River Junkie Tours Sdn. Bhd — Local services in Borneo

I cannot put into words how incredible our experience with River Junkie was and anyone who loves wildlife but wants a comfortable experience in Borneo should not delay and book with them!

Due to my own disorganization, we booked fairly last minute, and the team went above and beyond to ensure that we saw all that we wanted to see and do. Hadi was absolutely phenomenal; what a kind, hardworking, knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide! He took us to the caves, the Rainforest Discovery Centre and the Sun Bear and Orangutan Sanctuaries. We loved every second, and largely in part of the experience Hadi brought to the trip - for example, he knew exactly when feeding time was at the sanctuary and where to stand to get the best views of the wildlife. The transport was clean, cool and efficient (despite some bumpy roads) and we were always informed of how long/journeys were going to be and when to stock up on water, snack, bring binoculars, certain clothes/shoes etc. so communication before and during was great. A highlight for us was seeing a huge, wild, male orangutan outside the caves which was so rare! Another highlight was the trip to turtle island, where we saw turtles laying their eggs and baby turtles being released back into the sea! The accomodation and food here was basic, but was clean and the local food was plentiful and the staff very attentive, but on a tiny, idyllic island, where they clearly cared about the wildlife and protecting the species, we wanted for nothing more!

We also did 3D,2N at Hornbill Lodge on the Kinabatangan river which we loved and feel very privileged to have been. The accomodation here, considering we were in the rainforest, was great: clean, new, cool, amazing shower and with friendly staff. The reception/restaurant/veranda area is gorgeous, with new comfy furniture and a stunning view of the river. Again, the food was local and fresh and included in the price (you could buy ice creams, alcohol and fizzy drinks for sugar cravings there!).

Adam was our guide on rainforest walks and many cruises on the river and he was incredible. He was so exceptionally knowledgeable about the wildlife and discussed with us any questions we asked about the Palm plantations, local villages, tree planting projects etc. He did his absolute best to ensure that we got to see lots of wildlife, whilst also being respectful of the wildlife itself. We were so so lucky to see the Borneo big 5 on our first outing in the boat, but then incredibly we also saw elephants crossing the river a day later! We also saw lots of amazing birds - the photos truly do not do this justice. Unlike some of the other tour boats we saw on the river, River Junkie boats are not crammed with people or in poor condition: they are clean, new and safe with never more than 12 people and good quality life jackets.

I recommend bringing lots of bug spray as we did get bitten a fair bit, but they do sell it...

AMAZING EXPERIENCE - we booked the 3D2N Full Kinabatangan River Safari. I myself am not an outdoorsy person (my husband is) but I honestly had the most incredible time.

We initially were taken with a local guide to the Orangutang and Sun-bear rehabilitation centres where we learnt all about the work they’re doing with the habitat & local palm oil companies. We even adopted an Orangutang at the end.

Some of the negative reviews have pointed out the amount of palm oil plantations, which is true however if you listen and learn from the guides & ask questions you’ll realise that the education for these plantations have now changed and are being harvested more ethically. Also Orangutang and monkeys cannot survive solely on palm oil so will eat their full & then leave for their other food sources.

After these sanctuaries we arrived at the site across the river. The accommodation is well & truly in the jungle. The rooms were simple, but clean & the air-con was nice and cold. The staff were amazing & so accommodating, we really felt at home during our stay.

The activities involved a 1 hour morning boat tour, a day time jungle walk, a 2 hour afternoon/evening boat tour and an evening jungle walk (you absolutely need to hire the boots for the jungle walks 10RM each which is nothing) - we were extremely lucky and saw the big Borneo 5 in the wild (Elephants, Proboscis Monkeys, Orangutang's, Crocodiles & Rhinoceros Hornbill) again it’s disappointing to see reviews that are moaning about not seeing everything, the tour is essentially a safari & there is a possibility that you might not see anything, but this is what makes it amazing when you do! If you want to be sure to see the animals then go to a zoo, but there’s nothing better than spotting them in the wild.

A shout out to July, Mohammed - who were extremely knowledgeable and friendly and couldn’t do enough for us, they were always answering our questions or just enjoying chatting with us. (If you love children you’ll also make best friends with their little girl, who laugh is just so infectious and gave us hours of entertainment!)

And lastly a shout out to Omar our guide, who comes alive when talking or seeing the wildlife. He’s extremely knowledgeable and has a good sense of humour too. He kept us safe on the river and in the jungle, but he also has such a keen eye to spot things most people would just miss! His passion for the wildlife was the reason we managed to see all the big 5.

Safe to say we had the time of our lives, my only word of recommendation would be to bring bug spray with DEET, the strongest stuff you can, as we got bitten to shreds, but honestly it was worth it for the past few days, it’s been a highlight of not only this trip but our lives. Thanks again to all the team, we will miss you so much & hope to visit again in the...

Great experience! River Junkie staff is helpful, friendly, responsive – highly recommended. Prices are a bit more affordable than the “big names” of Borneo. Share an office with Scuba Junkie, in case you are interested in both. They allowed us to store luggage at their office during our trips and kept items that we had forgotten (e.g, in the car) for us until we were able to pick them up. We booked two trips, the 6D5N Road Less Travelled to Ourou Sapulot and Maliau Basin and the 3D2N Mount Trus Madi Expedition.

Road Less Travelled: Absolutely amazing! We wanted something away from the main tourist attractions, and this is what we got. Orou Sapulot takes you to villages in the countryside, via dirt roads and rivers. We explored a cave and climbed a limestone pinnacle, everything just with our guides and no one else. We also visited an organic farm and watched a dance show by the village kids. This part of the trip was in collaboration with local organizations developing rural tourism. Following that, we travelled to the Maliau Basin, “Sabah’s Lost World”. We took a 3 day trek that led us really deep into the jungle, into and through amazing primary forest with many huge old trees. There is also a lot of wildlife, but unlike in Danum Valley the animals are not habituated to humans – so they are harder to find/spot, and much harder to observe. It felt like most people go to Maliau for the trekking only, not for the wildlife, so it took some time until our guides understood that we wanted both.

Trus Madi: Trus Madi is Borneo’s 2nd highest peak, but it probably receives 1% of the number of tourists of Mt. Kinabalu. Logistics are very basic, but everything worked really well. We were dropped at Camp 1, hiked to Camp 2 on the first day, and then started our climb to the summit just after midnight to reach the summit (and the nearby observation tower) in time for sunrise. Only the forest in the higher zones seems pristine, but there was wildlife everywhere.

In summary, we had an amazing time! Thanks to River Junkie and everyone involved for making...