Sights in Malaysian Borneo – Sabah
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Mt Kinabalu
Towering 4095m above northern Borneo, Mt Kinabalu is the highest mountain between the Himalayas and the island of New Guinea. Known as Gunung Kinabalu in Bahasa Malaysia, the mountain is quite unlike any other on earth, rising almost twice as high as its Crocker Range neighbours and culminating in a crown of wild granite spires. When the summit is visible (usually in the morning, before the clouds close in) the mountain literally demands your attention. .
It is clearly visible from many parts of Sabah, including Kota Kinabalu and the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. Even if you decide not to do the climb to the summit, the park itself is a beautiful spot, and…
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Rainforest Discovery Centre
The Rainforest Discovery Centre, about 1.5km from Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Centre, offers an engaging graduate-level education in tropical flora and fauna. Outside the exhibit hall, a botanical garden presents varying samples of tropical plant life, with the accompanying descriptions every bit as vibrant as the foliage. There’s a 1km lakeside walking trail as well. A series of eight canopy towers are being built – three have been completed. Paddleboats (RM5) are available to ride around the inviting lake near the centre’s entrance.
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Science & Technology Centre
Just north of the main hall of the Sabah Museum, at the end of the parking lot, the Science & Technology Centre has some small exhibits on the petroleum industry.
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Mari Mari Cultural Village
Located about 25 minutes outside of the city centre, the Mari Mari Cultural Village is the most interactive centre of its kind in all of Borneo. Visitors are taken on a three-hour show/tour (beginning at 10am, 3pm and 7pm), which winds through the jungle passing various tribal dwellings along the way. At each stop, tourists learn about the indigenous way of life, and can try their hand at a variety of interesting (and fun) activities, like traditional bamboo cooking, rice-wine making (and drinking!), fire starting, tattooing, blowpipe shooting etc. But the most fascinating part of the tour is little tribal titbits offered by your guide. For example, in the Dusun tribe, an…
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Mahua Falls
Off the north-south highway that runs between Ranau and Tambunan, you'll find lovely Mahua Falls, one of the most interesting sights in the valley. When coming from KK, you'll descend into the Pegalan Valley and reach an intersection with the north-south highway where you turn north (you'll see a sign indicating that Mahua Falls are 13km from this intersection). After 7.3km you will come to a sign on the left for Mahua Falls, after which it's 7km down a rough dirt road to the falls.
We really don't recommend that you take an ordinary car down this road (we can still remember the horrible sound of our Proton Wira scraping over the deep ruts and rocks of the road). You'll…
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Mt Trus Madi
About 20km southeast of Tambunan town is the 2642m peak of Mt Trus Madi, Sabah's second-highest peak. It's possible to make an ascent of this peak, but it's more challenging than Mt Kinabalu, and more difficult to arrange. Though Mt Trus Madi is surrounded by logging concessions, the upper slopes and peak are wild and jungle-clad and classified as forest reserve.
The muddy trails to the summit can be treacherous in parts - just the thing for those who find the open expanses of Mt Kinabalu a bit pedestrian. Independent trekkers must be well-equipped and take all their food and water up the mountain. Most climbers take a 4WD vehicle to Kampung Kaingaran then trek for most…
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Cultural village
In the small town of Penampang, about 13km south of KK, this high-quality Kadazan-Dusun cultural village on the banks of Sungai Moyog is named after a legendary warrior and headhunter, whose direct descendants established this private heritage centre in 1996. The hefty entrance fee includes a tour, a dance performance and several activities (similar to Mari Mari). The highlight is the House of Skulls, which supposedly contains the ancient crania of Monsopiad’s unfortunate enemies, as well as artefacts illustrating native rituals from the time when the bobolian (priest) was the most important figure in the community.
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City Mosque
Heading north out of KK, you can’t miss the four minarets and graceful dome of the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque, in Kampung Likas, about 4km north of the city centre. Overlooking the South China Sea, this mosque is more attractive than the State Mosque in terms of setting and design. Completed in 2000, it can hold up to 12,000 worshippers. It can be entered by non-Muslims outside of regular prayer times. To get there, take bus 5A from Wawasan Plaza going toward UMS (RM1.50). Just ask the conductor to drop you off outside the City Mosque after the Tanjung Lipat round about. Taxis are about RM15 each way.
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Penimbawan Water Village
About 5km north of Tuaran (around RM1.5 by minivan or around RM20 by taxi) is the tiny kampung of Surusup, which overlooks a lovely estuary. From here you can charter a small boat (around RM40 return) to the picturesque water village of Penimbawan. The trip up the estuary takes about 15 minutes, and the boat will wait while you wander the plankwalks of the village. Your boat driver may accompany you into the village or he may just wait for you in the boat.
Needless to say, don't part with your cash until you arrive back in Surusup (and don't be surprised if a few villagers tag along for a free ride).
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Kipungit Falls & Bat Caves
The start of the trail to Kipungit falls and the bat caves is just beyond the entrance to the butterfly farm. It's 400m to the falls and 760m to the bat caves. It's a mostly flat stroll through the forest to the falls and it's well worth the journey. There is a small shelter at the falls and it's a nice place to wade and cool off. It's a fairly sweaty uphill slog to the caves, which actually crevices between giant rocks.
If you're going to see proper caves in the rest of Borneo, don't bother. We recommend doing these hikes before you take your bath, unless you fancy stinking out the minivan on the way home.
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Agnes Keith House
On the hill above town, overlooking Teluk Sandakan and the scruffy port itself, is Agnes Keith House, an old two-storey wooden villa now renovated as a museum. Keith was an American author who came to Sandakan in the 1930s with her husband, the Conservator of Forests, and ended up writing several books about her experiences, including the famous Land Below the Wind. The Keiths’ villa was destroyed during WWII and rebuilt identically upon their return in 1946. The house fell into disrepair during the 1990s, but Sabah Museum restored it as a faithful recreation of Keith’s original abode.
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Kinabalu National Park
Kinabalu National Park is home to Borneo's highest mountain and some of Borneo's best-preserved forest. Most travellers make a beeline for the mountain and the main park headquarters (HQ) area, but there are two other sections of the park worth exploring: Mesilau Nature Resort and Poring Hot Springs. The former offers a less-travelled approach to the mountain and the latter offers a good place to soak your weary bones after an ascent of the peak.
Advance bookings through Sutera Sanctuary Lodges in KK or online are strongly recommended for accommodation at park HQ and on the mountain at Laban Rata.
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Pulau Kalampunian Damit
Pulau Kalampunian Damit is little more than a large rock covered in dense vegetation but is famous for the sea snakes that come ashore to mate, hence the island's nickname, Snake Island. On any one day up to 150 snakes can be present, curled up under boulders, among roots and in tree hollows. It's a fascinating phenomenon, but it's not the writhing mass of snakes that many visitors imagine based on descriptions given tour operators. If you do come out here, beware of the snakes - they are extremely poisonous.
Pulau Tiga Resort runs boat trips to the island with a stop en route for snorkelling.
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Butterfly Farm
If you've got some time before or after taking a bath (if you're staying the night, for instance), you might like to sample some of Poring's other attractions. The butterfly farm above the baths is nice, with lots of flowers and several species of butterflies, including the Raja Brooke's birdwing. First, you enter a display area, which has displays of the butterflies and other insects mounted under glass. You walk through this and then enter the butterfly enclosure.
Take your time in the enclosure as new butterflies constantly materialize before your eyes.
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Tambunan Rafflesia Reserve
Near the top of the Crocker Range, next to the main highway 20km from Tambunan, is the Tambunan Rafflesia Reserve, devoted to the world’s largest flower. The rafflesia is a parasitic plant that grows hidden within the stems of jungle vines until it bursts into bloom. The large bulbous flowers can be up to 1m in diameter. The 12 or so species of rafflesia here are found only in Borneo and Sumatra; several species are unique to Sabah, but as they only bloom for a few days it’s hard to predict when you’ll be able to see one.
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Marine Museum
On the coast just east of the centre, the Labuan International Sea Sports Complex houses the Marine Museum. It’s a decent little museum with a good shell collection and displays of marine life found in the area. Don’t forget to head upstairs where you’ll find a 42ft-long skeleton of an Indian fin whale. The real highlight, however, and a guaranteed hit with the kids, is the ‘touch pool’ opposite reception. This has to be the only shark-petting zoo we’ve ever seen (fret not: the sharks are less than a metre long).
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State Mosque
A fine example of contemporary Islamic architecture, the State Mosque is set some distance from the heat and noise of central KK. It’s south of the city centre past the Kampung Air stilt village, not far from the Sabah Museum; you’ll see the striped minaret and Octopussy-style dome on your way to or from the airport. Non-Muslim visitors are allowed inside, but must dress appropriately and remove their shoes before entering.
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Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park
Just west of Kota Kinabalu, the five islands of Manukan, Gaya, Sapi, Mamutik and Sulug and the reefs in between make up the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, covering a total area of just over 49 sq km. Only a short boat ride from the Kota Kinabalu city centre, they have some nice beaches and the water in the outer areas is usually clear, offering ideal day-trip material for anyone wanting to escape the city and unwind.
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Atkinson Clock Tower
The modest timepiece at the foot of the hill is the Atkinson Clock Tower, one of the only structures to survive the Allied bombing of Jesselton in 1945. It's a square, 15.7m-high wooden structure that was completed in 1905 and named after the first district officer of the town, FG Atkinson, who died of malaria aged 28. The tower was once visible from the sea, though there's now quite a few buildings in the way!
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Bukit Gemok Forest Reserve
The Bukit Gemok Forest Reserve, located 10km from Tawau town centre, is a fantastic park sitting on 445 hectares of protected land. Developed in the early 1990s, the jungle here has only recently become popular with trekkers, Hash runners and tour groups – many consider it to be far better than the trails around Poring Hot Springs. A taxi to the park costs RM20.
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Labuan Museum
The Labuan Museum takes a glossy, if slightly superficial, look at the island’s history and culture. The most interesting displays are those on the different ethnic groups here, including a diorama of a traditional Chinese tea ceremony (the participants, however, look strangely Western). There’s also an excellent diorama of a water village.
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Teck Guan Cocoa Museum
The Teck Guan Cocoa Museum is a testament to Tawau’s burgeoning cocoa industry. A tour includes a 20-minute video, detailed dioramas and hands-on presentations. A taxi from Tawau town to the museum (40 minutes away) costs RM40 each way – the taxi can wait at no extra charge while you tour the grounds (two hours maximum).
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Signal Hill Observation Pavilion
You can wander up to the UFO-like Signal Hill Observation Pavilion, at the eastern edge of the city centre, to escape the traffic and to get another take on the squatters' stilt village at Pulau Gaya. The view is best as the sun sets over the islands. From the top, it's also possible to hike down to the bird sanctuary on the other side.
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Labuan Marine Park
Pulau Kuraman, Pulau Rusukan Kecil and Pulau Rusukan Besar are uninhabited islands lying southwest of Labuan that are now protected as the Labuan Marine Park. The beaches are pristine, but dynamite fishing has destroyed much of the coral. There is no regularly scheduled transport to the park but Borneo Star Dive can help you get there.
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Orchid DeVilla Farm
Travellers interested in plant life should consider a visit to the Orchid DeVilla Farm, located halfway between central KK and the cultural village (at ‘Km 6’). The farm specialises in rare Bornean orchids, hybrid orchids, cacti and herbal plants, and services all of the five-star hotels in the region.
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