Rafting is one of the few Sabah adventures you can book the night before and still do properly, and it suits very different groups depending on the river. The Kiulu near Tuaran is the family option: Sabah Tourism rates it Class I-II, and Riverbug takes children from age 5. The Padas between Tenom and Beaufort is the serious one, Grade 3-4 with named rapids, and the day begins with the Sabah State Railway, the only railway line on Borneo, which carries rafters down the gorge to the put-in at Pangi.
What confuses most first-timers is the price spread. A Kiulu trip is listed anywhere from RM135 to RM350 a head. That is not six different rivers or six different rafts. On both rivers, most of the agencies below send guests to the same Riverbug base camp, and their own photos show Riverbug rafts. Riverbug (Traverse Tours Sdn Bhd, founded in 1995) is the operator Sabah Tourism lists for both rivers. The agencies add the parts around the river: hotel pickups, lunch for small groups, sometimes insurance, and a fixed schedule.
We read each operator's own 2026 rate card or price PDF on 14 October 2026. Prices are per person in ringgit, and the same for Malaysians and foreigners unless stated. None of the six was running a dated promotion.
*Image: Riverbug (Traverse Tours).*
How to choose
Pick the river by the youngest and least confident person in the group. Kiulu takes children from 5, and the operators describe it as beginner water. In the dry season it can run low enough that Borneo Eco Tours warns the raft may need carrying over shallow stretches. Padas is 12 and over at every operator here, and Riverbug excludes pregnant guests.
Price the whole day, not the raft. Riverbug's RM135 Kiulu rate is for people who drive themselves to the base camp. Add RM40 for its KK pickup. Lunch is only included for groups of 11 or more, so a family of four should budget their own lunch or pick an agency package with lunch built in.
Check the minimum group size. Borneo Eco Tours needs 5 for Kiulu; Discovery Tours, Borneo Eco Tours, Amazing Borneo and Borneo Travel Network all need 4 for Padas. Couples should book Riverbug's Padas trip directly or join an agency's shared departure.
Read what happens when the railway or the weather says no. The Padas trip depends on the train. Riverbug says the departure station can switch between Beaufort and Tenom depending on railway conditions, and Discovery Tours warns of same-morning cancellations for landslides, track work or breakdowns, with the option of switching to Kiulu and getting the difference back. Riverbug refunds 50% if bad weather cancels a single tour.
Mind the cancellation terms. Riverbug refunds only if you cancel at least 3 days ahead (minus a 3% online booking charge and 6% SST), charges 50% for cancelling the day before, and keeps everything for no-shows. Borneo Travel Network charges 30% beyond 14 days, 50% at 7 days and 100% inside a week.
Which operator for which trip
Self-drive family on a budget: Riverbug Kiulu at RM135 an adult and RM125 a child, bringing your own lunch.
Family wanting everything arranged: Discovery Tours (RM175 with lunch and transfer on its rate sheet) or Borneo Eco Tours (RM215, lunch included, minimum 5).
Couple doing Padas: Riverbug at RM275 with KK pickup, since most agencies need four rafters.
Group of four or more doing Padas with everything included: Discovery Tours at RM275 or Borneo Eco Tours at RM315, both with the train ticket and lunch included.
