Kinabatangan River

Much of the lower Kinabatangan floodplain was cleared for timber and oil palm during the 20th century, leaving the remaining riverside forest as a vital refuge. Conservation groups and the Sabah government worked for years to protect it, and the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary was gazetted in 2005 under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, managed by the Sabah Wildlife Department. In 2008 the wider Lower Kinabatangan-Segama Wetlands were designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, recognising their mangroves, peat swamp forest and threatened species.

The river has long been home to the Orang Sungai, the river people, whose ancestry mixes Dusun, Suluk, Bajau and other groups. Nearby Gomantong, described by Sabah Tourism as the state's largest cave, has been harvested for edible bird's nests for generations.

Villages along the river are home to Orang Sungai communities who fish, farm and increasingly work as boatmen and guides in the tourism trade. Community programmes run homestays and tree-planting projects that link visitors directly with local families. Most villagers are Muslim, so dress modestly in villages and expect lodges to serve halal-friendly meals.