Exploring Malaysian Borneo – Danum Valley

Getting to Danum Valley

Our journey from Lahad Datu to Danum Valley started at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge office, which had ample air conditioning and fast Wi-Fi. They called couples one by one to join vehicles for the three-hour drive to Danum Valley.

The first 30 minutes were a breeze on the smooth tarmac, but the remainder was a bumpy ride on a dirt road. We made a pit stop halfway for a bathroom break and a casual snake sighting. After living in Australia for a decade and spending two years in the heart of a national park, this snake barely raised an eyebrow 🙂

Borneo Rainforest Lodge

The Borneo Rainforest Lodge is a literal oasis in the middle of the rainforest. Most people stay two nights, but we lucked out with a last minute cancellation and got three.

The main part of the lodge features an open air restaurant, which serves three lavish buffets a day. No noodle sandwiches here!

Because we booked last minute, the only room available was a premium deluxe chalet and it did not disappoint.

The huge terrace featured a refreshing plunge pool and overlooked the lush green forest. In contrast to the riverine rainforest of Kinabatangan, Danum Valley is a primary rainforest, with towering old growth trees that reach astonishing heights and have been standing for centuries.

The Daily Schedule

The daily schedule followed a consistent pattern:

• Morning hike at 6:30 or 7
• Return to the lodge for breakfast
• Lunch
• Afternoon hike at 3:30
• Dinner
• Evening walk or buggy tour

During our time at Danum Valley, we usually went on excursions with our guides, Donnie and Syafiq. We also ventured out on our own most days after breakfast, because there was a fruiting tree an easy 10 minute walk down the road from the lodge.

One thing was for sure: leech socks were an absolute necessity. These special socks are worn over your regular ones and extend over your pants to prevent those sneaky leeches from finding their way in. As we trekked through the forest, it seemed like leeches were everywhere, and at one point, they were even falling from the sky!

Because we didn’t plan this trip before we left Australia for my work secondment, we didn’t have the right clothing for this sort of adventure. It was easy (and cheap!) to find shoes. And we could wear our moisture-wicking workout shirts. But finding pants was a quest of epic proportions. Andy’s already got a tough time pants-shopping in Australia and America because he’s a towering 2 meters (6’6″) tall. I, on the other hand, learned about “Asian Sizing.” For example, Cotton-on is an Australian brand. I know what size I wear in their clothes. But at Cotton-on in Malaysia, the clothes are two to three sizes smaller. So if I’m a size 10 in America, I’m a size 14 in Australia, which means I’m not finding clothes in Malaysia. We did finally score at Decathlon, where I found some versatile, thin, stretchy zip-off pants, which have become my go-to choice for travel. Trying to find a bathing suit was like trying to find a unicorn. The options seemed to be limited to a tiny piece of fabric that barely covered one side or a full-fledged burkini. I eventually scored at Marks and Spencer.

After a couple of treks through the dense forest, we quickly figured out that the best photo opportunities awaited us along the road or on the network of elevated walkways. Interestingly, we often had the whole place to ourselves because other visitors chose to embark on extensive hikes deep into the forest or ventured to picturesque viewpoints.

Wildlife in Danum Valley

We chose to visit Danum Valley because it is known to be one of the world’s premier locations for observing wild orangutans in their natural environment. This is not a sanctuary and there are no feeding stations.

While we didn’t face the same boat challenges as we did in Kinabatangan, photographing in Danum Valley presented its own set of unique difficulties. Many times, you find yourself shooting almost vertically upwards, which can pose a distinct set of challenges for capturing the perfect shot. Andy frequently opted to simply lie down on the ground to get the shots he desired, but I found that approach less appealing due to the abundance of leeches.

We had a few sightings of gibbons, which are small apes known for their long arms, long legs, and tailless bodies.

We also saw red leaf monkeys, which are endemic to Borneo and were a new species for us.

They spend most of their time in trees and can jump 12 metres from one tree branch to another.

Danum Valley is also a haven for birders, and we had a few good spots.

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

Helmeted Hornbill

This little spider hunter flew into the window of our chalet and stunned itself. Andy placed a coffee cup saucer with some water next to it and slowly but surely it came to and had a drink. It rested on the terrace for about an hour but eventually flew away.

Little Spider Hunter

We spotted this giant lizard from our terrace.

Goanna

We went on one night walk, which wasn’t too exciting. We saw a frog and a snake.

Having been on more safari game drives than we can count, we didn’t have high hopes for riding in an electric golf cart along the main road. Andy didn’t even bring his camera. So of course, we spotted a tarsier. I did manage to get a pic with my iPhone as proof 🙂

Tarsiers

Tarsiers are the smallest primates in the world. They are known for their large eyes, which are larger than their brains. Because they are nocturnal and spend most of their time in trees, they are very rare to observe. Unfortunately they are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to habitat loss and being hunted for meat and fur. Some humans really do suck!

One buggy ride is typically part of the itinerary, but because we were staying longer than the average guest, we convinced Donnie to let us do an additional buggy ride on our last night. Talk about going out on a high note! We saw a civet! They are solitary and nocturnal, so we were really fortunate to spot one.

Malaysian Civet

Leaving Danum Valley

When arranging our trip, we received advice on selecting a flight with ample transfer time. Our departure was scheduled for 2:30 pm, so after breakfast, we left the lodge around 9 am. This time, the journey was a bit smoother because we had a 4×4 vehicle instead of a van.

We reached Lahad Datu airport around noon, and it struck us as quite basic – no air conditioning and very crowded, making the heat quite unbearable. We ventured out into the heat and walked to the Borneo Rainforest Lodge office, but it turned out to be closed. Returning to the airport, which was now somewhat less crowded, we indulged in the fruit the lodge had thoughtfully packed for us and purchased some tapioca chips from a nearby kiosk. As boarding time approached, we were even provided with a fan to help keep cool during the flight.