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Rustic chalets and dormitory rooms set in Kampung Bilit Kinabatangan, be ready to watch abundance of wildlife from the comfort of boat rides. Transfers to and from Tanini Kinabatangan (formerly Nature Lodge Kinabatangan) and meals are included in the tour prices.
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There's many tour operators for the Kinabatangan River and many lodges to stay at. Ultimately we chose the Nature Lodge Kinabatangan and their 3D/2N tour because it was an ok mid range price, and also because it offered more cruises and walks than anyone else we found.
We were really happy with our decision in the end.
The tour started with pickup from our hostel in Sandakan and then off to the orangutan and sun bear rehabilitation centres in Sepilok. We were a bit disappointed with the orangutan centre as it's just like being in a zoo. The sun bear centre was a bit more interesting as we hadn't seen those animals before. Lunch followed at a nearby restaurant and then there was a two-hour minibus journey to the river and a short boat trip to the other side.
The staff at the resort were fabulous. Really friendly and helpful. Our accommodation was so much more than what we expected. Nice chalets with comfortable beds. Plenty of space, a large bathroom with good water pressure and hot water. A bench to sit on outside. Tea and coffee in the room and even plugs with USB points to charge our devices!
Our guide and boat captain for the river tours were fantastic. Pointing out so many animals and answering all of our questions. After two cruises we saw an elephant, probiscus and many other monkeys, crocodiles, a monitor lizard, birds and more. The only one we missed was a wild orangutan. Animal sightings aren't guaranteed of course.
On our evening walk we saw multiple animals, much more than just spiders and insects and more than we expected.
Sadly, our tour was cut short because of the coronavirus lockdown, so we couldn't do any more activities. But the staff were really accommodating. Allowing us to stay for the full length of time we had booked and kept serving meals. It was a shame, but we'd already seen lots of animals so were happy with that.
Travelled in late March and the weather was really good.
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Date of stay: March 2020
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I booked with Nature Lodge because they offer a 2 day 1 night tour from Sandakan to Kinabatangan River. Pick up is in Sandakan or Sepilok, and lunch is at your own expense at Mango Garden where the food was nice but the service incredibly slow (our meal was only just served by the time we needed to be back on the bus). Dinner and breakfast are included. The tour included transfers to the lodge on the river, an afternoon cruise, a night jungle walk, and an early morning cruise, and back to Sandakan. The accommodation was okay, with excellent air conditioning. Our boat guide was fantastic, and we saw a lot of wildlife. 2 days and 1 night is plenty. Highly recommended.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked through Borneo Dream and had the most wonderful experience. Our guide Mohammed was fantastic - his ability to spot animals from hundreds of metres away was so impressive and his enthusiasm for his job made the experience even better. Thanks to Mohammed, we managed to see the Borneo Big 5 - pygmy elephants, proboscis monkey, crocodile, orangutan and rhinoceros hornbill. It was an experience I will never forget. Our accommodation at the lodge was comfortable and spacious. The meals were good and there is drinking water available to refill water bottles.
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Alexander Yee, General Manager at Tanini Kinabatangan (formerly Nature Lodge Kinabatangan)
Responded 25 Jun 2023
Thank you for visiting us. And yes, you have seen the big 5!! Huge congratulations! Do help us pass the words around. Take care.
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Booked the 3D/2N package through River Junkie in late November. We went when the river was high, which drastically reduced our chances to see pgymy elephants and crocodiles, but we did get to see many species of monkeys, birds, and even a few orangutans!
Rooms: We booked a private cabin and for a two star hotel, it was adequate. The bed was comfortable, they provided a towel, the AC worked well, and the shower was hot. My major complaint was that the cabin felt dirty: dusty throughout and particularly noticeable under the bed and the toilet seat was not cleaned. The furniture was also a bit rundown.
Service: The staff were friendly, including our guide: Mohammed. He seemed knowledgeable about the area and allowed us to use his binoculars on the boat. As part of the package, you go on a couple of night walks and a jungle trek. You can "rent" boots and a flashlight from the lodge (RM 10/ each, cash), but I think they should be included in the package because there's no way you could do either of these activities without them.
For our first day, our group had 7 people, which was a perfect number. Easy to hear the guide on the boat, a little tougher on the night walk if you're in the back. The second day when the next group arrived, they got added to our group, which made for 12. I believe the max number of people is 14, but even 12 was a lot. If you're at the front of the boat, it's hard to hear the guide in the back and on the jungle trek/night walk, if you're in the back, you're hooped- you can't hear what the guide is saying.
While I'm glad we had this experience, I wouldn't do it again. Perhaps if I was a wildlife photographer, I would. But you're so far away from the wildlife that a camera phone isn't going to do the trick. Lastly, there's no wifi in the rooms. But if you have a data plan, you should be able to connect (at least with Celcom).
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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I stayed here during November 2023 for a 3D2N trip and it was great! We stayed in the bigger dorms which had 3 bunk beds and to be fair they were clean, with mosquito repellent. The bathrooms could be better though as it was a shared one between the us and the other guests and was semi-outdoors. It didn't have water sometimes but was never fixed despite informing the staff about it. We went on a 6am morning cruise every day and an afternoon one, with breakfast included. The breakfast is a typical buffet with lots of food options. Our guides Mohammed and Omar were exceptionally good at spotting animals such as crocodiles and hornbills, and we stopped once in a while to see them, however we were not lucky enough to see the pygmy elephants. The receptionist was really friendly - she talked to us a lot and her daughter was the sweetest kid you'll ever meet! Overall this experience is great for animal lovers and photographers as it was interesting to see Borneo's wildlife, but don't expect a luxury experience at the lodge - the rusticity makes it better!
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Date of stay: November 2023
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Â BRING REPELLENT! There are mosquitoes everywhere
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed here for 2 nights. We were picked up from Sandakan by Alan, a really nice friendly driver, who took us on to Sepilok. There we had lunch (as we didn’t do the orangutan and bear sanctuaries with the company the lunch was not covered). We then had a two hour drive to the jetty on the Kitabanangan River.
When we arrived after a short river crossing we were amazed by the place itself. They’ve done so well to incorporate the place into the jungle, it really did feel as though we were right in the heart of the forest.
The river safari was incredible. Our guide Raswan was so knowledgable, interesting and he was great at spotting animals. Within minutes he was showing us proboscis monkey groups, macaques, various bird species and amazingly an orangutan after only about 20 minutes! The night walk was equally if not more incredible, as again was Raswan, pointing out amazing nocturnal animals like whip scorpions, snakes, a slow loris and civets, and telling us about them.
We stayed in a dorm, which was perfectly nice! To our surprise there was also air-con which was definitely needed for us! The lodges themselves are nice, with various chill-out spots where you can chat with fellow guests.
The food was also delicious, with 3 meals included within the price of the booking.
If you want to visit, which I highly recommend, ensure you bring plenty of powerful mosquito repellent, as they are absolutely everywhere, particularly on the daytime jungle walk. Also bring some kind of waterproof (poncho etc) as it does rain a lot and as long as there isn’t strong lightening the river cruises still go ahead!
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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I never write reviews but really needed to big up this little gem. Honestly can’t believe any negative reviews on here. This place surpassed my expectations Yes the rooms are basic but this is a 2 star. We were the new style lodges which were clean and spacious. Massive bathroom with walk in shower, large twin room with veranda looking over the river, great air con. Chairs on veranda, nice toiletries, tea and coffee and 2 new golf umbrellas. Food was good choice of fish dish, chicken, beef and 2 vegetable dishes per meal with rice and noodles, soup and fruit. Simple food but totally ok. I am gluten free and vegan and they made sure I ate well every meal. Guide and river cruise were amazing. Saw the Borneo big 5 crocodiles, proboscis monkey, hornbills orangutan and elephants on 2 occasions. This was very special and the guide was in constant contact with other guides on a what’s ap groups to make sure he found everything . Ramzan our guide was just as excited as us when he heard there were elephants up steam and got us there as quickly as possible. 4 of us shared the boat with 4 lovely people from Italy so only 8 of us. Night walks were great and we saw a variety of birds sleeping and many different types of insects .All staff were extremely friendly and helpful and made this an incredible experience. Yes this is a 2 star chalet but definitely exceeded my expectations. Thank you everyone xx
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Date of stay: August 2024
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Highly recommend staying here, staff are friendly and helpful. The price is very reasonable for what is included. The guides are knowledgable... food is great!! Accomodation is nice and clean (basic but that adds to the charm)
Highly recommend
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from AlexanderYee, General Manager at Tanini Kinabatangan (formerly Nature Lodge Kinabatangan)
Responded 18 Mar 2020
Thank you for your feed back. We will keep trying to ensure that our visitors see value in staying with us. Do have a safe onward travel. Regards
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We went for 3 days and 2 nights with my family. The excursions were very good, especially the boat excursions where we saw many animals including several elephants, monkeys and crocodiles (our guide Modahemd was very good!!). The food was ok. But the rooms were not good or comfortable. We use 2 bedrooms, one with a double bed and the other with 2 singles. The room with the 2 singles was dirty (especially the sheets!!) and so was the bathroom.
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Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Rooms
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Cleanliness
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very much alive with trees and wildlife. Its a must for nature lover and those seeking solace and sanctuary away from the busy and hectic city life.
Staffs are very professional, our sales person Jane is easily contacted and vrry helpful during our trip.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Vanya,
I wore a pair of long socks and pulled high up, covering my long pants as well. After that, we wore the rented long yellow/black boots. It was alright and i did not encounter leeches.
Make sure you wear long sleeves and long pants. You may want to bring mosquito repellent spray if you tend to be bitten by mosquitoes.
There will be night walks. I just used the light from my handphones to walk around. :)
Hope this helps.
There are more places to choose from in the Sandakan area.
PRICE RANGE
$370 - $390 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
nature lodge kinabatangan hotel sandakan
LOCATION
MalaysiaSabahSandakan DivisionSandakan
NUMBER OF ROOMS
16
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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