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Pulau Tiga Park
 The Pulau Tiga Park comprises three islands-Pulau Tiga, Pulau kalampunian Besar and Pulau Kalampunian Damit situated in the Kimanis Bay, off the west coast of
Sabah. Gazetted as a national Park in 1978, it covers approximately 15,257 hectares of sea and underwater habitat including the three islands. Lush forests serve as a soothing green backdrop for white sandy beaches and the clear unpolluted waters of the coral fringed seas.
The undisturbed shoreline abounds with a colorful variety of plant life such as the Barringtonia
Asiatica, easily distinguished by its delicate white flowers with pink stamenlike filaments. There are also
Callophylum, Termanilia catappa, and Casuarina not forgetting the
Ardisia, a small bushy tree with clusters of tiny pink flowers. The Ranggu and Keruing are also abundant here. One particularly important tree among tropical islanders is the Hibiscus
tiliaceus, a tree with bright yellow flowers whose fibrous bark is used for ropes and boat caulking. It is also a source of timber, firewood and medicine.
The many varieties of birds include the fish eating frigate birds, which roost on Pulau Kalampunian Damit and the unusual looking
megapode. Hornbills, night jars, magpies, bulbuls, the brilliantly colored and fast moving sunbirds and black-napped bridled terns also inhabit the islands. Long-tailed macaques are easily discernible between the foliage while bats sleep hanging upside-down from the trees waiting for evening before embarking on their nocturnal food hunting expeditions. Reptiles include the
grey-tailed racer snake, the beautiful yellow-ringed cat snake found on Pulau Tiga and a large population of sea snakes on Pulau Kalampunian Besar earning it the name, Snake Island. There are also numerous water monitor lizards preying on the megapode eggs. The homeless hermit crab can also be seen moving into shells abandoned by the sea snails or other mollusk like a fugitive avoiding detection!
A 7-Km coral reef around the islands is home to some 35 general species and 98 species of hard corals and their accompanying guests-the brightly colored fish and other marine life to whom the reef is home.
The Niah National Park
The Niah National Park, Sarawak is the site of the Niah Caves, one of the largest limestone caves in the world. The Park covers 3,102 hectares (7,756 acres) of forest and limestone. The peak of Gunung
Subis, which is 394 meters high (1,294 ft), dominates the landscape. One may explore the vastness of the Great Cave, where archaeologists have discovered evidence of man's existence in Borneo dating as far back as 40,000 years ago. On display are the skull of a young Homo
Sapien, some tools made out of stone, bone and iron, and cave drawings. Anthropologists established that the Niahian lived in the Caves from 40000 BC right up to 1400 AD.
As more than half the park is covered with limestone, limestone vegetation is the most common variety of plant life. The families of Balsaminaceae and Begoniaceae are commonly seen at the entrance of the Traders' and West Mouth Caves. Peat swamp and mixed dipterocarp can also be found in the
Niah. Animals are not easy to spot, but if you are lucky you may catch a glimpse of the park's inhabitants: long-tailed macaques, bulbuls, trogons, squirrels, flying lizards, Rajah Brooke butterflies,
hornills, mouse-deer, and water monitors.
Niah National Park is accessible by road via Miri or Bintulu, 2 hours from Miri and 3 hours from
Bintulu, to the Park Head quarters. If you travel by bus, you will have to take a boat along the Niah River from Batu Niah town to the Park Ranger's office.
Rantau Abang Turtle Hatchery
To halt the decline of the number of the Giant Leatherback Turtle, an endangered species, hatchery work is being carried out at Rantau
Abang. Approximately 60 km south of Kuala Terengganu, Visitors would lay in wait quietly from midnight to dawn to watch the memorable sight of these Giant Leatherbacks laying their eggs. These giant turtles, up to 2.5 meters in length and sometimes weighing more than 375 kg is indeed a phenomenal sight to behold. Rantau Abang is one of only six places in the world visited by these turtles, from the months of May to September.
The Terengganu Government has made it an offense for anyone to collect or sell turtle's eggs except those authorized or licensed to do so.
Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary
A twenty-minute drive from Sandakan, Sabah will bring you to Sepilok Forest Reserve, an enormous area of virgin equatorial rainforest. The wealth of indigenous and rare plants, animals and birds that have found sanctuary here are to be seen to be believed. There are numerous self-guiding trails to help the visitor explore the reserve. A most interesting feature of the reserve is the Orang-Utan Sanctuary. Here Orang Utans which have strayed into logging camps or rescued from captivity are cared and sent back to the forest.
Kenong Rimba Park
Located in the valley of the Sungai Kenong, the Kenong Rimba Park offers cave explorations, rock climbing, jungle trekking, and fishing. This is also the home of an aboriginal race called the
Batak.
The caves are a natural habitat for a host of flora which include orchids,
"pokok Ara" and parasitic plants which thrive among the branches of the gigantic trees. It is also the home of numerous varieties of birds like the
merbah, pigeons and merbuk to name a few. Nearby, water lilies of multi-hued profusion grace the serene water of the
padi-fields. Mammalian life includes the mouse-deer, porcupine and possibly elephants, too.
Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary
A prime nesting site, the Kuala Gula Sanctuary in Perak has over a hundred species of birds, some of them protected. It is situated in the mangrove swamps south of Bagan
Serai. The peak months for bird watching are between August and December.
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