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Hornbill Lodge

Seasonal sightings, guide notes and honest planning advice, written from the lodge.

Green turtle hatchlings crossing the sand to the sea on Selingan Island

A Night on Turtle Island: What Actually Happens on Selingan

The one daily boat, the 5pm beach curfew, the wait after dinner and the hatchling release at midnight — hour by hour, plus the rules that catch families out.
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A wooden jetty and covered river boat on the muddy Kinabatangan river with rainforest behind

How to Get to the Kinabatangan River: Every Route to Bilit

Flights, transfers and overland options from Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Semporna — and the arrival time that decides whether you cruise on day one.
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Proboscis monkey leaping between trees over the Kinabatangan

Proboscis Monkeys: Borneo’s Strangest Primate, and Where to See Them

Why the nose, why the belly, how harem and bachelor groups differ, and the time of day that makes proboscis monkeys the most reliable sighting on the Kinabatangan.
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Aerial view at dawn of a wide muddy river winding through unbroken Bornean rainforest with mist over the canopy

Kinabatangan, Danum Valley, Tabin or Deramakot? Choosing Where to See Wildlife in Sabah

An honest comparison of Sabah's three main wildlife destinations — access, forest type, what you are likely to see, cost and effort — including when the Kinabatangan is the wrong answer.
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Orang-utan on the ropes at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre: Feeding Times, Fees and How to Plan the Visit

Feeding times, current fees, opening hours and honest advice on what you will actually see at Sepilok — plus how it fits a Kinabatangan trip.
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Flat lay of river safari kit on wooden decking: binoculars, sun hat, insect repellent, water bottle, head torch, rain jacket, rubber boots and a camera

What to Pack for a Kinabatangan River Safari: A Practical Checklist

What to bring, what we lend you, and what to leave at home for a river safari on the Kinabatangan — written from what guests actually wish they had packed.
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Herd of Bornean pygmy elephants at the edge of the Kinabatangan River

Kinabatangan Wildlife Month by Month: What You’ll Actually See

An honest month-by-month guide to Kinabatangan wildlife: what our guides actually see, what really changes with the seasons, and when to book.
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Come and see it for yourself

Wild orang-utans, proboscis monkeys and pygmy elephants on the Kinabatangan — two hours from Sandakan, all meals included.

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