Lahad Datu

Lahad Datu lies beside Darvel Bay on the eastern coast of northern Borneo. The Idahan people inhabit the country around the bay and the Segama River, where limestone caves hold the nests of swiftlets. For centuries Idahan families have held inherited rights to harvest these valuable nests, gathering them from caves such as Madai and Baturong. The trade connected the forests and cliffs of the interior with merchants arriving by sea.