These distinct but equally spectacular rainforests in Sabah are where to go for an unforgettable jungle adventure holiday in Malaysia & Borneo. Both the Danum Valley and the Tabin Wildlife Reserve are unique for their unusually complex ecosystems and protected rainforest status, and are home to animals under the threat of extinction. They are teeming with a myriad of animal and plant species, including pygmy elephants, orangutans, gibbons, red leaf monkeys, tarsiers, clouded leopards, Sumatran rhinos, deer, sun bears and macaques, to name a few. Explore the exotic forests by trekking through the jungle, going for night excursions or learning about the area with a rainforest tour - all the while keeping your eyes open for the unique wildlife both on the ground and in the verdant branches above.
Danum Valley
An emerald-hued tangle of thick rainforest and languid waterfalls, the Danum Valley is one of Borneo’s most pristine, wildlife-rich jungles, lying two hours from the nearest town, Lahad Datu. The Segama and Danum rivers wind their way through the valley and Mount Danum towers over the treetops, which, at some points, are linked by canopy walkways. High in the upper reaches of the rainforest, surrounded by mengari and majau trees, you can get up close to the action and spot the incredible birdlife that flourishes here – and for those eager to spot orangutans in the wild, the Danum Valley is the best place to do it.
Tabin Wildlife Reserve
The lesser-visited option, but no less impressive than the Danum Valley, the Tabin Wildlife Reserve is a nature refuge of 300,000 acres, which was created in 1984 to preserve endangered wild animals on the Dent Peninsula in Sabah. In the reserve, you can find several species of primate including the orangutan and the proboscis monkey, three species of cat and 220 colourful and diverse bird species. Animals venture through the Tabin Wildlife Reserve to the mineral-rich mud volcanoes, a spectacle which provides the ideal platform for birdwatching as well as observing the biodiversity of the jungle, with its lowland dipterocarp forest and medicinal plants.
