Malaysia Destinations | Places of Interest in Malaysia

Sabah > Gomantong Cave

Described by WWF as "the best managed edible birds' nest cave in the world", Gomantong Caves has been the focus for birds' nests for centuries. The three-century old limestone cave is divided into two, Simud Hitam and Simud Putih. Simud Hitam is the main cave, a five-minute walk from the Registration Centre. Along the way to the cave, enjoy the beautiful green surroundings and, if you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a macaque or two. Once inside, be amazed at the 90m high cave roofs, which is where the swiftlets’ nests are often found.

Simud Putih, located on a limestone cliff above Simud Hitam, is where the valuable white birds’ nest is harvested. Exploring Simud Putih is for more the more adventurous, requiring rock climbing skills. The ‘white saliva’ birds’ nests found here are more valuable as they are more difficult to collect. The caves are protected by the Wildlife Department, which strictly limits birds’ nests collection to only twice a year.

At Simud Putih, watch skilled birds’ nest gatherers climb precarious bamboo and rattan ladders to collect this precious commodity. It is a tense and exciting experience to watch these men risk their lives in this dark and dank environment. Stay the evening and witness a spectacular aerial show as millions of bats pour out of this opening for their nightly forage. At the same time, the swiftlets will be returning to roost in the darkness of the cave. This soup of “meals in flight” is the perfect opportunity for predator birds such as serpent eagles and kites to drop by for dinner.

Also found here is the Batu Tulug hill, once used as a refuge during floods. This limestone hill was once burial site for the Orang Sungai. Hundreds of intricately carved wooden coffins have been discovered here and is now part of a museum display to highlight the ceremonial burial custom of the Orang Sungai in the past.

Location

The Gomantong Caves are located in Sandakan, more specifically in the Kinabatangan area.

How to get there

Take a 45-minute flight or enjoy a leisurely 6-hour drive from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan. From Sandakan town, make arrangements for a journey to the Kinabatangan region, which is about 2 hours by road.

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