Gamantong Caves

These limestone caves are Sabah's most famous source of swiftlets' nests used for Chinese panacea, bird's-nest soup. The caves are on the opposite side of the bay from Sandakan. They have two cave complexes, the main and more accessible Simud Hitam (Black Cave) and Simud Putih (White Cave), which is higher in the mountain. Simud Hitam contains black nests whereas Simud Putih contains the more valuable white nests. Both trails are steep and involve some rock climbing. The area around the caves is covered in forest and dense vegetation.