Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Borneo: Sabah, Kinabalu Park and the Kinabatangan River
9 days from Kota Kinabalu: easy trails in Kinabalu Park, Sepilok's orangutans and sun bears, Sandakan, and two nights on the Kinabatangan River with up to four boat safaris.
9 days · Round trip from Kota Kinabalu · up to 12 guests
Mount Kinabalu from the Mesilou road, Kundasang Photo: Michi3325, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jln_Cinta_Mata-Mesilou,_Kundasang.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Kota Kinabalu
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Mostly boardwalks, short forest trails and boat time. The longest walk is 1 to 2 hours on the trails near Kinabalu Park headquarters at about 1,560 m, with steps and roots; the active option is a steeper 3 to 4 hour trail. Heat and humidity in the lowlands are the main effort, and you can sit out any walk at the lodge.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 540 (estimated price)
- Season
- March to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Up to four boat safaris on the Kinabatangan River, at dusk and at dawn, from a riverside lodge where you stay two nights
- Sepilok at the morning feeding, then the rescued bears at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre next door
- The Rainforest Discovery Centre canopy walkway in the late afternoon, when hornbills and other birds are most active
- Mount Kinabalu at first light from Kundasang, after an afternoon on the easy trails of Kinabalu Park
- An early boat to the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, with snorkel gear included
- Sandakan's wartime and colonial story: the Memorial Park, Agnes Keith House and a tasting walk
- Gomantong Cave on the way out, then a flight back west instead of a full day on the road
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 540 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu International Airport to your hotel in the city
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Kota Kinabalu
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI), about 8 km from the centre, where a driver meets you for the short ride to your hotel. Kota Kinabalu, known to everyone as KK, is the capital of Sabah, a compact city between the South China Sea and the Crocker Range. Most of it was rebuilt after the Second World War; the white Atkinson Clock Tower of 1905 is one of the few older buildings that survived. If you land early, walk the waterfront and watch the fishing boats come in.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the days ahead: what the river lodge is like, what to wear on forest walks, and how we plan around the best hours for wildlife. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner of Sabahan dishes, with grilled fish and local greens, as the sun goes down behind the islands offshore.
Included
- Pick-up at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Activity: Plan to land by about 4 pm to join the briefing; later arrivals are met and briefed the next morning.
Islands in the morning, the city at dusk
Kota Kinabalu to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park by boat and back
- Breakfast
- Stay in Kota Kinabalu
- By boat
Morning
We walk to Jesselton Point after breakfast and take one of the first boats of the day out to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, a marine park of five islands a short ride off the city.
Afternoon
Going early means calmer water and quieter beaches before the midday boats arrive. On Manukan or Sapi, depending on the sea, you can swim, snorkel over the reef with the gear we bring, or walk the short forest path across the island. We are back in the city by early afternoon, when the heat is strongest, and the rest of the afternoon is yours: rest at the hotel or walk Gaya Street and the Filipino handicraft market.
Evening
Late in the day your guide takes the group up to the Signal Hill viewpoint, past the Atkinson Clock Tower, for the view over the harbour and the islands, then down to the waterfront night market, where you choose your own dinner from the grills.
Included
- Return boat to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, with the park conservation fee
- Snorkel gear and time on Manukan or Sapi island
- Late-afternoon walk with your guide: the Atkinson Clock Tower and the Signal Hill viewpoint
- The waterfront night market with your guide
Optional experiences
- Mari Mari Cultural Village (afternoon, booked locally)
Easier option: Stay on the beach in the shade instead of snorkelling.
Free time: Afternoon free in Kota Kinabalu; dinner on your own
Activity: Snorkelling is from the beach in shallow water and depends on the sea; life jackets are available.
Up into Kinabalu Park
Kota Kinabalu to Kinabalu Park headquarters, then Kundasang
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kundasang
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
We leave after breakfast and drive about two hours north-east, climbing out of the coastal plain over the foothills of the Crocker Range. On a clear morning the granite crown of Mount Kinabalu, 4,095 m and the highest peak in Malaysia, shows ahead long before we arrive, so we stop at the roadside stalls of Nabalu for the view and a coffee. Kinabalu Park was listed by UNESCO in 2000 for its plant life, one of the richest in the world, from orchids to pitcher plants. The headquarters sit at about 1,560 m, where the air is cool and often misty. With a park guide we walk the short trails near headquarters, through moss forest and along a stream, looking at plants rather than chasing animals.
Afternoon
Lunch is at the park.
Evening
In the afternoon we drive a few minutes on to Kundasang, a farming town on the mountain's flank, where the evening is free and the night is cool.
Included
- Drive from Kota Kinabalu with a stop at the Nabalu viewpoint
- Kinabalu Park entry and a guided walk on the short trails near headquarters with a park guide
- Lunch at Kinabalu Park
Easier option: Stay on the level paths near headquarters and the park garden, with time in the cafe.
More active option: A longer, steeper forest trail of 3 to 4 hours with the park guide, in place of the short loop.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Kundasang
Activity: No summit climb: Mount Kinabalu needs a permit and a mountain hut night booked well ahead. Nights at this height are cool, about 13 to 18 C, so bring a warm layer.
Kinabalu at first light, then east to Sepilok
Kundasang to Ranau and Telupid, then Sepilok
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sepilok
- Drive about 4.5 h
Morning
Get up for first light: the mountain is clearest early, before cloud gathers around the summit by mid-morning. After breakfast we visit the Kundasang War Memorial, gardens built in 1962 in memory of the Australian and British prisoners who died on the Sandakan death marches of 1945, the story we pick up again in Sandakan. Then comes the longest drive of the trip, about 220 km and four and a half hours of driving east via Ranau and Telupid. There is no shorter way: flying would mean driving two hours back to Kota Kinabalu first, and the total day would be no shorter.
Afternoon
We break it with a sit-down lunch near Telupid, about halfway, and short stops as the hills give way to lowland forest and oil palm plantations, which your guide explains honestly. We reach Sepilok by mid-afternoon, with the rest of the day free at the lodge.
Included
- Mount Kinabalu at first light from Kundasang
- Kundasang War Memorial
- Drive to Sepilok with your guide
- Sit-down lunch near Telupid
Optional experiences
- Guided night walk at the Rainforest Discovery Centre, run by the centre's own guides and booked locally
Easier option: Stay in the van at the short stops and rest at the lodge on arrival.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Sepilok
Activity: The one long road day: about four and a half hours of driving, broken by a sit-down lunch and short stops. Drive time is approximate and confirmed with our ground team before departure.
Orangutans, sun bears and the canopy
Sepilok: the rehabilitation centre, the Sun Bear Centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre
- Breakfast
- Stay in Sepilok
The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre was founded in 1964 to return orphaned and rescued orangutans to the forest.
Morning
The animals here are semi-wild and range freely in the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, so whether they come to the morning feeding platform depends on them; in fruiting season fewer appear. We are on the boardwalk before the 10 am feeding, then watch the young orangutans in the outdoor nursery from the viewing gallery. Next door, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre cares for sun bears, the smallest bears in the world, most rescued from captivity; you watch them from walkways above their forest enclosures.
Afternoon
Lunch is on your own near the centres, and the hot middle of the day is free. In the last open hours of the afternoon, when birds grow active again, we walk the canopy walkway at the Rainforest Discovery Centre with your guide, looking for hornbills before it closes at 5 pm.
Included
- Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre at the morning feeding, with the nursery viewing gallery
- Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
- Rainforest Discovery Centre canopy walkway in the last open hours of the afternoon
- All entry and camera fees
Optional experiences
- Return to Sepilok for the afternoon feeding
Easier option: Skip the canopy walk and rest at your hotel.
More active option: Go back for the afternoon feeding at Sepilok before the canopy walk.
Free time: Middle of the day free; lunch on your own
Activity: Easy walking on boardwalks. Keep quiet at the platforms, use no flash and never approach or feed an orangutan.
Sandakan, then down to the river
Sepilok to Sandakan, then the lower Kinabatangan River
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kinabatangan River
- Drive about 3 h
We start at the Sandakan Memorial Park, on the site of the prisoner of war camp from which the death marches to Ranau began in 1945; of about 2,400 prisoners held here, only six survived, all of them escapees. Then into Sandakan, a port that was once the capital of British North Borneo. We visit Agnes Keith House, where the author of Land Below the Wind lived in Sandakan before and after the war, with its view over the bay, then take a short stretch of the heritage trail with tastings of local coffee and snacks, looking out over the stilt houses of Kampung Buli Simsim.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch we drive about two and a half hours to the lower Kinabatangan, Sabah's longest river, and settle into our riverside lodge for two nights. In the late afternoon we board the boat for the first safari, as proboscis monkeys gather in the riverside trees to sleep; your guide confirms the time on the day, depending on the drive and the light.
Included
- Sandakan Memorial Park
- Agnes Keith House
- A short stretch of the Sandakan heritage walk with local tastings
- Sit-down lunch in Sandakan
- Dusk boat safari on the Kinabatangan River
- Binoculars on loan for the river days
Activity: Boats have shade and life jackets. Wildlife is never certain; your guide and boat crew will look for what the river offers that evening.
Dawn and dusk on the Kinabatangan
A full day at the lodge and on the river
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kinabatangan River
- By boat
The boat leaves at about 6 am, when mist still lies on the water and the forest is loudest: gibbons calling, hornbills crossing the river, macaques feeding on the banks.
Morning
We are back for breakfast as the heat builds. The Lower Kinabatangan is a protected wildlife sanctuary of forest strips and oxbow lakes, squeezed by plantations, so animals concentrate along the river; that is why it is a good place to look, and why we watch from a distance. Late morning there is a short guided walk near the lodge to look at insects, plants and tracks. The middle of the day is free to rest. At about 4 pm we go out again, this time into a narrow side stream where the boat can drift close to the banks. Pygmy elephants move along the river in herds and are seen some weeks and not others.
Evening
After dinner a lodge guide leads a night walk.
Included
- Dawn boat safari
- Guided walk near the lodge
- Afternoon boat safari into a side stream
- Guided night walk with a lodge guide
Optional experiences
- Night boat cruise, run by the lodge when the river allows
Easier option: Skip the late-morning walk and the night walk and rest at the lodge between the two boat trips.
More active option: Add the night boat cruise after dinner.
Free time: Middle of the day free at the lodge
Activity: Leech socks are useful on forest walks after rain. Boat crews keep their distance and cut the engine near animals. From November to February the river can run high or flood; then the lodge keeps to the safest stretches and side streams, and forest walks may be shortened or swapped for extra boat time.
A last dawn, Gomantong and the flight west
Kinabatangan River to Gomantong Cave, then Sandakan Airport and a flight to Kota Kinabalu
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kota Kinabalu
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
An optional last dawn boat safari for anyone who wants it, then breakfast and a 9 am start. Half an hour from the river is Gomantong, the largest cave system on the lower Kinabatangan. A short boardwalk leads through forest to the Black Cave, a cavern of limestone where swiftlets build the nests that local collectors harvest under licence, and where bats roost high in the roof. It is dark, humid and smells strongly of guano, and the boardwalk can be slippery, so good shoes matter. In the licensed nest-harvest seasons, roughly February to April and July to September, access to the cave can be limited; then we walk the forest boardwalk and visit the visitor centre instead.
Afternoon
From there it is about two hours to Sandakan for a sit-down lunch, then a flight of under an hour back to Kota Kinabalu, instead of six or seven hours on the road back west. We book a flight that leaves no earlier than about 4 pm, so the morning is not rushed.
Evening
The evening ends with a farewell dinner by the sea.
Included
- Dawn boat safari (optional to join)
- Gomantong Cave with a local guide
- Sit-down lunch in Sandakan
- Flight from Sandakan (SDK) to Kota Kinabalu (BKI)
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Sleep in instead of the optional dawn boat and join the group at breakfast; wait at the Gomantong visitor area instead of walking into the cave.
Activity: Inside the cave the boardwalk is wet and the smell is strong; wear closed shoes you do not mind getting dirty. Cave access can be limited during nest harvests; the forest boardwalk and visitor centre are the fallback.
Kota Kinabalu and home
Kota Kinabalu to Kota Kinabalu International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
The last morning is yours. Have a slow breakfast, then walk the waterfront or, if it is a Sunday, the Gaya Street market, where stalls sell fruit, plants, handicrafts and snacks from early morning until about noon. The Kota Kinabalu City Mosque on its lagoon and the craft stalls near the waterfront are short taxi rides away if you have the time.
Evening
Your guide will have helped with any last questions the evening before and checked your flight. A driver takes you back to Kota Kinabalu International Airport, about 8 km and 20 minutes from the city, at the time that suits your flight. There are direct flights from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and other regional hubs throughout the day, so any departure time works; if you want more time in Malaysia, ask us about extra nights in Kota Kinabalu or a connection to our Kuala Lumpur and Penang trip.
Included
- Drop-off at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI)
Free time: Free until your airport transfer
Activity: Any flight time works; the airport is about 20 minutes from the city.
- Kota Kinabalu2 nights
- Kundasang1 night
- Sepilok2 nights
- Kinabatangan River2 nights
- Kota Kinabalu1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Sabah is hot and humid all year, with showers most afternoons. March to October is drier; from November to February the monsoon brings heavier rain to the east coast and the Kinabatangan can flood. Wildlife sightings are never certain: when forest fruit is plentiful, fewer orangutans come to the Sepilok platform.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want to see Borneo's wildlife without camping or long hikes
- First-time visitors to Sabah who want the river, Sepilok and Kinabalu in one trip
- Photographers and birders happy with early starts for the best light and activity
- Travellers who care how wildlife tourism is run
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who wants to climb Mount Kinabalu
- Travellers who need a guaranteed sighting of orangutans or elephants
- A beach holiday: there is one island morning, not island days
- Step-free access: boats, boardwalks and forest trails throughout
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Kota Kinabalu2 nights
- Kundasang1 night
- Sepilok2 nights
- Kinabatangan River2 nights
- Kota Kinabalu1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 2 in Kota Kinabalu, 1 in Kundasang near Kinabalu Park, 2 in Sepilok, 2 at a lodge on the Kinabatangan River and 1 in Kota Kinabalu
- Hotels of a 3-star-plus standard, central in Kota Kinabalu and walking distance from the Sepilok centres; a river lodge with private rooms and bathrooms; we name each when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI)
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and driver from Kota Kinabalu to the Kinabatangan
- The boat to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and back
- Up to four boat safaris on the Kinabatangan River (the last dawn boat is optional)
- The domestic flight from Sandakan (SDK) to Kota Kinabalu (BKI)
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 9, including on the flight
- Park guides at Kinabalu Park, lodge guides on the river and a local guide at Gomantong
Activities
- Kota Kinabalu: Tunku Abdul Rahman Park with snorkel gear, Signal Hill and the waterfront night market
- Kinabalu Park: entry and a guided walk on the trails near headquarters
- Kundasang: first light on Mount Kinabalu and the Kundasang War Memorial
- Sepilok: the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre canopy walkway
- Sandakan: the Memorial Park, Agnes Keith House and a short heritage walk with tastings
- Kinabatangan River: dusk, dawn and side-stream boat safaris and an optional last dawn boat, a guided walk and a night walk
- Gomantong Cave
- Binoculars on loan for the river days
- All park, conservation, entry and camera fees for included visits
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 5 lunches, including at Kinabalu Park, on the road to Sepilok and in Sandakan
- 4 dinners: a welcome dinner, two at the river lodge and a farewell dinner
Not included
- International flights to and from Kota Kinabalu
- Visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, driver and boat crews
- Optional activities, such as the night river cruise and Mari Mari Cultural Village
- Personal expenses
- A Mount Kinabalu summit climb
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 540 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 12% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 2,790 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 2,980. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 3,170.
What does the price include?
Eight nights in hotels and a river lodge, 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners, airport transfers, our own vehicle and driver, the flight from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu, up to four Kinabatangan boat safaris (the last dawn boat is optional), the island boat, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan with its entry, conservation and camera fees.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, so the whole group fits in one boat on the river, boards and unloads quickly, and stays quiet at the viewing platforms in Sepilok.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from arrival to departure, including on the flight. Park guides join us in Kinabalu Park, lodge guides and boat crews lead the river safaris and walks, and a local guide takes us into Gomantong Cave.
Will we see orangutans and pygmy elephants?
Probably orangutans, possibly elephants, but no one can promise either. Sepilok's orangutans are semi-wild and fewer come to the platform when forest fruit is plentiful. Elephant herds move along the Kinabatangan and are seen some weeks and not others. Proboscis monkeys, macaques and hornbills are seen on most river trips.
Is this trip ethical for wildlife?
We built it to be. There are no animal shows, no handling, no feeding and no flash photography. Sepilok and the Sun Bear Centre are rescue and rehabilitation centres, and we ask our boat crews to keep their distance and cut the engine near animals. Your fees help fund the centres.
Do we climb Mount Kinabalu?
No. We walk the easy trails near the park headquarters and see the mountain at first light from Kundasang. The summit climb takes two days, needs a permit and a mountain hut night booked well ahead, and is strenuous. Ask us if you want to add it before or after the trip.
How fit do I need to be?
Easy. Walking is mostly on boardwalks and short forest trails, the longest about 1 to 2 hours at Kinabalu Park. The heat and humidity are the main effort. Every walk has an easy option, and you can rest at the lodge between boat trips.
I am travelling solo. What will it cost?
Solo travellers pay the same trip price plus a single supplement of CAD 540 for a room of their own, shown up front with no surprise at checkout. If you would rather share, ask us when you book. Solo guests get the same rooms, seats, boats and tables as everyone else.
When is the best time to go to Borneo?
March to October is the drier season and the best time for this trip. From November to February the monsoon brings heavier rain to Sabah's east coast and the Kinabatangan can flood, so we run fewer departures then. It is hot and humid all year, with afternoon showers.
Do I need a visa for Malaysia?
Citizens of Canada, the US, the UK and most of Europe do not need a visa for a tourist stay. Fill in the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card in the three days before you land, and expect a second passport stamp on arrival in Sabah, which runs its own immigration check.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes; the small group starts from CAD 3,170 and the private trip from CAD 5,705.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The private style is for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide, vehicle and boat on the river. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote a comparable route.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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