Set admist the Balung River Estate’s 3,500 acres with the pristine tropical rainforest of Tawau Hills Park as the backdrop, Balung River Eco Resort is a perfect getaway for holidaymakers and an increasingly popular venue for group meetings or corporate outings.

Balung Eco Resort offers guests a unique experience. Set within a plantation featuring a remarkably diverse range of crops, and adjacent to the pristine rainforest of Tawau Hills Park, the resort is a perfect retreat.

The estate prides itself on being a developer of large-scale teakwood and arenga pinnata (sugar palm) plantation. Also found here are an abundance of fruits, from the local favourites to more exotic species, such as the dragon fruit and abiu. The chalets are built with river stones and local timber, giving it a rustic feel.

Tastefully furnished and air-conditioned, the rooms are comfortable and clean, ensuring you have a pleasant stay. Opt to take a dip in the swimming pool or in the Balung river itself. Freshwater fishing is also a popular leisure activity at the man-made pond.

Visitors also can indulge themselves with a myriad of activities during their stay. Learn more about agriculture and the methods involved in processing the various crops found here. The drive from Tawau town to Balung will take around 40 minutes.

Strap on those hiking shoes and get ready to explore the untouched forest of Tawau's Bukit Gemok. Situated 10 km from the city centre, Bukit Gemok (Gemok Hill) has recently become a popular spot for avid trekkers and Hash runners who love the challenge of varied terrain. Bukit Gemok is approximately 428 metres above sea level and is part of the Bukit Gemok Forest Reserve, covering 445 hectares.

The hike begins with an easy trail of concrete stairs which eventually ‘disappear' and make way for natural ground. The uphill walk is fairly challenging, particularly for beginners. Watch out for rocks, bulging tree roots and the like. Some parts get steeper and more demanding, but the beautiful natural surroundings make it all worthwhile.

Along the way there is so much to marvel at, such as the giant trees that seem to stretch endlessly to the sky and the elusive creatures that scurry about. There are seven huts along the way for walkers to rest and relax. After hiking for about an hour (depending on your fitness level), you will arrive at the Titian Selara canopy walkway.

At 231 metres long, it is deemed one of the longest canopy walkways in Sabah. Your ‘struggle' to the top will be worthwhile once you get a glimpse of the breathtaking view of Tawau from this high up. The stunning scenery spans the town centre, the picturesque coastline and its surrounding areas. The trek down Bukit Gemok should take a shorter time, but be warned that the trail becomes muddy and slippery during the rainy season, so exercise extra caution.

The forest reserve was developed in the early 1990s and is now equipped with basic facilities such as washrooms and rest huts along the trail. Any land vehicle can be used to get to Bukit Gemok. Just be sure to dress comfortably, drink plenty of fluids and get ready to soak in the majesty of the lush greenery along the trails of Bukit Gemok

Maliau Basin or also Maliau Basin Conservation Area is a region in Sabah, which represents a geological catchment surrounding the Maliau River. Located around the centre of Sabah in the Sandakan Division, it is one of Malaysia's finest remaining wilderness areas.

Bounded by a formidable escarpment reaching over 1,675m asl, the almost circular Basin encompasses reaching over 390 km2 of pristine forest, a virtually self-contained ecosystem, never permanently inhabited and with large areas still remaining to be explored and documented. Remarkably, the whole basin is a single huge water catchment, drained by one river only, the Maliau River, which flows through a gorge in the southeast of the Basin, joining the Kuamut River and eventually the Kinabatangan, Sabah's largest and most important waterway.

Maliau Basin contains an unusual assemblage of 12 forest types, comprising mainly of lower montane forest dominated by majestic Agathis trees, rare montane heath forest and lowland, and hill diperocarp forest. The highlight of the adventure is to trek the majestic 7 tiers Maliau Falls.

Keen visitors must, however, obtain a permission to enter the Maliau Basin in advance from Yayasan Sabah. Also bear in mind that Maliau Basin is a remote, atavistic and isolated area with limited access, communications and safety facilities.

Nature explorers will simply love the Maliau Basin as it is an excellent site for jungle trekking and bird watching. At night, visitors may also take a night drive for wildlife spotting. Water babies can also take a dip in the beautiful waterfall. Trips to the Maliau Basin are best done in large groups. A 5-day, 4-night stay at Maliau Basin costs RM2730 nett for 2 pax adults (Malaysian) and RM3610 nett (non-Malaysian). For a group of 8 to 12 people, the rate for adults is RM1450 nett (Malaysian) and RM2270 (non-Malaysian).

The rates in Ringgit Malaysia (RM) are inclusive of meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), returned transfer (overland – Tawau to Agathis Camp), conservation and user fee (Campsites), rental of VHF radio, forest ranger cum radioman and guide.

Maliau Basin Conservation Area is reachable by road either via Tawau or Keningau. The journey is on four wheel drive and depends so much on the weather as most of the journey is on logging roads to reach the Maliau Basin Security Gate.

Journey from both Tawau and Keningau to the Security Gate of Maliau Basin Conservation takes 5 hours; the distance from Tawau to Maliau Basin Conservation Security Gate is 190 kilometers. Flying is another fabulous option should you have extra allocations for this luxury. There are several helipads available which can be used for emergency evacuations or by visitors who prefer to fly rather than walk.

With its sprawling grounds, lush green foliage and sparkling river, Tawau Hills Park is the ideal place to get in touch with nature. Located some 24 km from Tawau town, the park is a popular spot for families and friends to enjoy a picnic or, for the more adventurous, spend a night camping under a blanket of stars.

The park serves as a vital water catchment area for the major rivers in this part of Sabah, the Tawau , Merotai, Kinabatangan, Mantri and Balung rivers. Covering an area of 27,972 hectares, the Tawau Hills Park was gazetted in 1979. It is home to numerous plant and animal species. Walking down any of the many paths, visitors will notice that a wooden label identifies almost every plant. The dominant vegetation is lowland dipterocarp forest. With increasing altitude (above 1,000 m), a thick damp mossy forest takes over. Lowland orchids are also abundant; the most spectacular is the Elephant's Ear Orchid. Be sure to check out the 2-hectare Lowland Gardens, home to an astounding selection of flora.

If you are fortunate, you might even catch a glimpse of the wildlife here. The wildlife are generally elusive but sightings of long-tailed macaques, giant tree squirrels, civets, red-leaf monkeys and even a troop of white monkeys have been reported.

Visitors can opt to stay at the chalets or lodges, most of which have basic amenities such as common bathrooms and kitchens. Feeling adventurous? A camping ground is also available not too far from the river. The rivers are clean and ideal for swimming (some parts are quite deep, so weak swimmers should be cautious). There are also plenty of hiking trails, some of which lead to a hot spring area and waterfalls. Be sure to follow the signs!

Many people visit Tawau Hills Park during the school holidays or at weekends. To avoid crowds, weekdays are the best time to explore the park.

Situated smack dab in the middle of Tawau Town, next to the Tawau Port, is the Tawau Tanjung Market; also known as the Tawau Central Market—a place where you can find anything and everything under one roof.

Completed in 1999 and equipped with 6,000 stalls, the Tawau Tanjung Market is said to be the largest indoor market in the whole of Malaysia. The ground floor of this market is where you can find foodstuff such as fresh fruits, vegetables, keropok amplang (amplang crackers), Indonesian-made dried crackers, and other fresh produce.

On the first floor, you can find dried preserved food such as dried salted fish, dried anchovies and dried prawns which Tawau is famous for. There are plenty of varieties of dried salted food for you to choose from. The best part is that the produces sold here are reasonably priced, plus some room for bargaining.

If you’re a fan of interesting wooden crafts and decorative items such as hand-woven baskets, placemats and other souvenirs, the top floor of the Tanjung Market, which is known as ‘Pasar Gantung’ or Hang Market, offers a plethora of goods that are both made locally and imported from Indonesia and the Philippines. Here, you can also find some attractive batik clothes, sarongs and other clothing items. Don’t forget to haggle before you buy!

Can't imagine a world without chocolate? Neither can we. For the true chocolate lover, a visit to the Teck Guan Cocoa Museum in Tawau is a must. Tawau is known for its booming cocoa industry and the museum proudly houses the history of its development over the years.

The Teck Guan Cocoa Museum, located at Mile 2, Tanjung Batu Laut, opened its doors for visitors in 2002. With its attractive design and layout, the museum is the only one of its kind in Malaysia. The fragrant scent of cocoa greets you as you enter the doors. Within the museum grounds, you will also find a cocoa processing plant and manufacturing factory, giving you an up close view of the production process.

A wall-to-wall illustrated history explains in detail the discovery and development of coca in Malaysia and the world. The museum also has a mini auditorium, which seats 40 people at a time. Here you will enjoy a 20-minute video on cocoa processing and production.

The ‘Hoko' lady then awaits to show you how cocoa snacks and other cocoa delicacies are prepared. Various Hoko products are also available for purchase, from chocolate jam to instant hot cocoa beverages. .