Review Author: Lucy

Review Date: 17 May 2026

Review Body: Where to start! From the moment we were picked up from Sandakan to the moment we were dropped back, the experience was amazing. Our guide, Roger, was a true expert, spotting animals on our boat trips that would have easily passed us by, including a wild orangutan! Truly extraordinary. The night cruise was also wonderful, the fireflies are incredible out by the river. Chef made sure to cater to us being vegetarian and the lodges are 5 star comfort!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Jamie

Review Date: 14 Jul 2026

Review Body: My family and I thoroughly enjoyed time with the team at KWR. Great staff, facilities and experiences on the river. Highly recommended.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Hafsa Maria

Review Date: 09 Jan 2020

Review Body: I was so excited to see Borneo. And as you know, expectation is the biggest letdown of all. But I really was thrilled. And it's this resort that made it possible, and the amazing people who run it so smoothly that you hardly notice any work being done at all. Where to begin. If you are new to the jungle, and you're dying to see animals but you're afraid the jungle will be too overwhelming , or whether you are a seasoned hiker who wants to observe the wetland wildlife up close just through your binoculars or camera, (or if you just want a beautiful, relaxing, feel-good getaway from work and civilisation)this is it! It's set right in the middle of nowhere, deep in the mangroves - takes an hour and a half to reach by boat, the final approach through a dramatic avenue of palms reflected green and gold in the river - a place thronging with wildlife. Chattering bright orange proboscis monkeys swinging from tree to tree - families and all male groups - preparing to sleep with their backs to the river, glaring macques with their endless grooming, scurrying silverleaf monkeys, baby crocodiles, cute little mouse deer, egrets prancing before thick dark forest curtains, and two dazzlingly hued species of kingfisher darting off into the sunset - were the creatures I saw just on the first boat ride. The next day also a woodpecker, herons and kaleidoscopic kingfishers, dragos, sea eagles fishing, brahminy kite eagles, and also a pair of hornbills nestled high up in a tree straight from the cartoon Tarzan together for the sunset! Also orangutan nests. And big armoured crocodiles. Didn't see any elephants, but you can't have everything.! To the birdlovers out there: you will die of joy. Each guest room is an independent chalet set in the thick of the jungle, around an iron wood 'broadwalk' leading out from the main lobby (you get to it from a pier!). Forget simply luxurious, they're spotless with crisp sheets and towels, and what's more utterly critter-free - which is no mean feat, since they're built on marshland and surrounded by the jungle. But it is run by their very talented manager who paints and plays the guitar and probably runs a tight ship - though it all feels like a very happy bunch of friends all laughing and joking around. From the lovely ladies and guys in the dining room, to the lively boatman and the guy who likes to make coffee, to the absolutely fantastic guide.The staff are incredibly warm and welcoming, and yes, talented enough to have their own live band :) and the chef is great too. You def won't starve in the jungle. Every day you will find your room clean, and beds freshly made. Plumbing, airconditioning, food, sheets - all impeccable; utter luxury in the jungle. But you hardly have much time there except the night if you're busy exploring. Just somewhere comfortable bugfree to come and sleep in when you tire of your beloved bugs. At first it is a little overwhelming. The sounds of the jungle are so loud on the path and your room that you imagine a snake or spotted leopard about to leap at you at every bend! But then as the guide Andis explained nonchalantly it's just different frogs and little lizards (and then you feel incredibly foolish - but then he was also nonchalant about people being freaked out by monitor lizards, so I wouldn't beat myself up too much). There's a night walk on the premises - pitcher plants and glow-in-the-dark scorpions and mushrooms, shy spotted samba deer and their tiny cousin the mouse deer, water monitor lizards and even if you're really lucky a sun bear (we saw trees they'd been through). And if you've never seen it - the sky from the middle of the jungle. So many stars glittering fiercely above and tall trees in dense dark silhouette. I was lucky enough to be there during the dark phase of the moon. On the second night, there was a night cruise and they showed us the firefly colonies: they twinkle in and out, just like stars in nursery rhymes, almost camouflaging with the distant spheres of fire. And there, in the middle of the mangrove forest, grey water below (and a croc just feet away!) and overhead a sky so thickly sprinkled with stars that it seems grey too, with only a dense ring of forest to separate the two - you can taste the wild more than ever. Don't let your imagination get away with you though, the biggest threat right outside my chalet was a family of wild boars with cute little piglets chomping away in the indigo after the morning rain. The amazing feeling this place gives you: wild without scaring the living daylights out of you. Letting you experience amazing wildlife and fantastic sunsets and stars and just pure wetland forest. And the lovely air of camaraderie. It feels like family, so happy and lighthearted, but also incredibly courteous. Such wonderful people to be around. I didn't see an orangutan or a sun bear at Kinabatangan, so they arranged for me to go to the conservation at Sepilok before my flight and I saw both there! An orangutan swinging in the trees quite apart from the feeding area. And the honey bears just being so plain cute in the pursuit of bugs that you will believe a certain yellow bear to have been inspired solely by them. Also you will want to hug them. Repeatedly. But hopefully you won't. My biggest advice: take insect repellent and binoculars because not even NatGeo prepared you for this. Sometimes the monkeys are sitting just a few feet away, but if you want a 3d experience and more, you need zoom! And keep your legs covered, or the mosquitos will bite. It is just magical, you can see the ruffle in every feather and little bit of fur -you can see their expressions, their wariness or hostility. Mostly they're scared of the noise of a boat, but don't pay us much heed. Lovely folk, spotless rooms, great food, right in the middle of a jungle so rich with wildlife - a simply gorgeous experience. I couldn't recommend it enough.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Pete2306, Lightwater, United Kingdom

Review Date: 13 May 2019

Review Body: From boarding the speedboat in Sandakan you get the feeling you are about to start a very special journey. I hadn’t realised how long the boat trip would be (around an hour and 20 mins). Once over the bay from Sandakan, the river begins. At first there isn’t too much to see, but around 30 mins in we saw our first eagle ... followed by some monkeys. We also saw some of the local community buzzing up and down the river in their home made water craft. After an hour and 15 we take a left turn into a tributary. Quite narrow, and the boat had to weave through the trees either side and to miss logs ... and then we see the jetty. People waiting to greet us and take our luggage. As we arrive, the young chap - who turned out to be our guide for the 3 trips out we had planned - called Andis said “Welcome to the middle of nowhere!” And he was right. No mobile signal, and only WiFi in the reception are of the resort ... but that’s another thing that makes this place very special. We were given a cold towel and ushered in to the restaurant for lunch. Buffet style and very tasty. We were so lucky that only the people on that boat were the people in the resort for 24 hours. We got to know 2 couples - travelling together - quite well and enjoyed a few laughs with them too. The accommodation is great. Decent air con as well. There were many highlights. Seeing many proboscis monkeys. Many different Macaques. Pygmy elephants. Many different birds (Although not as many as we had hoped for). But the absolute highlight was drifting down the river with the engine off and looking up to see more stars in the sky than we ever had seen before. Even seeing the Milky Way with the naked eye. It was spectacular. I could write a huge piece on KWR ... but it wouldn’t do it justice. It’s just a fabulous place. We were there for 2 days .. but wished we had 3. One final thing. The staff. Everyone was absolutely superb. Andis and our “pilot” Kai were great fun as well as being knowledgable. All other members of staff just couldn’t do enough for you .. but without being intrusive. Always with a huge smile. And one final thing. Once they have finished serving dinner, a few staff members grab their guitars and entertain anyone who wants to stay for a drink after dinner. And they will carry on until the last person leaves and goes to bed. They don’t get paid for this - it’s their hobby and they just enjoy it. And it’s a great addition to the stay too. Apart from being entertaining it’s lovely to see these guys enjoying themselves after working so hard. If we ever visit Borneo again we will definitely return to KWR!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Alex (Mac) McFarland, Northampton, United Kingdom

Review Date: 09 Jun 2019

Review Body: KWR is without question the number one lodge on the Kinabatangan. Located towards the mouth of the river, the lodge is perfectly nestled amongst the forest of its own tributary, meaning it's far more private than most of the other lodges on the river and this is apparent in the fantastic river safaris. Arriving at the banks of the river, we were met with a very warm welcome by Zanah from KWR who accompanied us on the cruise to the lodge. We enjoyed a fantastic cruise upstream, we even stopped half way to watch a lone bull elephant swimming across the river, amazing! Zanah was very friendly and really made us feel welcome throughout our stay, her enthusiasm for nature and the wildlife on the river was admirable and really quite infectious. The lodge itself has a very relaxing almost Zen-like feel to it, yet still maintains an authenticity that makes you feel at home. The suites are huge and perfectly comfortable with great facilities. Beautiful large windows looking out into the forest, on several occasions we found ourselves relaxing in the room, watching the trees and bushes shake , waiting to see what pops out, often a family of bearded pigs or a huge monitor lizard. The food is buffet style, like most in Borneo. Admittedly, not my favourite dining option but tasty and varied nonetheless. The service is good and the staff throughout are very friendly and welcoming. The river safaris were fantastic, our guide (Dido) Deedo was great, again very friendly and knowledgeable with a great eye, we saw orangutans, proboscis, macaques, pygmy elephant, crocodiles and monitor lizards and only stayed for two nights. We particularly enjoyed the morning stop off at the Ox bow late, that was a lovely setting to enjoy a cup of tea or a sandwich. My only constructive comments that I feel are minor details but would help to elevate the experience. 1) Maybe provide a couple of options for sandwiches. The only choice was tuna. 2) Try to space out the stop sights for the boats, we loved the serenity of being along ont he boat with just the two of us, our guide and the captain. We were then joined by a large group of 10-12 quite noisy people right next to us which killed the moment for me. Everything at KWR was great, perhaps the icing ont he cake was the manager CJ and the house band performing after dinner each evening, that was a very nice touch! We had a fantastic time at KWR and I will certainly be recommending it in the future. Thank you for having us!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: JoJo, Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Review Date: 14 Jun 2019

Review Body: We spent 2 nights at KWR and what an amazing place it is. Upon arriving on the boat from Sandakan Jetty we were greeted by staff who led us up the boardwalk to the entrance and given cold flannels. Lovely! Our room was beautiful, just like the photos. We were number 9 which is one of the further ones from the reception. Spotless room. Big shower and an outdoor one which we made sure we experienced! Massive windows looking out in the jungle with a couch next to it. Absolutely stunning. Our first meal there was lunch and when we saw our first bit of wildlife, a bearded pig just outside delving for food. We had 4 river cruises whilst there with the same group of travellers. Our guide was super, how they manage to spot the wildlife at a distance I don’t know, definitely well trained eyes! We weren’t lucky enough to see any elephants but apparently that’s not unusual so if you do see any you are in luck. We did however see loads of monkeys, a massive crocodile and some baby ones, plenty of birds, it really is just amazing. We rarely saw any other tourists on the river which was perfect. I think we passed a couple of boats but the whole experience was relaxing and quiet. Did the nighttime boardwalk walk which was a bit eerie but I’m glad I did it. Would recommend you bring a torch of some sort to help getting back to you room in the dark as it’s very low lighting. Just before we left we heard a massive thud down the boardwalk a few feet away. We all went to see what it was in the dark and a poor civet had fallen about 25ft from a tree above on to the ground. Thank goodness after about a minute it came too and jumped back into the trees seemingly unhurt. Breakfast lunch and dinner were all buffet with good choice. Juice, tea and coffee are included and you can purchase alcohol and soft drinks for a very reasonable price. There is a table tennis in the lobby along with some books and in the restaurant are board games should that take your fancy. On our last night some of the staff played guitars and sang which was good. KWR was definitely the highlight of our whole trip, it was totally faultless and if you are reading this and going I am envious! We took lots of mosquito spray and I didn’t get bitten once, other half got a couple so just be mindful. Everyone we came into contact with were friendly and they all seemed to love it there. Honestly cannot fault this hidden gem. Oh and don’t forget your binoculars for the river cruises

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Kurt F

Review Date: 29 Dec 2019

Review Body: We had an amazing 3 day/2 night experience between Christmas and New Years. While several travel sites suggest you should do this trip in the high season of June and July and warned of low season and to wait, we found many reviews and comments saying it would be great in December... and it was! Service: was incredible - starting with Dido, our wildlife guide who is a local born/raised guy who is absolutely passionate about his country and his sharp eye will find animals in the wild no matter what time of day or weather. The rest of the staff is equally amazing, you could see every person’s eyes a genuine commitment to making our trip great. They even have a band and will play live music every night. Value: Cost was approximately $600 USD per day, inclusive of two 1.5 hour speedboat transfers to the resort and back to Sandakan, 3 wildlife tours per day, 3 meals per day. A very fair price IMO, given how many staff are involved, and how far from civilization the resort is, and the estimated cost of maintaining a three star resort in the jungle. Wildlife: We saw tons of Proboscus monkeys, and 3 other varieties. We got incredibly close to them - up to 5 feet away but more likely 15-100 yards away. We saw an orangutan in a tree as he was building a nest in the evenings. Also saw crocs, tons of birds, snakes, pigs. SUGGESTIONS: You’ll want good binoculars - 10x40, mid to high quality. Camera lenses: I had 400mm, which was adequate, wanted more. If you’re shooting iphone video, buy a good gimbal for 109 dollars. Bug repellant - lemon eucalyptus was the best non Deet product I’ve found. Rain protection: breatheable light shells are best

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Paul B, Hong Kong, China

Review Date: 05 Dec 2019

Review Body: A 90 minute boat ride from Sanadakan to a very isolated but beautiful resort. We were welcomed immediately on arrival and taken down the long boardwalk to check in. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful, and seemed really grateful to have guests at the property. Nothing was too much trouble throughout our stay, schedules were changed to improve opportunities for wildlife sightings, the chef offered to make any dishes he had the ingredients for to accomodate any dietary requirements as well as the multiple offerings already provided for mealtimes. The staff also performed as a band in the evening. The Cabins are large, spotless, comfortable and offer great scenery and opportunities for seeing wildlife from large windows and porches. 2 minor downsides, our party of 8 all discovered that the air conditioning unit semms to either function at 16 degrees or off, so it was a real struggle in the night at times, and the noise of the wildlife at night takes some getting used to. Of course that's what you go for, so it's not a complaint. Tours provided by the resort include river cruises, both in the light and somewhat scarily, in the dark, and also nature walks. There is lots to see and our guide Max was brilliant at spotting things at long distances whilst travelling fast on the water. There's no experience we've had that matches this for being away from the rest of the world but still living very comfortably. There's even wifi in one spot. It's a fabulous experience and highly receommended.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: JupitusWilson, Edenbridge, United Kingdom

Review Date: 11 Nov 2019

Review Body: Having read the reviews below, I’m not sure I can add anything else. Agree completely with all that has recently been written. Their guides must all be great because obviously our guide, Andis, was the best!! He was a dab hand at taking photos via the “binocular” method and, given we didn’t go with anything but iPhone cameras, we’re very happy with some of the close ups (see rhinoceros hornbill photo!). But it wasn’t just about the animals; the plants and surroundings were worth taking the time to appreciate as well. The staff were all courteous, kind, respectful and engaging. Travelling as two females, we felt safe at all times. We spent 3D2N here and that was about right, although we met some people (with very big cameras!) that had extended by an extra night. Lucky us because we got to share our boat trips with them and they added to our enjoyment. However, being driven at seemingly full throttle at night with nothing but a searchlight is not for the faint-hearted. The food was well presented and a good choice. On a practical note, if you are seriously GF you might struggle here - and not just this resort. Not many (read no) alternatives offered for packed breakfast and afternoon tea. Pack some sweets 😂. Bring a decent pair of binoculars - worth the investment - and mosquito repellant AND bite relief cream. You will get bitten 😏. Would we go back? For sure. Next time with our husbands in tow!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: AztecLife, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom

Review Date: 08 Jul 2019

Review Body: Spent 2 nights here on our tour of Borneo and had 2 lodges as we were a family of 3 adults. Lodges were extremely nice with large beds, indoor and outdoor shower and nice balconies. Air-con worked well and was very much appreciated. Note - no hairdryer provided but you’re in the jungle, it’s hot and it’s humid so you really don’t worry too much what your hair looks like. For those that need wi-fi it was reasonable in the lobby area (only place it works) and there were times when it was very slow. Whilst we used deet spray we were surprised at how few mossies there were and we experienced no bites during our two days - not even during the night walk. Omar - our guide. - was friendly and knowledgeable. Very interesting to chat with and hear his stories. Our trips out on the river with him were great and we were lucky enough to see orangutan plus lots of monkeys and various birds. Sadly the Pygmy elephant were nowhere to be seen during our visit, Food was slightly limited in choice but everything was delicious and you were always encouraged to enjoy everything on offer. Staff were very visible during meals and a very talented bunch as they not only cooked, prepared, served meals but after dinner they performed songs and played various instruments. Some of the guys had incredible voices. You really were made to feel so welcome whilst staying here and part of something very special. Thank you.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Nicola, Lincoln, United Kingdom

Review Date: 09 Sep 2019

Review Body: This has to be the most impressive hotel I have stopped at. From the beginning, the journey to the resort is a 2 hour boat trip down the Kinabatangan river, this was great, it is not accessible by road. The hotel is located in the middle of the forest, all the rooms are located off a main boardwalk. These are lit by lights at night but a torch is well worth having as it's hard to see the edge at times! The main restaurant area is nice, there were a good choice of food at both breakfast and dinner with evening entertainment too. The WiFi is only accessible in the reception area and isn't fast if you need to use it. Our room has to be during our holiday. It was a huge room with an amazing corner window to watch the wildlife through and a nice veranda where we saw wild boar. The bathroom was modern with the option of an outside shower. It was clean and tidy, very modern. We got to go out on the river loads of times, we did evening, night and early morning trips, we saw so much wildlife and visited one of the riverside villages. We took a night walk around the resort, the boardwalk goes around in a big circle, we saw various bugs and bats. The room could do with a kettle instead of a flask and a hairdryer would be a good addition. This was such an amazing resort, I could have stopped here for so much longer and was sad to have to leave!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Robinson2301, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Review Date: 31 Aug 2019

Review Body: We spent 2nights/3days here as part of our honeymoon and what more can we say but ‘fantastic!’ The resort can only be accessed via boat deep into the rainforest (roughly a 1.5hour boat from Sandakan), the resort, unlike many from in the surrounding area is completely isolated and you feel fully surrounded by the wilderness! On the boat trip each day we saw every animal we could dream of, crocs, wild orangutans, monkeys, fire flies (night trip) and more! The resort is on board walks and you can wear shorts, trainers but a long sleeved t-shirt and plenty of mosquito spray is recommended (although we only got bitten a couple of times), I would also recommend taking some binoculars! We didn’t but they would have been useful, especially when we saw a pregnant wild orangutan with its already born baby! AMAZING! The resort is clean and the rooms are awesome with each surrounded by rainforest and an outdoor shower if you are brave enough! The food was great considering its location and a good selection for all and small bar for beers and wine which can be purchased. If you are travelling to Borneo and want to see the real rainforest without have to go trekking and with a little luxury! This is for you! We will be recommending to all our friends!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Paul T, County Dublin, Ireland

Review Date: 14 Jun 2019

Review Body: This resort is situated on the Kinabatangan River and is of a very high quality. The chalets are luxurious, surrounded by riverine forest and handsomely appointed. They are raised on stilts, and joined by a boardwalk to each other and to the restaurant, reception and landing stage on the river. Moreover the grounds themselves contain lots of wildlife that can be tricky to see elsewhere. Particularly, bearded pigs, squirrels and water monitors are habituated to foraging around under the buildings and hence are ideal photo subjects. Leopard cats, sambar deer, colugos and tarsiers are occasionally been seen in the grounds, as well as lots of local invertebrates, which can be spectacular. These photo ops require a lot less effort than those at Deramakot or Danum. Boat trips up and down the river are launched from here each morning and afternoon, to try to spot orang utans, proboscis monkeys, elephants and macaques in addition to wonderfully colourful broadbills, kingfishers and beeaters. Also night trips can see owls, crocs and even snakes. Staff were wonderful, as everywhere in Borneo. Food was of high standard. Painless way of seeing some iconic wildlife. Great addition to any Borneo itinerary!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: A&U

Review Date: 09 Feb 2020

Review Body: We had a fabulous holiday at the KWR resorts on the Kinabatangan river The resort is beautiful with large rooms set amidst a lovely green jungle. The staff were brilliant, friendly and helpful led by their manager JR who also doubles up every night on his guitar to entertain the guests. The food was also delicious. A few maintenance issues with hot water were dealt with promptly by JR Finally it’s the wildlife that makes this a special place and with the help of Max our wonderful guide and Captain Anday ably steering the boat we saw pygmy elephants, orangutans, proboscis monkeys, langurs and macaques, squirrels , snakes and lots of birds including 5 species of kingfisher, hornbills leaf birds and 3 species of sunbirds. Lots of diverse wildlife but you need patience and luck and don’t expect the density to match wildlife viewing in Africa or bird life in the Pantanal. We stayed for 4 nights and were very lucky with sightings. Overall a lovely experience, marred a bit at the end as the resort management led by an officious head office manager literally hounded us out of the resort as quick as they could to make way for the arrival of “VIP customers who were flying in on a private jet”.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Graham P, London, United Kingdom

Review Date: 11 Apr 2019

Review Body: This resort is a 90 min boat ride from Sandakan and in the Abai region. The resort is a fine feat of engineering given the setup in a remote location. It’s away from other lodges which makes it feel like alone in the jungle. We even had Proboscis monkeys within 50m of the lodge! The lodge is large with rooms of excellent size with outdoor and indoor showers. There is also a broad walk around the jungle for you to seek out animals yourself or with guides at night (we saw a civet). Room was lovely decorated with a bottle of wine and excellent towel animals - it was our honeymoon so the swan was particularly good! Food was ample and lots of choice. Room where it was served is lovely and in the evening the team play musical instruments to entertain. Guides were great and we had Dido on watch with Jai as our excellent captain. We saw everything like Elephants, macaques, Proboscis, crocodiles, birds galore. Would highly recommend Abai area than Sukao area as felt like more animals in that region plus Sukao boats came up to Abai. Also Sukao area lodges appear to be close together and don’t have that remoteness feel that KWR has.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: peterandjane, Wallsend, United Kingdom

Review Date: 17 Sep 2019

Review Body: Fantastic Deluxe Chalet acommodation only accessible by boat. The food was great and local specialities were excellent, although the vegetarian options were lacking. The resort staff are really friendly, efficient and helpful, even joining the resort manager in entertaining guests with their musical talents, singing and playing guitar/percussion on the odd evening. The highlights are of course the 3 x daily river safaris and night-time walk. The wildlife along the Kinabatangan river is truly special, we saw many primates including orang utan, proboscis monkey, red leaf and silver leaf monkeys, pig-tailed and long tailed macaque. We saw a few different snakes, otters, a 4.5m crocodile, frogs, fire flies, scorpions, numerous birds including several eagles, hornbills, kingfishers and a dozen or so species I have added to my never seen before list. Dido was a fantastic guide, pointing out wildlife that we hadn't any idea were nearby, and generally a really nice young fellow. I thoroughly recommend Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort and will be returning myself in the near future.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: kaet79, melbourne

Review Date: 17 Jan 2020

Review Body: We did extensive research before deciding that whilst it was expensive, Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort had such great reviews particularly about the tours, that we would book. We are very glad we did. The resort is isolated within the jungle with beautiful rooms - ours was a new or newly renovated villa with a double and single, great food and most importantly, great river cruises. We saw a wild orangatang which was very special, as well as a number of proboscis monkeys, crocodiles, birds, snakes and more. The only thing we missed out on was the trip to the fishing village - possibly because there were only 2 other guests and as they departed that morning our first morning cruise finished earlier. We were a little disappointed about this particularly as we weren't told. It was partly made up by the offer to stop by a fishing village and buy giant river prawns which my husband loves and the chef kindly cooked for us. Great service and accommodation and wild borneo jungle made for a great trip.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: cut2quick, London, UK

Review Date: 12 Jun 2019

Review Body: We stayed at here for 2 nights and at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge for 2, KWR was by far our favourite. The rooms are large and comfortable and really feel out in the jungle - we loved having the bearded pigs around and the walk to the restaurant across boardwalks was great. As with most of the lodges we stayed in, the food wasn't very spicy but it was cooked well and there was plenty. The only thing that seemed to run out was fresh pineapple! We'd have liked the resort to be more eco-friendly by having reusable water bottles in the rooms and flasks for the guests to buy or borrow as well as product dispensers in the bathrooms. Maybe in future? Our guide was Dido and he was the best on our entire trip. Knowledgeable, attentive and excellent English so he could describe things clearly and answer our questions fully. We wish we'd stayed at KWR for our whole stay on the river, it's a great resort with lovely staff and amenities. Highly recommended.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: BarbaraBVA, Virginia

Review Date: 31 Mar 2019

Review Body: From being met in Sandakan and throughout our two night stay to our departure I cannot fault this wonderful resort! Our guide was Andis and our captain was Jai. Both did a great job of entertaining us and pointing out all the wonderful wildlife that only experts can pick out from afar. Highlights were the Pygmy elephants and of course the proboscis monkeys. We will never forget though, bobbing around in the water in the dark, watching the fireflies, seeing a wonderful owl and being stunned by the constellation and seeing the Milky Way properly with no light pollution. The staff at this lodge can’t do enough for you and are utterly charming. I loved how remote it was. It felt very special. Wonderful rooms too. Extremely comfortable. Invest in a good pair of binoculars for your safaris. There are plenty to borrow but it’s worth having a crystal clear pair so you can see the wonderful wildlife clearly for yourself!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Nchiu22, Hong Kong, China

Review Date: 10 Dec 2019

Review Body: We stayed 3D2N at KWR and had an incredible time! The resort feels extra secluded, exclusive and wild given it’s remote location, and this is exactly what we wanted coming to Kinabatangan River. We would definitely recommend Abai over the busier Sukau area. The wildlife in the area is abundant - we were lucky enough to see orang-utans, proboscis monkeys and even a rhino hornbills during our river excursions. Wildlife aside, the resort was beautifully maintained with large, comfortable rooms. We especially loved taking outdoor showers in the sun in privacy. The food quality was amazing everyday with a wide variety. But most of all, the staff team here really made all the difference. Special thanks to Andis, our guide, who is a talented spotter and iPhone-binocular photographer! And Jheyar, for being so welcoming and attentive.

Review rating: 5

Itinerary Day 1

Itinerary Summary: Scenic boat cruise, wildlife spotting, sunset photography, night wildlife walk

Itinerary Description: 12:00 PM: Board the boat from Sandakan Yacht Club Jetty for a scenic 1.5-hour cruise to Abai, Kinabatangan. Highlights of the journey include views of Berhala Island, a historic sandstone cliff site from World War II, mangroves, and local villages. This cruise also offers us views of the different types of vegetation found along Sabah’s mighty Kinabatangan River. 1:30 PM: Arrive at the Resort, check in, and enjoy lunch with a briefing on upcoming activities. 4:00 PM: Enjoy refreshments, including coffee, tea, and local banana fritters (goreng pisang). 4:30 PM: Head out on an afternoon wildlife river cruise in a smaller, open-top boat to spot orangutans, proboscis monkeys, various bird species, and if you're lucky, pygmy elephants too! 6:30 PM: Return at sunset for stunning landscape photography, with a chance to see fireflies if the weather permits. 8:30 PM: After dinner, take a night stroll along boardwalks to observe nocturnal wildlife and fascinating insects. Enjoy an overnight stay in a cozy Deluxe Chalet nestled in the heart of the jungle.

Itinerary Day 2

Itinerary Summary: Wildlife cruise, visiting Ox-Bow Lake, fishing village, and Sandakan seafront

Itinerary Description: 6:30 AM: Begin the day with an early morning cruise to observe wildlife and birdlife. Visit the nearby Ox-Bow lake, Danau Pitas, and explore its serene surroundings while enjoying a packed breakfast. 8:00 AM: Continue cruising past the local fishing village of Kampung Abai and observe daily activities of Orang Sungai (river people). 8:30 AM: Return to the resort for breakfast. 9:00 AM: Check out and embark on a 1.5-hour boat ride back to Sandakan Yacht Club Jetty. Pass by fishing villages along the coast and enjoy a chance to photograph Sandakan town from the seafront. Sandakan was also known as ‘Little Hong Kong’ in the olden days. Arrive at Sandakan Yacht Club Jetty. End of service.