Nabawan District is located in the Interior Division of Sabah. It is formerly known as Pensiangan District before renamed into Nabawan District in 2004. Nabawan covers an area of 6,089 square kilometres. In 2010, the population of Nabawan district reached 31,807 and almost mainly consisted of Murut and the Lundayeh. It is situated in the southern part of Sabah, bordered by Tawau and Kinabatangan District in the east, Keningau and Tenom District to the west, and Kalimantan, Indonesia to the south.

Nabawan has a lot to offer in terms of history, culture and adventure. Cave exploration is fair with the usual stalactites, stalagmites and bats. The Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower, can be found about 25 minutes’ walk from the caves; the area is also home to wild orchids. It is possible to climb to the top of the massif for panoramic views of the surrounding forest. At night, there is some impressive music from the ‘jungle symphony’.

As limestone massifs are typically found in coastal areas, the existence of “Batu Punggul” deep in the interior of Borneo is a source of geological wonder to the scientists visiting the area.