World's Oldest Rainforest

Borneo Has The World's Oldest Rainforests, Older Than The Amazon

Everybody has heard of the Amazon rainforest and knows it is the largest remaining rainforest on Earth. But it is not the oldest.

The oldest rainforest is located in Borneo and here you will find the largest and oldest trees. The diversity of life in this region is staggering. Rainforests are the most diverse habitat on Earth and when they are this old, life flourishes and continues to evolve. Every little ecological niche has been filled by one or more creatures. Although most creatures are tiny, there is also a huge number of bird species as well as primates and other mammals.

There are over 15,000 plant species, over 1400 amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles plus thousands of yet unknown insects. Scientists are always discovering new species in these endangered and ancient forests so it is exciting to know that you can walk amongst land and animals that may still lie undiscovered. That is not possible in many locations today in the world.

The 222 species of mammals believed to live on Borneo include 44 endemic species (not found anywhere else). The biodiversity here is so high that over 700 tree species have been found in one 10 hectare area. This is more than the total number of species of trees found in the entire United States!

In a combined initiative between the three countries that share Borneo, the Heart of Borneo project was born which aims to protect around 85,000 square miles of rainforest forever. The total area of Borneo is 287,000 square miles.

Volcano
Borneo began as an undersea volcano which erupted many millions of years ago. Borneo is double the size of Japan and is shared by three countries: Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

The landscape of the Borneo rainforest region includes rugged coastlines, river valleys, big mountains and various other ecological features. The highest mountain stands at 4101 m above sea level and it is Mount Kinabalu and it is the original volcano responsible for the creation of this wonderful island.

The volcano that formed Borneo is now extinct so the area is no longer volcanic.

If you love spectacular landscapes, lush green rainforests, wildlife diversity and fresh air then Borneo will exceed all of your expectations and will win a place in your heart. It will also leave you wanting to come back for more over and over again.