Danum Valley, The Abode Of Naturalists And Tourists Alike

By Jailani Hasan LAHAD DATU (Sabah, Malaysia), March 13 (Bernama) -- Danum Valley Conservation Area (DVCA), a nature's heritage, not only hosts nature's flora and fauna but also naturalists and tourists. While researchers come to study the living forms and enjoy the pristine panorama of the 170 million old primeval rainforest, the visitors come to unwind in true natural settings far away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Due to the uniqueness, the conservation area receives at least four scientists every month from various countries like Australia, United Kingdom, Germany and Netherlands to carry out various scientific studies and not to mention the loads of tourists who appreciate nature. Located on the edge of Danum Valley Conservation Area, the Danum Valley Field Centre (DVFC) established in 1986 has evolved into one of the foremost rainforest research establishments in South East Asia. It extensive facilities include permanent research, well-equipped analytical laboratories, computer and email facilities, a library, climatic station data, phenology monitoring data base, trained field staff, and an extensive jungle trail that lures international and local naturalists. DANUM DIFFERENT FROM OTHER WORLD HERITAGE A visitor from Germany, Franklyn Monte who came with a group of researcher said they went through an amazing experience in Danum Valley as it was different from other world heritage. "The rain forest is one of the oldest in the world and in the morning you will find the place just stunning. "We woke up before sunrise everyday to enjoy the jungle scenery with many animals in the canopy. Though, the accommodation was relatively very basic, but that did not bother us at all. It made our experience even more authentic. Danum Valley Field Centre is not a tourist resort, it is a research and scientific facility allows visitors to explore the best of Borneo's nature. "We loved it and certainly we will come back again in the near future", he said. There is something therapeutic being surrounded by big and tall trees and singing birds and insects along the journey, this is especially for nature lovers. "We were lucky enough to see few otters in one early morning on the river banks. Many birds, which we had never seen before and a variety of primates including, the red leaf monkey and the silver leaf monkey with babies, the amazing gibbon, the shy buck, butterflies and wild orchids and the wild orang utans that we got so close to was fascinating. "The giant hornbills were another highlight and so is the elusive pygmy elephants. The jungle noises were amazing and something we felt from out of this world," said Monte. DANUM VALLEY RANKED 3RD MOST POPULAR DESTINATION IN SABAH Meanwhile, Danum Valley ranked 3rd from the 98 attractions in Sabah by Trip Advisor with the place named the third most recommended World Heritage Site to visit. A local and nature lover, Martin Chen, 42, said this was fantastic news and proved that the conservation area was a unique must-see destination. Tourists consistently mentioned Danum Valley as one of the world's heritage as a primary reason for visiting, and once here they find wild animals and flora and fauna, which are the most impressive aspects in eco-tourism. This vote provided further proof of just how important the world heritage site for the next generation, and how efforts to preserve and promote serve as the key to Danum Valley’s future success, said Rezal Abdul Latiff, a local visitor. BREATHTAKING EXPERIENCES Being a local, Rezal said rain forests were not alien to him and to many Malaysians, but what was really unique was that Danum Valley remained untouched. Most of the trees there were of the 'skyscraper' variety and thus incredibly awe inspiring. "We had many amazing tracks through the forest, which cuts through incredibly thick jungle. There is a challenging and difficult trail called the "Nagatak Trail" or the "Disappearing Trail", which was so overgrown", said Rezal adding that visitors should engage a to avoid getting lost. One solo traveler I chatted casually said; "I used to think the forest being a collection of trees, but I came away astonished that the forest is basically functions very much like a single living organism. "I did not visit Danum Valley for the wild animals, but I was lucky enough to spot many wildlife like orang utan, flying squirrel, mousedeer, samba deer, a flying lemur, hornbill, an owl, singing sharma and a small herd of Borneo elephant. Some it is not surprising when they say a trip to Danum Valley Conservation Area is a trip of a lifetime. -- BERNAMA