BALIK PULAU, PENANG

Balik Pulau is located in Penang and it is called as the Balik Pulau as in Malay, Balik Pulau means "the other side of the island". According to the Chinese, they call Balik Pulau as "the island behind the hills". The Balik Pulau is bordered by a long coastline on the western side and protected by high hills on three other sides. The Balik Pulau is a self-sufficient agricultural district situated in the Southwest of Penang Island. Balik Pulau is famous with durian, nutmeg, clove, coconut, and fruit orchard. Same as other district and state, Balik Pulau also have its early settlers. There are stories telling that during the early political, refugees from Thailand, the northern Malay states, and Indonesia emigrated to Balik Pulau in the 1800s and settled down in scattered villages on hillsides and river mouths. 

 

During that time, they fished, farmed the land and planted paddy, fruit, sugarcane, and coffee. The earlier settlers to Balik Pulau are thought to be the refugees that are escaping from the protracted wars involving Siam on 1786 and 1821. There are also refugees including Hakka, Chinese, and Phuket, Malays from the southern Thai provimces and Kedah are said to have fled southwards to Penang Island, some of them landing on the shores of Balik Pulau. In the early 1800s, the Chinese and Tamil labor was brought in to work on the rubber and coconut plantations and they stayed behind and took up residency in Balik Pulau. 

 

A later wave of migration to Balik Pulau occurred when the Japanese advanced into Georgetown in 1941 where Chinese residents from Georgetown fled to Balik Pulau in fear of the impending war and in fear of being branded communist by the Japanese. Balik Pulau is a traditional village that has a harmony and calm environment. Balik Pulau is famous with its Durian as it is known as the best fruit sources in Penang. Take a round at Balik Pulau might be very fun by using bike where you are able to feel the calm environment and view the paddy field and fruit plantation and seeing the old traditional houses at Balik Pulau.

LINANGKIT CULTURAL VILLAGE

Linangkit Cultural Village is located in Kampung Selupoh, Tuaran, Sabah. This is a place for the Lotud people which is one of 32 diverse ethnic groups in Sabah that also have their own traditions and cultures that was brought from the late great grandmother of Lotud. To reach Linangkit Cultural Village, it takes about one hour from the capital city of Kota Kinabalu. There are many activities provided at Linangkit Cultural Village that you can enjoy. There, the Linangkit Cultural Village provides guided tour around the village, traditional costume try-on, handicrafts making demonstrations, traditional food preparation demonstrations, traditional fish netting, tapioca plucking, cultural show, and also river cruise and firefly watching.

For those who are cultural lovers, visiting to the Linangkit Cultural Village will give you satisfying experiences because the Lotud people are very friendly and they are very pleased to receive you. If you are willing to know more about their tribe and culture or learning every single thing about their culture, you will absolutely get the information as they are very happy to introduce their cultures to other people. Besides giving information about their culture, the Lotud people also will give the opportunity to try and live and their lifestyle.

In the village also, you will be able to observe clearly the building structure of the houses in the village and thereon, you will know the traditional building skills of the Lotud people. Since the Lotud have traditional skills, therefore they are also able to make their traditional attires and here you will be able to witness and learn on how they make their arts and crafts and you are able to try them on and if you like it, you can purchase it directly and bring back to your home as souvenirs. Through the arts and crafts, you will know how creative the Lotud people are as well as other ethnic groups in Sabah. Besides experiencing their handicrafts making, you will also have the opportunity to learn on cooking the traditional food of the Lotud people.The Lotud people also lives in Longhouse. However, the difference between the Lotud Longhouse and other longhouses such as the Rungus Longhouse is the Lotud Longhouse only hosts one family. This means that each family lives in a longhouse. The Linangikit Cultural Village is in fact known as "treasure house" as there are many unique items of Lotud people.

Engagement Ceremony for Kadazan

Before marriage of two people, there must be a engagement ceremony. Same goes to the Kadazan culture where engagement is a must before two person getting married. Before that, let me introduce some information about Kadazan culture before proceeding to the Kadazan engagement ceremony. Kadazan culture is originate mostly in Penampang, Sabah and most of Kadazan are christian (Roman Catholic) and some of it are mix of Chinese which called Sino-Kadazan. However, in engagement ceremony for the Kadazan, there are lots of taboos to be followed. Before setting the date for engagement, both family from the woman side and the man side will meet at the woman house and discuss about the date, the price, and getting to know each other. This is called the "merisik" in Malay and "monohuku" in Kadazan language. After "merisik", the date of the engagement is fixed and before the date, the man side must prepare gifts for the woman and lending or "berian" in Malay. The gifts or also known as "hantaran" in Malay can be cloths, hand bag, make up set, perfume, high heel, bouquet of flower, and including the gold rings and the lending. 

The price that are discussed by both the women and man's side family are the lending, "pitas", a buffalo, and "belanja dapur". The "pitas" is more like "sogit" for the villagers where it should be done one month or before the marriage. The buffalo is a must in Kadazan culture and it can be change with money for the total of RM2,000. The price for "belanja dapur" is upon discuss by both the woman and man's side family and it is used for the expenses during marriage such as the foods. The wedding can be done whether at the hall, at the house, hotel, ballroom, or any place that the spouse wanted. 

Lets proceed to the engagement ceremony. The engagement ceremony should begin between 10 am to 11 am and after finished the ceremony, there will be lunch. For the roman catholic Kadazan, before the changing rings between man and woman is begin, there should be blessing for the rings. It is important to have the head of the village to be at the engagement ceremony because the head of the village need to sign and chop the engagement form to affirm the engagement and need to witness the spouse of the engagement to pledge. The gifts to the woman must be passed by the parents of the man's side to the parents of the woman's side. The man's side must go home before the sun falls which is before 2 pm. After going home, the man and the woman should not meet and only be able to meet the day after the engagement. According to the Kadazan tradition, there are lots of taboos which if there is incident and violate the Kadazan taboos, the man and woman can be separated. 

For example, before the man's side is leaving to the woman's house, on their way, if they bumped with weird animals such as lizard, snake, and other animals that are rarely seen, the engagement should not be continued and the man and woman can be separated. Besides that, before and during the engagement ceremony, there should not be any glasses broken. If there are glasses broken, the man and woman can be separated and the engagement ceremony should not be continued. During the lunch, after the engagement, nobody is allowed to used toothpicks, and the spouse that engaged, they cannot finished their food until the plate is clean. There must be some rice or food left in the plate.

Monsopiad Cultural Village

Monsopiad Cultural Village is located beside the Penampang River which is about 16km or about half an hour away from the Kota Kinabalu City. Monsopiad Cultural Village is a living museum where a fearsome warrior lived in the village of Kuai about 200 years ago. It showcase of Kadazandusun culture. Lets go for the brief history about the Monsopiad Cultural Village. 

Many centuries ago, a lady named Kizabon was pregnant and lived with her husband named Dunggou. A sacred Bugang Bird made its nest and stayed at the spouse's rooftop. When the child was due to be born, the Bugang Bird's hatched as well. Dunggou looked upon this coincidence as a good omen and sign. Dunggou named his son as Monsopiad. Monsopiad's grandfather was the headman of the village. The village however was often plundered and attacked by robbers. Due to lack of warriors in the village, the villagers had to retreat and hide while the robbers ransacked their homes.

Skull victims from Monsopiad

Monsopiad was given special training as the grandson of the headman of the village and turned out to be an excellent fighter and became the warrior of the village. He vowed to hunt down and fight off the warriors that had terrorized his village for so long. He will bring back their heads as trophies and hang them from the roof of his house. Over the years, Monsopiad soon attained a reputation and there were no robbers or evil warriors who dared to challenge him. However, the urge to kill had gotten into Monsopiad's head and he simply could not stop himself from beheading more people. With his changed attitude, all the villagers and his friends became afraid of him. The village got a group of brave warriors together and plan to eliminate Monsopiad when he is resting in his house. As they attacked him, he fought back fiercely but realized that he had lost his special strength that were bestowed upon him by the Bugang Bird and it was that very night that Monsopiad's life ended. Despite his downfall, the villagers still love Monsopiad for all that he had done for them. All in all, he collected 42 powerful warrior's heads which no other man could equal. They forgave Monsopiad for his mistakes and in honor and memory of his good deeds, a monument was erected and the village was named after him.

Monolith

Now at Monsopiad Cultural Village, in order to became a living museum, it showcase of Kadazandusun culture and a unique attraction for travelers to Sabah. In order to continue the culture of Kadazandusun, many daily activities at the Monsopiad Cultural Village are the customary work of the people here such as preparing the rice, the making of lihing or "Rice Wine" and handicrafts. Visiting to the village, there are guided tour available such as the House of Skulls, Monolith, Suspension bridge, Tangkob, Kotos, enjoy the Traditional Games, and Hamin Tinandai. There are many activities and entertainment that are available in Monsopiad such as the cultural dance, cultural drama, and music troupe. At Monsopiad also, you are able to hire per-day or per-piece of the costumes and accessories. Besides that, there are also

Traditional Dancing Lesson

traditional dancing lesson, traditional music lesson, and traditional Kadazan cooking lesson that are available at Monsopiad Cultural Village. Whoever Kadazan that wants to celebrate a traditional Kadazan-style wedding, there are wedding package in an authentic setting at Monsopiad Cultural Village. There is also guided tour to the Monsopiad Burial Ground of the Monsopiad family. Whoever that are cultural and historical lovers, you will be satisfy on your visit to Monsopiad Cultural Village.

Homestays in Sabah

Long Pasia Homestay, Sipitang

An interesting and unique way to really get to know the place you are visiting is by participating in a homestay programme. Staying for a night or more with the local families will give you the experiences of the culture and lifestyle of the people that lives in the homestay area. Every district in Sabah have provided homestays for locals, and foreign as well as domestic tourists. By just visiting the places of interest is not enough to get the knowledge and experiences, therefore, through the homestay programme, it helps you to fulfill your desire to expand knowledge in terms of culture and traditions by providing packages where you are able to stay, eat, participate in activities where the local people do. 

to Melangkap Homestay, Kota Belud

Each district in Sabah has its own charm and attractions. Some of the homestays will let you explore the wildlife, some of the homestays have beautiful gushing waterfalls, and some of them offers you an opportunity to study historical sites. All the availability and opportunities given by homestay are different upon their different culture and lifestyle. Most importantly, every person you meet will have a story to share because every homestay in different district offers different activities, story, and experiences, all you have to do is just choose. The homestay programme are always open for you to come. 

In Sabah, there are many homestays available in every district. For example:

Papar :               Koposizon Homestay Papar

Kota Belud:       Tanginambur Homestay, Melangkap Homestay, Tanak Nabalu Homestay

Kudat:               Misompuru Homestay

Tambunan:        Tambunan Village Homestay

Penampang:       Penampang Village Homestay

Kundasang:       Walai Tokou Homestay, Mesilou Atamis Homestay

Kiulu:                Mitabang Homestay

Kinabatangan:   Miso Walai Homestay, Bilit Homestay, Balai Kito Mayu Homestay

Long Pasia:       Long Pasia Homestay

Misompuru Homestay, Kudat

Don't miss the fun in joining and participating the cultural dance, music, traditional foods, costumes wear of the locals, the every day activities, and many more fun activities from the homestays that could give you an unforgettable moments and experiences. Have a visit to our blog for more info about each homestay available in Sabah on my next story. 

Pom Pom Island

The journey from Tawau to Semporna by road takes approximately one hour and from Semporna to Pom Pom Island is around 45 minutes by boat. Pom Pom Island is a scattering islands surround the dramatic hilly islands of Bogaya and Boheydulang, both are part of the rim of an ancient volcanic crater inundated by the sea. These two islands of northeast of Semporna have been gazetted as the Tun Sakaran Marine Park, together with 6 smaller surrounding island. A little further to the east and southeast od Bodgaya, outside the Park boundaries, other tiny, flat sandy islands dot the limpid Sulawesi Sea, including Pom Pom, Pandanan, Timba Timba and Mataking. 

Pom Pom Island is a home to two dive resorts, one, a large well-appointed resort with spa, and the second is more simple dive lodge. At Pom Pom Island, divers are able to explore as many as 40 dive sites on the fringing and patch reefs within the region, including Mantabuan and Bodgaya with the Park. Most of the diving is macro which includes turtles and small rays, that is sometimes seen, frogfish, butterfly fish, and small fish such as cardinal fish. There are also black coral and barracuda that could be seen at Mantabuan's reefs. The equipments for diving are all prepared by the resort and all you have to do is bring your sunglasses and sunscreen, and pull on your wet suit. The Pom Pom Island Resort's professional instructors and staff will assist you both above the water and below and they will guide and show you the wonderful underwater life along with the available amazing marine macro life. 

Talang-Satang National Park

Talang-Satang National Park is Sarawak's first marine protected area. It covers an area of 19,414 hectares and was gazetted in 1999 to with the purpose to enhance marine turtle conservation in Sarawak. The Park encompasses the coastline and waters surrounding four islands which are Pulau Talang-Talang Besar and Pulau Talang-Talang Kecil (located off Sematan), and Pulau Satang Besar and Pulau Satang Kecil (located off Santubong). These small islands are surrounding by patches of shallow coral reef that provides shelter and resting grounds for sea turtle that come ashore to lay their eggs. Three of the island's park which are Talang-Talang Besar, Talang-Talang Kecil, and Satang Besar are also known as "Turtle Island". 

Turtle Conservation

Marine turtles face a number of threats that could affect their species. The threats that the turtles faces are entanglement in fishing nets, habitat destruction, water pollution, collection of turtle eggs, boat strikes, predation of eggs and hatchlings by birds, monitor lizards, civet cats, other wild and domestic animals, poaching for meat or shells, and also ingestion of marine debris such as plastic bags. Therefore, the state government carries out turtle conservation programmes in the park.

Releasing baby turtle to the sea

The Sarawak Forestry manages the national park and set up a number of hatcheries for the turtles. During the peak turtle nesting season which is from May to September, the park wardens monitor the beached for turtle landings. They remove the turtle eggs from the nests and place them in the hatcheries to avoid threats that could threatening the extinction of turtles. After 40 to 60 days of the turtle eggs incubation, the young hatchlings are released and scamper across the beach to the sea.

VISITING PULAU SATANG BESAR

Pulau Satang Besar

Pulau Satang Besar is the largest among the park's island. It is open to visitors and accessible by boat from Santubong or Damai Beach. The entrance fees and tickets to the park can be purchased on the island. There is a small information centre near the beach and visitors also able to view the turtle hatchery. The beach in Satang is known as one of the best beach in Sarawak and it is possible to snorkel on the nearby reef if there is good visibility. There are privately own chalets in Satang Island for visitors to stay overnight. 

VISITING PULAU TALANG BESAR

Sea Turtle Adoption Programme

Turtles take priority over tourists at Pulau Talang Besar, therefore access to the island is restricted to researches and national park staff. However, you can visit the island as a volunteer on Sarawak Forestry's Sea Turtle Adoption Programme. This volunteering allows volunteers to spend 4 days learning more about turtles and able to take part in a range of activities such as beach patrols to locate turtle landings, monitoring of nesting activities, tagging and measuring turtles, transferring eggs to the hatchery, releasing hatchlings, and also data recording. The volunteer programme is open during the peak turtle nesting season which is from May to September.

The New Ringgit Malaysia 2012

Bank Negara Malaysia is the central bank of Malaysia. In the year of 1967 to 1972, the Bank Negara Malaysia issued the first Ringgit Malaysia for RM1, RM5, RM10, RM50, and RM100. In the year of 1968, the Bank Negara Malaysia issued another banknotes for RM1,000. The overall design of the banknotes are similar where the banknotes have the portrait of the first DYMM Yang-di-Pertuan Agong which is the first ruler of Malaysia and all the banknotes have the words of "Bank Negara Malaysia" in it and was signed by the Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, Tun Ismail bin Mohamed Ali. 

In the 1972, the currency maintained the same design but the changes made into the currency are the malay spelling system on the currency. For example, for the notes of RM10 spelling which is "SA-PULOH" changed to "SE-PULUH". In the year of 1982, the printed banknotes was signed by the new Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia which is Tan Sri Aziz bin Hj Taha. During that time, Bank Negara Malaysia also issued another two types of new banknotes that valued at RM2 followed by RM1, RM5, RM10, RM50, and RM100. Due to financial crisis in the year of 1998, the banknotes valued of RM500 and RM1,000 were withdrawn from circulation. 

1967 - 1972

1972 - 1976

1981-1984

In this year of 2012, as promised by the Government and the central bank, the new banknotes issued on July 2012 which consists of RM1, RM5, RM10, RM20, RM50, and RM100. The new 2012 banknotes inspired by the distinctive features of Malaysia which includes the elements of Malaysia's natural treasures, culture, and heritage. The new banknotes has the theme of "Distinctive Malaysia" where the features of the new currency are created according to traditional look in the art and craft, natural wonder, flora and fauna, and the economy. The 2012 Malaysia currency retain the portrait of the first Seri Paduka Baginda Yang-di-Pertuan Agong, the national flower which is the Rosa-Sinesis Hibiscus that is also known as "Bunga Raya", the words "Bank Negara Malaysia" who are the issuing authority of the banknotes, and also the patterns of traditional woven fabric which is known as the "songket". All these items can be seen in the background and edges of the new 2012 banknotes. Each banknotes has their own patterns according to the theme of "Distinctive Malaysia". 

For example: RM100 - Mount Kinabalu and pinnacles rock formation of Gunung Api Valley

                     RM50 - Oil Palm and Biotechnology

                     RM20 - The Hawksbill and Leatherback Turtle

                     RM10 - Rafflesia

                     RM5 - Rhinoceros Hornbill

                     RM1 - Wau Bulan (Moon Kite)

7th Sabah International Folklore Festival 2012

Some of the Scarecrow

The Sabah Cultural Board is organizing the International Folklore every year and this year, 2012, the Sabah Cultural Board is organizing the 7th Sabah International Folklore at the Sabah Cultural Centre, Penampang for about 2 weeks (8-17 July 2012). Before the Folklore festival begin, there is a scarecrow making contest held at the Sabah Cultural Centre Penampang organized by the Sabah Cultural Board. The contest are open to public and students. All the finished scarecrow created by contestants will be keep by the Sabah Cultural Board and used to display around the Cultural Centre for the tourist's view.

The Sabah International Folklore Festival intends to promote culture tourism among 18 participating countries as well as to celebrate cultural diversity. This festival also acts as a platform to promote unity through music and dance where all countries with different cultural backgrounds come together to share their own pride and joy. This festival is such an enjoyable entertainment especially to those who are interested in cultural of the world. I have never know about the uniqueness and attracting music and dances of the culture of the people from different world until have put myself in front of the people that participating in the folklore. Every country entertain their own cultural dance and music. Some of the country's cultural dance makes me feel like "WOW!" because their dances are "happening" and fun. I never know that some of the country have such a great music and dance and they have strength in performing their dances and make all the audience satisfy and enjoy. Unfortunately, i am late to be there at the Sabah Cultural Centre, Penampang and i have to sit at the back and not able to capture the nice picture of the dances. However, i still happy and satisfy because i have the chances to witness the cultural diversity of the people around the world. 

At the entrance of the Sabah Cultural Centre,  there are sells of Sabahan crafts and souvenir for the tourists that participate in the festival and also for the visitors. When i reach there, one of the tourist or the international dancer is still looking at the souvenir and let me took her picture. I have experienced the colorful and unique traditional customs of the people around the world.

 

All the dances and music and culture of the participants from 18 countries are really entertaining and the most cultural dance that i really like and enjoy is the cultural dance of the Timor Leste. They have their strength in performing their dance and show the history of their dance which is "freedom". This picture is taken at the place where is sit, therefore i am not able to take the nice picture.  There are many more dances performed by each country such as Czech Republic, Finland, Indonesia, Poland, and many other international country but as i mentioned just now, the pictures are not clear and far. Next year, the Sabah Cultural Board will organize the 8th Sabah International Folklore festival. If i have the chance, i will go to the festival again and enjoy the festival and witnessing the diversity of cultural dances and music and surely i will come earlier and capture the nice and clear picture.

Klias River Cruise

On the 11th of July 2012, i went to Klias River Cruise at Klias, Beaufort which is approximately 112 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu. The journey to Klias is about 2 hours. Depart from Kota Kinabalu around 2.00 pm and reach Klias for around 4.00 pm. Witnessing the monkey's behavior and attitude and enjoying the glittering fireflies can be done through Klias River Cruise. There are 3 part of river cruise at Klias which are morning river cruise, afternoon river cruise, and evening river cruise. At Klias there are three types of monkeys that could be found such as Proboscis Monkey, Macaque Monkey, and Silvered Leaf Monkey. The Proboscis Monkey have a long nose and long thick tail and the Macaques that have a long tail. However, the monkeys and other types of animals that could be found at Klias come out according to the weather. During my visit, it is rainy and it makes the total of monkeys that could be seen is few. But, during the hot weather the monkeys will come out and sit above the tree.

 In the night there is another cruise to witness the amazing small glittering insect which is fireflies. The fireflies are multiplies in certain three that makes it looks like a Christmas light in the Christmas tree in the night. I am amazed to watch thousands of such little things that gather in a tree especially mangrove tree and glittering in the night. Too bad that the fireflies cannot be capture in the night because the surrounding is too dark and therefore, to feel and experience the amazing fireflies, you have to go there and witness it by yourself and keep it in the memories. One man in the same cruise catch one firefly that fly into the cruise and show it to me. I hold the firefly and it is so small and twinkle. 

In the morning, there is morning river cruise and there will be many creatures that could be found such as the monkeys, many species of birds, crocodiles, lizards, otter, and tree snakes. However, my river cruise is in the evening and not able to watch the other animals. After enjoying witnessing the fireflies, it is to to go home. Leave Klias around 8.00 pm and reach Kota Kinabalu around 10.00 pm.

PULAU TIGA

Pulau Tiga is an island situated within the Pulau Tiga Park that was gazetted in 1978 and located about 35 nautical miles southwest of Kota Kinabalu. Three islands make up Pulau Tiga Park, they are Pulau Tiga, Pulau Kalampunian Damit or better known as 'Snake Island' and Pulau Kalampunian Besar. Pulau Tiga is believed to have been formed by the eruption of several mud volcanoes, which with the combination of of subterranean gas pressure and expelled muddy sendiment could have built up the island to its present height of approximately 100m above sea level. 

Several speciesof mammals, numerous birds - including the rare megapode, a variety of reptiles and amphibians and hundreds of insects can be found on Pulau Tiga, making it a truly wild tropical island. It was no surprise when Pulau Tiga was chosen as the location for the first US CBS Tv Series 'Survivor'. 

With only one resort on Pulau Tiga, you can guarantee a relaxed and tranquil dive holiday. Pulau Tiga Resort offers PADI dive courses and many dive sites for the novice and experienced divers including some unexplored dive locations. A rich variety of marine life can be seen including nudibranchs, bamboo sharks, cuttlefish, marbled stingray and of course, a visit to nearby Snake Island guarantees sightings of banded sea snakes. The surrounding reefs are shallow with healthy coral and water visibilityranging from 1m to 20m.

THE FRIENDLY PEOPLE OF KINABALU

The people in and around Kinabalu are mainly the kadazandusun, Sabah's largest ethnic community. Traditionally rice farmers, their 'kampungs' or villages are scattered all over the hills and mountain slopes. it is not unusual to see them scampering up and down the mountain seemingly without exhaustion! and  that's exactly  why most of them work as mountain guides and porters.

The Kadazandusun people consider themselves the guardian of Mt. Kinabalu. They believe this is sacred ground, a resting place for the spirits of their ancestors. Earlier attempts to climb the mountain had been forbidden, as as to do so would have disturbed these spirits and incurred their wrath. In 1851 when Sir Hugh Low led the expedition up the mountain, a compromise was reached with the locals to offer scrifice to appease the spirits.

THE PORING HOT SPRINGS

A visit to Kinabalu Park is not complete without a jaunt to Poring. "Poring" is Kadazandusin word for the bamboo species growing in the area. Situated 40km away slightly northeast of the Parks HQ, Poring is in the lowlands, a complete contrast to the Parks HQ. Soak away the sores and aches of muscles in the hot  sulphuric minerals of this spring, claimed to have curative powers and very popular with the locals.

BUTTERFLY FARM

Here you will find several species of colorful and striking butterflies. Borneo's first, this farm feature sa garden, nursery and hatchery for purpose of research, education and the preservation of endangered species.

PORING ORCHID CONSERVATION CENTRE

With 1,200 species of orchids found in with Kinabalu Park, the Centre has the largest live collection of Sabah Orchid and rare endemic wild orchids.

TROPICAL GARDEN

Mousedeers and deers relax under the gaze of colorful birds in the aviary.

PORING CANOPY WALK

A must-visit! stroll amidst the canopy of the Menggaris tree -  the King od the Forest. The walkway is 157.8m long and 41m high!

RAFFLESIA

The world's biggest flower, Rafflesia is one of the hardest to find. Fortunately, Sabah is known to have the largest concentration of the Rafflesia population. This rare and exotic flower takes up to 15months to bud but only lasts 7 days in bloom. The Park wikk post notice to announce a Rafflesia in bloom or bud. 

STUNNING FLORA & FAUNA

Kinabalu Park is Borneo's botanical paradise. it is home to about 1,200 species of orchids, 26 species of rhododendrons, 9 species of Nepenthes pitcher plants, over 80 species of fig trees, over 60 species of oaks and chestnut trees, 100 species of mammals, 326 species of birds - the list goes on! The Park has continually attracted top naturalist and botanists from around the world and been proclaimed an area with the richest diversity of flora and fauna

FLORA - The forest of Kinabalu are some of the richest in the world with an estimated 5,000 flowering, and this does not include the innumerable mosses, ferns and fungi. Wild orchids grow in abundance and range in size from a pinhead to a huge stems over 2 meter in length. Look out for the beautiful Slipper Orchids, which command much commercial interest with the Rothchild's Slipper Orchid so preciously coveted it is considered the "Kinabalu Gold".

The world's largest pitcher plant can also be found in Kinabalu Park, The insect eating Rajah Brooke's Pitcher Plants have pitcher that can hold up to 3.5 litres of water! 19 species of the beautiful Begonia plants have been documented, with probably half that number being endemic. The Begonia Chongii, a rare Begonia plant found on the west side of the mountain, is a recent discovery. It was named in honour of the then CHief Minister of Sabah. YAB Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat in recognition for his enthusiastic support for the natural environment conservation and protection of Sabah's Park.

FAUNA - This wonderland features some of the most amazing creations of nature. Since animals are not easily seen, patience is cirtue - that you will be blessed with rare and captivating sights!

A stroll past the road-side lamps at the Park HQ on the dark wet night or at dawn will reveal moths, beetles and other insects in all shapes, sizes and colours. some are camouflaged in delicate mossy green and greys, while other flaunt bright contrasting colours or red, black and white. There are 'twigs' that walk and 'leaves' that fly! Look closer and you'll find that they are actually insects.

This abundance of insects and plants play a big hand in supporting a thriving bird population. Over 300 Species have been recorded in the Park. There is a Grey Drongo with white eye-ring and fork tail, and the heavy, long-tailed Malaysian Treepie are two of the commonest at the Parh HQ. Higher up, you will find a small green Mountain Blacetes and the larger red-breasted Mountain BlackBirds.

THE CLIMB TO THE PEAK

After a night's rest, most climbers leave at about 3.00am for the 3-hour trek to the summit and to catch a magnificent sunrise, weather permitting. In the dark, you can see the beams of torch lights as the procession of climbers trudge higher and higher. There are ladders, hand railings and ropes to help you over the steeper slopes.

An hour from Panar Laban, you'll see the Sayat-Sayat Hut, this is the highest shelter on the mountain for park use only. From here, you will walk across the bare granite slabs that stretch endlessly ahead, in an eerie moonscape of stone. The vegetation are stunted shrubs and tough grasses in the crevices. 

By about 6.00am, you reach your final destination; the highest point on Mount Kinabalu, the summit of Borneo at 4095.2m is Low's Peak! As you wait in the cold, dawn gradually creeps over the horizon, illuminating the darkness with the light of a new day. In clear weather, you can almost see all of Sabah spread out below... 

From this vantage point, you'll also see a dramatic drop more than 1000m down...this is the Low's Gully. In 1998, a joint Malaysian-British expedition successfully descended in to the Gully. Expedition members believe that it was not so much a 'conquering' of the Gully, as an acceptance by the mountain to let them through, perhaps due to the spiritual rituals before and after the expedition.

A chasm stretching 16Km in length, it separates the summit plateau into the Western and Eastern Plateaus. Other peaks on the mountain are Victoria's Peak (4090m),Donkey Ears Peak (4054m), South Peak (3921.5m) and St. John's Peak (4090.7m) on the Western Plateau. On the Eastern Plateau, stand King Edward Peak (4086m), Mesilau Peak (3801.3m) and king George Peak (4062.6m). These peaks are only for experience climbers as it is a challenging climb. Special permits from the Park authorities is required.

It can be very cold with strong wind at the summit. Hence, climbers are advised to descent as soon as possible. You may be lucky to have good mountain condition and able to stay longer . It is advisable to descent before the swirling clouds could obstruct visibility. It takes 2 hours to descent to Panar Laban / Laban Rata. Check out time is 10am. The descent to Timpohon Gate takes about 4 to 5 hours. The slowest descend Record from Panar Laban to Timpohon Gate is 12 Hours!