One of the last
untouched rainforests
left on Earth.

A rainforest that was never logged, never settled, and is barely visited.

Danum Valley Conservation Area protects 438 square kilometres of lowland dipterocarp forest in eastern Sabah — one of the few places on the island that has never had a permanent human settlement. That absence of people is exactly why the wildlife here is so dense: wild orangutans, Bornean pygmy elephants, and — if you're lucky — the elusive clouded leopard.

There's no way to drive yourself in. Access is limited to two research-and-tourism outposts, both reached by a two-and-a-half-hour 4WD transfer from Lahad Datu, which keeps visitor numbers — and impact — deliberately low.