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Kawag Nature Lodge (KNL) is the perfect jungle escapade for travellers seeking to unwind in nature’s warm and loving embrace in Sabah. Located in Kawag Forest, a Class 1 Protection Forest Reserve area, it is only 80 minutes drive away from Lahad Datu town. The lodge is surrounded by lush forest, Bornean wildlife, network of streams and rivers and literally sits on the oldest geological formation of crystalline basement, approximately 200 million years old. Our activities will get you closer to this amazing natural environment. We have river tubing, picnic by the the waterfall, fish spa, jungle trekking and night drive to spot nocturnal wildlife. KNL is equipped with basic hotel facilities and amenities to ensure your stay is comfortable in the wilderness. The lodge restaurant serves local delicacies, has a 24-hour electricity, clean and cosy rooms with air-conditioner and fan, and hot water for showers.
I booked a tour with Borneo Refugia and stayed at Kawag for one night. I could not be happier. The experience of trekking in the jungle was amazing, and our guide Rob was so nice and knowledgable. We didn't see orangutans, unfortunately, but we saw other wildlife such as gibbons, red leaf monkeys, Wild pigs and wild cats, and leartn a lot about the rainforest. The accommodation was new and very comfortable. The staff were helpful and nice, and the food was yummy. Overall, excellent experience, I totally recommend it!
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Date of stay: November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A nice, fairly new place. Rooms are clean, but prepare for basic infrastructure. The dining area is lovely and friendly, enjoyable. Thanks for the chef, food is really good. You may find couple of trails but prepare for millions of leaches. Quit annoying to check your body all the time. They made hard to enjoy trekking. But the staff, was very VERY nice and kind. I wish to meet all around such people. A big thanks all of you.
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Date of stay: October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The resort has an interesting design which allows you to observe nature from an elevated boardwalk, you can even take photos of birds and other wildlife from your breakfast table. The service staff are very friendly, professional and attentive to your needs and the food was very good. My guide Rom was very knowledgeable in all aspects of the jungle and patiently explained all the interesting things we saw on the hikes and night drive. We saw lots of birds and small animals even though the region was in the middle of a drought. There were very few mosquitos at the lodge, probably because of all the small bats which come out at night to eat them. My guide was also happy to change my itinerary to suit my plans/interests. On a slightly negative note, one of the other senior guides…
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Date of stay: September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2 Helpful votes
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Response from Borneo_Refugia, Marketing Officer at Kawag Nature Lodge
Responded 15 Oct 2019
Hello wilcirrus, Thank you for staying with us at Kawag Danum Rainforest Lodge and for taking the time to share your valuable review. Concerned with your comments, we had made an investigation and would like to take this TripAdvisor reply corner to explain this little misinterpretation. Wildlife observation etiquette – For this matter, a guide has their own way to entertain their guests and some of them presented their cheerful and energetic personalities to ensure that their guests will not feel bored during the jungle activities. Refuse to hitch a ride – For this matter, we already communicated with our guides. We found that the issue here was on the time arrangement of the activity. The morning walk activity usually starts at 0500 hrs and our vehicle will depart at that particular time. As informed by our guide, your morning walk activity was re-time to later at 0600 hrs. Therefore, the other guide and his guests had left at 0500 hrs to use the vehicle. Any inconvenience caused is much regretted and we will take these comments for our future improvement.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed here for the 3D / 2N package. It was a great experience. The food was plentiful and good. Our guide for all the nature treks was fantastic, very personable and knowledgeable about all the life in the forest. We spotted a wild orangutan and gibbons in the forest with the help of our guide. Popular destination for serious bird watching. The rooms are simple but comfortable. It is very hot and humid so definitely recommend a room with air con. Free unlimited drinking water refills. Very limited wifi service so enjoy unplugging while having an authentic nature experience.
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Date of stay: September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2 Helpful votes
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Response from Borneo_Refugia, Marketing Officer at Kawag Nature Lodge
Responded 5 Sep 2019
Hi Herbie Thank you for choosing us. We are glad to know that you had a great experience at Kawag Danum Rainforest Lodge. Thank you for taking a moment to recommend us to others. Your good ratings are greatly appreciated, and we hope you won’t hesitate to let us know if we can serve you again in the future!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The complex is nice but with low maintenance, and the staff need some things to learn. 1) no briefing about the park, the forest and the animals. 2) no pictures of them at the wall...only two books 3) the guides are.not interconnected, to inform about animals location 4)the trek are.nice but the guide was tired and not really ecxting 5)the.room not cleaned everyday(she sad i mist ask for that🙄) 6) no passion to share from them about the forest or animal Finally its expensive 700 euros for a couple 2 nights for a low cost experience....(kinabatangan river is much much better with 300)
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Date of stay: August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Unique wildlife spotting! Very intense program, guide super knowledgeable and committed to find and explain animals, great food, great vibes. If you love nature you will love it. Wish we could stay longer to understand animals even more!
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Date of stay: July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The lodge was great, the Food very good, the guide excellent, wie saw a lot of very interessting animals and had a much better understandig what it means to live in the Rainforest Thank you for everything and for this great experiance. All the best.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I loved my tie in Kawag Danum Rainforest Lodge. It was the perfect balance between comfort and a real life on the ground rainforest experience. The staff were fabulous and my guide absolutely great.. Mr Snake expert!! Love your work!! Food was good, hospitality first class. Im coming back when the Elephants are due!!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had the best 3 days staying here, trekking each day through jungle seeing a wide range of amazing species, including an enormous herd of elephants. Delicious food, helpful friendly staff, cool lodge.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The food, staff and guides were all excellent. The transport to and from the resort was also good and the drivers very careful on the unsealed road to the resort. The dining area was nicely set out and the gardens and look-out tower a great asset. The rooms were a little tired and need a re-fit but the balconies overlooking the jungle were good. Overall definitely not a luxury resort but nonetheless comfortable. There were very few people staying at the resort when we were there - only one other couple most of the time. The guided walks and safaris were interesting.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.