2D1N Miso Walai Homestay & Kinabatangan Wildlife River Cruise Print

• Discover the culture of the Orang Sungai (River People) on a short but enriching homestay experience along the Kinabatangan River
• Stay with a welcoming host family in a rustic or modern village home, with private guest rooms and traditional meals included
• Learn to cook local dishes, try your hand at simple farm activities, and share stories over home-cooked meals
• Take a sunset river cruise to spot proboscis monkeys, hornbills, and crocodiles, followed by an optional night walk to encounter nocturnal wildlife
• Your visit supports KOPEL’s community cooperative, sustaining conservation and local livelihoods

Step into the welcoming world of the Orang Sungai community with a short but meaningful overnight stay at Miso Walai Homestay. Just one night here allows you to experience the rhythm of village life along the Kinabatangan River, where every household has its own character, from traditional wooden stilt houses to more modern family homes.

Share meals of freshly prepared local dishes, learn about local traditions, and take part in simple farm activities that connect you to the land. As evening sets in, listen to stories of the community’s past and their ties to the river. Though brief, this visit offers a genuine taste of hospitality, culture, and connection that lingers long after you leave.

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.