Lahad Datu - Day 3 (Danum Valley)

- January 09, 2026

It was our second day in Danum Valley when I woke up at 3.30am with a pulsating pain on my right side. Immediately, thoughts raced through my mind. What if it was appendicitis in the middle of the night? Could I possibly make it to the nearest hospital, which was more than two and a half hours away? We were deep in the jungle, far from proper medical care, and I couldn't help imagining the worst. For what felt like an eternity, I lay there tense and worried, but thankfully, the pain gradually eased, leaving a wave of relief. Looking back, I realized it was most likely caused by gas in my intestine.

We went for breakfast at 6.30am. My partner and his friends headed out for jungle trekking at 7.30am while I stayed behind to finish breakfast and unwind at the resort. The early morning mist gave the view a magical feel, and it was incredibly relaxing to enjoy breakfast surrounded by such scenery. The nasi lemak was good, with nicely crispy anchovies. The fried egg was fine, although the hash brown wasn't crispy enough. I wanted to try the congee, but it was too thick for my liking. Overall, the food was just average. While eating, I spotted a black squirrel on a tree near the swimming pool and a green bird resting in another tree nearby.

While I was relaxing in our chalet, my partner called to say they had reached the peak, from where they could see the restaurant. Curious, I made my way over and scanned the ridge, unsure at first where to look. One of the European couple, who had been working quietly on his laptop, noticed my searching gaze and helped me spot my partner and friends standing at the top. I raised my hand and waved, and a moment later, they waved back. The couple then looked up from the screen, amused by the small exchange, smiling as if they were sharing in the moment too.

My partner and his friends came back around noon, and I waited for them to have lunch together. He came back without a single leech bite, though the others, including Yohanas, each had one clinging to their clothes. Lunch was average. The fish with ginger and stir-fried noodles was quite salty, but the lamb was tender, with a mild gamey taste. We were served the same selection of fruits for the second day in a row, and we also tried the snake fruit for the first time. The flesh was firm and crunchy but surprisingly tasteless, leaving a slightly puckering sensation on the tongue. The only food we thoroughly enjoyed that afternoon was the curry puff. After lunch, my partner and his friends got ready for water rafting at 2pm.

It began pouring about 3.40pm, and I noticed a bunch of monkeys moving along the chalet rooftops. The rain stopped about an hour later, and around 5.15pm, my partner returned from their water rafting trip, looking completely exhausted. Before their rafting began, they were given a bento box with a sandwich and a can of 100 Plus.

I had my dinner alone at 6.30pm while my partner and his friends went for a night walk at 6.45pm. He managed to grab some food and eat a little before heading out. The beef was tough, the penne carbonara was just okay, and the fish in coconut milk was a bit hard and slightly salty. The creme brulee was quite good, and I actually had two servings.

They returned from the night walk at 7.40pm, and my partner had a leech bite on his left hand. Yohanas helped remove it, and it only became noticeable when it started to hurt. We continued eating until 9pm. There had been a free-flow cocktail session from 5pm to 6pm, but we missed it. Jlo asked if we could just have one drink, and the waiter kindly let us choose. Jlo and I each had a glass of white wine, while my partner and his wife had orange juice and iced lemon tea. There wasn't much going on at the lodge at night, so we spent some time at his friend's chalet before calling it a day.

Overview of the day's plan - click here for more.