Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort in Borneo - Experience Travel Group

Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort is an excellent base from which to explore the Lower Kinabatangan area.

You won’t be overrun by tourist boats: not too many visitors travel this far south. The resort is surrounded by unimaginable beauty: nipa palms, lush mangroves and freshwater swamps. Come here for some spectacular wildlife spotting and a very warm welcome.

The highlight of Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort is the range of forest trails via the boardwalks, cleverly designed to showcase and yet respect the enormous variety of wildlife. The resort guides will go out of their way to show off the region’s treasures and inhabitants, even if it means taking a bit of extra time to get to a top primate spotting location or responding to a local tip on the whereabouts of pygmy elephants. Whether or not you manage to spot these elusive creatures, you are certainly in good hands at the resort.

Kinabatangan is an eco-friendly adventure option for bold and enthusiastic nature lovers. If you need luxury facilities and comprehensive connectivity, you won’t necessarily find it in this part of the world. But this resort is one of the best available here and a great place to come to escape and discover both life and complete stillness in the mangrove forests of Borneo.

The Rooms

The wooden-chalet-style accommodation is nestled in the mangrove forest and connected by hardwood walkways. Expect bright and spacious rooms with polished wooden floors, elegant furnishings and forest views. Deluxe Chalets are the best option for comfort. In fact, while not luxurious, this is one of the best quality accommodation options in the area. All rooms have private bathrooms, 24-hour electricity, hot and cold water and simple amenities. Dining is buffet style in the common hall.

What You'll Find:

- Spacious, air-conditioned chalets set on raised wooden boardwalks in the heart of the wetlands.

- Guided jungle walks, night safaris and birdwatching trips in one of Borneo’s richest wildlife corridors.

- A focus on eco-friendly practices, with solar energy and sustainable water systems.

Why You’ll Love It:

- The chance to see an incredible range of wildlife right from your lodge’s doorstep.

- Expert guides who bring the rainforest’s stories and species to life.

- Intimate, boutique-style accommodation with just a handful of chalets ensuring a private experience.

Explore ETG's Sample Itineraries in Borneo

A few of our favourite routes – hand-picked by the team and ripe for tweaking.

Think of them as conversation starters. Curiosity sparkers. Not fixed plans – just ideas for what your holiday could look like, shaped by years of local know-how and the kind of immersive experiences that live long in the memory.

Wildlife

Borneo

Slow Paced Borneo

15 Days

Wildlife

Bako National Park

Bucket List Borneo

15 Days

Family

Borneo

Family Borneo Highlights

15 Days

Explore Full Itinerary

Wildlife

15 Days

Borneo

Slow Paced Borneo

If you want to immerse yourself in the incredible wildlife and beaches of Borneo but don’t fancy too much road travel or rushing around, then a holiday like this one could be ideal.

Highlights

Kinabatangan River

Drift down the Kinabatangan River, keeping watch for pygmy elephants, rare bird species and primates

Wildlife spotting

Wonder at the incredible rainforest teeming with wildlife in the company of your expert nature guide

Gaya Island

The flexibility to enjoy lazy days relaxing by the pool or active days following nature trails. The choice is yours at Gaya Island

Gallery

Explore Full Itinerary

Wildlife

15 Days

Bako National Park

Bucket List Borneo

This is the ultimate, once-in-a-lifetime Borneo holiday. It covers everything that makes Borneo special, from its renowned wildlife to its lush rainforests

Highlights

Get off the beaten track

Getting away from modern life as you travel to the most remote part of Sabah

Wildlife spotting

Listen to the call of gibbons and peek through rainforest vines to see orangutans swinging in the trees on an adventure in Danum Valley.

Mount Kinabalu

Climbing 4,098 meters to the summit of Mount Kinabalu.

Gallery

Explore Full Itinerary

Family

15 Days

Borneo

Family Borneo Highlights

Borneo is a fantastic family destination: the wildlife, marine life, and tropical surroundings are the perfect ingredients for an unforgettable holiday together.

This suggested holiday itinerary takes in some of the best highlights of the country and includes an off-the-beaten-track twist. It’s a holiday that will please all ages with a combination of fun and interactive activities, wildlife spotting, beach fun and family-friendly accommodation.

Highlights

Wildlife sightings

Spot elephants, proboscis monkeys, orangutans and more as you sail along the Kinabatangan River

Gaya Island

Relax at Gaya Island beach resort where there’s brilliant snorkelling and interesting jungle trails to follow too

Murat

Take a 4-wheel drive adventure away from modern life as you travel to the homeland of the indigenous Murat people

Gallery

Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort on the map

In Our Travellers’ Words

An Epic Adventure Across Southeast Asia

There were moments while I was out and about where I thought that everyone should experience this kind of mindful travel that Experience Travel organises, as it's not backpacking where you tick off the standard party hotspots, and it's not the typical cruise for tourists to visit the standard sightseeing destinations, but an experience where I really felt I got to know the countries, meet great people and do fun stuff that most people miss.

Sven

3 March 2025

With ETG, we have visited extraordinary places

... stayed in wondrous hotels, met fascinating everyday people, listened to varied opinions, and learned much about places far away. I couldn't do that on my own.

David

24 October 2024

Curious Traveller’s Guide to Borneo

If you’d like to discover more, why not download the Curious Traveller’s Guide to Borneo? This is where you’ll find our experts’ edit of hotels, experiences and beaches. We also break down the best time to visit Borneo by month and share more information about our approach to conservation in-country.

Download