GOMANTONG CAVES ARE CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR, SURROUNDING FOREST RESERVE NOW OPEN FOR VISITORS.

We’ve got an important update on one of the popular attractions here in Sandakan, and that is the Gomantong Caves.

You may or may not have heard that the Gomantong Caves have been put on temporary closure to carry out maintenance and repair works. Most travelers heading to the Kinabatangan region would usually make a pit-stop to the Gomantong Caves as part of their itinerary. However, though the caves are not open, you can now visit the nearby park area up until the guest entrance.

What does this mean?

Besides being a huge limestone cave in the middle of the jungle, Gomantong Cave is home to over a million bats. These bats form a mass exodus from the cave almost every evening at sundown. Travelers visiting the forest reserve can witness the natural spectacle of mother nature’s wonder, where you can see bats leaving the Gomantong Caves in the formation of never-ending spirals disappearing into the night skies.

Cave entry will resume once maintenance work has been completed and deemed safe for guests, fingers crossed this will be announced soon after we’ve received word that the caves are fully operational!  Until then, the entrance fee to the Gomantong forest reserve is waived and guests are able to visit for free.

The Gomantong Caves is an exceptionally popular detour for travellers heading to Sukau and generally for all who find themselves in the eastern part of Sabah.
Photos by Sabah Wildlife Department

The Gomantong Caves are a complex cave system inside Gomantong Hill in the Sandakan Division, of Sabah, Malaysia. There is no place quite like this in the area, where this cave system forms the largest limestone outcrop in the whole Lower Kinabatangan. The alluring features of these caves are just as compelling as the lush, protected rainforest surrounding it. You’ll have the chance to spot wild orangutans on your walk towards the cave and leave after witnessing the mesmerising bat exodus at dusk. In these caves, the bats co-exist with thousands of swiftlets that gather valuable and edible bird nests, where the prized, highly sought-after delicacy of bird nest’s soup is harvested from.

    Want to know more? Gain more insight about the Gomantong Caves here: https://www.borneoecotours.com/blog/things-about-gomantong-cave-in-sandakan-sabah-borneo-that-you-must-know-about/