Tuesday 22nd July Kinabatangan river

in the Kinabatangan river

The Kinabatangan river is the longest river in Borneo and navigable for yachts 38 miles inland until low power cables at the village of Sukau halt our progress. For boats with deep keels we have to time our entry and exit into the river for high water to clear the sand bars.

We left Sandakan at dawn to arrive at the northern entrance an hour before high water and had a clear run through. After 5 miles the dominant nipah palm (no animals) gives way to the natural forest and we were able to spot our first proboscis monkeys close to the river bank. Travelling with Camomile and Samsara we stopped at different places for lunch halts but joined together for night time. We'd been tipped off where to go if we wanted to see fireflies. We were disappointed. Three trees were flashing like Christmas trees on speed, one was random phased, another half on half off and the third was in unison. It was a wonderful show all caused by the bacteria in the tail of the male flies.