Madai Caves

Madai is a limestone massif near Kunak with a cave system running into it, and its significance is twofold. Archaeologically, excavation has produced evidence of occupation going back thousands of years, with burial jars and stone tools, placing it among the important prehistoric sites in Borneo. Practically, it is a working birds' nest cave: the swiftlets that nest on the high ceilings build with saliva, and those nests are the raw material of birds' nest soup, harvested twice or three times a year by Idahan families who hold the rights by inheritance, climbing bamboo poles and rattan ladders lashed into the dark to reach ceilings tens of metres up. A settlement of huts stands at the cave mouth, occupied during harvest. Visiting requires local permission and it is their workplace.

What you actually see

• Bamboo harvesting scaffolds - poles and ladders lashed up to the high ceilings.
• Idahan hereditary rights - families who have held the nest harvest for generations.
• A prehistoric site - occupation evidence and burial jars from excavation.
• A harvest settlement - huts at the cave mouth used in season.

When to go

March to September; harvest periods vary. Half a day.

Honest expectations

This is private working ground - do not enter without local permission and a guide. The floor is deep guano and the smell is severe. Lighting is nil; bring a torch. Climbing the scaffolds is not for visitors.

Nearby

Kunak and Lahad Datu are on the coast road; Semporna is south-east.