The main river at dawn and dusk is the core activity. Boats run slowly along the banks while everyone scans the canopy edge: proboscis monkeys gather at the riverside to sleep and are easiest in late afternoon, orangutan nests give away where to look, and hornbills cross the river overhead in the last light.

The Menanggul and other tributaries are narrower, quieter and better than the main channel for close viewing. The boat can cut its engine and drift, which is when you get crocodiles on the bank, kingfishers at eye level, and troops moving overhead without noticing you.

The oxbow lakes reached from Sukau and Bilit hold the shier species and the best birding, including a chance at Storm's stork, one of the world's rarest storks and a genuine Kinabatangan speciality.

Night cruises and night walks add what daylight misses: sleeping kingfishers, civets, tarsier if you are lucky, and the sheer volume of insect and frog life.

Bornean pygmy elephants are the wildcard. Herds move along the river seasonally and cannot be booked — when they are in the area, sightings are easy; when they are not, no amount of boat time will produce one. Ask your lodge what has been seen in the past week.

Practicalities

Base yourself at Sukau or Bilit, roughly two to three hours by road from Sandakan, and stay at least two nights so you get several cruises across different times of day. Most lodges include three or four boat trips a day in the rate.

The drier months from March to May and July to September are the most comfortable, though this is equatorial rainforest and rain falls in every month. Many visitors combine the river with Sepilok's orangutan and sun bear centres, an hour or so away, and with the Gomantong caves.