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    Back   Home     Destinations     Malaysia     Sabah     Borneo     Kinabatangan Wildlife Watching Safari


Kinabatangan Wildlife Watching Safari

Experience the scintillating beauty of Sabah’s spellbinding wilderness on an unforgettable Kinabatangan Wildlife Watching Safari. Encounter Bornean sun bears and orangutans, and cruise along the Kinabatangan River in search of proboscis monkeys, elephants, gibbons, hornbills and more. You’ll also be given an insight into life living alongside this majestic waterway during a visit to Kampung Abai fishing village, and be immersed in the culture and history of this magnificent region as you explore the sights of Sandakan.

Prices available on request. To book call 0161 260 0776

Tour Highlights

  • Encounter enchanting animals such as orangutans and Bornean sun bears at conservation and rehabilitation centres in Sepilok
  • Search for elephants, gibbons, hornbills and more as your cruise along the Kinabatangan River
  • Experience the rainforest at night on a unforgettable night-time safari on the waterway
  • Visit Sandakan Memorial Park, a poignant tribute to the British and Australian military personnel who died in the Japanese prisoner of war camp that once stood nearby

Itinerary

Photograph by Clement Liew Ket Hin/Sabah Tourism Board

Day 1: Sandakan - Kinabatangan

8.30am - Depart Airport or hotel for the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

After meeting your driver and guide at the airport or your hotel, you will travel to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre to experience one of Borneo’s most captivating creatures. On arrival you will learn about the plight of these wonderful animals and the rehabilitation efforts. You will then venture through the rainforests to watch the orangutans feeding. During your visit, you’ll also get to observe young orangutans in the nursery. Here they develop their climbing and social skills in the hope of one day being able to return to the wild.

After visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre you’ll head to the nearby Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre to learn all about this wonderful species and see them in their natural habitat. Home to around 43 rescued animals and one captive born bear, the facility provides an environment where they can develop their independence and natural instincts in the hope of being released back into the wild.

11am - Depart for Kinabatangan River

An air-conditioned minivan will take you and your guide to Sandakan Jetty. Here you will board your boat to travel to Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort on the Kinabatangan River. Your journey will provide opportunities for sightseeing and wildlife spotting, as you’ll sail through verdant rainforest, passing waterside villages along the way.

1pm - Arrive at Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort

On your arrival at Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort you’ll check in and have time for lunch. You’ll then be briefed on the upcoming activities by the local guide, before having time in the afternoon to relax.

4.30pm - Kinabatangan River Cruise

After a few hours of free time, it’s back on the adventure trail with a cruise up the Kinabatangan River to seek out some of the wildlife that inhabits its banks, including proboscis monkeys, elephants, gibbons and hornbills. You’ll return to Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort for dinner, before being able to enjoy a stroll along the boardwalk in search of some of Sabah’s fascinating nocturnal animals.

Overnight at Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort.

Day 2: Kinabatangan

6.30am - River Cruise to Kelenanap Oxbow Lake

Rise and shine early in preparation for a cruise to Kelenanap Oxbow Lake. This crescent-shaped body of water was cut off from the main river following a change of course. It now provides an excellent place to spot plants and animals.

8.30am - Local Fishing Village Visit

Sail on to Kampung Abai fishing village, where you’ll meet local Orang Sungai, a river people who inhabit the area, and learn all about their lives living on the waterway.

10am - Leisure Time

Return to Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort for breakfast and enjoy a day of leisure before venturing out in the afternoon to watch primate species at play by the river.

8.30pm - Night River Safari

After a hearty dinner you’ll set sail on a sensational night river safari to discover some of the rainforest’s phenomenal nocturnal inhabitants.

Overnight at Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort.

Photograph by Clement Liew Ket Hin/Sabah Tourism Board

Day 3: Departures

7am - Nature Boardwalk

Finish your breakfast and head out to the resort’s nature boardwalk to see what wild and wonderful creatures are waiting to greet you.

10am - Depart for Sandakan

Check out of the Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort and return to Sandakan by boat.

11.30am - Sandakan Memorial Park

On arrival at the jetty you will meet your driver and guide for your road transfer to Sandakan and a visit to the city’s memorial park. Located near to where Sandakan Prisoner of War Camp stood, the park is a permanent tribute to the British and Australian military personnel who died there while being held by the Japanese during the Second World War.

Following your visit to Sandakan Memorial Park, you’ll head to Puu Jih Shih Buddhist Temple. Sitting on a steep hilltop, it’s a wonderful spot for views across Sandakan Bay, as well as boasting an impressive interior filled with intricate carvings and sculptures.

Your next port of call in Sandakan is the Agnes Keith House, an old British colonial government quarter and once the home of American writer Agnes Keith, author of Land Below The Wind, written in 1939. Now a museum, the property provides an insight into what life was like during British colonial rule prior to the Second World War, as well as telling the story of Keith herself.

3pm - Departure

After an unforgettable adventure it’s time to return to your hotel, Sandakan Jetty or the airport for your onward journey.

Inclusions

  • Accommodation in a shared twin or shared double room
  • Meals as mentioned
  • English speaking guide Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and Sandakan
  • Entrance fees mentioned in itinerary
  • Drinking water
  • River cruise: Day 1: PM cruise. Day 2: AM, PM cruises
  • In-house, English-speaking nature guides on the Kinabatangan River
  • Return boat transfer on a join in basis

Prices available on request. To book call 0161 260 0776

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