Klias Wetlands

The Klias peninsula south-west of Kota Kinabalu holds a peat swamp and mangrove system along the Klias river, and the standard trip is an afternoon boat run: out along the river in the late afternoon when proboscis monkeys come to the riverside trees to feed and settle for the night, then back after dark through mangrove where synchronous fireflies gather in the berembang trees. Proboscis monkeys are endemic to Borneo, the males with the pendulous nose and heavy belly that comes from a multi-chambered stomach digesting leaves, and they are reliably seen here because they always sleep by water. Silvered langurs and macaques are also present. It is the closest such trip to Kota Kinabalu and it is heavily packaged - most visitors come on a coach day tour with a buffet dinner, which is worth knowing about the atmosphere.

What you actually see

• Proboscis monkeys at dusk - the Borneo endemic settling in riverside trees.
• Synchronous fireflies - the mangrove displays on the way back after dark.
• Peat swamp and nipah - the river running through the Klias wetland system.
• A packaged trip - most people arrive by coach on a set afternoon tour.

When to go

February to October, late afternoon. A day.

Honest expectations

It is a packaged coach tour for most visitors, with a buffet and a crowd of boats on the river. Monkeys are reliable, fireflies depend on moon and weather. The monsoon disrupts trips from November.

Nearby

Beaufort and the railway are east; Kota Kinabalu is north.