View over rainforest from an observation tower near the Maliau Basin Study Centre, Sabah, Malaysia, at dawn. The Maliau Basin is an isolated region of rainforest surrounded by high steep cliffs, making access difficult, which has allowed it to retain a high diversity of plants and animals. The canopy of the rainforest is fairly even, apart from a few enormous Koompassia excelsa trees, which can reach some 85 metres in height.