Nature & Wildlife

Crocker Range Park – Rafflesia Flower Centre
The Crocker Range Park was gazetted by the government in 1984 covering 139,919 ha and is presently the single largest totally protected area in Sabah. The boundaries until today is still being surveyed and no facilities have yet been developed, thus making it a popular destination for real jungle trekking for adventure lovers.
 
Moving eastwards from Kota Kinabalu, a long range of hills dominates the landscape. The Crocker Range is a giant backbone of green-clad ridges that stretches down the west coast from Mt. Kinabalu's granite peaks, across the gorge of the Padas River and down into the swamp-forests of the Sarawak border!
 
The easiest way to access the park is by road from Kota Kinabalu City to Tambunan Highway following and old bridle path that links to the west coast to the interior plains. The road passes close to the highest point of the range over the Sinsuron Pass at 1670 m and the drive takes one from steamy lowland heat to cool mountain air with orchids and rhododendrons flowering on roadside cuttings within an hour.
 
The KK-Tambunan Highway cross right across the park and another rough road further south, cutting across from Kimanis Bay right through to Ranau. The Kimanis - Ranau road is only accessible by 4wd and guided tour is needed if you are interested to venture this route. Some company offer 4wd excursions through this area.

Tenom – Agriculture / Orchid Centre
Tenom is a small town in the Interior District of Sabah and it is also the centre of the Murut, a group of hill tribes (Murut means "Men of the Hills"), who have lived in this region for times immemorial. Although many young people of the tribe have adopted the fast pace of a modern civilisation creeping inland from the capital, some of them still prefer the life in the jungle, hunting with a dog, a parang (machete) and maybe even their traditional blowpipe. Others have turned to cultivating the countryside growing a variety of crops, from rice over tobacco to coffee.
 
In the heart of Tenom town is the Antonom Memorial. Ontoros Antonom, according to the locals, was born in 1885. At the time of of the Rundum Revolt he was only 30 years old. Possessing exceptional leadership qualities, he was able to unite the Murut people in Rundum and Pensiangan. His statue stands tall to signify the bravery of the hundreds of Murut warriors who together with Ontoros Antonom were killed in the great uprising against the British colonists in the Rundum District in 1915.
 
Tenom is therefore an important centre for the Murut community, and this small hilly town is surrounded by longhouses, where young "warriors" still take their blowpipes and hunting dogs out for a 'stroll' in the jungle to catch supper. Tenom boast agricultural products and is a centre for orchards and vegetable cultivation. Also near Tenom is the world-famous Sabah Agricultural Park.
 
15 km from Tenom town is the Sabah Agricultural Park, a newly upgraded development by the Sabah State Government for research as well as tourism. Located at Lagud Sebrang, the park extends over 1,500 acres! This is also were you can visit the Tenom Orchid Farm, with over 1,000 indigenous orchids. The place has been developed into a highly interesting and educational agro-tourism park well worth a visit.

Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre
The world's largest and oldest Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre is located at Sepilok, which is a 20-minute drive from Sandakan. An area of 11,000 acres of virgin equatorial rainforest has been set aside as forest reserve and Orang utan rehabilitation centre. Here, you can experience a close encounter with the "Wild Man of Borneo." 

ORANG UTAN REHABILITATION When a young orang utan is orphaned or kept as a pet, it is unable to live in its natural habitat on its own; much of its survival depends on accquired skills, which the young orang utan gets from its mother in its first five to six years of life. At the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre orphaned or pet orang utans are trained to live an independent life in their natural habitat. This process can be quite long, and includes a "kindergarten," enclosed and controlled areas, and in its last stage the open forest reserve in Sepilok, where the orang utans are free-roaming. It is in this forest reserve where visitors get a chance to see the orang utans. The best time to view them is during feeding times at 10 a.m, and at 2.30 p.m, at the feeding plat-form. At other times access to the reserve is restricted to minimise disturbance of the apes. The trail to the feeding plat-form is a plank-walkway suitable for all visitors, and on the way you can marvel at huge and rare rainforest trees. If you observe the canopy closely, you will find orang utan nests, and with some luck a curious ape will meet you on the way to the platform. Please do under no circumstances touch the animals, and be aware of the naughty pig and long-tail macaques. Leave your bag, inclusive handphone, cigarettes and mosquito repellent at the reception, where you have to pay entrance and camera / video fees.

After the feeding of the orang utan it is recommended that you head for the video presentation at the visitor centre. The short film explains in detail the philosophy of the rehabilitation, and the importance of the work of the rangers of Sepilok.

SUKAU KINABATANGAN WILDLIFE SAFARI & GOMANTONG CAVE
On November 16, 1999, the lower Kinabatangan was pronounced a Gift to the Earth by YAB Datuk Chong Kah Kiat, then the Chief Minister of Sabah, during the WWF Annual Conference held in Kota Kinabalu.
 
The lower river basin of the 560 km long Kinabatangan River covers almost 4,000 square kilometres of the State of Sabah in north-east Borneo. It is one of the richest ecosystems on earth, with shallow freshwater lakes, open swamps and forests, dotted with sandstone and limestone hills. Large areas are periodically flooded during the rainy season.
 
Kinabatangan's Natural Capital
 
The range of biodiversity in the Lower Kinabatangan surpasses that of every other site in Malaysia. It is one of the few places in the WORLD where ten primate species can be found, as well as some 50 mammals an 200 bird species.
 
The rich flood plain habitats are home to Orang utans, proboscis monkeys, Asian elephants, the almost extinct Sumatran rhino, the globally endangered Storm's stork, the rare Oriental darter and all eight species of hornbill in Borneo. Other species include freshwater ray, river sharks (until recently thought to be extinct), estuarine crocodiles and monitor lizards.
 
Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary
 
Since the 1970's, studies have identified critical sites which are rich in wildlife and need protection. Fortunately today, people are recognising the value of the lower Kinabatangan, for its natural beauty and its role in supporting sustainably diverse forms of life. The government is now in the process of establishing the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.

Gomantong Caves
The Gomantong Caves, the largest cave system in Sabah, are about 110 km by road south of Sandakan, and are home to over one million swiftlets. The swiftlets' nest are collected for the famous Chinese Delicacy, bird's nest soup, and fetch a good price locally and abroad. Twice a year, in the caves men can be seen scaling bamboo ladders to heights of about 90m to collect this delicacy off the cave walls. The swiftlets’ neighbours are bats, more than a million of them, living above an enormous guano pile. The sighting of bats, swiftlets, birds and butterflies is virtually guaranteed, with the occasional bonus of small mammals, including orang utan. Harvesting of the nests is a spectacular and dangerous operations which is only carried out twice per year, usually around March to April and August to September. for more details.

Two varieties of swiftlets make edible birth nests. Good quality birds nests can fetch more than US$ 400 per kilo! Although the visit is more spectacular during nest collection seasons, the lime stone cave is most impressive all year round with sightings of animals and insects.
 
Best time to Visit:
 
The islands receive the brunt of the north-eastern monsoon gales between October and February. The best time to visit this park is during the driest month and the calmest seas between March and September. However this island is also known to have Turtles laying eggs almost everyday through out the year.

Tabin Wildlife Sanctuary
Tabin is an enormous dipterocarp rainforest landscape in the eastern part of Sabah with a most diverse range of flora and fauna. Tabin was declared a wildlife reserve because of the large numbers of animal species inhabiting its forest, including several which are highly endangered. With a protected forest area of 120,500 hectares, Tabin plays an important role as a dedicated ground for the breeding of endangered wildlife and protected mammals in Sabah. It is no wonder that Tabin has been heralded as the finest wildlife viewing area in Borneo. The three largest mammals of Sabah, namely the Asian Elephant, the Sumatran Rhinoceros and the Tembadau (wild buffalo) are all found within Tabin.

Danum Valley Conservation Area
The Danum Valley Conservation Area comprises 43,800 ha (108,186 acres) of virgin forest. It is a vast reserve of lush tropical lowland forest rich in Sabah’s unique flora and fauna. The area has been recognised as one of the world's most complex ecosystems.

Danum Valley’s wonders are accessible to the public. The Borneo Rainforest Lodge, established in 1994 to cater specially for visitors to Danum Valley and offering luxurious accommodation and exciting excursions in the equally luxurious and exciting environment of Danum Valley. Built with local timber and river stones, the chalets, or "sulap," are designed after the traditional Sabah Kadazandusun dwellings.

The journey to Danum Valley is by air and land. You most probably will have to take a flight from Kota Kinabalu to Lahad Datu in the morning, and then travel another 2½ hours overland before you reach the prestigious Borneo Rainforest Lodge.

Things to do there include guided nature walks, the visit of an ancient burial site of the Kadazandusun who frequented the area a long time ago, an interesting tree top canopy walk (really a suspension bridge in the canopy of trees), unlimited bird watching, beautiful waterfalls and rivers for swimming. The rangers at the Danum Valley are professionals with long experience and excellent knowledge of this astonishing world, and walks with them will make your visit in Sabah truly unforgettable. There are also video and slide presentations by the naturalist, further explaining flora & fauna, and the mission behind the Danum Valley Conservation Area.

Animals that can be spotted include 275 species of birds (all eight species of hornbills native to Borneo can be found) and 110 species of mammals, including Asian Elephants, Orang Utan, five species of deer and a full house of Borneo rarities ranging from the Sumatran rhinoceros to Bulwar's peasant. However, please note that this place is not the African savannah, nor the jungles of Nepal. The attractions of the of the Borneo rainforest are more subtle, and much harder to spot. Take along time, and patience.

Travel Tips

Proper gear is important when visiting Danum Valley. Make sure you bring the following: insect repellent, long trousers and long-sleeved shirts, a raincoat and a sunhat, swimming gear, trekking boots or trainers, your flash light, binoculars, camera and video and a water bottle.