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Embarking on a Kinabatangan river cruise to spot the Borneo “Big 5” is one of the most popular activities to do when visiting Borneo, and it’s easy to see why! We had an incredible time and were lucky enough to see all of Borneo’s “Big 5”.
What are the Borneo Big 5?
Proboscis monkey – known for their big noses and pot-bellies
Great hornbill – giant birds with colourful yellow beaks
Orangutan – meaning “man of the jungle” these hairy orange apes share 97% of our DNA.
Pygmy elephant – the smallest species of elephant (but still enormous!!)
Crocodile – one of the most ancient predators alive today, around for over 200 million years.
We also spotted snakes, kingfishers, eagles, herons, and lizards. On our jungle walks, we learned a lot about different trees, medicinal plants and insects.
Overall, it was a brilliant experience and one I’d definitely recommend to anyone visiting Borneo.
Booking a Kinabatangan River Cruise
We booked our 2-night, 3-day Kinabatangan River Cruise with Sukau Greenview Tours through Seek Sophie for £123 each. Considering everything that was included, it was very good value for money.
The tour included included:
• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus free tea/coffee all day
• Pick-up from a hotel in Sepilok or Sandakan
• Private double bedroom (dorm rooms and deluxe bedrooms also available for different prices)
• 1 early morning cruise
• 2 sunset cruises
• 1 night cruise
• 1 daytime jungle walk
• 1 night time jungle walk
• Local guide
Kinabatangan River Cruise: Day 1
We were picked up from our accommodation in Sepilok and driven around 2.5 hours to Sukau Greenview Bed and Breakfast, situated on the Kinabatangan River. Upon arrival at 3pm, we were welcomed with refreshments and introduced to our guides. The hotel was situated in a peaceful location, with a beautiful outdoor restaurant area overlooking the river. The guide warned us not to go out onto the boat deck as sometimes crocodiles decide to come and say hello!!
At 4pm, we set off on our first sunset cruise. We spotted lots of great hornbills, proboscis monkeys, and even an orangutan in its nest. Our local guide was very knowledgeable and gave us lots of information about the animals we saw. The scenery was stunning, and it was amazing to see so much wildlife.
After two hours on the river, we returned to the hotel for a buffet dinner, which was surprisingly good. There was a lot of choice (even for the veggies!) and dessert too.
At 7:30pm, we embarked on a one-hour night cruise, where we saw snakes, kingfishers, and a cave full of noisy swiftlets.
Kinabatangan River Cruise: Day 2
We had an early start at 5:30am for a two-hour morning cruise. The heavy fog at first made us worry that we wouldn’t see much, but we ended up spotting lots of monkeys, herons, and even an eagle. It was a very calm and peaceful morning on the river.
After returning to the hotel at 8am, we enjoyed a buffet breakfast of eggs, toast, noodles, and fruit before gearing up for a jungle walk.
A short boat ride took us to the swamp forest trail, which was EXTREMELY muddy. Luckily, the hotel provided us with wellies as we were ankle deep in thick mud. We had to wear long clothes because of the mosquitos and leeches, which was a struggle in the hot, humid weather. The trail was deep in thick sludge the entire way, and much to the group’s amusement, my boots kept getting stuck in the mud (lol).
Our guide informed us that most animals retreat deeper into the jungle during the heat of the day, so the walk was more for learning about trees, medicinal plants and insects.
After returning, we had an hour to relax before lunch at 12:30pm, which was another great buffet with plenty of food. After lunch, we took a long afternoon nap before our second sunset cruise at 4pm.
We were so lucky to see all of the Big 5 on this cruise. First, we came across a tree full of large proboscis monkeys and saw great hornbills flying overhead. Then, we saw other boats gathering along the river—they had spotted a herd of wild elephants walking through the jungle nearby. We parked up and watched as the whole herd passed by—an absolutely incredible sight. Unfortunately I couldn’t get a good photo as they were partially hidden by dense trees, but it was amazing nonetheless.
Further along, we found two orangutans high up in the trees, building their nests for the night. Then, just as we were heading back, we spotted a large crocodile resting on the riverbank—everyone on the boat was cheering as we had finally seen all of the Big 5!
After our final dinner, we went on a one-hour night walk. Since this trail was near our hotel, we didn’t need to take a boat. Along the way, we spotted tiny frogs, giant harvestmen, crickets, grasshoppers, and tiny glow-in-the-dark mushrooms.
Day 3
On our final morning, we enjoyed breakfast at 8am before taking our transport to the bus stop. The bus stop for Kota Kinabalu is about an hour away and your hotel can help you sort out the logistics.*
*If you’re heading to Kota Kinabalu or Kundasang, you can inform your hotel and they’ll arrange for the bus company to pick you up at an agreed point on the way. This way, you won’t have to travel all the way to Sandakan just to double back again.
Final thoughts
The Kinabatangan River Cruise was an amazing experience, great value for money and I’d highly recommend it to anyone visiting Borneo!