All activities / Whitewater Kayaking / Rafting / Padas River
Whitewater Kayaking / Rafting in Padas River
A powerful jungle river in the interior of Sabah, cutting through the Padas Gorge below Tenom. The put-in is reached only by a jungle railcar along the old British-built line, and the river delivers the biggest commercial whitewater in Malaysian Borneo, a run of Grade III to IV rapids through dense rainforest with no road access along its length.
Why here
The Padas is the best whitewater in Malaysia and one of the most characterful rafting trips in South-East Asia, as much for how you get there as for the river itself. There is no road to the put-in, so you board a rattling narrow-gauge jungle train from Beaufort and ride it deep into the Padas Gorge, watching the rainforest close in, then unload the rafts at a trackside halt and push off. What follows is around nine kilometres of continuous Grade III to IV water with named rapids that have earned their reputations, Merry-Go-Round, Cobra, Lambada, Scooby Doo and the big one, Head Hunter, a wave train that regularly flips the unwary. Between the rapids the gorge is quiet and green, with hornbills overhead and no sign of the outside world. It is committing, big-volume water rather than a gentle float, so it suits fit, game paddlers rather than nervous first-timers, and a good guide crew matters. When the rains are up the river gets seriously pushy. This is the adrenaline day of any Sabah trip.
Best months
The Padas runs year-round and is rain-fed, so flows rise with the wet season and the river can become significantly bigger and more demanding after heavy rain; the guiding companies grade the day up or down with the water. It is generally Grade III to IV, physical and cold-ish for the tropics once you are wet, so expect a full-on paddle rather than a scenic drift. Minimum-age and swimming requirements apply. No previous rafting experience is needed for the standard run, but you must be reasonably fit and comfortable in moving water.
Getting there & around
Trips run as full-day tours from Kota Kinabalu, about two hours by road to Beaufort, then the jungle train into the gorge and back out. The operators handle the train, rafts, safety kit, guides and lunch, and provide transfers from the city. Bring a change of clothes, secure footwear that can get wet, and leave valuables behind, as everything gets soaked. The railway timetable dictates the day, so it is a long but well-organised outing.
Skill levels: intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (1)
Riverbug
OutfitterRiverbug, trading as Traverse Tours Sdn Bhd, was founded in 1995 and pioneered commercial whitewater rafting in Sabah. Based in Kota Kinabalu, it runs the Padas Grade III to IV run and the gentler Kiulu River, using IRF-certified river guides trained in swiftwater rescue and first aid. On the Padas it carries a satellite phone and keeps a helicopter rescue team on call, and replaces its equipment on a five-year cycle. It also expanded to the Kampar River in 2004.