Danum Valley Conservation Area

Explore Danum Valley in Sabah, Borneo, one of the last untouched natural habitats, with opportunities to spot wild orangutan, gibbons and pygmy elephants.  The pristine lowland rainforest of Danum Valley is undoubtedly Borneo’s premier wildlife location.

Highlights

  • Danum Valley is probably one of Borneo's most beautiful rainforest
  • The Canopy Walkway at 26 meters above the forest ground is great for watching the sunrise
  • Night Safari in Danum Valley is an unforgettable nighttime adventure in the jungle

Step into Borneo’s Eden and discover some of this region’s most exotic and exciting flora and fauna. Danum Valley Conservation Area is Sabah’s largest protected area of lowland dipterocarp forest. All 43,800 hectares are managed by Yayasan Sabah for the purposes of conservation, research, education, and training.

At first glance, Danum Valley is a vast green ocean of wilderness with tall trees and hanging vines close in, creating a primordial feel that’s slightly unnerving. The rain forest has more than 200 species of trees per hectares, some of which are the oldest and tallest on the planet. In terms of wildlife, the rainforest comes alive with Orangutans, Pygmy Elephants, Sun Bears, Clouded Leopards, bearded pigs, deer, and mouse deer, just to name a few. It also provides one of the last refuges in Sabah for the critically endangered Sumatra Rhinos.

Canopy Walkaway

One of the highlights of the trip is the canopy walkway which offers a bird’s eye view of a nature from a close up prospective.

The canopy walk itself is a long series of elevated walkways made of wood, cable, and rope. It sways up to 26 meters above the ground, offering vertiginous views of the jungle floor below and test the courage of anyone with even a passing fear of heights.

The view of the misty rainforest from the canopy walk is amazing and if Danum Valley isn’t paradise, it’s surely something close.

 

Jungle Trekking

The adventure in Danum Valley will start with a short introduction walk along the Nature Trail that will provide some basic information about the environment. The following days, your guide will take on several walks along different trails.

No trip to Danum Valley would be complete without a visit to the View Point, the highest elevation nearby the lodge which offers a stunning view of the entire valley.

After the jungle trek, you can opt for the dip in the cool refreshing Jacuzzi Pool. An outstanding natural massage under the waterfall will give you back the energy.

 

Night Safari

As evening fades to dark, the shy nocturnal creatures come out to prowl. Using a powerful spotlight your guide will point out insects, birds, and mammals in the trees and shrubs lining the road. You might see colugos (flying lemurs), owls, frogs, mouse deer and Malay civets. Particularly lucky visitors might spot western tarsier, leopard cats, and pythons.

 

How is the weather?

The climate in a rainforest is very hot and humid throughout the day. The relative humidity never falls below 80% and temperatures vary little between daytime averages of 31 degrees centigrade and night time lows of 22 degrees centigrade.

 

Wildlife

Danum Valley is the natural habitat of some rare and endangered species; among them, there are Orangutans, Sumatra Rhinos and Sun Bears. Those attracted to felines can count on the presence of the Clouded Leopard and Marbled Cat, while avid birdwatcher will find themselves in an avifauna paradise which comprises 340 species of birds. There are about 72 species of reptiles including the King Cobra, the sinuous Tree Snake, and monitor lizards. Do not be scared! In fact, only a small percentage of snakes are venomous and they don’t bite the human being unless provoked.

 

Vegetation

The rainforest in Danum Valley is lush, dense and dark with many large trees heavily overgrown with orchids, fungi, and creepers.

The Danum forest is dominated by dipterocarps trees, particularly Parashorea malaanonan and Parashorea tomentella together with Shorea johorensis and other Shorea species of the Rubroshorea group.

HOW TO GET THERE

The nearest town to Danum Valley is Lahad Datu which is accessible overland from Sandakan and Tawau and by air from Kota Kinabalu via Malaysia Airlines.

The 97 km drive from Lahad Datu to Danum Valley, takes about 2.5 hours.
Scheduled transfers Lahad Datu – Danum Valley

Borneo Rainforest Lodge :
>From Lahad Datu to Danum Valley at 09:30am
>From Danum Valley to Lahad Datu at 1:30pm

Danum Valley Field Center:
>From Lahad Datu to Danum Valley at 08:00am
>From Danum Valley to Lahad Datuat 8.30am.

Unscheduled transfers and transfers with private 4WD can be arranged with an additional surcharge.

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL

Danum Valley has tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season. It is typically hot and wet throughout the year and rainfall is both heavy and frequent. One day in an equatorial climate can be very similar to the next. The best time of the year to see wildlife is from March to April and from July to October.

ACCOMMODATION

In Danum Valley Conservation Area you can stay either at beautiful and luxurious Borneo Rainforest Lodge or at the Danum Valley Field Center which offers accommodation to students and researchers.

Borneo Rainforest Lodge
Staying in the middle of the rainforest is an absolutely stunning experience, and the opportunities to see wildlife are unbeatable. The multi award-winning Borneo Rainforest Lodge nestled in a natural pristine setting alongside the Danum River and surrounded by a tropical jungle. It has different types of chalets: River View Deluxe Chalets, Jungle View Deluxe Chalets and Jungle View Standard Chalets.
The rooms are spacious, especially the deluxe rooms overlooking the river which also have hot tubs on the veranda. The food is excellent and the restaurant has a spectacular view over the rain forest.

Danum Valley Field Centre
Danum Valley Field Center is a facility established for conducting research and supporting scientists in their rainforest studies. Today, it is one of the leading field centers in Southeast Asia, fully equipped with laboratories, a conference room, research living quarters, dorms, camp grounds, and a cafeteria.
As a research center, it was not originally designed with tourists in mind, but over the years, the privilege of staying in the field center has been extended to keen naturalists and independent travellers.
Danum Valley Field Center is a place recommended for keen naturalists and adventurous travellers who are content with basic, clean, and comfortable facilities

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