4D3N Turtle Island & Kinabatangan River Safari
A night on Selingan with nesting turtles and hatchlings, the Sepilok sanctuaries, then two nights on the Kinabatangan. From RM3090 per person.
Your Itinerary Day By Day
Day 1 · Sandakan to Turtle Island
Your adventure starts with pick up between 8.30 – 9.15am depending on your hotel then across to Turtle island via a 1 hour speedboat ride from Sandakan. The boat leaves Sandakan by 10am daily, so we recommend flying in one day before your tour starts to avoid any issues.
The rest of the day is yours to swim, snorkel and roam around the island. Visitors are not allowed to walk on the beaches after 5pm to avoid disturbing nesting turtles. Meals are served buffet style in the island’s dining room: lunch 12.30 – 1.30pm and dinner 7.30 – 8.30pm.
Turtle hatchery activities start after dinner. Sabah Parks rangers patrol the beaches in search of nesting green and hawksbill turtles, relocate the nests to the hatchery and release the hatchlings back into the Sulu sea.
Meals: lunch, dinner
Day 2 · Turtle Island to Sepilok to the Kinabatangan
Enjoy an early breakfast then catch the boat at 7am for the return crossing to Sandakan.
From there you will join a guided visit of the Sepilok orang-utan sanctuary and the sun bear sanctuary, home to the world’s smallest species of bear, before travelling overland to Hornbill Lodge on the Kinabatangan river in Bilit.
Check into your room, then head out on your first river cruise at 4pm with your guide on the lookout for proboscis monkeys, macaques, silver leaf monkeys, orang-utans, crocodiles and birds. After your river cruise, return to the lodge for dinner before joining your guide on an included night walk.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3 · A full day on the Kinabatangan river
As day dawns, join a river cruise and watch the Kinabatangan come to life — Borneo’s endemic hornbills, proboscis monkeys and macaques along the banks.
After breakfast, a guided jungle walk looks for orang-utan nests in the canopy. Lunch overlooks the river, then an afternoon cruise with a chance of pygmy elephants. After dinner, a night walk or optional night cruise for nocturnal wildlife.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4 · Kinabatangan to Sandakan
Enjoy a final dawn river cruise and breakfast overlooking the river before checking out.
Your transfer back to Sandakan will depart from the lodge at 8.30am and is suitable for flights leaving from 1pm onwards, or we can drop you at hotels around Sepilok and Sandakan between 10.30 – 11.30am.
Onward transfers to Lahad Datu (for Danum Valley & Tabin Wildlife Reserve) or Semporna (for Mabul / Sipadan) can be arranged on request, please inform us at the time of booking.
Meals: breakfast
Everything That's Included
A night on Selingan with the turtles, Sepilok’s sanctuaries and two nights on the Kinabatangan — the full Sabah wildlife circuit.
Not included: Drinks other than tea, coffee & water; Tourism Tax RM10 per private room per night; Flights; Camera fees at Sepilok; Tips (optional).
In the price :
- 1 night twin-share accommodation at Turtle Island
- 2 nights accommodation at Hornbill Lodge
- Guided visit of Sepilok orangutan & sunbear sanctuary
- 4 river cruises (2 morning, 2 afternoon)
- 2 night walks & 1 jungle walk
- Meals as per itinerary
- Return boat & land transfers to Turtle island, Sandakan/Sepilok on scheduled basis
- Nature guide on join-in basis
Pricing
River Chalet
Twin or triple share, ensuite
RM3090
/ per person*
- Private ensuite bathroom
- River-facing veranda
- Single supplement RM800
Good to know
Supplements & children
50%
child discount (2 – 10 yrs), sharing room with 2 adults*
- High season supplement August & September 2026: RM250 per person
- Tourism tax RM10 per room per night
- Infant under 2 years old: RM300
- Minimum 2 people per departure, solo travellers are welcome to join our existing departures
- Single room supplement: RM800
*Prices valid for tours departing before 31st Dec 2026
Departures & Good To Know
Pick-up times, drop-off, children and what to bring.
Tours depart Wednesday, Friday and Sunday based on min 2 pax; solo travellers may join existing bookings
Alternative departure dates are available on request but may be subject to additional fees
Pick up from hotels in Sepilok is around 8.20 - 8.30am and from hotels around Sandakan it is between 9.15 - 9.30am.
If you plan to fly in the same day your tour starts, please ensure your flight lands by 8.30am. We recommend arriving 1 day prior to your tour to avoid the stress of delayed flights - there is no later boat to Turtle Island.
All departures are subject to weather / sea conditions.
On rare occasions boats cannot reach or leave Turtle island due to rough sea conditions. Accommodation at Turtle island is fully non-refundable, so no refund can be offered, but we will help you reschedule or provide an alternative tour
Yes - guests of all ages are welcome to join this tour.
The maximum room occupancy at Turtle Island is strictly 2 adults & 1 child aged 10 years or below; families with older children or more than 1 child will be required to take 2 rooms.
River cruises are not physically demanding, but night and jungle walks require the ability to walk for an hour or longer over uneven ground
There is no step-free access at the lodge: the closest rooms are 10 - 20 steps from the restaurant, the furthest around 85
We will provide a mask and snorkel for your time on the island
There is very little phone reception at both Turtle Island and Hornbill Lodge.
Starlink wifi is available in the restaurant area in both places but can be slow at times
Hornbill Lodge has 24 hour electricity as well as a back-up generator; power outages may still occur but should be short-lived
Yes, we highly recommend adding an extra night to visit Gomantong Forest Reserve for the caves, primates and bat exodus. Please ask our reservation team for a quotation.
4.9 on TripAdvisor
73 reviews · #5 of 17 in Kinabatangan District
Verified guest reviews on TripAdvisor.
The full Sabah wildlife circuit in four days
Tell us your dates and we’ll come back to you within 24 hours with availability, room type and transfer times.
