Gomantong caves & forest reserve

Edible birds nests have been harvested at Gomatong for centuries and the importance of the ecosystem surrounding this huge limestone outcrop was recognised as early as 1925, when colonial authorities at the time designated the area Sabah's first Nature Conservation Reserve, in a bid to secure the harvest of edible birds nest for the future. Today, edible swiflet nests still continue to be harvested twice annually between February to April and July to September, and visitors can witness the perilous process involving ladders of impossible lengths via a boardwalk through the caves, as well as enjoying the forest reserve surrounding the caves. Visit at sunset during our 4D3N Kinabatangan river safari with Gomantong caves bat exodus and you may be lucky enough to see over a million bats exiting the caves at dusk!

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Gomantong Forest Reserve

Red leaf monkey at Gomantong caves

Further recognition of the importance of the area surrounding the Gomantong caves came in 1984, with the creation of Gomantong Forest Reserve, a Class I Forest Reserve covering an area of 32sq km. With logging prohibited in class I forests, this protected status allowed the Gomantong Forest Reserve to remain its original state throughout the sharp rise of the palm oil industry in the late 80's and 90's.

The forest surrounding the caves today is still under protection and is home to red leaf monkeys, orangutans, a multitude of bird species and more. It is not uncommon for visitors to spot orang-utans in the vicinity of the caves and aside from Sepilok, Gomantong is possibly one of the easiest places in Sabah to photograph orangutans.

Gomantong caves

Simud hitam or Black cave

The cave system at Gomantong is divided into two main parts, Simud hitam (Black cave) is the lower part and offers visitors easy access to the sights, smells and brilliant light displays via a wooden boardwalk through the cave. Access to the entrance of Simud hitam is via a short rainforest boardwalk from the car park and is suitable for guests of most ages & abilities, 

The upper part of Gomantong caves. Simud Putih, or white cave, is where the most valuable birds nests are found and access is restricted, not only by the number of steps required to reach the cave but also due to the value of the birds nests extracted from here.

Edible birds nests

Black edible birds nest in Gomantong caves

You may not have encountered edible birds nests before but they are one of the most expensive products of animal origin in the world, reaching up to $10,000 per kilo. Crafted by the cave swiflets from their saliva, the nests are prized for their high protein content and rich flavour, and have been used in Chinese cooking for centuries, predominantly for "Birds Nest soup". 

​White birds nests consist almost exclusively of saliva and require very little processing prior to sale, in contrast, black birds nests are mixed with feathers, twigs & dirt and require more extensive processing before sale or consumption.

Guano and its inhabitants

Guano mountains in Gomantong caves

Before you reach the cave entrance, you will start to notice a strange and somewhat rancid smell on the horizon, this is what a mountain of guano, otherwise known as bat poop, smells like. High in nitrogen, guano can serve as a fertiliser, but predominantly serves as a home to the cave's most populous inhabitants, cockroaches and their friends the giant centipedes! They are present in large numbers in the cave (some even claim it is the largest cockroach population in the world) but, thankfully, the elevated boardwalk means you don't have to contend with them directly, just wear covered shoes, stick to the boardwalk and you should be fine. Unless of course you have an absolute phobia of cockroaches, in which case this trip may not be the right one for you!

Gomantong caves bat exodus

Bat hawk by Charles Ryan

One of the most popular times to visit the caves is in the late afternoon, arrive early enough to catch rays of light streaming into the caves and then make your way up a very steep staircase to the top of the limestone outcrop for the best view for the near nightly bat exodus. Watch as hundreds of thousands of bats, mainly wrinkle-lipped, exit the caves in groups of around 100 at a time in search of their evening meal, closely followed by bat hawks looking for a meal of their own!

​The bat exodus is weather dependent and can never be guaranteed, but since the bats only hunt at night fall and need to eat, they come out very often!

Visiting the Gomantong caves

Optional add-on on your check-out day: ​: RM300 per person, tours depart daily subject to minimum 2 pax and a 25% discount is available for children aged 4 to 12 years old. Pre-booking is recommended as spaces are limited.
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If you have extra time on your check-out day, join us for a visit to the Gomantong caves and spend an hour exploring the boardwalk and looking for orangutans in the vicinity of the caves before continuing on your journey to Sepilok for lunch. After lunch your guide will take you to the Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre for a birdseye view of the Sepilok-Kabili Forest Reserve and a chance to explore a short trail in the centre before getting dropped off at Sandakan airport in time for flights departing at 5.30pm or later (hotel drop off also available in Sepilok and Sandakan).

At sunset
If you are keen to catch the bat exodus, prebook our 4D3N Kinabatangan river safari with Gomantong caves package which includes a visit to the caves from the afternoon through till sunset. 

See our packages