Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
places to stay are a very luxurious resort or a budget-priced research centre where the
main priority is accommodating scientists as opposed to, well, you. See the website of the
South East Asia Rainforest Research ( www.searrp.org ) for more information on re-
search occurring in the valley.
Sights & Activities
Both the Borneo Rainforest Lodge (BRL) and the Danum Valley Field Centre offer a vari-
ety of jungle-related activities. Only the BRL has official nature guides, whereas the Field
Centre offers park rangers.
Trekking
The main activities at the BRL and the Danum Valley Field Centre are walking on more
than 50km of marked, meandering trails.
At the BRL, take advantage of the well-trained guides who can point out things you
would have never seen on your own. The Coffincliff Trail is a good way to start your ex-
ploration and get your bearings. It climbs 3km to a cliff where the remains of some
Kadazan -Dusun coffins can be seen (although the provenance of the coffins is unclear).
After reaching an eye-popping panoramic viewpoint 100m up the way, you can either re-
turn the way you've come or detour around the back of the peak to descend via scenic
Fairy Falls and Serpent Falls , a pair of 15m falls that are good for a quick dip.
The Danum Trail , Elephant Trail and Segama Trails all follow various sections of
Danum Valley and are mostly flat trails offering good chances for wildlife spotting. All
can be done in an hour or two. The Hornbill Trail and East Trail have a few hills, but are
still relatively easy, with similarly good chances for wildlife sightings. Finally, if you just
need a quick breath of fresh air after a meal, the Nature Trail is a short plankwalk near
the lodge that allows you to walk into the forest unmolested by leeches.
There are heaps of fantastic trails weaving around the Field Centre - you must bring a
ranger along if you aren't a scientist (note that a guide is better than a ranger though, as
rangers are not trained to work with tourists). About a two-hour hike away are the Tem-
baling Falls , a cool slice of tropical Edenic beauty. A more strenuous, four-hour trek gets
you to the immensely rewarding Sungai Purut falls, a series of seven-tiered pools that are
fed by waters that drop down 20m from the nearby mountains.
Birdwatching
Danum Valley is very popular with birdwatchers from around the world, who come here
to see a whole variety of Southeast Asian rainforest species, including the great argus
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