Borneo Rainforest Lodge
Location
The nearest town, Lahad Datu, is a two-hour drive away, but flights from Kota Kinabalu Airport take about an hour.
Accommodation
Guests choose from a range of sizes and configurations, from standard ‘Jungle’ chalets to the most desirable double-storey premium villa, which comes complete with a private infinity pool.
Meals in the vaulted communal dining area of the lodge are diverse and delicious, but with huge windows onto the forest, you’ll be reminded that you haven’t come here for the food. The ecosystem is the draw. Indeed, knowing that previous guests of the lodge include Prince William, Princess Kate, and Dame Judy Dench is less important than the expectation of the real celebrities: orangutans, the other rare megafauna, the birds and the huge trees to be found in the forest.
- Get right into the trees on the Canopy Walkway. It’s 360 metres long and almost 30 metres above the ground.
- Take a hike to the Kadazandusun burial site, known as ‘Coffin Cliff’, where indigenous people have traditionally buried their dead in ironwood coffins within the rock face.
- Cool off in a natural river jacuzzi and then have the thrill of tubing on the Danum River.
- A guided trek to Fairy Falls and Serpent Falls comes with the added benefit of potentially spotting orangutans and pygmy elephants. The reserve is also home to the Sunda clouded leopard and Bornean sun bears.
- There are 320 bird species in the area. See if you can spot the Bornean Bristlehead, Bornean Ground-Cuckoo, Bulwer's Pheasant, Black-throated Wren-Babbler, or the Dusky Munia.
- Don’t forget the plants, which your guide will delight in telling you about. There are about 200 species of plant for every hectare of forest.
Positive Impact
We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.
An authentic, welcoming and comfortable lodge in a staggeringly remote and spectacular location, this is the place to come for snow leopards and warm hospitality.
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Meaning ’hibiscus flower’ in Malay, Bungaraya is as perfectly beautiful as its natural namesake. From its gorgeous infinity pool perched above crystal-clear tropical waters, to its luxurious longhouse-style villas, supreme relaxation is assured. There are also plenty of natural adventures to be had on Gaya Island, so there’s something for everyone.
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The young poet and playwright Kiran Millwood Hargrave said "India is a place where colour is doubly bright. Pinks that scald your eyes, blues you could drown in." It's a quote that captures the marvellous intensity of experiencing India. You’ll flit like a butterfly from a gilded palace to a sun baked fortress, to a bustling bazaar, to an encounter with a big cat, all the while drinking in the colours, sounds, aromas and the relentless energy of Indian life. That collage of glimpses will be there to savour years after you return. Here we share 10 unmissable experiences while travelling in India.
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