MY · Sabah · 4.92°N 117.67°E
danum valley
Primary rainforest with giant trees, gibbons at dawn and wild orangutans.
- Best time
- Any time of year, but it's rainforest, so expect rain. The drier months, roughly March to October, make the trails easier.
- How long
- 3 days, 2 nights
- Getting there
- Fly from KL to Kota Kinabalu and connect to Lahad Datu, or fly to Tawau (about 2 hours 45 minutes) and drive about 2.5 hours to Lahad Datu. From there it's about 2 hours by road, much of it on gravel, and transfers come with your booking.
danum valley
Dear group chat,Primary rainforest with giant trees, gibbons at dawn and wild orangutans.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingDanum ValleyMY, Sabah
Photo: Christopher Michel · CC BY 2.0 Photo: Rob and Stephanie Levy from Townsville, Australia · CC BY 2.0 Photo: Rob and Stephanie Levy from Townsville, Australia · CC BY 2.0 Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Rob and Stephanie Levy · CC BY 2.0
Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.
A huge tract of old lowland rainforest in eastern Sabah that was never logged or settled. It's one of the best places in Borneo to see wildlife in the wild, from orangutans and gibbons to hornbills, and some of its trees are among the tallest in the tropics.
Things to do
- Canopy walkwayA walkway high in the trees, best early in the morning when birds and gibbons are most active.Map ↗
- Guided jungle treksTrails lead through giant dipterocarps to viewpoints and the Coffin Cliff, an old Kadazandusun burial site.Map ↗
- Night drives and night walksSpotlight for flying squirrels, civets, slow lorises and, with real luck, a clouded leopard.Map ↗
- River swimmingCool off in the Danum River or a jungle pool between treks.Map ↗
- BirdwatchingOver 270 species have been recorded here, including several kinds of hornbill.Map ↗
Good to know
- You can't just turn up. Stays at the Danum Valley Field Centre or the Borneo Rainforest Lodge, with transfers and guides, need booking well ahead.
- Bring leech socks, rain gear and quick-dry clothes. The trails are wet and leechy.
- Wildlife sightings, orangutans included, are never guaranteed.
Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.