All reviews
Review Author: Rummena
Review Date: 28 Dec 2025
Review Body: Such a great tour, everything was on time and communicated properly.
The lodge was nice, better than I expected. The food was good. The guide we had for the river cruise (Linda) was amazing. She was really enthusiastic and happy to answer questions and give any extra information. You can tell they are passionate about what they do. And she was so good at spotting wildlife!
We saw some nice wildlife during the cruise, including a kingfisher, proboscis monkeys, elephants (even babies!), and various types of hornbills. The only thing we missed was the crocs and that was due to the high water level.
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Houda
Review Date: 08 Aug 2026
Review Body: We had a great experience! Our guide Kai was kind and knowledgeable. As soon as an animal was spotted, he would stop the boat, giving us a few minutes to watch and/or take pictures. While we were taking pictures, Kai would give us interesting facts about the animals.
The food was also delicious!
We paired this activity with the day trip to visit the orangutan and sun bear sanctuaries. In two days, we were able to see the Big 5.
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Krishant
Review Date: 18 Sep 2025
Review Body: Pick up was on time. We did their day tour. Briefing on arrival was good, mentioned everything we need to know. Our tour guide was excellent. Very knowledgeable and skilled at spotting animals, saw 4/5 big 5s they’d aim to show you. And food was really good as well.
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Christiane Siedau
Review Date: 24 Jan 2020
Review Body: Warm Welcome in the Borneo Nature
Sukau Bilit Resort, good Good, cute People.
Greetings to Fredoline Uning, he and
his Collegue helpfull and cute.
Greetings Christiane Siedau
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Amaro
Review Date: 01 May 2025
Review Body: Amazing experience in the jungle. Great guide, we saw the elephants so close! Crocodile, hornbill, proboscis... Highly recommend
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Laura francke
Review Date: 16 Jul 2026
Review Body: Wonderful cruise. So many animals. Fantastic food. Great way to finish our Borneo adventure
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Matteo S
Review Date: 18 Sep 2026
Review Body: Wonderful adventure on Kinabatangan river. The cruise was very well organized: transfer, welcome upon arrival and dinner. We joined one-day trip and I really appreciated that boat was not crowded (only 12 people). On the other hand, we weren't lucky enough when it came to spotting wildlife, especially because after one hour we were caught in heavy rain and had to return to the resort pier.
As for Seek Sophie, the website is very well designed, while the customer service replied to my booking within a couple of hours.
I definitely recommend this company for experiences around the world.
Review rating: 4
Review Author: Alejandra
Review Date: 19 Aug 2026
Review Body: The resort has very nice facilities and all staff are super helpful. For the day trip you’ll arrive just on time for tea break before the river cruise and will get dinner after . The driver will take you back to your hotel in sandakan or sepilok.
Review rating: 4
Review Author: peter
Review Date: 26 Apr 2026
Review Body: Lots of time just sitting and waiting and especially on the boat stopping to see monkeys or birds and just staying in place for 15 minutes when we could be moving on to other areas and searching for more wildlife ......not good value for money for me and others i spoke to as well......would have preferred to save my money for some other activity
Review rating: 2
Review Author: TO NGUYEN BAO TRINH
Review Date: 10 Sep 2020
Review Body: This was the cheapest deal we could find among tour agents during rMCO for 2 people. And this is the only tour agent that provides Sandakan airport pickup (or maybe there are some but we couldn't find). And everything was VERY worth the money. The wooden room is very big in the middle of jungle, food is cooked which can be suitable flavor for everyone and delicious. The 1st day there was only 3 people on the river cruise so I felt like it was a private tour for us and we could talk more to the tour guide, which is very knowledgeable. We couldn't see elephants although we were informed that there was a group of them heading to downstream. So we could see monkeys, hornbills, crocodiles, white boars, eagles...Don't expect to see lions or some dangerous animals as you are not real explorer :))) It is more toward about your experience and escape from hectic life. The activities are repeated everyday so it may get less interesting sometimes. But if you have times I think 3D2N is good option because 2D1N if the weather is not good then you are not lucky. Our 2nd day was raining and we couldn't see many animals on the river cruise. At the end we gave our tour guide some tips as our thanks for him. Resort staffs are also very nice and warmly welcome us. In general, I highly recommend you to book this tour and enjoy the experience, you will not regret spending the money.
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Annika D, Sydney, Australia
Review Date: 24 Nov 2018
Review Body: We ended up doing a 4D3N tour, booked via River-Junkie. It was the perfect amount of time to spend there and my partner and I loved it. The wildlife was spectacular, we saw orang-utans, elephants, proboscis monkeys, silver leaf monkeys, hornbills, kingfisher, crocodiles and lots of other wildlife. As Kinabatangan has small sanctuaries along the river, surrounded by palm plantations, the wildlife has few placed to go to which is why it's fairly easy to spot wildlife, very sad for the animals but great spotting.
The staff is superb! Specially DD and Mr captain Israh, thanks so much for everything! You made our stay very special. They can't get enough credit for their work. Food is good, always several options/plenty of it and free flow or tea/coffee.
The dorms are very clean and has air-con, very comfy beds. You'll sleep well.
The only down side was the night walks, or the lack of them, 2 out of 3 were cancelled due to elephants too close to the lodge, which is fair enough but they seemed to struggle to find a replacement activity. A few of us ended up doing a night cruise instead but had to pay a whooping 80RM per person to do so.
Loved our stay there though and can highly recommend and would love to go there again!
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Qasim
Review Date: 09 Mar 2026
Review Body: Stayed for 3 d/2n in shared room. Had a great time!
Pros: good amount of river rides with committed guides; saw orangutans, crocodiles, Proboscus monkeys, and many others; each multiple times. Rooms are nice, good food options, friendly staff, and pick up/drop off is a big plus for a pretty long (2 hr) ride. Some past reviews said boat rides can be repetitive which worried me, but it was an advantage to have multiple attempts to see animals, and even if you see the same ones, you see them in a different context.
To be desired: jungle walks aren’t great, but the place is more set up for the river. The jungle walk ads-on is essentially just a short walk around the lodging rather than a real trek. Hopefully they can develop that a little bit over time if the space allows for it.
Note: don’t expect to see animals super close (sometimes you will though! We saw a croc pretty up close), but that’s to be expected (otherwise you’d just go to a zoo). Seeing animals in their natural habitat, even if far away, was much more enjoyable than seeing them up close in the sanctuaries
Lastly, staff was great. Eg I had some dietary needs that they both remembered and handled very easily without making it feel like an annoyance.
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Mebby12, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Review Date: 12 Jul 2019
Review Body: I visited in July with 2 other friends (23years old) and it was fantastic start to finish.
Pick up in sepilok was prompt and well organised.
The lodge itself was brilliant, clean room and comfy beds (6 bed dorm 6 girls we knew). Good communal space - beware of monkeys/bats but gives good jungle experience.
The staff we so lovely and couldnt do enough for you day and night. They served the buffet and planned the jungle walks and river cruises. Spoke good english and were full of knowledge and information on the local wildlife. They really went above and beyond to help us see crocodiles, orangutans, slow loris etc and we couldnt be happier!
One member of staff ‘Ryan’ took us to his village and helped us plant trees in the forrest - this was great to see the village life on the river.
The food was buffet and there was plenty of it.
Overall great experience, loads to do and great value for money. Also time to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet and drink tea in the calming environment.
We were lucky with what we saw but this was just a bonus to the already fantastic trip (3day 2 night).
Thank you to all the staff and hope to come back again so Alex can remain Limbo champion (of the guests)
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Tamara
Review Date: 30 Sep 2026
Review Body: An unforgettable experience!
loved it! The dorm was really nice, clean and comfy - had a proper study bed which was great so didn't shake when people climb up the upper bunk.
Big shoutout to our guides Alloy and Tan Chong who were absolutely restless in finding animals for us. You can tell they really want you to see everything.
Food was plentiful and really good too.
We were so lucky and saw all of the Big 5!
The river cruises might feel a bit repetitive for some people, (not for me) but that's how you get more chances to spot wildlife, and it was great for me. For example some people in my dorm preferred to stay sleeping instead of doing the last morning cruise, big mistake as that was when a saw the orangutans. Thus completing the big 5.
I was well looked after the whole time.
Also make sure to bring bug repellent,long sleeves, long pants(not leggings) to protect from mozzies. And if possible bring binoculars or try to ask to rent them first thing when you arrive(although they might not have any available)
Just a heads up - reception is spotty and there's no WiFi most of the time, so let your family know you might be offline for a few days. Part of the charm!
Would 100% recommend.
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Globetrotter0488
Singapore, Singapore
Review Date: 25 Jan 2019
Review Body: We went with no expectations given the remote location and the accomodation standards in the region and we were blown away.
Rooms are minimal and has all you need, funny to read people complain no tv or wifi..the reason to go to such places is disconnect and reconnect with nature and your surroindings. Wake up to the sounds of birds and wild animals to enjoy the cool fresh air in the jungle. The guides were amazing, knowleadgeable and entertaining. Staff went above and beyond to cater to everyone and make it fun. Games,laughter and exploration of the wild was the perfect getaway from the city. Don't expect gourmet meals but do expect a trip of a lifetime.
We were lucky to spot several animals including orangutans building nests in the wild.
I have to add a BIG thank you to all the staff as my husband managed to forget 1x bag in the restaurant and we were too far out in our journey to return. They managed to find someone to send it to KK the same day! They could have easily not bothered.
You are all stars and we hope to see you again!
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Shreyan Saha
Review Date: 01 Jan 2026
Review Body: Really good experience as a first timer. Granted that it's recommended to take the 3d2n package I personally didn't feel rushed at all in the 2d1n package. The boat trips were pretty long and usually they are willing to extend the trip durations slightly so that you get a better chance for sightings of the big 5 - which btw if you go at a good time of the year is not outside the realm of possibility.
If I do have to give some suggestions: Definitely increase the number of local items at the buffets and reduce continental items like baked beans, just a personal opinion. Other than that they take a 10 myr deposit for the room key. Make sure to get it back !
Other than that, the experience was pretty flawless, although for night, I'd recommend the night walk instead of the night cruise... slightly better chances for more nocturnal creatures imo and better chances to get closer to them.
P.S. I definitely will be coming back here again in the future!
Review rating: 5
Review Author: juniieejune
Hamburg, Germany
Review Date: 13 May 2019
Review Body: It's about 2.5hrs from Sandakan Airport but if you take the tour package, transportation is arranged.
Upon arrival we were greeted by friendly staff. We were brief on resort orientation and brought to our room. Loved the mosquito netting provided for each bed. Lovely sound of nature and insects. What a peaceful feeling when your bed has the forest view, priceless.
Kinabatangan river cruise activities were well arranged and punctual. Enjoyed our late afternoon and early morning cruise. Saw: proboscis monkeys, macaque monkeys, crocodiles, blue head kingfisher bird, hornbill and water monitor lizard. The night walk was fun too, we saw gigantic butterfly.
Food provided for each meal (breakfast, tea time, dinner) were delicious.
After dinner, there's short cultural activities between the guests and staff, before the night jungle walk.
Loved our experience and feel the warm hospitality from the staff. Highly recommended!
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Norman & Amelia
Review Date: 11 Jul 2025
Review Body: Everything was very well organised and run with military precision where all the river cruises and meal times/tea times were concerned. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful and accomodating. The river guides are all excellent,very knowledgeable and will work hard to seek out wildlife for you to see,though of course nothing is guaranteed. We were very lucky to have been paired with Rian/Ryan and were even more lucky with his keen eye to see nearly all of the Borneo Big 5 on our first trip. He also had a wildlife photographer on his boat who would whatsapp you all his pics for free 😊👍🏻 Not sure if that’s a regular thing though 🤷🏼♂️ Our only other tip,but it’s something we always do when travelling,is to take your own preferred drinks and snacks. The staff here will help with storage and refrigeration of anything take.
The accommodation is clean and a towel and some individual toiletries are provided per guest.
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Cheryl & Family
Review Date: 24 Aug 2025
Review Body: Really lovely resort. Very much in the Jungle but everything was of a much much better quality than we were expecting.
Great staff, lovely food and really excellent river cruises. Our Guide spotted lots of animals and gave us plenty of time to watch them. We saw baby Proboscis Monkey’s swinging in the trees (my highlight) and my Son got his wish of seeing a Crocodile…. we saw 4! Along with Long and Pig Tailed Macaques, Silver Leaf Langurs, Hornbills an Eagle and lots of other Birds.
We booked a 2D1N stay in a dorm room as that’s all that was left available to book. My children had never stayed in a shared dorm room before and I was nervous about it but I needn’t have been. They absolutely loved it!
The communication from the Seek Sophie Team was also excellent. Very reassuring for someone new to this kind of adventure.
All in all a magical experience. I fully recommend!
Review rating: 5
Review Author: DHJ_1, Chester
Review Date: 21 Apr 2019
Review Body: My husband and I booked the 3D2N package through River Junkies, and we were pleasantly surprised. We had a warm welcome from staff with tea and snacks when we arrived, and were shown to our dorm which was one of the nicest dorms we’ve ever stayed in! The big wooden beds were comfy, and the AC and fan were great when it got too hot. The showers and toilets were clean and we never had to wait to use them. The river cruises and nature walks were good but more commentary about the river and the animals that lived there would have been nice. We were so lucky to see an orangutan with her baby, plus lots of macaques, Proboscis monkeys, birds and four crocodiles. We got lucky again on the night walk and saw a pit viper and a slow loris which was amazing. Food was plentiful and tasty, and on the whole we really enjoyed our time here.
Review rating: 5
Itinerary
Itinerary Day 1
Itinerary Summary: Whistlestop trip to see the wildlife on Kinabatangan River
Itinerary Description: 02:30 pm: Arrive at Borneo Natural
03:30 pm Tea Break
04:00 pm: Put on your life jacket and start river cruising along Kinabatangan River in search for wildlife and bird-life.
06:30 pm: Back to the lodge for dinner.
1 / 7







1 Day Kinabatangan River Safari
Day trip to Kinabatangan River to spot wildlife
4.5
|259 Reviews
Group size
Up to 60 guests

DURATION
4 hours

Booking type
Join-in trip

MEET UP
At location

Group size
Up to 60 guests
- Experience highlights
- Itinerary
- Inclusions
- Availability
- More Info
- Host
- Reviews
Day trip to Kinabatangan River for a quick chance to spot wildlife
If you want a proper Kinabatangan wildlife safari but do not have time for an overnight stay, this is one of the easiest ways to do it. In a single afternoon, you get return transfers from Sandakan or Sepilok, a late-day river cruise when animals are active, and dinner after. It is ideal for travellers who want a real river safari experience, but only have half a day to spare.
What makes this stand out is the guide quality. Guests consistently mention guides who are sharp at spotting wildlife and genuinely happy to share what they know, instead of just driving the boat along. Even on one cruise, travellers have spotted proboscis monkeys, hornbills, kingfishers, crocodiles and, on lucky days, pygmy elephants close to the riverbank.
It is also easy to fit into a wider Borneo itinerary. Pick-ups are punctual, the briefing is clear, and the plan is simple: tea break, afternoon cruise, then dinner back at the lodge. If you are staying in Sandakan or Sepilok and want a smooth, well-organised way to experience Kinabatangan without packing for a night in the jungle, this works well.
What to Expect
Join-in half-day Kinabatangan River SafariReturn transfers from Sandakan or Sepilok areaTypical schedule: arrive around 2:30 PM, tea break at 3:30 PM, river cruise at 4:00 PM, dinner at 6:30 PM1 guided river cruise focused on wildlife and birdlife spottingChance to see proboscis monkeys, hornbills, kingfishers, crocodiles and sometimes pygmy elephantsTea break before the cruise and 1 dinner afterBoat size ranges from 8 to 24 guests depending on the boat used
Good to Know
Lunch is not includedThis is a join-in experienceWildlife sightings vary with weather and river conditionsHigh water levels can make some animals, especially crocodiles, harder to spotLife jackets are provided for the boat rideAvailability depends on boat capacity
Experience highlights
What You’ll be Doing
Whistlestop trip to see the wildlife on Kinabatangan River
Show Details
What’s Included
River guide
1 river cruise
1 dinner
Return transfer from Sandakan/sepilok area is included
Not included
Lunch
Available Add-ons:
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Who you’re supporting

Community Champion

Plastic Waste Warrior

Wildlife Protector
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Next Available Dates
Prices shown in USD
Select Time for 02 Oct 2026
Additional Information
Where we'll meet
Start Point
Meet-up at Borneo Natural Sukau Bilit (Borneo Natural Sukau Bilit Resort, Kota Kinabatangan, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia)
- 15 mins before selected timeslot
End Point
- End at Start Point(s)
Start & Ends
Daily
03:30PM - 07:30PM
Suitability / Accessibility
- Child Friendly (No Minimum Age)
Cancellation & other policies
Cancellation
To secure your spot, your host will turn away other guests. Because of this, cancellations aren't allowed.Minimum Participants
If there are fewer than 2 participants, the host may reschedule or refund your booking.
What to Pack
- Binoculars (optional)
- Camera
- Cap
- Comfortable light cotton casual attire with long or short pants is recommended as humidity is high throughout
- Insect repellent
- Items of personal use
- Raincoat / Poncho
- Sandal
- Sun screen lotion
From RM279.45
RM239.08
/person4.5(259)
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Meet your host
We've designed all our adventures for people who love nature as much as we do. My fellow guides and I have sharp eyes and huge hearts when it comes to Borneo's wildlife. If you're excited about the animals and plants here, we can't wait to share everything we know with you!
Experience: 11 years
Speaks: Fluent English
Acceptance rate: 79%

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