Volcanic rainforest
Tawau Hills Park
A 24-kilometre drive from Tawau town, this protected lowland and submontane rainforest offers outstanding birding, towering dipterocarps and rugged volcanic trails.
Our view
A wilderness basecamp for birders
Tawau Hills rewards birders and hikers with hornbills, intricate insect life and frogs. Wildlife viewing focuses on the canopy and undergrowth. The dense mountainous terrain shelters resident large mammals, including the Sunda clouded leopard , which inhabits the forest interior and is seen with luck, alongside resident Bornean elephants , also seen with luck in the park's rugged terrain.
If you want to walk through towering dipterocarp forest and photograph rare birds within easy reach of Tawau, Tawau Hills is the place to be. You can spend the morning watching hornbills feed in the fig trees near the headquarters and the afternoon searching for rare frogs along the streams.
Highlights
Tall trees and trails
- Spanning 279 square kilometres of primary forest from 200 to 1,310 metres
- Home to 8 Bornean hornbill species and 68 frog species
- Trail network covering flat river walks and strenuous mountain ascents
- Historic 88.3-metre and 96.9-metre tall trees on the trail network
- A 2-night stopover for divers arriving before heading to Semporna
The Hornbills of Borneo
Tawau Hills Park is a critical hotspot supporting all 8 species of Bornean hornbill. The bushy-crested, black and rhinoceros hornbills are frequently active near the headquarters clearing, their density tied to the abundance of wild fig trees along the primary trails.
Next stops
Sabah forests, rivers and coast
A 2-night stay here makes excellent use of your arrival days. You can walk the lowland trails and join a guided night walk before moving on to the coast for a day's diving. See the Semporna page for the islands.
Getting there
The park is a 30-minute drive from Tawau town on paved roads and a 1-hour drive from Tawau Airport. Local taxis serve the park; return rides can be difficult, so arrange the return trip with your driver in advance. See park access.
Trip planning
Keep planning
Danum Valley
2.5 hours by road from Lahad Datu, Danum Valley is 438 square kilometres of lowland rainforest that was never logged with three very different places to stay inside it.
Kinabatangan River
The Kinabatangan floodplain holds the highest concentration of wildlife in Borneo. This is where you go to track orangutans and proboscis monkeys from a boat.
Tabin Wildlife Reserve
A 122,500-hectare lowland reserve bordered by oil palm, Tabin is Sabah’s premier destination for night drives. The sharp forest edge concentrates small cats and civets along the boundary roads.
Tawau Hills Park Chalets
The chalets at Tawau Hills Park provide a simple basecamp for birders and hikers who want to be on the trails before dawn.
Park geography
Ask about Tawau Hills
Send the team your dates, party size and target species for a Tawau Hills itinerary covering transfers, guiding and entry rules.