felt pretty chaotic when full of people. We arrived at the start of serving time before the queue got too long. The food was all good and freshly cooked before serving. Dinner dishes were beef korma, fried chicken, sauteed cabbage, stir-fried vegetables, rice, potato soup, cake and cut fruit.
Breakfast dishes were fried eggs, noodles, little sausages, chocolate pancakes, toast, cereal and watermelon. There was tea and coffee, and water tanks to fill drink bottles.
The River cruises
We had three river cruises as part of our package. It was all well organised, with groups already selected. Everyone gathered at the pier and put on life jackets, and then the guides called out the names of each group. The boats held 8-10 people, so it gave a nice, small tour group feel.
We would stop and observe an animal, and the guides would give some information. Some more wildlife information would have been nice, but it was hard to hear them while the boat was running. I saw some boats from other lodges rushing from spot to spot without stopping for long. Our boat tours seemed to have a good balance of trying to spot as much wildlife as possible without feeling rushed.
Afternoon boat cruise
This was our first time out on the river. The boat cruise ran from 4pm to 6pm. As soon as we pulled away, a large eagle flew over. A little further along, and our guide was pointing up into tall trees at a macaque and a hornbill. We stopped at a section of trees where some other boats were gathered. Here, we sighted our first proboscis monkeys. When the other groups moved on, our boat driver navigated us to a spot under the tree where we quietly observed.
The guide pointed out a small crocodile on the riverbank, which took us a while to spot because it blended in so well. Around a large bend in the river, we found two proboscis monkeys relaxing on a tree branch and stopped to listen while our guide shared some facts.
The boat went down a smaller waterway, and on an overhanging branch was a group of cheeky macaques playing. As we were heading back out to the main river, I spotted a kingfisher and pointed it out. It was so tiny, but the striking colours made it stand out. Just up ahead on the opposite side, our guide spotted a different type of kingfisher. These beautiful birds were my surprise highlights of the trip.
The boat headed back to the lodge as the sun started going down, and we saw two hornbills high up in a tree. The large dark cloud should have been a warning for us to wear rain coats on the next boat trip.
Night boat cruise
After the first river cruise, we had dinner and then lined up for the nighttime river cruise. This gives you the chance to see some of the nocturnal wildlife. Our guide had a torch and explained that he would only shine it on an animal for 30 seconds so as not to cause them any harm. You can bring your own torch, but I don’t think it’s necessary.
The first thing we saw was a kingfisher, and soon after that an owl. It then began to rain quite steadily. We didn’t wear our raincoats, so we ended up soaked. The dark and the rain didn’t make for great viewing, and there was lightning and thunder around. We got to see a large saltwater crocodile before our guide had to call it quits due to the storm coming close to us. Part of the safety rules is that they won’t have boats out during a storm, so we were lucky to get some time out and see what we did before the storm rolled in.
Morning boat cruise
Starting at 6am and lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes. This was our favourite of the boat cruises as we went down smaller waterways with fewer tour groups. It was just after sunrise, and the fog added to the atmosphere. Soon after we pulled away from the dock, our guide got a radio call that there was an orangutan nearby, so we sped off in hopes we would catch it.
High up in the treetop was a male orangutan. There were several boats parked under the trees because word gets around, and they all rush to spot a rare sighting. Everyone was quiet and respectful, and it was amazing to see a wild orangutan go about his day.
Down one of the smaller waterways, we came across two proboscis monkeys in the trees. On the other side of the river, we had a great view of an adult female proboscis monkey. We sat and observed her picking and eating leaves from the tree.
Later on, we heard and saw a group of proboscis monkeys fighting and running through the trees. We also got a glimpse of the back of the only male proboscis monkey of the trip. During the morning cruise, we also saw macaques, baby crocodiles, lots of birds and a large eagle.
Overview of our Kinabatagan River stay with kids
We knew going into this that we might not fully enjoy the experience of an organised tour package. It was evident from the arrival. Multiple vans and buses arrived at the lodge, and everyone was rushed into the dining area. I had to ask if we could go to a toilet first after the long journey. It was clear that the driver was in a hurry to get us there on time.
With everyone crammed in together, each person had to sign a waiver, go through a briefing and then we were given room keys. There was a short amount of time to take luggage to the rooms and then meet at the dock for the first boat ride.
Please be aware that although the package is called 2 days, it is not 2 full days. On day 1, we arrived in the afternoon and on day 2, we had a boat cruise and breakfast before an 8:30am check-out. The schedule was check-in, afternoon cruise, dinner, night cruise, sleep, morning cruise, breakfast, check-out.
When looking at several lodges, most of them run on the same schedule with the same offerings. This is why I chose a more budget-friendly option, and I’m glad I did. Everything ran the way it was meant to. Each meal and boat ride was on time, and we got everything we paid for.
Organised tour packages are still not our thing, but the boat rides were all enjoyable. We got to observe animals going about their day in a wild habitat, and that is what it’s all about. It was also fun just being on the lookout for wildlife while cruising along the water. Overall, our experience on the Kinabatagan River with our kids was wonderful.
