Santubong Wetland Wildlife Cruise (Afternoon)
Dolphins, proboscis monkeys & fireflies at dusk
Venture out from Kuching into the wild heart of the Santubong Peninsula on this unforgettable evening river cruise. With hotel pickup at 3:30–4:00 PM, you'll be transferred by coach to the Santubong River Boat Club before boarding your boat and heading into a landscape of winding rivers, tidal creeks, and dense mangrove forest.
Your cruise begins at the mouth of the Santubong River, where Irrawaddy dolphins are regularly spotted surfing the open water. From there, the boat threads deeper into the mangroves in search of Proboscis monkeys — those wonderfully odd-looking primates often seen lounging at the water's edge as the light softens.
As dusk settles, the adventure shifts gear. Your boatman sweeps a torchlight across the muddy banks hunting for crocodile eyes glinting in the dark, while curtains of fireflies flicker and pulse along the riverside trees — one of Borneo's most magical natural spectacles. Other wildlife commonly encountered includes:
- Silver-leaf monkeys & long-tailed macaques
- Monitor lizards
- Egrets, white-bellied sea eagles & kingfishers
The tour wraps with a return transfer to your hotel in Kuching, with a dinner pack and drinking water to keep you fuelled along the way.
The tour does not operate during rough sea conditions or heavy rain. Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed.
Cancellation Policy:Free cancellation is available for this tour up to 24 hours before your scheduled pickup time.
What's included
Included
- Return land transfer from hotel in Kuching (seat-in-coach)
- Boat and boatman
- English-speaking guide
- Entrance fees
- Dinner pack
- Drinking water
Not included
- Personal expenses
- Personal travel insurance
- Any items not mentioned
What to expect
Hotel Pickup
Picked up from your hotel in Kuching between 3:30–4:00 PM and transferred by coach to the Santubong River Boat Club (~40 mins).
Board the Boat
Arrive at Santubong River Boat Club, meet your guide and boatman, and receive a brief safety and wildlife orientation before setting off.
Irrawaddy Dolphin
Head to the mouth of the Santubong River where Irrawaddy dolphins are regularly sighted in open waters.
Mangrove Wildlife Spotting
Cruise the mangrove-lined rivers and estuaries searching for proboscis monkeys, silver-leaf monkeys, long-tailed macaques, monitor lizards, egrets, sea eagles, and kingfishers.
Crocodile & Firefly Search
As darkness falls, your boatman uses a torchlight to spot crocodile eyes on the muddy banks. Cruise to the firefly zones to watch the mangrove branches light up with thousands of glowing fireflies.
Proboscis Monkey
The proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) is an arboreal Old World monkey famous for its unusually large, fleshy nose. Endemic to the island of Borneo, these highly specialized primates live primarily in coastal mangrove forests, peat swamps, and riverine habitats.
Salak Island
Pulau Salak is a unique, small island located approximately 20 kilometres from Kuching city centre in Sarawak. This island is home to Kampung Salak, a traditional Malay fishing village built largely on stilts over the water. Because it is entirely detached from the mainland road network, it remains one of the few villages in the Kuching area accessible only by water.
Return to Boat Club & Transfer
Return to the Santubong River Boat Club and board the coach back to your hotel in Kuching.
Hotel Pickup
Picked up from your hotel in Kuching between 3:30–4:00 PM and transferred by coach to the Santubong River Boat Club (~40 mins).
Board the Boat
Arrive at Santubong River Boat Club, meet your guide and boatman, and receive a brief safety and wildlife orientation before setting off.
Irrawaddy Dolphin
Head to the mouth of the Santubong River where Irrawaddy dolphins are regularly sighted in open waters.
Mangrove Wildlife Spotting
Cruise the mangrove-lined rivers and estuaries searching for proboscis monkeys, silver-leaf monkeys, long-tailed macaques, monitor lizards, egrets, sea eagles, and kingfishers.
Crocodile & Firefly Search
As darkness falls, your boatman uses a torchlight to spot crocodile eyes on the muddy banks. Cruise to the firefly zones to watch the mangrove branches light up with thousands of glowing fireflies.
Proboscis Monkey
The proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) is an arboreal Old World monkey famous for its unusually large, fleshy nose. Endemic to the island of Borneo, these highly specialized primates live primarily in coastal mangrove forests, peat swamps, and riverine habitats.
Salak Island
Pulau Salak is a unique, small island located approximately 20 kilometres from Kuching city centre in Sarawak. This island is home to Kampung Salak, a traditional Malay fishing village built largely on stilts over the water. Because it is entirely detached from the mainland road network, it remains one of the few villages in the Kuching area accessible only by water.
Return to Boat Club & Transfer
Return to the Santubong River Boat Club and board the coach back to your hotel in Kuching.
Activity location
Private pickup is available to bring you to the activity location.
Try to arrive 15 minutes early.
Santubong
Santubong, 93050 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Frequently asked questions
The tour does not operate during rough sea conditions or heavy rain. If your tour is affected by weather, please contact the operator directly — cancellation and refund terms are confirmed at the time of booking.
No — wildlife sightings are never guaranteed in nature. However, this route regularly encounters Irrawaddy dolphins, proboscis monkeys, crocodiles, fireflies, and various birds. Your guide is experienced in locating them.
Children aged 3–11 are priced as children. The cruise is on a river boat in open water, so parents should consider their child's comfort on a boat at night. Contact the operator to discuss suitability for very young children.
A minimum of 2 adults is required per booking for this tour to operate.
Pickup is from hotels in Kuching town (seat-in-coach). Please provide your hotel name at booking and the operator will confirm whether your hotel is on the pickup route.
Reviews
Based on 8 reviews
Katerina Nota
via GoogleThe boat trip was wonderful, mainly because the guide was very friendly and informative and knew how to create a great atmosphere. We had the opportunity to explore some beautiful places and, thanks to the captain’s remarkable ability to spot rare wildlife, we were able to see crocodiles, dolphins, and proboscis monkeys. We enjoyed a delicious meal on board and returned safely. It was an amazing experience that I highly recommend to anyone who wants to explore and get a real taste of the wildlife of Kuching.
Cynthia Chow
via GoogleHans was amazing as was the boatman. mr Wan and driver Morrison. They work hard to spot wildlife and take care of us. We got lucky and some almost everything promised.
Nemo Crognier
via Google(Translated by Google) A very good experience visiting the Kuching Wetlands. The shuttle picked us up on time from our hotel. The driver was careful. The boat trip was excellent, with explanations from the guide and a good dinner. We saw plenty of wildlife, and the captain kept his distance out of respect for the animals. (Original) Très bonne expérience pour visiter les Kuching wetlands. La navette nous a récupéré à l'heure à notre hôtel. Conduite prudente. La sortie en bateau était excellente avec des explications du guide et un bon repas pour le dîner. Faune sauvage au rendez vous et avec un capitaine qui garde ses distances pour le respect de l'animal.
Dear Nemo Crognier, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are thrilled to hear you had a great experience from the hotel pickup to the boat cruise. Our team prides itself on responsible wildlife viewing, so it is fantastic to know you appreciated the captain's respectful distance. We hope to welcome you back to Kuching soon!
Joanne Tan
via GoogleJoined the evening wetlands wildlife cruise and had a fantastic time. Saw Irrawaddy dolphins, proboscis monkeys, long-tail macaque, crocodiles, cute mudskippers, kingfishers, blue crabs, lots of mangrove, some fireflies and a beautiful sunset. Saw more than what I signed up to see. Our humorous guide Han and amazing boat captain Amin are super experienced and eagle-eyed, able to spot crocodiles even in darkness. Learn quite a lot about the wildlife behaviour. Service provided by Ooo Haa was impeccable, fast response and clear communication. Definitely recommend booking tours through them!
Dear Joanna Tan, Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We are absolutely thrilled to hear that you had such a fantastic time on our evening wetlands cruise.Spotting Irrawaddy dolphins, proboscis monkeys, crocodiles, and fireflies all in one trip is truly special—nature really put on a show for you! I will be sure to pass on your kind words to Han and Captain Amin. They take great pride in using their "eagle eyes" to share the magic of the wetlands with our guests.Thank you for choosing Ooo Haa and for recommending us. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon! Ooo Haa!
Mehdi
via Google(Translated by Google) A wonderful adventure! We saw dolphins 🐬, crocodiles 🐊, and monkeys 🐵. Han is an excellent guide. (Original) Tres belle aventure nous avons vu des dauphins 🐬, des crocodiles 🐊 , des singes 🐵 . Han est un excellant guide.
Wow, what an incredible day on the water! Spotting dolphins, crocodiles, and monkeys all in one trip is truly special. Han is a fantastic guide, and he will be so happy to hear that he made your adventure memorable. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Warren Burgess
via GoogleThe trip ticked all the boxes on wildlife spotted. Han was an excellent entertaining and knowledgeable guide as was the boat and its captain . Definitely plus that they were both local to the area we were exploring. Recommend
Hi Warren Burgess, Thank you so much for the fantastic review! We are thrilled to hear that your trip ticked all the boxes and that you spotted so much wildlife. Han, our captain, and the entire team take great pride in sharing their local knowledge and passion for the area. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you out on the water with us again soon! David +60125269719
Natalia Pappalardo
via GoogleThe tour Wetland Wildlife was great! We saw dolphins, crocodiles, big nose monkeys and fireflies! It’s a half day tour and really worth it! The guide and the boat driver were great!
Dear Natalia, We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us. It is wonderful to hear that our half-day Wetland Wildlife tour exceeded your expectations and that you enjoyed the wildlife sightings. Our team prides itself on delivering great service, so your compliments for the guide and boat driver mean a lot to us. Thank you for choosing us, and we wish you safe travels!
Sally Burgess
via GoogleHanafie was an excellent, entertaining and knowledgeable guide. We thoroughly enjoyed our river cruise.
Dear Sally Burgess, Thank you for the fantastic feedback! We are so glad Hanafie provided such an entertaining and knowledgeable experience on your river cruise. Safe travels, and we hope to see you again!
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November 2026
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