Hiking the Elephant Trail to Kinabatangan Caves in Sukau

When exploring the jungles around Sukau, I discovered an epic cave on the elephant trail near the village!

If you’re planning your Kinabatangan River trip or looking for the Sukau Caves, then I bet that you’re already thinking about the Gomantong Caves. However, did you know that there is another epic Kinabatangan Caves system right near the river village of Sukau?

Located walking distance from the popular Kinabatangan River cruise village of Sukau, the cave trail leads through dense rainforest along a path carved out by elephants. This means as I found out, that you have to be particularly careful to avoid any territorial wildlife that calls the Sukau jungle home.

Key Points

The trail is carved by local Pygmy elephants and marked by red and pink ribbons. It leads through the jungle and the cave features two main caverns with bats.

• Location: Sukau village, Kinabatangan River, Sabah, Malaysia
• Hike Distance & Duration: 8 km return, 2-3 hours
• Trail Difficulty: Easy, but can be wet and swampy
• Trailhead Location: End of the road in Sukau, heading downstream into Tomanggong Limestone Area
• Most people visit Sukau to experience the amazing wildlife river cruises. Just remember there are no ATMS or supermarkets here, so you need to prepare before you arrive.

How to Find the Sukau Caves

Of course, you can organize a driver or guide from Sukau to go to Gomantong Caves. Unfortunately, I didn't have a day to spare. So instead, I set out to explore the elephant trail leading to the Sukau Caves, as directed by my lodge owner.

You'll find the start of the trail at the very end of the road in Sukau, heading downstream. The area's official name is Tomanggong Limestone Area, and you'll find the start of the trail pinned under that name on Google Maps.

The best advice is just to follow the road downstream all the way past the lodges and small restaurants.

Once you reach a house that looks like it's the end of the road, just walk under the small makeshift bridge. Then, continue through the patch of palms and eventually cross a wooden plank leading into the jungle.

My Experience on the Elephant Trail Hike From Sukau

As I mentioned previously, the trail has been carved out by local Pygmy elephants who roam the jungle area near the Kinabatangan Caves and river. As a result, the trail winds around and cuts back on itself several times, forcing you to cross deep sections of mud.

Overall, the trail is fairly flat, and you'll find small red and pink ribbons tied onto the trees that lead the way to the Sukau Caves. My advice is to keep an eye out for the tags and ribbons because it's pretty easy to get lost.

As you approach the cave, you'll need to follow the trail up the hill a little, revealing a huge cavern opening.

Kinabatangan Wildlife in the Tomanggong Limestone Area

However, you will definitely need to be careful. Growing up in Australia, I tend to forget about wildlife hazards other than those of the venomous variety. Consequently, the outcome of the hike could have been much worse if I had unknowingly and innocently wandered into a pack of angry boars or a territorial bull elephant.

Truth is, we did run into a pack of boars and were chased by them. Read the bottom section for the story.

What to Expect at the Kinabatangan Caves

The hike itself is very beautiful, passing through the dense and damp jungle interior that you might expect of Borneo.

The Sukau cave itself has two main caverns. By the looks of it, it also descends deeper underground. There are bats everywhere in the main cavern, so you'll need to be prepared for that if you're a bit squeamish.

We Were Chased By Wild Boars!

Yep. These things were monsters. If you haven't seen a Bornean wild boar before, I'll ask you to google an image of it. The thing is fierce and super scary looking when it's staring you down, grunting through the bushes in the thick of a swampy jungle.

Although we found the caves, we were forced to run away from an angry and territorial boar on the way back. Luckily, we both lived to tell the hilarious but in hindsight, a lucky tale of our great Sukau Caves boar escape.

Top Sabah Travel Experiences

More Photographs of the Sukau Caves and Trail

I hope the hidden gem of Sukau's awesome cave has convinced you to get out and explore the wild region of the Kinabatangan River. For more travel guides and adventure ideas, check out the list below.

• One Day In Kuala Lumpur - my popular itinerary guide to spending a layover in KL.
• Sabah Itinerary - how to spend a week in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
• Where to Stay in Kota Kinabalu - my helpful accommodation guide to finding a great hotel in KK!

Here are some more photos that we took along the trail to the Sukau Caves (Kinabatangan Caves).

If you decide to take the hike, let me know by posting a quick comment below.