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A trip down the River of Life

Most times, travellers to the Kinabatangan and Sukau make the effort to visit because it simply is the only place in Sabah or even Borneo for that matter, that the wildlife is so accessible. The Sukau/lower kinabatangan area is a zoo safari and night safari all rolled into one. The kinabatangan wildlife sanctuary is only 26,103 hectares in size and within this tiny area (hemmed in by palm oil plantations from all sides), is a great variety of animals and flora, some endemic to Borneo and some endemic to the area itself. The diversity of this area is unimaginable. There are a recorded 1000 plant species, 250 bird species, 90 fish species and reptilia and 50 mammal species cramped into the area. And sometimes during the rainy season between December and February, the river bursts its banks and floods over the floodplain inundating a vast area. The animals suffer a great deal from this as the higher grounds where they used to retreat to, are now palm oil plantations and they are left with little land to survive and even less to feed on during these months of hardship. It’s been known that animals starve to death during these times.

For the drier periods, visitors have a higher chance of animal sightings and animals like the pygmy borneon elephants, the orang utan , probocis monkeys, silver leaf monkeys or langurs, macaques, civet cats, snakes, estuarine crocodiles, otters, wildboars, birdlife such as the oriental darters or snakeheads they are called, herons, Wallace's Hawk-Eagle, Jerdon's Baza, Violet Cuckoo, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Grey-headed Fish-Eagle, hornbills and  can be ‘found’, if your nature guide and boatman is experienced. There may be a lot more than meets the eye.

There are generally 2 ways to go about getting to Sukau area, one is by boat all the way which may take 2hours meandering up the languid river or the other is to take a 1 hour van or car ride on rough palm oil plantation roads to the jetty and then a 10 – 15min boat ride to the resort. It is however advisable that if you are pregnant or if you have a bad back, not to travel on the plantation road. The road condition is atrocious due to the rain and heavy vehicle use and 45km at 20km/hr of this travel will definitely be a painful affair if you are not accustomed to it.

Normally, just to make the trip a little easier, many take the tours out and stay a day or two at resorts, homestays and hostels along the kinabatangan river. The itinerary is very similar from one tour agent to the other.

The first day will be the menanggol river trip. This small tributary of the great kinabatangan is where visitors will get to see a variety of birds, snakes, monkeys and if lucky – the elephants and orangutans. Animals hang around water sources for the food. The fig trees that grow along riverbanks are a favourite source of food and their succulent fruit is highly sought after by all creatures’ great and small.

On the second day, a boat ride down to the oxbow lakes for a bit of bird and croc watching is a good idea. It gives the visitor a perspective of the type of habitat found at the lower kinabatangan. As a floodplain, the area can be unforgiving and can also be a source of life. The river has about 30 oxbow lakes and more ancient ones that have silted up by the natural change of river course. There are a few oxbow lakes that is host to a myriad of nature’s treasures and it all depends on luck – being there at the right time.

There are a few conservation programmes conducted by individuals who live or/and make a living from the area such as the Miso Walai Homestay and Sukau Rainforest Lodge.

Both are committed to creating a long term relationship with the untamable river. They are protecting and moving to restore some balance. Sukau Rainforest Lodge endeavors to reforest and rehabilitate the forest around the resort by planting a variety of saplings of species familiar to the plains. They also involve their guests in this tree planting exercise. Every visitor staying at the resort gets to help plant a sapling in a 64 hectare riverine land at Tenegang.

The saplings are stock from species such as Nauclea subdita (Bangkal Kuning), Octomeles sumatrana (Binuang), Ficus racemosa (Tangkol), Neolarmarkia cadamba (Laran), Terminalia copelandii (Talisai paya) and Litsea garciae (Pengolaban). This is one of many on their agenda to help and integrate into the community as well as preserve the land.

Miso Walai Homestay is under a community cooperative that helps the poor, indigenous rural community living in the Batu Puteh area and also carry out wetland restoration work in the surrounding floodplain forests of the Lower Kinabatangan.

In areas so fragile and so effected by human activity such as the lower kinabatangan river, it is crucial to look into responsible tourism and each individual who has the privilege to visit and be part of this ecosystem even for a day has a responsibility to retain a piece of it not only in memory and pictures but also in participation. With help and recognition from all sides, then will life at kinabatangan be preserved.

 

For more on work to be done at lower kinabatangan river, have a look at http://www.iucn.org/themes/fcp/publications/files/flr_costarica/flr_davison_ext.doc

 

more on Kinabatangan River & the Sukau Area...

 

Accommodation and Packages to North Sabah ~ Sandakan, Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Gomantong Cave, Selingan Turtle Island , Lankayan Island , Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Sukau Area , Danum Valley , Tabin Wildlife Reserve & Lahad Datu

Trips & Packages :
Day Trips	Sepilok OrangUtan Rehabilitation Centre | 1/2 Day Sepilok OrangUtan Rehabilitation Centre Tour | Full Day Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre & Safari River Cruise Trip | Gomantong Cave Bilit Rainforest Lodge ~ | Full Day to Gomantong Cave & Bilit River Cruise | Tabin Wildlife Reserve Tabin Wildlife Resort ~ | Tabin Wildlife Mud Volcano |
Overnight Trips	Kinabatangan / Sukau Wildlife Sanctuary Bilit Rainforest Lodge ~ | 2 Days 1 Night Sepilok Orang Utan / Bilit / Gomantong Cave / City Trip | 2 Days 1 Night Oxbow lake / Bilit / Gomantong Cave / City Tour | Bukit Malapi Lodge ~ | 2 days 1 night Sepilok , Sukau , Gomantong, Sandakan City Package Tour | 2 days 1 night Sepilok / Sukau / Oxbow lake / Sandakan City Package Tour | Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge ~ | 2 Days 1 Night Sandakan Safari Trip | Kinabatangan Jungle Camp ~ | 1 day 1 night Package Tour | Myne Resort ~ | 2 Days 1 Night Gomantong / Bilit / Sepilok / City Tour | Sri Menanggol Cabins ~ | 2 Days 1 Night Sepilok / Sukau (SMC) / Gomantong/ City Tour | Sukau Rainforest Lodge ~ | 2 Days 1 Night Kinabatangan Wildlife Safari Trip | Selingan Turtle Island Selingan Island Chalets ~ | 1 Day 1 Night Selingan Island Tour | 2 Days 1 Night Selingan Island And Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Tour | Tabin Wildlife Reserve Tabin Wildlife Resort ~ | 2 Days 1 Night Tabin Wildlife Encounter |
3 Days 2 Nights Packages	Kinabatangan / Sukau Wildlife Sanctuary Bilit Rainforest Lodge ~ | 3 Days 2 Nights Gomantong Cave / Bilit / Ox-bow lake / Bilit / City tour | 3 Days 2 Nights Sepilok Orang Utan Centre/Bilit/Oxbow lake/Gomantong cave/City Tour | 3 Days 2 Nights Turtle Island/Sepilok Orang Utan Centre/Bilit/Gomantong cave/City Tour | Bukit Malapi Lodge ~ | 3 Days 2 Nights Selingan / Sepilok / Sukau / Gomantong cave / Sandakan City tour | 3 Days 2 Nights Gomantong cave / Sukau / Oxbow lake / Sepilok Orang utan / Sepilok Night walk | 3 Days 2 Nights Sepilok / Sukau / Oxbow lake / Gomantong cave / City tour | Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge ~ | Sandakan Safari Extravaganza Package | Sukau Wildlife Safari Package | Myne Resort ~ | 3 Days 2 Nights Safari Adventure | 3 Days 2 Nights Venture Bilit Trip | Sri Menanggol Cabins ~ | 3 Days 2 Nights Sepilok / Sukau (SMC) / Oxbow lake / Gomantong cave / City tour | Sukau Rainforest Lodge ~ | Kinabatangan Wildlife Safari Package | Abai Village / Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary Abai Jungle Lodge ~ | Abai & Sukau Trip | Abai with a Local Touch Package | Danum Valley Borneo Rainforest Lodge ~ | 3 days 2 nights Borneo Rainforest Explorer | Tabin Wildlife Reserve Tabin Wildlife Resort ~ | 3 Days 2 Nights - Tabin Wildlife Observation and Nature |
4 Days 3 Nights Packages	Kinabatangan / Sukau Wildlife Sanctuary Bilit Rainforest Lodge ~ | 4 Days 3 Nights Sepilok Orang Utan Centre/Bilit/Oxbow lake/Gomantong cave/City Tour/Sabah Hotel | 4 Days 3 Nights Turtle Island/Sepilok Orang Utan Centre/Bilit/Oxbow Lake/Gomantong  Cave/City Tour | Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge ~ | 4 Days 3 Nights Sandakan Safari Adventure | Myne Resort ~ | 4 Days 3 Nights Borneo Extravaganza | Sukau Rainforest Lodge ~ | 4 Days 3 Nights Selingan Turtle Island , Sepilok OrangUtan & Kinabatangan River Safari | Tabin Wildlife Reserve Tabin Wildlife Resort ~ | 4 Days 3 Nights Birding at Tabin Package | 4 Days 3 Nights Overnight at Mud Volcano Package |
5 Days 4 Nights Packages	Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary & Danum Valley Sukau Rainforest Lodge & Borneo Rainforest Lodge ~ | Kinabatangan Safari, Gomantong Cave & Danum Valley Rainforest Package | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary & Abai Village Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge ~ | 5 Days 4 Nights Sandakan Borneo's Wildlife Package|
Bird Watching Tours	| 14 days 13 nights Birding in Borneo | 5 Days / 4 Nights Bird Watching at Sukau & Abai |
Dive Trips	| Lankayan Dive Packages |
Combination Trips	| 10 Days 9 Nights Sabah Nature & Sipadan Dive Trip | 10 Days 9 Nights Kinabalu , Sandakan Wildlife & Kapalai Dive Trip | 9 Days 8 Nights Mount Kinabalu Climb and Sukau Wildlife Adventure | 7 Days 6 Nights Kota Kinabalu & Sandakan Wildlife Adventure | 6 Days 5 Nights Sandakan Wildlife Adventure & Lankayan Island Trip |
Accommodation :
Sandakan Town	Hsiang Garden Hotel | Hotel Sandakan | Sanbay Hotel | Seafront Hotel | Sabah Hotel | Hotel Tyng Garden | Swiss Inn Waterfront |
Sepilok Nature Reserve area	| Sepilok Nature Resort | Sepilok Forest Edge Resort |
Lahad Datu	| De Leon Hotel | Executive Hotel | Grace Hotel |
Accommodation in other areas of Sabah:
Tawau	| Heritage Hotel | Belmont Marco Polo | Promenade Hotel |
Semporna	| Seafest Hotel | Singamata Adventure Semporna |
Mabul	| Sipadan Water Village Resort | Sipadan Mabul Resort | Borneo Divers Mabul Island Resort | Seaventure Platform | Mabul Water Bungalows |
Kapalai	| Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort |
Mataking	| Reef Dive Resort |
Kota Kinabalu	5 Star Hotels | Hyatt Regency | Le Meridien Hotel | Novotel 1 Borneo | 4 Star Hotels | Beverly Hotel | Jesselton Hotel | Grand Borneo Kota Kinabalu | Promenade Hotel | 3 Star Hotels | Celyn Hotel City Mall | Kinabalu Daya Hotel | Imperial Boutec | Imperial International Hotel | Hotel Shangri-La | Tang Dynasty | Motels | D'Borneo Hotel | First Century Hotel | Budget Inns & Homestays | Akinabalu Youth Hostel | Borneo Adventure Centre & Lodge | Borneo Backpackers | Borneo Global Backpackers | Buddy Backpackers Home | Lucy's Homestay | Lyn's Lodge Bed and Breakfast | North Borneo Cabin | Planet Kinabalu | Trekker's Lodge | Xplorer's Backpackers | Beach Resorts | Tanjung Aru ~ Megah D'Aru Hotel | Shangri La's Tanjung Aru Resort | Tuaran ~ Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort | Tuaran Beach Resort | Kinarut, Papar ~ Beringgis Beach Resort | Langkah Syabas Beach Resort | Kota Kinabalu ~ Nexus Karambunai Resort | Sutera Harbour Resort - Magellan Sutera | Sutera Harbour Resort - Pacific Sutera | Service Apartments | Colonnades Condominium | Likas Square Condotel | Marina Court Resort Condominium | Promenade Apartments | Island Resorts | Gaya ~ Gayana Eco Resort | Mantanani Kecil ~ Mari Mari Dive Lodge | Pulau Tiga ~ Pulau Tiga Resort (Survivor Island) | Kinabalu Park | Lodges at Kinabalu Park | Cabins at Laban Rata | Lodges at Mesilau Nature Resort | Kinabalu Park & Poring Hotsprings Package | Kinabalu Park & Surrounding Day Tours | Outside Kinabalu Park | Celyn Resort Kinabalu | D'villa Rina Ria Lodge | Kinabalu Pines Resort | Zen Garden Resort |
Trips & Packages in other areas of Sabah :
Kota Kinabalu & Outskirts Day And Overnight Trips	Day Trips | Kota Kinabalu City Tour | Kinabalu City By Night | Monsopiad Cultural Village | Kota Belud Sunday Market | Kudat Rungus Longhouse | Manukan & Sapi Island Hopping | Kinabalu National Park | Poring Hot Spring | Kinabalu National Park & Poring Hot Spring | Overnight Trips | Kinabalu National Park & Poring Hot Spring (2 days 1 night) | Rungus Longhouse Cultural Trip (2 days 1 night)|
Outdoor Sporting & Nature Activities	| Garama Wetland Cruise | White Water Rafting Day Trips at Padas or Kiulu | Tambunan Rafflesia Rainforest Tour |
Mountain Climbing	| Mount Kinabalu/Kinabalu Park Packages | Mount Kinabalu Via Ferrata | Mount Kinabalu Climb and Walk The Torq Via Ferrata | Mount Kinabalu Climb and Low's Peak Circuit Tour | Mount Trusmadi Climb |