Kinnabatangan River

The Kinabatangan or Sungai Kinabatangan River is located on the island of Borneo in Sabah in eastern Malaysia. It is known to be the second longest river in Malaysia. The river starts its journey from its headwaters in the mountains of southwest Sabah and flows around 560 kilometers to meet the Sulu Sea in the east of Sandakan. The Kinabatangan River houses one of the richest ecosystems in the world. This river is well known for its incredible wildlife and delightful habitats like dryland dipterocarp forests, freshwater swamp forest, limestone caves at Gomantong hill, oxbow lakes, riverine forest, and salty mangrove swamps near the coast. The lower basin of Kinnabatangan is known as the largest forest covering the floodplain in Malaysia. This is the part of Malaysia where one can spot largest concentration of wildlife in the entire South East Asian region. The river bank area houses some of the wonderful species of animals like proboscis monkey and an indigenous orange utan of Borneo. In the surrounding forest area, 10 species of primates are found. Along with that, eight species of hornbills are also found in Borneo. If you are walking through the forest trail at the dawn or dusk, you may get the wonderful opportunity to spot the wildlife of this forest. One can witness a Sumatran rhinoceros roaming around the trees or even an Asian elephant. Sometimes night safaris are also arranged to spot birds, nocturnal animals, and crocodiles. There are quite a few major local tourism companies in the Sukau area which can offer you a good package that include transportation, accommodation, and meals along with guided tours. If you are adventurous enough or if you are planning to experience the life of the Orang Sungai, then you can plan for Homestay program. This facility is available around the village. It will offer you the chance to get a closer look of a unique culture. The birds are there around the entire region. The riverbank greenery is the home to all the 8 species of Hornbills. Sometimes, rhinoceros hornbills are also found here. Other than birds, one can witness a iety of crocodiles especially during the dry season. At night, you can see the charming nocturnal wide-eyed slow loris. Maximum numbers of animals are seen during the humid months. There is an oxbow lake near Nature Lodge Kinabatangan where one can have a glimpse of amazing otters. Bird sighting is remarkable here.