Set along the banks of the Lower Kinabatangan River, the 4D3N Miso Walai Homestay programme offers far more than a standard Kinabatangan River Cruise. With four days to explore, you’ll experience a rare combination of wildlife encounters, cultural immersion, and conservation impact. Beyond dawn and dusk river cruises, your journey includes rainforest treks, visits to caves and heritage sites like the Batu Tulug Museum, and time spent learning the traditions of the Orang Sungai.
Life at the homestay is shaped by warmth and hospitality. Hosted by families in stilted or modern homes, you’ll share meals of home-cooked dishes, join in cooking or farming routines, and learn first-hand how riverside living has been sustained for generations. The extra days give you the chance to settle in, slow down, and build genuine connections with your hosts.
What makes this experience unique is its community-driven foundation. Operated by KOPEL, an award-winning cooperative, the homestay ensures that your visit directly supports forest restoration and the livelihoods of local families. It’s not only a cultural journey but also a way to contribute to conservation while discovering the heart of Kinabatangan.
Miso Walai Homestay
The Miso Walai Homestay is based in Batu Puteh village along the Lower Kinabatangan River, home to the Orang Sungai, or “River People.” This community-based programme, established in 2000 and operated by the local co-op KOPEL Bhd, brings together more than 18 host families who welcome visitors into their homes. Each homestay is different. Some are rustic wooden stilt houses, others more modern. But all share the same warmth and hospitality. Guests are invited to live as part of the family, sharing traditional meals, joining farm activities, and learning local customs. The homestay also serves as a gateway to river cruises, forest treks, conservation programs, and cultural exchanges, making it a meaningful way to connect with both the people and natural beauty of the Kinabatangan.
Koperasi Pelancongan (KOPEL)
Formed in the late 1990s by the people of Batu Puteh village, KOPEL Bhd grew from the pioneering MESCOT Initiative, a grassroots movement to protect the last fragments of forest in the Lower Kinabatangan. Facing the loss of traditional resources to large-scale agriculture, a group of villagers came together to create sustainable alternatives through eco-tourism and forest conservation. Today, KOPEL operates as a cooperative that unites the community, restoring degraded forests, co-managing the Pin-Supu Forest Reserve, and generating income through conservation-based tourism. By staying with KOPEL, visitors directly support local livelihoods, youth empowerment, and the ongoing mission to protect one of Sabah’s most important wildlife corridors.
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