Our afternoon cruise leaves the jetty as the light starts to fade, and it is often the one guests talk about over dinner. The heat has gone out of the day, the river is calm, and animals that spent the hottest hours hidden in the shade come back down towards the water.
Why the timing matters
As the light softens, troops of proboscis monkeys assemble at the river’s edge to choose a safe sleeping spot for the night. Watching a whole troop crash through the branches and settle above the water is one of the great spectacles of the Kinabatangan. This is also the best window of the day for pygmy elephants, which come down to the banks to cool off after the heat, and for orang-utans, which build a fresh nest in the canopy every evening, sometimes right in front of the boat.
What you might see
- Proboscis monkeys settling into their sleeping trees
- Bornean pygmy elephants on the banks, entirely down to luck
- Orang-utans building a night nest
- Hornbills flying home to roost
- Crocodiles starting to move as the light goes
Where we go
For safety, our boatmen and guides stay between Sukau village downriver and Bukit Batangan upriver, with a maximum duration of two hours. That gets you back to the lodge before dark, and it means we can always reach you by radio or phone if a boat has a problem. If you want to go further, ask reception about our prebookable extended river cruise on the long-range boat.
What to bring
Sun protection for the first half and rain protection for the second, because there is no cover on the boat. A dry bag for cameras and phones. Binoculars make all the difference between a rustling in the trees and a close up view of a pair of hornbills. If you don’t have your own, they can be rented at reasonable rates for a cruise or your whole stay.
The afternoon cruise is included in every package at Hornbill Lodge.
