The Rainforest Discovery Center is located on the fringe of the Kebili-Sepilok forest reserve. It would be easy to drive right by and not even know it’s there, but if you find yourself in Sabah, down towards the end of the island and Sandakan, don’t miss this hidden gem.

We’ve spent a lot of time in rainforests, from the northernmost on in North America on the Pacific coast of Canada, to the lush cloud forests of Central America, and the length of Southeast Asia. The forests of Borneo are world renowned for their diverse plant and animal populations and for being home to numerous species that simply don’t exist anywhere else on the planet.

It has been so much fun to hike in them. Every single excursion brings us face to face with thing we’ve never seen before, from a dizzying array of millipedes to birds with bright feathers and beaks, to cave creatures and endangered animal species. The national parks and sanctuaries of Borneo have been the very best part of our time here.

The Rainforest Discovery Center is focused on education. It’s set up to help visitors, young and old, understand the bio-diversity of the forests and the delicate chains that hold the ecosystem in balance. They’ve done a fantastic job with their education center. Don’t skip it.

The Plant Discovery Garden

We saw so many plants we’d never seen before, and were able to put names to several we had but didn’t recognize. I especially enjoyed the labeling of the spice plants and trees and the orchids.

FUN FACT: figs are not a fruit, they’re a specialized flower! Who knew?

These are orchid plants attached to a tree

A new kind of banana!

This is a vanilla orchid

FUN FACTS: Related to Vanilla

• Vanilla is an orchid
• Gramps grows it in his sunroom (although it doesn’t bloom)
• Vanilla wasn’t introduced to Central America until the Spanish came
• The most vanilla in the world is produced by Madagascar
• Coca-Cola is the biggest user of vanilla in the world

The carnivorous pitcher plants were a highlight 

We wrote about these for our young friend, Max!

The Canopy Walkway is fantastic

We’d never had the opportunity to wander through the very top layer of a rainforest before!

We saw hornbills and a giant squirrel that leapt courageously between the trees. I watched a giant moth float like a feather on the wind between treetops far below me, and marveled at one tree completely covered with blooming white morning glory flowers, 30 meters above the ground.

looking down at the forest floor through the platform