Lahad Datu - Day 4 (Danum Valley

Lahad Datu - Day 4 (Danum Valley - Lahad Datu Town)

- January 11, 2026

It was our final day in Danum Valley, and we decided to skip breakfast because it wasn't particularly good. Instead, we planned to head out for an early lunch. The lodge allowed us to check out at noon, so we left our luggage in the chalet and headed out for lunch at 11.30am. Lunch was fairly repetitive, and most of the dishes were so-so. Nothing really stood out, though I enjoyed the mango cubes and the juicy, sweet pomelo. By 1.30pm, we were ready to leave. The 4WD truck felt much more comfortable than the one we had on our first day, its seats soft against the long journey ahead. Debby and Jude were warm and friendly, waving us goodbye as we climbed into the vehicle. All our luggage was already loaded, and our driver, Julius, was quiet and focused, keeping his attention firmly on the road throughout the journey.

Along the way, I spotted a hornbill gliding gracefully across the sky. The primary forest stretches on either side, its tall, straight trees with pale trunks forming a quiet, majestic corridor. Julius drove fairly fast, and in some stretches the speed reached 80 km/h. The ride was very bumpy, and at certain points the jolts made me feel dizzy. He skipped the first planned toilet break, but halfway along, he stopped near a stream to relieve himself. The second break almost passed us by, but luckily he asked, and our friend said she needed to go. So at 2.55pm, we finally paused for a quick five-minute break. By 3.12pm, we reached the Danum Valley Conservation Area checkpoint, where Julius went down to register our exit. The journey ended at the De Leon Hotel at 3.50pm, and we thanked him for the ride.

Merbau Restaurant

Sabah veggies with garlic

Stir-fried long beans with garlic

Sauteed mushrooms

Egg plants with dried shrimp

Chicken with Cajun spice

Fish with spicy coconut milk

Lamb soy sauce

Steamed briyani

Sweet and sour mock chicken

Stir-fried mock chicken

Curry noodles section

Vegetarian fried flat rice noodles

Wintermelon with herbs

Hivana (fish) and lihing (rice wine)

Hivana (fish)

Kueh lenggang and kaswi gula melaka

Ondeh-ondeh

Chocolate butter cake

Kuih sagu

Kaswi pandan

Nuts section and mango cubes

Fruits section

Salad section

Smoked duck, salmon and salad section

Dressing for salad

My lunch

Fruits

A 4WD truck

After check-in, Jlo and his wife went for laundry. By the time my partner messaged them, we realized they were already at the self-laundry shop. Bay Dobi is just a 5-minute walk (350m) from the hotel. We met them there and spent about 25 minutes washing our clothes, followed by another 40 minutes for drying. While waiting, we explored the shop lot nearby, and Jlo wandered off looking for a spectacle shop to get his glasses fixed.

Bay Dobi

Address:

Bay Dobi

Kampung Air,

91000 Lahad Datu,

Sabah

Darvel Bay Plaza

We had dinner at New Chris Corner Restaurant, recommended by the lady at Que's Cafe. The restaurant was conveniently located just a few shop lots away from our hotel. We ordered ginger spring onion fish, salted egg squid, garlic pork, black bean pork kueh teow, Sabah veggies with egg, and pakis with sambal. The salted egg squid was quite good. The ginger spring onion fish was slightly salty, but the fish itself was fresh. Both the black bean pork kueh teow and Sabah veggies with egg were acceptable, but the egg was overly salty. The pakis with sambal was okay but slightly old. Overall, it was an average meal, nothing particularly memorable, but filling enough after a long day.

After dinner we returned to the hotel. My partner later went for a foot massage with his friends, while I chose to stay back and relax in the room.

(Total bill - RM 156)