Gomantong Caves

Gomantong is known for the edible nests that swiftlets build high in the roof, collected in set seasons by climbers working from rattan ladders and poles in near darkness. A boardwalk loops through Simud Hitam, the lower and larger of the two show caves, under a ceiling holding hundreds of thousands of bats and swiftlets. The floor below is a mound of guano that appears to move, because it is covered in cockroaches, and the smell reaches you before the entrance does. Outside, the forest around the car park is one of the more reliable places near Sandakan to see wild orangutans, and the bat exodus at dusk draws bat hawks that hunt the column as it leaves.

What you actually see

• Simud Hitam - the lower cave with a boardwalk under the nesting colonies.
• The harvesting rigs - rattan and bamboo ladders left hanging from the roof.
• The bat exodus - the evening flight out, hunted by bat hawks overhead.
• Orangutans at the entrance - wild animals often feeding in the trees by the car park.

When to go

Open all year. Late afternoon works best if you want the bat exodus, which begins around dusk and needs a clear evening. Harvest seasons vary and are not announced, so seeing climbers at work is luck. Most people arrive as part of a Kinabatangan trip, which puts the busiest hour in the middle of the day.

Honest expectations

The smell and the cockroaches are not exaggerated: the boardwalk rail is often covered in them, and some visitors turn back within a minute. The floor is slick with guano and the handrails are grim, so bring something to wipe your hands with. It is a short visit for the driving involved, and the approach road is winding.

Nearby

The Kinabatangan river lies just south; Sepilok and Sandakan are to the west.