It is worth getting up early if you want to see the river coming to life. Set your alarm for 5.30am, grab a coffee on your way down to our private jetty, and be on the water while mist is still sitting on the surface of the Kinabatangan.
Why cruise the Kinabatangan river at dawn?
The first hour after sunrise is the busiest of the day on the river. Primates are moving out of the trees they slept in towards their feeding grounds, birds are calling across the water, and the air is still cool enough that animals stay active and visible rather than resting deep in the shade. By mid-morning the same stretch of bank can look completely empty.
What you might see
- Orang-utans in the riverside trees
- Proboscis monkeys and silvered langurs, often in large troops
- Several species of hornbill, the birds our lodge is named after
- Kingfishers, egrets and oriental darters working the banks
- Long-tailed macaques at the water’s edge
What to bring
Grab your binoculars if you own a pair or rent them at reception. Sun protection and rain protection, since both can arrive inside the same hour. There is no cover on the boat, so put cameras and phones in a dry bag.
The dawn cruise is included in every package at Hornbill Lodge, and a buffet breakfast is waiting in the restaurant when you get back.
