Some of us might get bitten by leeches when we trek in the Malaysia forest. Leeches don’t kill but they are extremely irritating and disgusting blood suckers. I was first bitten by the forest leech when I was on the way to Poring waterfall. I still hate leech bite, so I never stop asking the experienced trekkers how to avoid leech bite. Below are some of the tips that I’ve collected so far.
Above: Tiger leech gets its name from its orange stripes
Above: a fully-fed happy brown leech
6 Ways to Prevent Leech Bite
1. Anti-Leech Socks
Anti-Leech sock is the MOST effective way of preventing leech bite. It does not contain any chemical to drive away the leech. Basically it is just an oversized sock that you wear it over your trousers as outer layer to cover the opening of your sock and jean. If a leech crawls on your leech sock, then you can spot it and get rid of it. FYI, you can buy anti-leech socks online shop such as Shopee (search by keywords “leech socks”).
Left & Middle: anti-leech socks cover the opening of your trousers. Right: Herb that can stop the bleeding caused by leech bite.
Tobacco can kill leech in minutes. Spend a few dollars to buy some grinded tobacco leaves from the tamu or pasar (local market). Put it in a container and soak it in water (but not too much). Soak the socks in the tobacco water overnight. Leave the socks dry up next day. If you wear the sock, leech may crawl on it but it’ll halt moving after a while due to the poisoning by tobacco.
To see if tobacco can kill leech, I sprinkled some tobacco leaves on a leech and it died within a minute.
3. Dettol
Heard this from the villagers in Long Pasia. During World War II, people were wondering how the Japanese soldiers bear the leech bites in jungle warfare. Later they learn that the army applied Dettol on their hands, necks and legs. The strong smell kept the leeches away. However, if you go for wildlife watching, I won’t advise you to do this because your smell will scare away all the wildlife hundred feet away.
Above: the body size of leech can double or even triple after sucking blood. One full meal can last it for several months.
4. Lady’s Stockings
I heard from someone that there is a scientist in Danum Valley, who enters the forest frequently for research and seldom got leech bite, though he wears short pant. His secret is to wear the stockings (yes, the pantyhose used by lady).
5. Insecticide Socks
I got this tip from a friend who works for a lumbering company. Just got a pair of long soccer socks, like the one wore by ah pak (old uncles) for jogging. Wear it all the way up to your knee (also cover the opening of your jean). Then spray Baygon brand insecticide on the sock and shoe. FYI, other brands such as Ridsect does not work well. The leech dies almost instantly the moment it touches your shoe or sock.
Pic: Baygon insect (pest) spray, only some supermarkets or stores selling it.
6. Insect Repellent
The easiest way is to buy a bottle of Mosi-Guard at Guardian (also available in other local pharmacy / drugstore) and spray it on your shoes and socks. It is an insect repellent but its eucalyptus extract can prevent mosquito, as well as leech attack up to 6 hours. Insect repellent with DEET is also effective but it is very hard to find here (probably local restriction on such chemical). You may click the picture below to read the article:
Above: Mosi-Guard insect repellent also can repel leeches. You can find it in many pharmacy shops in Sabah.
I spray Mosi-Guard insect repellent on my shoes and anti-leech socks, and I almost got 0 leech bite during jungle trekking in most leech-infested area of Borneo. This repellent only makes you smell terrible to the leeches. A few stubborn leeches still want to get on your shoes but most of them won’t move on.
More Useful Facts
1. Leeches live in humid area. So you can expect more leeches near the river and during the rainy session. The forest that has more wildlife tend to have more leeches too. Leeches not only hide on the ground, you also can find them on the leaves and twigs of low shrub. Leech is the most abundant in lowland forest. I encounter leeches in altitude of 800 Meters above sea level, but the number is a lot lesser. However, in drought season, you may not see a single leech in the forest.
Above: tiger leech can attack you from any direction.
2. Some says, if you walk in group, the people at the front have less chance of getting leech bite, most victims are people at the back. Leech is sensitive to body heat and vibration. The first person passing by will “wake” them up, making them active and look for the next comers. Well, based on my experience, everyone has equal chance. In fact, first person gets very high chance of leech bite because he always has to stop to wait for the slow movers behind, giving leeches more time to crawl onto his body.
3. Leech is blind and likes to bite warmer area (due to thinner skin) such as armpit, skin between toes and butt. That’s why I hate it. It loves sensitive spots. You better wear long sleeve and tuck in your t-shirt. How does it gain access to your butt? For example, fashionable girls who like low cut jean, or you do your no.2 in the forest. Whatever, just don’t bite my balls.
4. Some may tell you that leech can leap / jump to you. It’s just an exaggeration from people who are so afraid of leeches so their imagination goes wild. Leeches only can crawl. That’s it. I have walked hundred of Kilometers of forest trail and never see any leech that can jump.
5. Someone even say if you cut a leech into half. Each half will grow into a new leech. It’s bullshit. I tried that before. The leech just turned pale and died.
6. I don’t believe the widely circulated non-sense + scary leech stories such as leeches grow in your brain. But I do believe that if you let leech got into your nose, it will live inside permanently due to free flow of food supply. My mom personally saw this happened to one of her dogs. Avoid washing your face in forest stream and don’t swim in still water.
Pic: fully-fed tiger leech sleeping on a twig
I was bitten by leech. What should I do? OH NO, Help!!! I’m going to die!
Don’t panic, don’t scream. It’s just a bug as weak as mosquito. If you are bitten by a leech, do not try to pull it away by force. This would leave permanent scar on your perfect skin. You can apply salt, tobacco, eucalyptus oil, lime fruit juice, tiger balm or medicated oil (e.g. Minyak Kapak or 驱风油) on it and it will shrivel and drop. Or just let it finishes its meal and drop off itself. The last resort is to put your finger on your skin next to its oral sucker, then gently (but firmly) slide your fingernail toward its mouth to detach it from your skin.
Above: bleeding caused by leech bites. Look scary, but from their smiles, you know it is no big deal. Just treat it as a leech therapy. You won’t bleed to dead anyway. Leech also doesn’t carry any disease and poison.
Due to anticoagulant to facilitate blood flowing, leech bite will cause your wound to bleed for hour but it will stop eventually. A guide taught me to stick a small pieces of paper on the wound to speed up the clotting and it works! Apply anti-septic cream on the wound to prevent infection and you will be fine. Keep your wound dry and clean. It will itch for a few days before fully healed, but don’t scratch it.
Types of Forest Leeches
There are 2 types of leeches in Borneo rainforest, namely, tiger leech (species: Haemadipsa picta) and brown leech (species: Haemadipsa zeylanica). The Tiger Leech can extend its body more than 6cm long, while Brown (ground) Leech is much more smaller, only about 2 cm. The bite of tiger leech is sharp & painful (like 5 mosquitoes bite you on same spot). If brown leech bites you, you may not feel anything at all, due to the anesthetic chemical in its saliva.
The 130-million-year rainforest of Borneo is older than Amazon, but there is one small bug that scares its visitors. Like other rainforest in South East Asia, the best lowland forest of Malaysia is always infested with forest leeches, the little wiggling and slimy blood suckers, which are extremely persistent to crawl onto your naked skin for a feast.
Their bite is nothing more than a minor cut, but the anti-clotting agent in their saliva causes you to bleed profusely for hour, some find the bloody view a terrifying experience. I was always shocked by the screaming of the girls who find leech on their skin, so I decide to write this guide.
Leech sucks, so how to prevent being leeched? The MOST EFFECTIVE way to prevent leech bite is by wearing anti-leech socks or leech-proof socks (leech socks in short), as shown in the photo above. Leech socks have become a standard part of the outfit for jungle trekking in Borneo.
So you want a leech sock huh?
There are 4 types of leech socks (see following photo). In most cases, you only need to pick type no.1 or 2. Type 3 and 4 are less common and listed here FYI only: Please see photo above for numbering. No.1: Elastic-strap leech socks – most commonly used. No.2: “Deluxe” leech socks – expensive but the best. No.3: String leech socks – old fashion but still in use. No.4: Long leech socks – same as No.1 but longer.
Though look different, all of them employ the same simple mechanism to keep leeches at bay. Basically they are just oversized socks for you wear over the trousers, to block leeches from accessing your skin from the opening of your trousers.
1. Elastic-strap Leech Socks
A pair costs RM18 to RM24 (USD5-USD6.50) and made of cotton cloth. It is the most commonly used. If you don’t want to read further, just buy this one.
Most common type of anti-leech socks
FYI, you can buy anti-leech socks at online shop such as Shopee (search by keywords “leech socks”).
To use it (it is easier to wear it in sitting position), (1) wear it like socks all the way up but at outer layer, so you can cover the opening of your pant. (2) Then pull the elastic strap to tighten and seal the opening. (3) Note the adjustment knot to control the tightness of the strap. (4) repeat the steps for another foot and put on your hiking boot or shoes.
Keep your legs comfortable, an extremely strong tight is not necessary. I know you worry that leech might sneak in through the sealed opening but that’s very unlikely. The closed loop of the strap always hooks on something in forest, so you may want to hide it behind the socks.
Below is a 1-min video to show you how to wear this anti-leech sock:
The Good: reasonable price and comfortable to wear.
The Bad: during long walk, the socks will slide down gradually. You have to pull it up regularly. It is made of cotton cloth, so it gets wet easily during rain or if the trail is muddy.
2. Deluxe Leech Socks (Water Resistant)
A pair costs RM38 (USD11.50) and made of nylon material (upper part) and linen cloth (lower part). I call it “Deluxe” because it is very expensive.
Water resistant anti-leech socks
Just wear it like other leech sock. This leech sock has internal elastic grip on top and bottom of the nylon (blue part), so you don’t need to tie any string. But I find it a bit tight though. Maybe it’s new.
Above: close-up of Deluxe Leech Socks
You may watch the 1-min video below to see Deluxe Leech Socks:
Personally, I think this is the BEST leech sock, due to the reasons below. The Good: The materials are more water-resistant and durable. That means the socks can be cleaned (e.g. mud) and dried quickly. This is important for long period of jungle trip, because wet sock is very hard to dry up in humid forest of Borneo. The double grip points also keep the leech sock in position.
The Bad: the most expensive type. For that price, you can buy two pairs of other leech socks.
3. String Leech Socks
A pair costs RM15 (?USD4.50) and made of cotton cloth too. This design is phasing out and replaced by Elastic-strap Leech Socks.
String leech socks
The design is similar to other cotton leech socks. Since it has no elastic grip, you need to tie a noose on the cord to seal the opening, like how you tie shoe lace.
The Good: cheaper. If you know the right technique to tie the knot, the socks won’t slide down.
The Bad: The strap is not elastic so you have to tighten it stronger to hold the sock in place. However, this causes extra stress and discomfort to my skin. After long day of jungle trekking, it will leave thin lines of bruises on my skin at the strap area.
4. Long Leech Socks
A pair costs RM34 (?USD9) and made of cotton cloth.
In general, it is same as Elastic-strap Leech Socks, but it is a few inches longer and have two elastic straps.
To compare the difference, I wear both long and short leech socks, as shown in photo above. I think it’s for people who wear short pants.
The funny thing is – leech sock is for leech-phobia tourists. Our local people don’t wear leech socks. Those villagers who always go in and out forest normally wear long soccer socks, less effective (60-70% leech proof) but costs only a few dollars. In fact, most of them don’t really bother about leeches.
If you can’t find any leech socks for sale, you can use soccer socks instead, which is readily available and cheap. Make sure you get the long one with very tight weaving that leaves no tiny seam for leech to wiggle its way in. The soft-bodied leech only needs a loose hole as tiny as pencil tip to puncture your skin for blood.
Does anti-leech sock make me 100% leech-proof?
Good question! The answer is NO. But it’s 90% leech-proof and does make a big difference. To understand why, you need to know how leeches “attack”.
There are 2 types of leeches in Borneo jungle, namely, Tiger Leech and Brown Leech. Brown leeches are smaller and usually active on ground level with wet leaf litter. Occasionally you may see it crawling on grass. When it crawls on your leech socks, you can just flick it off. Brown leech can be fend off easily by leech socks.
However, for tiger leech which is bigger and active from ground to waist level, you have to be vigilant all the time. Especially in wet season, tiger leeches will hide and wait in the leaves and twigs of shrubs along the trail. If your body touches the bushes, you will pick up tiger leeches on your legs or waist. The leeches will crawl up and look for exposed skin on upper part of your body, for example, armpit, neck and belly. Leech socks won’t work in this case. So you need to keep an eye on your body (or ask your buddy to check regularly). Anyway, just avoid contacting any low shrub and you shall be safe.
When leeches crawl to your leech socks, 90% of them will go inside your shoes. Leech dislikes dry surface so the dry cloth of leech sock deters them slightly. You will find half-death leeches in your shoes. But it is different story when it rains and your leech sock is wet.
Where to buy leech socks?
You can buy them in online shops such as Shopee and Lazada (search by keywords: “leech socks”).
There are also a few places in Kota Kinabalu where you can find anti-leech socks. I only name two shops here. When you buy leech sock, check the sewing and make sure there is no hole on the socks.
Montanic Adventure Store
Montanic Adventure Store is on the second floor of Suria Sabah shopping mall (in Kota Kinabalu City).
Montanic Adventure Store in Suria Sabah Shopping Mall and the anti-leech socks (Elastic-strap Leech Socks and Long Leech Socks) they sell.
Below is their contact: Address: 2-78, 2nd Floor Suria Sabah Shopping Mall, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Tel: +60 88-274538 Facebook:@MontanicSuria
Some popular nature destinations such as Tabin Wildlife Reserve and Danum Valley also sell leech socks in their souvenir shops, but at higher price. Please share with us here if you know any other shop selling leech socks.
Nearly 17 Meters tall and open to public since June 2003, Mahua Waterfall (local name: Air Terjun Mahua), which is 26 KM away from Tambunan town, is one of the top destinations of Sabah interior. I strongly recommend this beautiful waterfall to those who drop by Tambunan. The GPS Location of Mahua Park is 5.796761, 116.408407 (see Location Map or Street View)
To go there, you need to drive 1.5 hours from Kota Kinabalu to Tambunan. Before Tambunan town, you will reach a roundabout with a ginger and machete statue on it. Turn left to Jln. Ranau Tambunan (Ranau Tambunan Road), Mahua Waterfall is only 13 KM away. You will see a brown signpost to Mahua Waterfall shortly. Driving for about 6 KM, you will see the Mahua signpost again at a junction at the left, which leads to a 6-KM small road in Kg. Patau (Patau Village). The road is nicely paved so you don’t need a 4-Wheel drive.
In the beginning, you will pass by the beautiful paddy fields of the village. Drive slowly and keep an eye on the roaming dogs, buffaloes and kids along the road. You would find village dogs sleep on the road and don’t even bother about approaching cars.
Then you will enter a hilly road with forest view of Crocker Mountain Range. I saw many Yellow Wagtail birds, the common winter visitors called “Beras Beras” (rice) in local Malay language, and some Ashy Drongo and Pacific Swallow birds perched on power lines too.
Ticket counter and office of Sabah Parks
At the end of the road is the Mahua substation (of Crocker Mountain Range National Park) managed by Sabah Parks, where you buy entrance ticket. The opening hour is 8am-5pm daily. The following are the ticket rates for visitors to Mahua:
Age
Malaysian
Non-Malaysian
18 years & above
RM3
RM10 (≈US$2.50)
Below 18
RM1
RM6 (≈US$1.50)
Below 16 (student)
RM0.50
RM6
The start of 500-Meter walkway to Mahua Waterfall is just behind this building. You already can hear the sound of thundering waterfall at this spot. Mahua Waterfall receives about 1,600 visitors a month, making it the most popular attraction in Tambunan. Besides locals, it also attracts foreign tourists from Canada, USA, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Australia, Japan and Brunei.
Lacewing on orchid
Crocker Range is an important water catchment area. Water means life, so Mahua is a magnet for variety of fauna and flora. Like the 3-inch-big lacewing in photo above is new to me. Seeing my camera and tripod, the park janitor asked if I took photo for National Geographic. Haha.. if I answer Yes, not sure if they will charge me thousand$ for commercial filming.
Only a few Meters inside I found big mushroom to photograph. Mahua Park is more than just waterfall. I am so glad that I discover a natural eco-garden.
The walkway is under a mossy, shady and moist secondary forest, and such dim and damp environment promotes the growth of mushroom and fungus. The fungus above look like the skin of Chinese Bun (Bao) and Dim Sum. Edible?
Another type of fungi, they are very tiny.See if you can spot this “Smiling Rock” near 10th Meter mark of the walkwayConcrete walkway to the Mahua Waterfall
Despite the hot day outside, the shady forest and running stream make the surrounding very cooling and refreshing. The temperature hovers around 23 degrees Celsius, as if I am in an air-conditioning room.
Normally I need to walk a long away on rugged jungle trail to see a waterfall. But the 500-Meter walkway to Mahua Waterfall is so short and easy, I didn’t even sweat.
The trail is quite flat and paved with cement. Watch out for the slippery mossy surface.
There are some hut shelters, benches, trash bin and toilet along the trail, very well-facilitated for picnic. But sorry, BBQ and fishing are not allowed here, as these activities are bad for the conservation. Most visitors come here for swimming, picnic, camping and other nature-based activities.
Daddy longlegs (Harvestmen)
Not only human likes waterfall, you also can spot many insects and bugs wandering among the undergrowth, ferns and shrubs along the trail.
Finally I saw the majestic Mahua Waterfall from a distance.
Closer view of Mahua Waterfall. It is about as tall as a 6-floor building. I went there in weekday, so there was no swimmer around.Viewing platform of Mahua Waterfall
There is a ladder leads to a viewing platform.
Here you go, the photo of Mahua Waterfall. The force of water is so strong that it pounds the pool and create a mini storm and earthquake around it. Even though I was more than 10 Meters away, my camera and I was bathed by wind of misty spray.
Mahua Waterfall is nearly 17 Meters (55 feet) tall. But don’t try to jump from the top to the pool, as the water is only about 1+ Meter in depth (I never swim there, it can be deeper during wet day so just be careful).
You can swim around the waterfall, but be cautious of the falling rock from top.
Huge Tree in Minduk Sirung Trail
If you are a tree hugger, you will thank me for telling you that there is a gigantic tree hidden in Mahua Park.
Starting point of Minduk Sirung Trail
About 120 Meter before the waterfall, you will see a hanging bridge at your right, which leads you to a signage that reads, “Minduk Sirung Trail. Mahua ke Gn. Alab 12 KM”.
Interesting tree in Minduk Sirung Trail
Minduk Sirung Trail is a jungle trail that connects to Mount Alab (Gunung Alab) substation about 12 KM away, another park in Crocker Range. Some avid hikers use this trail for jungle trekking from Mt. Alab to Mahua Waterfall (mostly descending trail).
Other big trees next to the Minduk Sirung Trail
Anyway, the big tree that I mentioned is only 1.5 KM away from the starting point. However, there is no clear signage along the trail. You will see many big trees on the way and wonder which one it is. But, when you see it, you know that’s the one, as it is SOOooOOoooo…. BIG!
Huge tree at KM 1.5 of Minduk Sirung Trail
The trail is a bit steep in first 1 KM and lurked with blood-sucking leeches, so you better wear proper hiking shoes and anti-leech sock.
Accommodation & Meals
If you want to overnight in the park, you may book a room with Mahua Rainforest Paradise (located at park entrance), which has 12 bedrooms and a restaurant. Camping and meals are also available. The accommodation fees range from RM30 to RM95 per night (≈US$7.50-24), you may Click Here to check out its rates.
Hostels, bedrooms, common bathroom, camping area and BBQ gazebo of Mahua Rainforest Paradise
The owner of hostel also runs a restaurant near the park, which sells common food (e.g. fried rice / noodle, noodle soup, bread) and hot & cold drinks from 9am to 5pm every day. The prices of food are about RM5 to RM10, drink is RM1.50 to RM4, and they serve no pork. If you want to picnic there, BBQ gazebo is available for rent in full-day (RM45), half-day (RM30), and quarter-day period (RM15).
Higher than the Statue of Liberty of US, the tallest tropical tree in the world is a 100.8-Metre-tall (330.7 feet) Yellow Meranti tree (species: Shorea faguetiana) in Danum Valley of Sabah, the Malaysian Borneo. It’s the second tallest tree in the world, just behind Hyperion, the 115.92-Metre-tall (380.3 Feet) Coast redwood in California’s Redwood National Park.
Climbing Menara, the tallest tropical tree in the world. Photo by Unding Jami
As the first and only recorded tropical tree exceeds 100 Metres, this tallest tropical tree is named as “Menara”, which means Tower in Malay language. Menara is also the tallest flowering plant on earth. In 2014, it’s spotted on a 33 degree angled slope by laser scanner of an airplane that surveyed the rainforest of Rhino Ridge near Danum Valley Field Centre (DVFC).
Aerial shot of Menara from a drone. The tree crown of Menara is 40 Metres wide (131 Feet). Photo by Alexander Shenkin
On 6 January 2019, to get the most accurate height reading, a team of professional tree climbers hiked up to a slope of 436-Metre above sea level to locate Menara. The team leader Unding Jami (Jamiluddin bin Jami) must climb up to the tree top and used tape measure to take the measurement from the top of the crown to the lowest part of the buttress.
Tape measure from tree top. This manual method can get the most accurate height of a tree. Photo by Unding Jami
The long straight stem posed a challenge, so Unding Jami took almost 3 hours to reach the top. The operation can be risky. There was one time Unding Jami climbed another flowering Dipterocarp and got 200 stings by a swarm of bees. Anyway, it made his day to confirm that Menara is the new record breaker of the tallest tropical tree in the world.
Height Comparison with Famous Landmarks
To get an idea of the scale of this towering tree, let’s have some fun to compare it with some well-known objects.
Height comparisons of Menara (100.8 Metres) with New York City’s Statue of Liberty (93 Metres), London’s Big Ben Clock Tower (96 Metres), Tun Mustapha Tower (122 Metres), and the Tallest Tree (115.92 Metres)
Past Record Holders of the Tallest Tropical Tree
All the past record-breakers are Yellow Meranti trees in first class forest reserve of Sabah. In fact, this is the fourth time Sabah broke its record on the tallest tropical tree in the world. Though these trees are no longer the titleholder, they are still ranked as top 20 in the list of highest trees in the world.
May 2018: 96.9M (318 Feet)
Discovered on 28 May 2018, this 96.9-Metre tree is about 9.5 Kilometre (5.9 Miles) from the entrance of Tawau Hills Park, a national park in Tawau. Tawau Hills Park is a popular place for swimming, bird-watching, hiking and hot springs.
Yellow meranti tree (species: Shorea faguetiana), is locally known as Seraya Siput Kuning. Photo by Unding Jami
Nov 2016: 93.0 Metres (305 Feet)
Known as “Lahad Datu”, this tree is located near Ulu Purut Research Station (UPRS) Camp, which is about 7 Kilometres (4.35 Miles) east of Danum Valley Field Centre (DVFC). Most media reported its height as 94.1 Metres (308.7 Feet), an estimated height by laser sensor. About 3 months later, an expedition team visited the tree. They carried out more precise measurement by tape and confirmed that the average height of Lahad Datu is 93.0 Metres.
Left: Lahad Datu tree with the people at its bottom. Right: Looking at the Lahad Datu tree from a helicopter. Photo by Robin Martin
Unding Jami measuring the tree. He is too high above to hear anything from the ground, so his team only can communicate with him by phone. Photo by Stephanie Law
Jul 2006: 88.32 Metres (289.8 Feet)
This tropical tree was reported by Dr. Roman Dial from Anchorage Alaska University in National Geographic Magazine (July 2006 edition), and it held the tallest tropical tree title for nearly 10 years. It is also the most photographed by the public because it’s only a 900-Metre walk away from the entrance of Tawau Hills Park, which is managed by Sabah Parks.
This Yellow Meranti tree in Tawau Hills Park is the longest record holder (Jul 2006 – Jun 2016) of the Tallest Tropical Tree in the world. At that time people thought 90 Metres was the height limit of tropical tree until they discovered the 100.8-Metre-tall Menara in 2014.
Left: 85.76-Metre-tall Menggaris tree (Pontiankak Putih Cantik). Photo by Brett Mifsud, Right: Menggaris tree (species: Koompassia excelsa) is also a Borneo tree famous for its freaking height. Note the little man next to it.
Interesting Facts about Shorea faguetiana
Yellow Meranti is the common name of Shorea faguetiana, a native tree species lives in Borneo, peninsular Malaysia and parts of Thailand.
It’s also called Seraya Siput Kuning locally (translated as yellow snail seraya) because of its snail-like exudation of dark brown or black dammar (resin) on the bole.
Left: snail-like resin of Yellow Meranti tree. Photo by Dr. Arthur Chung. Right: Shorea faguetiana is the tallest tree species of Borneo. Photo by John Sugau
There are about 138 Shorea species with 91 of them endemic to Borneo island.
Shorea faguetiana is classified as endangered on the red list of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species.
80% of Shorea faguetiana population is gone in the past three generations due to logging and habitat loss.
Yellow Meranti tree produces five-winged fruits that spin like a helicopter when falling to the ground. This helps the seeds to travel farther away from their parent tree.
The wood from this tree is medium-hardwood suitable for making Plywood, crates and light furniture.
A huge yellow meranti tree can house a mini ecosystem consisting of over 1,000 types of insects, fungi, and plants.
Setting up the rope to climb Menara is difficult because its branches are so high above. Photo by Unding Jami
Next Tallest Tree?
Sabah rainforest is over 130 millions years old but not fully explored. For example, 70% of Maliau Basin is not studied. Therefore, I believe the next tallest tree is waiting to be found in future, most likely inside a fully-protected primary rainforest of eastern and central of Sabah, where trees can grow to ultimate height because of the fertile volcanic soil and abundant rainfall. I will keep the record updated here. Hopefully Sabah can keep singing “tinggi-tinggi pokok seraya” (means so high our yellow meranti tree) until the end, like our Mount Kinabalu in Sayang Kinabalu.
Photos of Shorea faguetiana by Dr. Arthur Chung (left), Unding Jami (middle), and John Pereira (right)
However, the height of tree is limited by mechanical, ecophysiological, and hydraulic constraints. The taller the tree, the harder for it to transport the water and nutrients from the root to the tree top (more explanation in this video). The biological limit restricts gymnosperm tree to a maximum height of 122 to 130 Metres (400 to 426.5 feet). Shorea faguetiana also needs some luck to grow super tall. With slender bole and large canopy, yellow meranti tree is “… almost like giant dandelions,” Professor Yadvinder Malhi, said in an interview. “They’re tall and thin, and they’re just trying to catch the wind.” Menara survives being snapped by strong wind because it’s sheltered by a ridge.
The Tallest Stamp of Malaysia
To feature world’s tropical tallest tree, POS Malaysia issued special new stamps for Menara on 29 Dec 2020. The miniature sheet is 180mm by 35mm (7.09 x 1.38 inches) in size, making it the largest (and tallest?) stamp of Malaysia! The 3-part folder can open up vertically and probably the longest stamp folder of Malaysia too. I love the design so much that I bought a few set.
Left: miniature sheet of Menara is the largest stamp of Malaysia. Note the words “Lahad Datu” in cancellation mark, it’s the district where Menara grows. Right: the long stamp folder for the World’s tallest tropical tree
Sabah has so many big and tall trees. No wonder some West Malaysians ask if Sabahans live on trees. I always answer Yes we do and you need an elevator to get to the top lol. For more fun facts about Borneo trees, you can read the 10 most interesting trees of Borneo.
Left: the front cover of stamp folder of World’s Tallest Tropical Tree (Pokok Tropika tertinggi di dunia). Right: Stamp sheet (10 pieces of 90-cent stamps). The picture in the stamp is the winged fruit of Shorea faguetiana
This year I celebrated my birthday differently. No Internet, no birthday cake, and no cozy bed. For me, to feel great being alive is to do something I love. Touching some boobs would be awesome, so this birthday wish brings me to Batu Nenen (Boobs Rock) in Maranggoi of Kota Belud.
(Left) Photos next to a Liposu fruit tree. (Right) Oh dear I am (in middle) so fat. At the right is Risin (my guide) and left is Uncle Sinuar (cook)
About Maranggoi and Pinolobu
Located in Pinolobu Village (Kampung Pinolobu), Maranggoi Eco Tourism is a new destination of rural tourism, which promotes travelling in countryside of Sabah. This village is blessed with forest, waterfalls, spring water and clean river. Maranggoi is the name of the river, which is named after a missing young man Maranggoi, who used to collect resin in forest around that river. But one time he didn’t return home after 3 days, which he normally did. The villagers went out looking for him and shouted his name, but they only found the cigarette butt Maranggoi left.
Kampung Pinolobu is a village about 17 Kilometres away from Kota Belud town. Pinolobu means breaking into a new frontier. Most of the population in Pinolobu Village is Dusun Tindal people and majority of them are farmers. Fruits and crops are everywhere in Pinolobu, to list a few, tapioca, pineapple, mango, rambutan, durian, sweet potato, and rubber. The entire village is built on hill area. To move around neighbourhood, you would need to walk up and down some slopes.
Visit the Boobs Rock (Batu Nenen)
Last month I booked a 2-day-1-night tour with the operator of Maranggoi. I drove 2 hours from Kota Kinabalu to Kampung Pinolobu. I was a bit worried about the bad weather lately, and wished the sky would be kind to me on my birthday. Luckily, the day was clear in the morning and by 7:30am I met Risin, who was my guide. Risin is married with 4 kids and own a farm in Kampung Pinolobu.
River pond with crystal clear water
After a light breakfast in a local shop, we headed to the starting point of jungle trekking, to visit four waterfalls and Boobs Rock in Maranggoi. The hike started in the base camp, which is nearby the first waterfall, Wasai Telupid. Telupid is the name of a rare exotic tree that bears sour fruit, its leaf also has strong flavor of sour, and both can make mouth watering pickle and food.
First waterfall (Telupid Waterfall) in Maranggoi river trail
To reach Batu Nenen, We needed to walk over 2 KM along Maranggoi River and passed by a few waterfalls. As this is upstream, the boulders are huge and the stream is crystal clear. Risin says there is no more village upriver so the water is unpolluted. Maranggoi River also seldom floods, even in rainy season. Do bring swimwear if you want to enjoy the clean and cooling water. All waterfall ponds are shallow and safe for a soak.
Telupid tree, a rather rare and exotic tree with edible sour fruits and leaves
The nature trail to Boobs Rock is pretty challenging for tourists who are not used to jungle trekking. We have to cross a few streams and climbed over many slippery boulders (Do expect to get wet until knee level). Besides, half of the time I walked on narrow soil trail along the side of the slope, a misstep could cause a bad fall down the slope. Most of the steep sections don’t have rope or rail support. Landslides blocked our way a few times, and we had to clear another path to get around them. Just to warn you that this is a rugged trail. Most visitors can do it but casual tourists would feel uncomfortable.
Left: zombie forest ants infected by parasitic fungus (commonly known as Cordyceps). Right: big caterpillar
Due to hunting activity, no big wildlife is spotted, so forest leech is absent too. We did see some fresh holes dug by wild boars foraging for food. According to Risin, Konexer captured the video of a Tufted Ground Squirrel (species: Rheithrosciurus macrotis) in camera trap there. Tufted Ground Squirrel is also known as Vampire Squirrel, it’s very rare and endemic to Borneo. It has the world’s fluffiest tail.
Bat Cave under the boulder
The riverine zone is a regenerated secondary forest with dense undergrowth. Risin shows me some interesting trees and herb that we spotted along the trail. Some fruit trees have spread into this forest, like rambutan, tarap, and cempedak. We passed through quite a number of farmland and rubber plantation in forest edge but didn’t see anyone else though.
Withered flower (left) and bud (right) of Rhizanthes lowii
The most exciting plant I saw is Rhizanthes lowii, which is endemic to Borneo and a parasitic flowering plant without leaves, stems, and roots. Rhizanthes is a corpse flower same family as rafflesia flower. Its flower lasts only a few days. Though I saw only the withered flower and bud, this is already worth my trip.
Gotokon Waterfall at Maranggoi River
After 1.84 Kilometre, we arrived the second waterfall, Gotokon Waterfall, which is a cascading waterfalls with the highest tier around 4 Metres in height. Personally I think it’s the most beautiful waterfall in Maranggoi river. Gotokon is derived from the term that describes the action (Togop) of scratching tree bark to collect sap. The sap is sticky and can be used as strong glue for bird trap.
Gotokon Waterfall is about 1.85 KM away from campsite
The next waterfall, Ronggu Waterfall, is less than 400 Metres ahead. Because I kept stopping for pictures so we were slow and it’s already 12:33pm, so we decided to have our lunch next to this waterfall. Risin brought some rice and traditional side dishes. We sat on the rocks and enjoyed our food.
Ronggu Waterfall (about 2.12 KM away from campsite)
We continued our hike after lunch. Within 15 minutes, we approached a rockface with flowing water. Probably due to the natural minerals, the water leaves a black trail on the surface it flows through. Risin says, “this is spring water (mata air) that percolates through rocks! We have a few spring water sources around Maranggoi. They never dry up even during drought. Instead, they even overflow in dry season occasionally. Sometimes I bring buckets of natural water from Maranggoi to my twin daughters who study in Tamparuli because they are not used to drinking the chlorinated water in town.”
Natural spring water coming out from the rocks next to Maranggoi River. Note the picture at the right, the mineral deposits in the spring water turn rocks into dark color
Finally, we made it to Batu Nenen (Boobs Rock) at 1:33pm. The local myth mentions about Batu Hujan (Rock Rain), which is a display of the wrath of God. Everything hit by this rain will turn into rock. The Boobs Rock was probably an unlucky woman hit by the rock rain, but no confirmation about its origin. When I wanted to have some quality time with the boobs rock, heavy downpour suddenly came. We left in a hurry. Bummer!
Boobs Rock (Batu Nenen)Risin enjoyed grabbing Boobs Rock (Batu Nenen) lolA strange tree near to Batu Nenen (Boobs Rock). It looks like p….
We walked back to the village. After nearly 2 hours I saw rows of whitish trunks of rubber trees, I knew we were home.
Watu Kepungit Waterfall looks mythical with the vines
What I Ate
I like to acquire new tastes so I requested them to provide local meals. Their traditional village food is not bad, as it is freshly caught or harvested locally and not high in fat and sugar. White rice is always the “main course”. The rice is compacted and wrapped in big Doringin (Dillenia beccariana) leaf and they call this rice pack linopot. Farmers always carry linopot to the field because such packing prevents the rice from spoiling fast.
Breakfast
I had some Linuput rempis (fishes wrapped and cooked in multiple layers of doringin leaves). The small fishes are from the river next to our camp. “Palm heart” soup is new to me, the soft core of palm trees such as banana and coconut are edible.
Breakfast: Linuput rempis, palm core soup and white rice . There are two liposu fruits at the back.
Lunch
These are what I ate at the waterfall. I love sour food so the liposu fruit has become my new favorite. The fruits are cut into slices, red color is the raw pulp and whitish color ones are smoked liposu.
Lunch at waterfall: salty fishes, canned spicy fishes, sour liposu fruit slices and wrapped rice (Linopot)
Dinner
Rice with Bahu (Mango pickle with red chili) and raw tarap soup. The older the Bahu mango, the more sour it is. The seeds of tarap fruits are edible and taste like peanut.
Dinner: Linopot (wrapped rice), Bahu (mango pickle) and salted fishes
Fruits
The highlight is Sukang durian, a mini durian grows in the wild but now also widely cultivated in Sabah orchard. The fruit is smaller but creamy and meaty. The durian aroma isn’t too overpower. Besides, I also bought 7 Kilograms of rambutan fruit (RM3/Kg) from a villager. I’m lucky because it is fruiting season.
Rambutan fruit and yummy Sukang durian
Second day of the my trip is to tour around Kampung Pinolobu, a relaxing day.
Stingless Bee (Kelulut) Farm
Stingless bees are also honey producer. It’s called Kelulut in Malay language but sounds similar to something negative in local language, so the local people prefer to call it Tantadan. Stingless bees don’t sting and Kelulut honey can fetch higher price than normal honey, so more and more villagers rear stingless bees at home.
Visit Stingless Bee (Kelulut) Farm in Kampung Pinolobu, Kota Belud
I visited an organic stingless bee farm that is built by local community in Pinolobu Village. There are 75 bee houses in the farm. If they include bee houses of whole village, there will be a total of over 300. Each hive produces about 2 Kg of honey per month, and it is sold for RM20 per 100 grams, a good side income.
This kelulut farm is placed under the rambutan fruit trees and next to clusters of Honolulu creeper flowers (air mata puteri), the preferred host plant for the stingless bees. Sometimes beekeepers feed the bees with rambutan and banana fruit if the bees can’t go out harvesting nectar during rainy season.
There are about 75 Stingless Bee (Kelulut) houses in this farm
Stingless bees are a lot smaller than honeybees, so they can access tiny flowers and extract more nutrients. They build their nests in tree hollows and crevices. When the villagers find their hives in the wild, they would cut the log section that contains the nest and transfer them to the bee house. This has to be done at night, after all the worker bees return to their nest.
The taste of kelulut honey varies in flavour depend on fruit and flowers they visit. In general, kelulut honey is sourish sweet, usually sweetness is the base taste, with a bit of sourness or bitter, or a mix of all, sometimes with a hint of fruit aroma. The colour of the stingless bee honey can be yellow, brown and even pink (rare and more expensive but no difference in nutrients).
Stingless bees store their honey in the containers called honey pots. The fun part of the visit is to sip the honey from these pots with a straw. The stingless bee honey is sticky so I need to suck harder. It’s sourish sweet, with a bit of durian aroma.
Sipping honey from Kelulut nest
This stingless bee farm has more than 6 species of stingless bees. Heterotrigona itama and Geniotrigona thoracica are the preferred species for beekeeping, as they are more productive. I was attacked by a swarm of Lophotrigona canifrons when I got too close to their nest for filming. Their bite is like ant bite, not really hurt but definitely unpleasant to have the bees all over your face lol.
Risin says a teaspoon of kelulut honey twice a day can improve the immunity system. If you want to learn more about kelulut honey and beekeeping, you may check out my last post.
Burung Jinak (Tamed Birds)
The last stop is to check out the tamed birds. There are 5 or more wild Magpie robin that can be hand-fed. The villager just brings some mealworms and whistle to call them. The birds gathered and chirped on a tree nearby. Then the birds fly to him and pick up the worms from his hand. It took them some years to gain trust from these wild birds.
Calling and hand-feeding wild magpie robin birds
I’ve been feeding some feral pigeons for a long time. Even today they still don’t want to befriend me. So the lesson is – only nicely treat those who appreciate your friendship. Some freeloaders are just takers and don’t deserve to be your friend.
Camping Grounds
There are two camping grounds in Maranggoi. Bunti Campsite has better environment and facilities. Wasai Telupid Campsite is quite basic (shelter and toilet only) but it offers more camping experience, and it’s a short walk to a beautiful waterfall. Mosquitoes may present during dusk. Insect repellent and mosquito coil would be useful. The night is quite cooling like air-conditioning. Do bring a good sleeping bag, mat and some warm clothing. Both campsites have no phone service (only weak signal of Digi in higher ground).
Bunti Campsite. The big building is the house of Uncle Sinuar. I overnight in the small hut (picture at the right)
I was staying in Bunti Campsite, which is well maintained by Uncle Sinuar. He also cooked for my meals with produces / caught from his farm and river. This 70-year-old and friendly villager is still active in farming. He worked as a carpenter before, so he builds all the hut and gazebo there himself. Visitors can choose to sleep in camping tent or the hut.
Camping ground and river (where I bath) at Bunti Campsite
Booking and Contact
You can find more information and photos in their Facebook page @ Maranggoi. It’s more fun to camp with a group of friends. Below is the price list for your perusal (rates as of August 2020).
Entrance Fee
Adult: RM3.00 Senior (65 and above): Free Child (7-12 years old): RM2.00 Child (Below 7): Free
Activity Fee
Hiking: RM5.00 Visit Stingless Bee Farm: RM5.00 Camping: RM7.00/Night (bring your own camping tent) Camping Tent Rental: RM15.00/unit
For full-day or overnight trip, you may consider the following packages. I was going for package no.2. For further information or booking, please call or Whatsapp 0111-514-7226 (Risin Ituk), 0111-530-7865 (Jalni), 019-880-3344 (Lazrus)
Package 1 (Preface)
Price: RM56.00 per person / 1 Day
Hiking & jungle trekking (4 Waterfalls)
Stingless honey bee farm visit
Fish feeding
Lunch
Guide(s)
Certificate
Package 2 (Night with Maranggoi)
Price: RM100 per person / 2 Days 1 Night
Hiking & jungle trekking (4 Waterfalls)
Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Stingless honey bee farm visit
Cultural night
Fish feeding
Guide(s)
Certificate
Package 3 (Maranggoi Outdoor / Survival package)
Price: RM150 per person / 2 Days 1 Night
Hiking & jungle trekking (4 Waterfalls)
Camping
Bonfire
Night hiking (optional)
Cultural night (optional)
Guide(s)
Rice (provided)
Certificate
Gathering foods from the river and forest
How to get there
Maranggoi is situated in Kampung Pinolobu (GPS: 6.254638, 116.490666, see Location Map) of Kota Belud district and about 84 Kilometres away from Kota Kinabalu city (2 hours by driving). There is paved road in good condition from Kota Kinabalu to this village, except the last 7KM of gravel road (still accessible by sedan). Or you can request them to pick you up in Kota Belud town or Kota Kinabalu city.
Gravel road to Maranggoi Eco Tourism site (Kampung Pinolobu)
Photos taken in Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo
Kinabalu Park (Local Name: Taman Kinabalu) or Kinabalu National Park is the No.1 choice if you ask tour agents what’s the most recommended attraction in Sabah. Standing at 4,095.2 Metres (13,435 Feet) in Kinabalu Park, Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain of Malaysia and in travel list of Malaysia climbers. Besides being a must-visit destination of Sabah, the pleasing temperature from 15°C to 24°C (60°F – 78°F) already draws a lot of tourists to this highland park in Kundasang / Ranau district.
Location of Kinabalu Park and its Headquarter
To get the best experience from this UNESCO World Heritage Site (and UNESCO Global Geopark), here is a complete travel guide to show you the top things to do in Kinabalu National Park.
Mount Kinabalu is part of Kinabalu National Park, the first UNESCO World Heritage Site of Malaysia
About Kinabalu Park
Kinabalu National Park covers an area of 754 square kilometres and became Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 2000 for its outstanding universal values in terms of biodiversity. Kinabalu National Park is out of the world because of its many unique features not found in other parts of Malaysia.
Subalphine scrubs on Mount Kinabalu. Only in Sabah!
10 Cool Things about Kinabalu Park
Mount Kinabalu is one of the most beautiful nature attractions of Malaysia and an icon of Sabah.
Kinabalu Park is hotspot of Borneo megadiversity that hosts more than 4,500 species of flora and fauna. Some are not documented.
About 1,000 orchid species are found here, and over 12% are endemic species.
Located at 3,272 metres above sea level, Panalaban (Laban Rata) has the highest accommodation and highest post box in Malaysia.
Rafflesia keithii, which can grow up to one metre in diameter, is the largest flower of Sabah.
Mount Kinabalu has distinct vegetation zones in different altitude, for example, lowland dipterocarp forest, montane forest and subalpine zone (only found in Sabah).
Kinabalu Park is a top birdwatching site.
Many interesting Borneo wildlife live in Kinabalu Park, to list a few, Wallace’s Flying Frog, Ninja Slug that shoots love darts.
“Kinabalu is a scenic wonder, a test for mountaineers from the amateur to the skilled rock climber, a holiday from the hot lowlands, and botanically a paradise.” — E.J.H. Corner
Kinabalu Park Headquarter
The starting point of all activities in Kinabalu Park is its Sabah Parks headquarters in southern boundary, situated at 1,563 metres (5,128 feet) above sea level in Kundasang. It is accessible by driving nearly 2 hours for about 89 Kilometres, from Kota Kinabalu on the road in good condition. You can walk to most facilities and accommodation from the headquarter, or drive inside the park.
Administration building (left) and ticket booth (right) at the entrance of Kinabalu Park
Next to the ticket booth at the entrance, the administration building consists of reception counter for guests to check-in to their accommodation in Kinabalu Park, and registration counters for climbers to register and make payment. In early morning, you would see climbers gather around this area to meet their mountain guides and porters for final preparation, before they are transferred by vehicle to Timpohon Gate, the starting point of the climb about 5 KM away.
Entrance and parking area of Kinabalu Park
There are two restaurants, Liwagu Restaurant and Balsam Cafe, which serve western and oriental food, in buffet and ala carte style. The food is great but a bit expensive. More economic choices are available just outside the park.
Top Activities at Kinabalu Park
Besides Mt. Kinabalu, the recreational and accommodation zones inside the park offer a wide range of nature-based activities to nature lovers, whether they want something leisure or adventurous.
1. Climbing Mount Kinabalu (Gunung Kinabalu)
Conquering Mount Kinabalu is the highlight. More than 45,000 tourists climb this granite mountain every year, and most of them love the scenery and challenge. The view along the summit trail is breathtaking. Imagine the feeling you stand above the cloud like the king of the world. It’s really a once in a lifetime experience.
Climbing Mount Kinabalu is the most popular activity of Kinabalu Park
Normally the climb takes two days and one night. In day one, you ascend 6 KM to Panalaban (previously known as Laban Rata), where you spend a night, then continue the last 2.7-Kilometre climb to the summit at 2am next morning. The accommodation on the mountain is always full, so you must book 6 months in advance. For Sabahans, they can register with Sabah Parks. For other climbers, they can book the climb with Sutera Sanctuary Lodges.
On the summit (Low’s Peak) of Mount Kinabalu. Behind us is the Low’s Gully.
Kinabalu Park is more than just Mount Kinabalu. What makes Kinabalu Park truly shines are the eco-treasure in its forest. There are 326 bird and around 100 mammal species live in Kinabalu Park. In the vicinity of Kinabalu Park Headquarter is dense lower montane forest, a mossy cloud jungle which looks like an alien world.
Jungle trekking in mountain forest of Kinabalu National Park
Walk into this playground of naturalist and plant enthusiasts and you would spot animals such as mountain squirrel, gliding lizard, lantern bug, pitcher plant, rhinoceros beetle and trilobite; and endemic plant such as pink Kinabalu Balsam, gigantic tree fern, snowy white Borneo Rhododendron and jewel orchid.
Nature Trails of Kinabalu Park
You are free to explore the nine nature trails in Kinabalu Park HQ, which take 15 minutes to three hours one way. For a casual walk, Personally I recommend Silau-Silau trail that starts from Multi-Purpose Hall. Liwagu Trail (5.5 KM one way) is the longest but the most rewarding. If you want the shortest trail, Bundu Tuhan View Trail is only 224 metres one way.
Layout and trail map of Kinabalu Park Complex
A few trails such as Bukit Ular has leeches, in case you mind. Hire a knowledgeable tour guide to go with you, they are good at spotting birds and critters. » Read more about Jungle Trekking in Kinabalu Park
Bird Watching
Kinabalu National Park is internationally recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA), especially for mountainous (montane) birds, a total of 58 species with 17 are endemic, and 262 of other residents bird species. Take a binocular and walk in Silau-Silau and Bukit Tupai trails in the morning, you would spot special birds such as Bornean Treepie and Chestnut-crested Yuhina. Sometimes you would find a group of Crimson-headed Partridge (wild chicken) forages next to you.
Wildlife of Kinabalu Park
High on the bucket list of birdwatchers is sighting of endemic birds like Sunda Whistling Thrush, iridescent green Whitehead’s Broadbill, Whitehead’s Trogon, Mountain Serpent-eagle and Bornean Green Magpie. The best birdwatching location of Kinabalu Park is along the road towards Sabah Electricity Board’s Power Station at 1,800 M (6,000 feet).
3. Mount Kinabalu Botanical Garden
This garden behind Liwagu Restaurant is really underrated. Kinabalu Park has more than 4,500 species of flora and fauna and many are endemic to this park only. A visit to Kinabalu National Park is incomplete if you can’t even name 3 special plant there.
Nepenthes rajah is the largest pitcher plant in the world and only found in Kinabalu Park
Mount Kinabalu Botanical Garden has very interesting and representative collection of plant, flowers and herbs from Kinabalu Park. The garden offers daily guided tours at 9am, 12pm and 3pm (for a small fee). The guide (can speak English and Malay) will share some cool stories on selected plant.
Rothschild slipper orchid (left) is also known as Gold of Kinabalu, and “Santa Claus” orchid (right)
The accommodation inside Kinabalu Park Headquarter is managed by a private company called Sutera Sanctuary Lodges. You can choose different type of rooms, from chalet, villa, lodge to hostel, depends on your budget. The price ranges from RM125 for a hostel room to RM14,400 for the most lavished Rajah Lodge.
Variety of accommodation in Kinabalu Park. Photo Credit: Sutera Sanctuary Lodges
You can book the room in their booking website. Just key in the date and it will show you the availability and rate of the accommodation. Below is a quick look of the price range (Room / Lodge for 2 to 6 guests). Prices may vary depend on season.
If you are very cost conscious, there are dozens of affordable accommodation very near to Kinabalu Park. With rich variety of choices like hotels, hostels, resorts, hill lodges around Kundasang, Ranau and Mesilau, you can pick the one that gives more bang for your bucks. Many even have better Mount Kinabalu view. My personal favourite is Kinabalu Pine Resort.
Park Fees & Opening Hours
Kinabalu Park opens from 7am to 7pm daily. You need to purchase ticket at the entrance at the following rates:
Malaysian
18 years old and above
RM10.00
Below 18
RM5.00
Below 12 years old / Above 60 / Handicapped
Free
Non-Malaysian
18 years old and above
RM50.00
Below 18
RM25.00
Conservation Fee (ticket) with effect from 1 Jan 2023
Tip: You can reuse the ticket in Poring Hot Springs on the same day.
Kinabalu National Park (Taman Nasional Kinabalu)
What to Bring
For non-climbers, bring jacket, poncho / umbrella, drinking water, cash and MyKad (or Passport), and wear comfortable walking shoes. Temperature in Kinabalu Park can drop below 16°C sometimes.
How to get there
Drive there yourself is the best option. It’ll be so easy with navigation apps like Waze (Where to: Kinabalu Park or see Location Map). You can park your car inside or outside the park. You will pass by Tamparuli town on the way. Do stop by for a breakfast and try the famous Tamparuli Mee (noodle).
Mini-bus station near Padang Merdeka Field in Kota Kinabalu City Centre
By Bus: take a mini-bus that goes to Ranau from bus station near Padang Merdeka Field in Kota Kinabalu City Centre. The fee costs about RM20 one way. The mini-bus will move once it’s full with passengers. Be there as early as 7am because first departure fills up faster. Ask the bus driver to drop you in front of Kinabalu Park. 5 or 6-seat Limo is also available on sharing basis for around RM35 one way.
Taxi / Grab: If you plan to visit other places in Kundasang besides Kinabalu Park, you better charter a taxi or Grab to save time.
Nearby Attractions
A visit to Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Springs is enough to keep you busy for a day trip, which is what most tourists do. However, to have a more enjoyable and relax trip, I advise you to spend a night or two around Kinabalu Park to cover more places of interest mentioned below.
1. Poring Hot Spring, Canopy Walk
About 40 KM away from Kinabalu Park Headquarter, Poring is also part of Kinabalu Park. You can reuse the Kinabalu Park ticket to visit Poring on the same day. Poring is above 400 Metres above sea level, so it’s warmer than Kinabalu Park. The popular activities there are soaking in their sulphurous hot springs and a thrilling walk on the 40-metre-high canopy walkway.
Poring Hot SpringsCanopy Walk and Langanan Waterfall in Poring
2. Rafflesia Flower
On your way to Poring Hot Springs, keep an eye on roadside. In lucky day, you would see banner that announces the blooming of rafflesia. Rafflesia is a parasitic huge flower without root, leaf and stem. The blooming is rare and lasts only 6 days. The flower looks best in second and third day of blooming and starts to turn dark after that.
Roadside notice of blooming rafflesia flowerBlooming rafflesia (species: Rafflesia keithii), the largest flower of Sabah
Stop for the rafflesia site where tourist bus parks because travel agents always pick the site with the most beautiful bloom. The entry fee is about RM20 (negotiable) and camera fee will add another RM10.
3. DESA Cattle Farm in Mesilau
This is a family-friendly destination. Your kids will love it. Go to Mesilau to see milk cows feeding on green pasture under Mount Kinabalu. You would think that you are in New Zealand.
DESA Cattle Farm in MesilauFeeding little lamb and trying the ice cream in DESA Cattle Farm
DESA is the producer of Sabah cow (and goat) milk. You must try their gelato or yogurt ice cream, and check out the milking station. After that, go to the barn to milk or hand feeding the cute baby cows and little lambs. » Read more about DESA Cattle Farm
4. Kundasang War Memorial
Even if you are not a history buff, you will appreciate the beautiful gardens of Kundasang War Memorial. During World War II, 1,787 Australian and 641 British prisoners of war died when they were forced by Japanese to walk 265 KM from Sandakan to Ranau, an infamous event called Death March.
Beautiful garden of Kundasang War Memorial
To commemorate the soldiers, Kundasang War Memorial is built with four garden themes, namely, Australian Garden, English Rose Garden, Borneo Garden and the Contemplation Garden. Visitors can stroll in this memorial to learn and feel the historic past of the Death March, and leave with a deeper appreciation of peace and freedom.
5. Nabalu Town
It’s hard not to notice this busy town packed with tourists, when you are 12 KM before Kinabalu Park. Most people like to stop briefly in this town for a short (toilet) break after a long drive.
Mount Kinabalu viewing platform of Nabalu TownShopping in local market of Nabalu Town
At the end is an observatory platform for visitors to selfie with Mount Kinabalu. There is a long house piled with tons of souvenirs for you to shop and bargain. The little fruit and vegetables market there also draws many people to sample some local fruits such as tarap and langsat. » Read more about Nabalu
6. Paragliding in Lohan
Need some adrenaline rush to feel great being alive? Paragliding at Lohan is for you then. At the junction to Poring Hot Springs, you can turn to Lohan Hill for an exciting ride. Pay around RM200+ for a 5 to 7 minute tandem ride to fly like a bird and enjoy the wonderful aerial view of hilly countryside. You need to book the flight in advance. » Read more about Paragliding in Lohan
Paragliding in Lohan near Ranau town
7. Climbing Maragang Hill
Located in Mesilau (near Kundasang), Maragang Hill is 2,232 Meters high and a new climbing destination that is gaining popularity really fast. The climb is an easy 1.6-Kilometer hike to the peak and takes only half-day. On the peak of Maragang Hill, you can have one of the closest and most magnificent view of Mount Kinabalu. » Read more about Climbing Maragang Hill
Hiking only 1.6 Kilometers to get this view? It’s a steal!
8. Kundasang fruit and vegetables market
This one is the favourite part of mothers. On the way back to Kota Kinabalu, stop by the Kundasang market to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables. Local snacks are popular buy too. You know it’s the right place to shop when you see so many mom around.
9. Climbing Sosodikon Hill
Sosodikon Hill in Kundasang is only 70 Metres tall. Climbing to its peak takes less than 15 minutes and you can have a breathtaking panoramic view of Kundasang Valley from the top. » Read more about Climbing Sosodikon Hill
Climbing to the peak of Sosodikon Hill takes less than 15 minutes and everyone can do it.
Mount Kinabalu is not the only mountain in Kinabalu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This highest mountain of Malaysia has many “sibling” mountains, for example, Mount Tambuyukon (2,642 Metres, 3rd highest mountain in Malaysia), Mount Nombuyukong (1,604 Metres).
Mount Nopungguk is only 1/3 the height of Mount Kinabalu. Nopungguk means “Chopped” in local word.Normally climbers take about 3 hours to reach the peak of Mount Nopungguk
Mount Nopungguk (1,430 Metres or 4,692 Feet) is only about 1/3 the height of Mt. Kinabalu (4,096 Metres). It’s part of Kinabalu Park so climbers need to apply a permit and hire a park guide to enter. The climb is not overly challenging and a taste of botanical tour in this UNESCO site already makes your trip worthwhile. More than 1,000 climbers have climbed Mount Nopungguk. I’m one of them.
The climb usually starts very early in the morning.
The climbing trip is easy to arrange. I stayed one night in Nopungguk Homestay in Kampung Gansurai (Village) of Kota Belud, the starting point of the climb. Next morning around 6am, we gathered for a short briefing by the guide. The mountain guides with us were Disiol Egong, Nickalso Sabin, and David Summoring. Without them, we could lose our way easily in the forest.
Mount Nopungguk is also part of Kinabalu Park, UNESCO World Heritage SiteClose-up view of Mount Kinabalu on Mount Nopungguk
A height of 1,430 Metres may sound too much to beginners. But our starting point is 400 Metres above sea level, so we actually needed to climb up about 1,030M more Metres. Hiking one KM of hilly path to move up is tiring, but not too bad if we go slow. All of us made it to the top.
Taking a rest. The village dog only followed us until this point.
The trail to the summit of Mount Nopungguk is about 6 Kilometres (3.7 Miles) in distance and would take 2 to 3 hours, depends on your fitness. At first we walked in the wood of countryside. The trees got denser and we were moving quietly in the dark. The first 3 KM is quite ok. We passed by Mirolian Stone and Rafflesia Park but didn’t stop to look around because it was still dark. Then we reached the shelter and campsite named Posiduan.
Loop Trail to the summit of Mount NopunggukBeautiful green fruits but inedible due to its bad taste.Hut and campsite on Mount Nopungguk
After short break, we moved on to the steep trails ahead. The steepest section is Purak Pakou trail, which is literally translated as “white buttock trail”. Why? Because in old days, women wore sarong skirt but no underwear inside. When they walked up to the steep slope, the people behind them could see their butt, like what happens to mini-skirt girl who uses escalator lol.
Purak Pakou Trail is the steepest section of the climbHuge boulder that looks like blue whale
By 8:40am, most of us have reached the peak of Mount Nopungguk and enjoyed the magnificent view of Mt. Kinabalu up-close. It’s a long climb but quite manageable. I would rate the climb as medium in difficulty. The trail could be very slippery after rain. The lurking blood sucking leeches are also a nuisance (can block them with anti-leech socks). The good thing was we were walking in a forested mountain so the tree shade protected us from heat.
Mount Nopungguk is 1,430 Metres (4,692 Feet) in height
After reaching the peak and take some photographs, we will descend via another trail, where we can visit the waterfall and cave on the way back. However, I was descending in the same path where I climbed up, because we have sent one photographer to take photos in another trail.
Mirolian Stone and Rafflesia Park
As more light coming, we explored the attractions such as Mirolian Stone, which is a big three tiers granite boulders. There is a small cave under the rock with a flat stone that looks like a coffin, and hence its name Coffin Cave (Gua Keranda).
Mirolian Stone (Batu Besar Bertingkat)The small cave under Mirolian StoneThe coffin rock inside Gua Keranda caveHundred-year-old tree
The adjacent Rafflesia Park is famous for its Rafflesia keithii, the biggest flower of Sabah and Rhizanthes lowii, another type of corpse flower under same family. However, their blooming flower lasts less than a week so sighting is rare. There are some wild orchid and hundred-year-old tall rainforest trees around.
Titanic Stone that never sinks.
You can play Titanic with your other half with Titanic Stone, which looks like a sinking ship.
Then I saw the freaking giant Lingzhi, the biggest mushroom that I’ve ever see. In Chinese Kungfu drama, I always hear the legend that thousand-year-old Lingzhi is a super herb that can cure any serious illness and even revive the death. According to a lingzhi expert I know, he says lingzhi is not the older the better. Usually 10 years old lingzhi has the best medical properties.
Giant Lingzhi
When morning light hit these lingzhi, I noticed that they were smoking. It’s spore dispersal that releases millions of seeds (spores) to the wild. Awesome!
Pretending to eat the Lingzhi LOL
Besides these amazing nature wonders, visitors can see Goniothalamus Ridleyi tree (pokok tuhub), Panaradan Waterfall, Gua Kinoulawon (cave), and big snake vine in another trail that I didn’t visit. May be next time then.
Pogianadan granite boulder
Itinerary
The following is the standard time table for the climb. If you want to see sunrise on the peak, you would have to move as early as 2am.
4:20am
Gather for briefing at Nopungguk Homestay (Starting Point)
5:00am
Start hiking
6:00am
Reach Mirolian Stone & Rafflesia Park / Mirolian Hut Titanic Stone, Gua Kelawar, Gua Keranda, Batu Bertingkat (Mirolian Stone), Lingzhi, rafflesia
6:30am
Hike to the summit of Mount Nopungguk
8:30am
Reach the peak of Mount Nopungguk
10:00am
Head back to starting point (via different trail)
1:00pm
Reach Panaradan Waterfall *lunch & swimming
2:20pm
Reach Gua Kinoulawon (Cave)
3:10pm
Reach Nopungguk Homestay
3:30pm
High tea at homestay
4:00pm
Certificate presentation
4:20pm
Go home
Note: Only a maximum of 20 hikers per day can climb Mt. Nopungguk, to minimize the impact to the environment
Titanic Stone
Where to Stay
To start climbing very early in the morning, you are advised to overnight in Kota Belud. Nopungguk Homestay should be your first choice because it’s the starting point and they can get a permit and guide for your climb. This homestay has 18 rooms (dormitory beds and standard rooms) and about 84 KM (52 Miles) away from Kota Kinabalu City.
To live happily, we need food for our body, love for our soul, and money for our security. However, one ingredient is always not listed in our source of happiness, though it’s a desire rooted in human genes for 7 million years. In 1984, Edward O. Wilson coined the term Biophilia, which suggests that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other life forms (not Wifi and phone!). Therefore, living without “Vitamin N(ature)” is unhealthy to our mind and body. That may explain why we feel happy after an outdoor activity in greenery. The worrying trend is the increasing “Nature deprivation” when 68% of the world population projected to live in urban areas by 2050.
My travel buddies driven by Biophilia
Camping at Kun-Kun Campsite
Now I know Biophilia makes me wanting to own a villa next to a river with beautiful scenery. I can’t afford to buy one, but Sabah has plenty of natural attractions open to public. Let’s check out Kun-Kun River, which scores high as the location of my dream villa.
A study conducted by psychologists found that creative problem solving can be drastically improved by both disconnecting from technology and reconnecting with nature.
Just kidding. Kun-Kun River (Sungai Kun-Kun) is situated deep inside of Deramakot Forest (in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia) and has no electricity supply. I travelled there with group of friends by 4-wheel drive (and chased by an elephant) and camped at the river side for a 100% nature experience.
?Nothing makes you feel more childlike than being outdoors.? – Dr. Pamela Peeke, author of Fit to Live.
The jade-color river is so clean and pristine. Even though Deramakot Forest is a logged forest, they practice Reduced Impact Logging, which minimize the negative impact to the environment. For example, they only harvest the forest partially, give logged forest many years to regenerate and have reforestation projects in place.
Biophilia makes Sabahans “itchy” if we are away from nature for too long.
Otherwise, logging will pollute the river and the water turns murky, because the land loses its natural green carpet to filter soil and debris from washing into the river. After some time, the river will become shallower and flood would happen after heavy rain.
Spending more time in nature can greatly benefit our psychological and physical well-being.
The amenities there are very basic. All we got is a camping grassland next to the river, with fire pit, toilet and benches. As this is a protected forest, the nearest village is over 30 Kilometres away, so secluded that some elephants left their dungs here.
Parking our 4-Wheel drive at Kun-Kun
The day was really warm and the crystal clear water is so inviting. In no time everyone went swimming and frolicking like kids.
Natural Jacuzzi in Kun-Kun River
On another end of the camp is a shallow rapid, where we could sit in the water and enjoy the natural Jacuzzi.
A funny flat rock that looks like a big biscuit. Found near the river.
After dinner, without Internet, everyone slept early under the stars and got fully recharged over the night. Disconnect with technology allows us to reconnect with nature to find inner peace and energy.
Everyone seems to sleep well Sleeping next to Kun-Kun River
When we were packing to leave in next morning, we did a silly thing out of curiosity. We burnt some elephant dungs to see if it can work as a fuel like cow dung, and it does. One of our guys was freak out and almost screamed out hey dude what the heck are you doing. Locals believe this would attract elephant. The elusive Bornean pygmy elephant is not famous to be friendly. Anyway, no elephant showed up.
Elephant dung burns quite well in fire
When I’m back to civilization with 4G, my phone kept vibrating and tons of messages came in. Looking at the “999+ Unread” WhatsApp messages, guess what, I ignored them all, except a few from someone close. Our world is just full of meaningless words and it’s safe to disregard most of them.
You may wonder why our DNA programs us to connect to nature. Dr Qing Li, a Japanese Forest Medicine expert and author of the book The Art and Science of Forest Bathing, has the answer. Japanese has been practicing an activity called forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku. Shinrin in Japanese means “forest”, and yoku means “bath”. Forest Bathing can lower our blood pressure, strengthen our immune system, prevent cancer and depression.
Forest Bathing unlocks the healing power of the forest.
Then how to do forest bathing? Bury ourselves under the leaves and wood, or take a shower in the jungle? No. It’s not even an exercise. It is simply being in nature, use our five senses (i.e. sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch) to feel and connect with the nature.
Kun-Kun is an ideal place for forest bathing
Just spend 30 to 40 minutes to explore around forest or nature park casually, aimlessly and slowly. Open all your senses. Look, listen, sniff, touch, and taste the surrounding. Relax your minds and let nature enter through your ears, eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet, for example, listen to cicada singing, look at flowing water, smell the flowers, lay down to breathe in fresh air, dip your toes in a stream, looking at the swaying trees.
Forest Bathing can reduce the stress hormone cortisol and increase your immune defense system.
Do inhale more fresh air of forest, which contains Phytoncide, an aromatic compounds emitted by plants & trees that can boost your natural killer immune cells to reduce cancer risk.
Phytoncides released by plant can reduce cancer risk
To make the experience more powerful, you can do more things that connect to your happy memory or childhood. For me, it’s listening to rustling leaves, because this was what I liked to do outdoor when I was a kid.
Enjoy the moment without having our eyes glued to the phone
In Japan, they even has the certification program to register a “Forest Therapy Base” and over 62 sites have been registered across Japan. Since over half of Sabah is forest, a qualified Forest Therapy Base is probably just a stone’s throw away from your home.
