Rainforest accommodation
The chalets at Tawau Hills Park provide a simple basecamp for birders and hikers who want to be on the trails before dawn.
Welcome
24 kilometres from Tawau town, simple chalets sit at the edge of a mountainous rainforest catchment area. Staying here lets you join a guided night walk to look for forest frogs and wake up early to look for hornbills. These practical rooms provide a basecamp for hikers who want to spend maximum time on the forest trails.
Staying here lets you join a guided night walk to look for forest frogs and wake up early to look for hornbills. Table Waterfall trails are within walking distance, but the hot springs are inaccessible while their bridge awaits repair. You share the grounds with local recreation groups and other rainforest visitors.
These practical rooms give hikers access to the 27,972-hectare protected forest at the right hours for wildlife.
Our view
Stay at headquarters for the dawn chorus: canopy acoustic activity peaks between 6am and 8:30am, when hornbills are most active.
Guided night walks offer amphibian diversity, with guides finding Kinabalu pit vipers and civet cats on most stays.
You sleep close to the forest trails; bring sturdy footwear for the mud after rain.
This practical basecamp suits hikers and wildlife enthusiasts who want more time on the trails.
Resident Sunda clouded leopards use the trails, as camera traps confirm; sightings remain a bonus for early risers.
Accommodation
The headquarters has 3 accommodation options. Independent guests self-cater; structured conservation packages provide full board.
Sleeps up to 6 · air conditioning
The only standalone unit accommodates up to 6 people and has air conditioning. The attached private bathroom has cold-water showers.
9 rooms · fan cooling · communal bathrooms
This single building has 9 rooms, each with 4 single beds and fan cooling. You use shared communal bathrooms.
Holds up to 1,000 campers
The large manicured lawn holds up to 1,000 campers. Independent overnight hikers must bring all their own equipment.
10.55 kilometres into the forest
Lucia Mountain Lodge serves strictly as a hiker refuge, 10.55 kilometres into the forest on the trail to Mount Lucia.
Self-catered stays
If you reserve a room independently, you must self-cater. If you book independently, buy food for your stay in Tawau before arriving.
Food and drink
Independent guests must bring food from Tawau and self-cater. Begonia Canteen sells instant noodles, fried rice and hot drinks; confirm its hours when booking. Structured conservation packages include breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinking water.
Wildlife sightings
The park supports all 8 Bornean hornbill species. Its riparian zones harbour Borneo's reptiles and amphibians, including 68 frog species alongside dragon snakes and red-headed kraits.
Where it is
Rates on enquiry: no prices are published.
Stay at headquarters for a guided night walk looking for frogs, then rise early to look for hornbills.
EnquireStay overnight at the chalets and walk the paths to Table Waterfall independently.
EnquireBook independently for a practical basecamp, bringing food from town to self-cater.
EnquireQuestions
No. The Magdelena Chalet has an attached bathroom but the showers are cold. The hostel rooms share communal cold-water bathrooms.
The Begonia Canteen sells snacks and drinks. Independent guests must bring their own food from town.
You can walk the paths to Table Waterfall and Bukit Gelas independently. You must hire a registered Sabah Parks mountain guide if you attempt the backcountry ascents to Mount Magdalena or Mount Lucia.
The gates close at 4pm every day. You need to arrive by 3:30pm to ensure you can enter.
Getting there
Tawau Hills Park is 24 kilometres from Tawau town and 45 kilometres from Tawau Airport. Fully paved roads mean no four-wheel drive is needed. Taxis or ride-hailing cars take 30 minutes from town or 1 hour from the airport. Negotiate your return trip in advance: patchy cellular signal and drivers leaving make late-afternoon pickups difficult.
Alternatives
Hotels in Tawau offer accommodation with restaurants and hot water. Kinabatangan River lodges offer rainforest stays with boat safaris and better odds for seeing mammals.
Our view
Tell the team your dates and group size for a stay with forest walks before day visitors arrive.
