A secret garden teeming with undiscovered wildlife lies in the eastern basin of the Malaysian state of Sabah.
An ecologically diverse heartland blessed by the Kinabatangan river is the unprecedented destination for wildlife lovers. A trip down this river is an experience to remember. One that could make you swear off visiting any zoo.
The Kinabatangan river is a 560-kilometre long waterway which begins from a remote mountain source, flowing through limestone outcrops, oxbow lakes, mangrove swamps, floodplains, then leads out to the Sulu sea. It is the largest forested floodplain in Malaysia; and to keep its region abundant with vegetation and wildlife, a natural annual flooding occurs usually in the months of December and January.
The central visitor’s point to Kinabatangan is at the charming little village of Sukau. Mainly inhabited by the Orang Sungei (literally, river people), the village plays host to the many environmental conservationists and travellers arriving to explore the river. With relatively comfortable accommodation provided, guests can also opt to stay with an indigenous family via a homestay programme. The programme allows visitors to experience the Orang Sungei’s culture and community life first hand, and even participate in their daily activities. That said, the highlight of course, is the native inhabitants and diverse ecology of the Kinabatangan.
On a villager’s humble sampan (a wooden flat-bottom river boat), take a ride along the waterway and drift into a peaceful, yet enchanting world among the mangrove trees and grass swamps. Gracing you with their presence overhead will be hornbills, blue-banded kingfishers, egrets, storks and majestic oriental darters. Watch as these birds ceremoniously dive underwater for fish, then outstretch their wings to dry off on the riverbanks.
Among the mangroves roots, you may find a family of otters, playfully running alongside your boat and occasionally plunging into the water for respite. And if you are a little more observant, you may just find a python asleep on an overhanging branch above you.
With luck, you might also be able to encounter a herd of pygmy elephants (a recently declared new elephant subspecies and exclusive to Borneo), orang utans, Bornean gibbons, macaques or the cheeky proboscis monkeys playing in the forest area skirting the river.
Other Kinabatangan natives you might also be able to catch a glimpse of are the Irrawaddy dolphins, Sumatran rhinoceros, civet cats, freshwater sharks, crocodiles and a host of fish and bird species. The list of possible encounters would be daunting, especially for a nature expert, as this sanctuary is still teeming with undiscovered wildlife even today.
However, the fight for many conservationists to have the area preserved as a National Park is heavily opposed, as the region is also home to the logging industry and palm oil plantations. Until then, the Kinabatangan will have to fend for itself with its natural flooding, which it has for centuries so far.
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Getting there: Visitors intending to visit this ecological wonder usually flies into the Sabah state capital, Kota Kinabalu from Kuala Lumpur. Then connect with another flight to Sandakan. Alternatively, traveller’s also have the choice of a direct flight to Sandakan from Kuala Lumpur on a local low-cost airline. In Sandakan, you will have catch a minibus, operating thrice daily, to Sukau. Otherwise, pre-book transportation and accommodation with a local tour operator. Usually these tours are customizable, and will come with an informative guide.
