Bilit sits about two hours by road from Sandakan airport, on the same stretch of the Lower Kinabatangan as Sukau, the next village downriver. Every package includes return scheduled transfers, so for most guests the only thing left to book is the flight.
Approximately 2 hours by road to the lodge. The closest airport, with flights from Kota Kinabalu and direct services from Kuala Lumpur.
Approximately 2 hours by road — useful if you are coming from Danum Valley or Tabin Wildlife Reserve.
A 45 minute flight to Sandakan, or 7 to 8 hours overland by bus. Buses do not go to Bilit itself.
A 1 hour speedboat crossing back to Sandakan, then the road transfer to the lodge.
Sandakan (SDK) is the closest airport, with regular short flights from Kota Kinabalu and direct services from Kuala Lumpur. From there it is roughly two hours by road, and your transfer is already included.
Travelling overland from Kota Kinabalu? Our sister company River Junkie Tours runs a West to East Shuttle that turns the transfer into part of the trip rather than a long day on a bus.
Buses run daily between Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan and take 7 to 8 hours. They are inexpensive and reliable, but they do not go to Bilit or Sukau— you would still need a transfer from Sandakan.
Start with a night on Turtle Island watching hatchlings reach the sea, add the Sepilok sanctuaries, then come to the river. We can build the whole route around your flights.
All of our packages include return scheduled transfers between Sandakan and Hornbill Lodge, so for most guests the only thing to book is the flight into Sandakan.
Flight cancellations or delays can take all the fun out of travelling. For a stress-free start to your holiday, plan to fly to Sandakan the day before your tour starts or contact us for advice BEFORE booking your flight.
Please read these before you book, particularly if anyone in your party has limited mobility.
No. Because of our hillside location there is no step-free access to the rooms. The furthest rooms require climbing around 85 steps, and the closest are 10 to 20 steps from the restaurant. Tell us at the time of booking if anyone has limited mobility and we will do our best to allocate you a closer available room.
Walk-in bookings are welcome at the River Junkie office, Lot G27 (ground floor), Wisma Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The office is open 8am to 5pm daily, including public holidays.
Due to our intimate size, we recommend booking your stay well in advance.
For a stress-free start to your holiday, plan to arrive in Sandakan one day before your tour starts. Ask us for hotel recommendations or tips on what to do with any free time you have.
If you need to fly to Sandakan on the same day your tour starts, keep the following in mind:
On your departure day we drop off in Sepilok or Sandakan between 11 and 11.30am and you can catch any flight leaving at 1pm or later. If you add the Gomantong caves after check-out, book a flight no earlier than 5.30pm.
Yes. Onward transfers to Lahad Datu for Danum Valley and Tabin Wildlife Reserve, or to Semporna for Mabul and Sipadan, can be arranged on request and subject to additional charges — please tell us at the time of booking.
Send us your flight times and we will plan the route with you — including Sepilok, Turtle Island or the Gomantong caves if you want them.
