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| Giluk Falls plunge over the edge of the southern plateau of the Maliau Basin into dense lowland dipterocarp rainforest. Alternating layers of soft, easily-eroded mudstone and harder sandstone have given rise to a series of exposed sandstone shelves over which the falls cascade. Center of the Maliau Basin, Sabah's 'Lost World, Borneo, Malaysia. COPYRIGHT:©Alex Hyde (to purchase high res of this image, click here) |
Lost world
One of the last tracts of pristine, untouched lands in Malaysia, the Maliau Basin Conservation Area in Tawau, Sabah is breathtaking in its ethereal, virginal beauty. The 588.4sq km area includes the seven-tier Maliau Falls, Maliau River, Gunung Lontong, Lake Linumunsut and the 25km in diameter saucer-shaped Maliau Basin. A veritable treasure trove from Mother Nature, it contains 12 forest types and an exciting wildlife population, many of them endemic. Although only 10 per cent of the area has been studied extensively, researchers have already found 1,800 plant species, 70 mammal species including rare ones like the Sumatran rhinoceros, clouded leopard, proboscis monkey and Malay bear, 261 species of birds and 30 amphibian species.
Getting there
Accessible by road from Tawau and Keningau; permission to enter the area must be obtained from the Yayasan Sabah office
What to do
Jungle trekking, bird watching, night drive to spot wildlife
Efforts are underway to list the Maliau Basin as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Getting there
Accessible by road from Tawau and Keningau; permission to enter the area must be obtained from the Yayasan Sabah office
What to do
Jungle trekking, bird watching, night drive to spot wildlife
Efforts are underway to list the Maliau Basin as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
