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climber on Mount Kinabalu

How to Climb Mount Kinabalu and How Much it Cost? [Year 2024]

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Standing majestically at 4,095 Meters (13,435 feet), Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain of Malaysia. Mt. Kinabalu derives its name from the Kadazan word, Aki Nabalu, meaning ‘the revered place of the dead’. It is one of the most conquerable peaks in the world. This guide will help you to reach the summit of Mount Kinabalu, with some info that travel agents don’t want you to know.

Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain of Borneo and Malaysia and part of Kinabalu Park. Kinabalu Park is now a Unesco Global Geopark.
  1. The maximum number of climbers (daily quota) is 165 climbers per day.
  2. Climb Permit fee is now RM400 for foreigner; RM100 for Malaysian. Half price if the climber is below 18 years old.
  3. Child under 16 must be accompanied by a dedicated Mountain Guide. Each Mountain Guide can only take up to 2 children (or up to 5 adult climbers).
  4. Mountain Guide who takes care of children will not guide adult climber. For example, if your group has 3 adult and a child (below 16) climbers, you must hire two mountain guides (one to take care of adults, another one for child only).
  5. The rate of mountain guide service (mandatory) is RM350.
  6. Porter service (optional) costs RM14 per Kilogram (Kg).
  7. You may follow the Facebook of Sabah Parks for latest news and promotion.

Mount Kinabalu’s specialty lies in its location at a renowned World Heritage Site – Kinabalu Park. Nature lovers will be delighted to be able to witness the many variations of flora and fauna that are to be found on the mountain at different altitudes.

1. How much does it cost?

Quick Answer: The lowest budget for climbing Mount Kinabalu is about RM1,019 (≈USD237) for Non-Malaysian Tourist and RM444 for Malaysian (Based on the rates of year 2023, for adult climber who shares guide fee with others). The cost includes accommodation (at Panalaban), meals, shared mountain guide fee, conservation fee, climb permit, and insurance. Please download the Excel file to see the itemized budget.

  1. The Best Time to climb Mt. Kinabalu is between March and August, which are the dry seasons of Sabah. The peak season is Apr to Jun.
  2. You can climb in other months, but try to avoid Dec and Jan, which are the wettest months, due to the North-East Monsoon
  3. The mountain accommodation area (known as Panalaban), where Laban Rata Rest House and hostels located, is 2.72 KM before the summit of Mt. Kinabalu. Most climbers overnight here before conquering Mt. Kinabalu in next morning.
  4. If you are not allowed to climb to the summit of Mt. Kinabalu due to bad weather, there is No Refund.
Panalaban is the area where mountain accommodations located. It’s called Laban Rata previously.

How to Book a Climb Package

Booking the one-night Accommodation at Panalaban (formerly Laban Rata) is the FIRST step. You can’t climb Mt. Kinabalu if you haven’t reserved any room on the mountain. Camping on the mountain is not allowed.

Important notes:

  1. You must book at least 6 months in advance. The park allows only 80 climbers to climb per day, due to conservation and limited rooms, so the accommodation is always fully booked.
  2. Never, I repeat, never book with any individual who claims that he is a guide and can offer you very low price. Many tourists have been scammed and lost their money. Only book with licensed travel agents and legitimate operators (i.e. Sutera Sanctuary Lodge and Sabah Parks).
  3. Conquering Mt. Kinabalu requires only 2 days 1 night.
  4. However, to let climbers to get used to high altitude, Sutera Sanctuary Lodges (management of Laban Rata Resthouse) usually sells you 3-day-2-night accommodation (with 1 extra night at Kinabalu Park, foothill of Mt. Kinabalu).
  5. The cheaper accommodations, Panar Laban Hut, Waras Hut, Panalaban Hostels and Lemaing Hostel are next to Laban Rata Resthouse.
  6. All accommodation package is inclusive of full meals (buffet style).

There are four ways to book the climb package:

1. Book with Travel Agent

If you can afford, just book the tour package with licensed tour agents of Sabah. Though you will pay more, they will take care of everything, from transportation, registration, to the end of climb. This is the Best option.

2. Book with Sabah Parks

Next to Laban Rata Resthouse, Lemaing Hostel and Panalaban Hostels are new (and cheaper) accommodation available to climbers. Lemaing Hostel is only open to Malaysian climbers, and Panalaban Hostels is open to both Malaysian and international climbers. You can book the accommodation directly with Sabah Parks, the management of these hostels. Please note you need to to pay other mandatory fees such as climb permit, insurance and guide fee, besides the meals and accommodation there.

Accommodations on Mount Kinabalu (Panalaban). Mokodou and Kinotoki are under Panalaban Hostels. Photo courtesy of Sabah Parks.

A) Lemaing Hostel (for Malaysian only)

Open in 2014, this hostel has 75 bunk beds . (RM is Malaysian Ringgit (MYR). USD1.00 can exchange about RM4.20)
Accommodation & Meals: RM340
Insurance: RM10
Climb Permit: RM100 (adult), RM50 (below 18)

Left: Bunk Beds of Lemaing Hostel. Right: Beds of Panalaban Hostels. Both hostels have shared bathroom and toilet. Latest check-out time is 10:30am.

B) Panalaban Hostels (for Malaysian and Foreigner)

Open in 2019, Panalaban Hostels (Kinotoki and Mokodou) can accommodate 50 climbers.
Accommodation & Meals: RM430
Insurance: RM10
Climb Permit: (Malaysian rate) RM100 (adult), RM50 (below 18); (Foreigner Rate) RM400 (adult), RM200 (below 18)

Climbing and accommodation fees (year 2023) of Panalaban (left) and Lemaing (right) Hostels. Note: Lemaing Hostel is open for Malaysians only.

Sabah Parks Contact:

You can visit Sabah Parks office located in KK Times Square (Kota Kinabalu City) to book room and make payment:
Opening Hour: 8:00AM – 5:00PM, Mon-Fri (closed on Sat, Sun & Public Holiday)
Phone: +60 88-523531 / +60 88-523572
E-mail: reservation2023@sabahparks.org.my, sabahparks@gmail.com
Website: www.sabahparks.org.my
Facebook: SbhParks
Booking Website: reservation.sabahparks.org.my (Phone: +60 88-273238, E-mail: contactus@terazglobal.com.my)

Left: Lemaing Hostel, Right: Panalaban Hostel (Mokodou & Kinotoki). Photo Credit: Sabah Parks

3. Book with Sutera Sanctuary Lodges (SSL)

SSL is the management of accommodation in Kinabalu Park and Laban Rata Resthouse. For booking, you can contact them at:
E-mail: info@suterasanctuarylodges.com.my
Tel: +60 88 308 914 / 308 915 / 308 916
Website: www.suterasanctuarylodges.com.my
Facebook: SuteraSanctuary
Address: B-G-9, Block B, Ground Floor, Sutera Avenue, Lorong Lebuh Sutera, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. (see location map)
Business Hours: 9am-5pm (Mon-Fri), 9am-1pm (Sat), close on Sun & Public Holiday

Online Booking is available in website of Sutera Sanctuary Lodges. You may drop by the office of SSL, which is located in ground floor of Sutera Avenue. Besides booking, the friendly staffs can answer all your questions on the spot. They can arrange full transport service for you too (the fees are quite high though).

4. Mountain TORQ

You can join the Via Ferrata tour by Mountain TORQ (Facebook: @MountainTorqGroup), which has a rock climbing training centre and accommodation (Pendant Hut) at Panalaban. However, you need to be really fit.

Trail map to the summit of Mount Kinabalu. There are two summit routes, Ranau Trail and Kota Belud Trail, and both start from Panalaban. Ranau trail is the default route as it’s easier to climb.

Itinerary of the Climb

Below is a run-down of the 3-day-2-night climbing tour in brief.

Day 1

Check-in to overnight at Kinabalu Park (see location map), which is 88 KM away from Kota Kinabalu (KK). The extra night helps your body to adapt to the height so you will be less vulnerable to Altitude Sickness (acute mountain sickness) in the climb next day. Here is a list of accommodations near Kinabalu Park.

Day 2

9am: Bring your ID card (e.g. MyKad), invoice and QR Code of confirmed booking. Register and pay fees (climb permit, insurance, guide, etc.) by cash to Sabah Parks at Kinabalu Park HQ. Collect your name tag (climb permit) and packed lunch (usually consists of sandwiches, candy bar and a fruit, with a small bottle of drinking water), then meet your guide and porter (if hired). You also can arrange the return transport (by shuttle van) there to transfer you between gate and park for a fee. Be there before 10:30am or they won’t allow you to climb.
9:30am: Transfer to Timpohon Gate, the starting point of the climb.
10am: Start of Climb, after briefing by guide!
4pm: Reach Panalaban after 6 KM. Usually it takes 6 to 8 hours, depend on your fitness.
– Dinner buffet at Laban Rata Rest House (closed by 7:30pm)
– Overnight at the rest house or hostels of Panalaban

Left: Registration, fee payment, return transport and hiring of guide / porter are done at the left side of Kinabalu Park HQ (see yellow arrow). Right: climbers meet their mountain guide, and hand over part of their baggage to the porters.

Day 3

2am: Gather and having breakfast at Laban Rata Rest House, then head to the summit (2.75 KM one way).
(The park may not allow you to climb in bad weather)
6am: Reaching the summit (Low’s Peak) of Mount Kinabalu
7am: Descending to Panalaban
10am: Check-out and descend to Kinabalu Park
2:00pm: Back to Kota Kinabalu City

This can be you. Just imagine.

Photo Walk-through

Below are the photo walk-through of the 2-day climb in chronological order. Standard climb will use the Ranau summit trail (open on 1 Dec 2015). Note: The starting point is in Kinabalu Park, not Ranau town! Or you can watch the video below:

Day 1: Climbing to Panalaban

The standard trail starts from the Timpohon Gate (1,800m / 5,906 ft) which is about 4 KM away from the Kinabalu Park Headquarters. The climb from Timpohon Gate to Panalaban (Laban Rata) normally takes 6 to 8 hours (for 6 KM). You can buy basic supply such as snacks, drink and raincoat in the small shop inside the building.

Left: Timpohon Gate, the starting point of the climb. Right: public toilet 50 Metres before Timpohon Gate

There is a signage or trail marker every 0.5 or 1 KM to show you how far you climb. Use them to motivate yourself.

Left: You will see the small Carson Waterfall fairly soon. Middle & Right: Signage and trail marker along the trail.

Before reaching Panalaban (3,273m / 10,738 ft above sea level), climbers can stop and rest at seven shelters (pondok) along the way — Pondok Kandis, Pondok Ubah, Pondok Lowii, Pondok Mempening, Layang-Layang, Pondok Villosa, and Pondok Paka.

There is a shelter every 1 KM, where you can take a break, refill water (untreated spring water), use the toilet and dump your trash. Around noon time, most climbers are half-way up there and have their lunch at Mempening or Layang-Layang Shelter. The cute and friendly Bornean Mountain Ground Squirrel (Dremomys everetti) would approach you for food. Please don’t feed them!

The trails to Panalaban look like these most of the time.

The 6-Kilometre trail to Panalaban is clear and in moderate steepness most of the time. All steep sections have support such as hand rail and stairway. You will feel more like walking on endless staircase than climbing. Just go slow and enjoy the scenic view. As you move higher, you can feel the drop of temperature and the surrounding is getting more and more foggy. The ground is covered with green mosses and many trees and shrubs have epiphytes and lichens on them. What you experience is a walk in the cloud forest (montane forest), which grows above 1,800 Metres above sea level.

Some interesting plant along the summit trail of Kinabalu Park. The pink flower is Kinabalu Balsam (Impatiens kinabaluensis), which is endemic to Borneo and quite common in first 2 KM of summit trail. The highlight is the pitcher plant (Nepenthes villosa).

Along the trails, be sure to keep your eyes open for the plenteous interesting vegetation to check out. The unique ecology is what makes Kinabalu Park the UNESCO World Heritage Site, not just the Mt. Kinabalu. Kinabalu Park has the highest density of orchid species in the world. Climbers could spot blooming orchid and rhododendron next to the trail. After 4 KM, pay attention to your left and look for the big and bright-color Nepenthes villosa pitcher plant in the shrubs. This species is endemic to Kinabalu Park of Sabah.

The rocks on the “yellow path” are ancient old rocks.

Between 4 and 5 KM is a long section of trail in yellow colour. These yellowish rocks are 40-million-year-old ultrabasic or ultramafic rocks. This area is dominated by dwarf and crooked trees (Leptospermum recurvum), some are over a hundred years old. This tree is one of the few plant that can adapt to the toxic ultrabasic soil.

If you reach the trail with many big granite boulders laying around, you are near to Panalaban.

When you see many big dark-grey boulders on the trail, congratulations! Though Panalaban is only a Kilometre away now, the trail is quite steep from now on. These boulders are slippery after rain so watch your steps. A walking pole will help you to balance.

Panalaban is the ending point of your climb on day 1. The building at the left is Laban Rata Resthouse.

Hooray! You are now 3,272 metres above sea level. This is the place where climbers spend a night. The restaurant of Laban Rata Resthouse is where you claim your warm buffet meals. You better reach Panalaban before the restaurant closes at 7:30pm. Ala carte meals are available too.

Restaurant in Laban Rata Resthouse (Opening Hours: 7:30am-7:30pm and 2:00am-3:30am)

The scenery at Panalaban is fantastic! Just enjoy the view with a cup of coffee at the balcony, and look at the dense cloud under your feet. The sunset view at Panalaban is one of the best in Sabah. There is a small shop in the restaurant that sells items such as snacks, instant noodle, drink, poncho, medicines, postcards, etc. but at a higher price.

Left: sending postcards from the highest postbox in Malaysia. Right: amazing sunset at Panalaban

FYI, you can send postcard from the highest post box of Malaysia, which is located next to Pendant Hut in Panalaban. There are overnight accommodations provided for climbers on the mountain (Laban Rata Rest House, Waras Hut, Lemaing Hostel and Panalaban Hostels). The rooms are humbly decorated but are comfortably equipped thick blankets, bunk beds, as well as clean drinking water.

Left: bunk bed of Lemaing Hostel. Right: It’s cold at Panalaban.

The temperature at Panalaban can drop below 10°C (50°F) and a windy day makes it worse. Except some premium rooms in Laban Rata Resthouse, most rooms don’t have any heater. The water heater doesn’t always work. Tell you a secret. Many climbers skip shower because it’s too cold.

Good Night! Sleep earlier because you need to wake up very early next day.

“Though perhaps not the highest mountain in the world, it is of immense height” (captain Alexander Dalrymple, 1769)

Please note this walk-through only covers the standard summit trail named Ranau Trail. If you want to know more about another new summit trail, which is more challenging, please read this page about Kota Belud Trail.

Day 2: Conquering Mount Kinabalu

The climb to the summit resumes at 2am the next morning. The climb from Panalaban to the summit is about 2.72 KM and normally takes 4 to 5 hours. To cut down weight, you can leave the unnecessary stuffs in your room. There is no water point on the way (except Sayat-Sayat checkpoint). Carrying 1 Litre of water is quite enough as you won’t feel really thirsty under cold temperature. You also need torchlight (or LED headlamp), warm clothing and poncho.

Left: In Ranau Trail, you can see the night view of Ranau town. Right: Boardwalk of Ranau trail

After briefing by your mountain guide, the ascend will start with nearly two hours of steep staircase climbing in the dark. The only way is up. You can see long line of torchlight of other climbers. You will be tired, stop and gasping for air for many times. Without air and light pollution, the sky is full of stars, a beautiful view you will never forget.

Ranau trail of Mount Kinabalu, not difficult but tiring.
Left: The rope section. Right: Sayat-Sayat Checkpoint

Then you will come to the rope section, the most challenging part that requires you to hold onto a rope to move up for a few hundreds metres. Soon you will be happy to see the Sayat-Sayat checkpoint. Climbers can rest there for a while and use the last toilet on the mountain trail.

Left: Rockface path. Right: The bald surface on Mount Kinabalu

After Sayat-Sayat, the trail will be mainly rock surface with 15 to 20 degrees of inclination. The dense vegetation is replaced by scarce summit plant on the bald granite ground.

Left: South Peak in the RM100 bill of Malaysia. Right: friendly climbers from Peninsular Malaysia

Anyway, the scenery just gets better at this point. In fact, it’s one of the most beautiful places in Malaysia. You are like wandering in another planet and admire the jagged peaks around you. The most photogenic peaks are the Donkey Ears Peak and South Peak.

Left: Signage at 8th KM. Right: Wishing Pool under Low’s Peak, always filled with coins

The air on the mountain is 20% thinner near the top of Mount Kinabalu. You will feel that your body is heavy and every move takes a lot of energy. Due to exhaustion, nine out of ten climbers would start to curse and say “why am I doing here?”. Though they complain, after the climb they will miss this mountain and come back again lol.

Low’s Peak, the highest peak of Mount Kinabalu, and the final ending point of the climb

After the 8 KM signage, the summit on Low’s Peak is less than a Kilometre away. Your goal is simple, just keep moving slowly in steady pace. The last two hundreds of rope climbing to this highest peak will drain your last energy reserve. The sweet reward is reserved to those who persist. Conquering Mount Kinabalu is once in a lifetime experience and must be in your bucket list.

Tasting the victory: spectacular view on the summit of Mount Kinabalu. Bonus: If you reach the peak before 6am, you will be rewarded by the beautiful sunrise view on the highest mountain of Borneo.

About 50,000 climbers leaves their footsteps on Mount Kinabalu annually. Despite the struggle, none of them shows the face of regret on the top. You have only an hour to enjoy the moment of your sweet victory, because the guide will ask you to leave the summit before 8am, before the mountain covered in dense fog (poor visibility).

Left: sub-alpine vegetation on Mount Kinabalu. Right: Aki View Platform

When you hike back to your hostel in Panalaban, do slow down a bit to appreciate the unique plant and flowers during the descend. Without daylight in night climb, you didn’t realise that you were surrounded by the most valuable eco-treasures of Borneo.

Left: Old man’s beard Fruticose lichen (Usnea) on the trees. Right: Kinabalu Park is a garden rich of plant species

Lastly, don’t forget to collect your certificate (for a fee) at Kinabalu Park office as a proof of your successful climb.

Tips and Advice

  1. Pack Light. Don’t carry more than 6 Kg of weight for the climb. Those bringing huge backpacks can hire a porter (for a fee) to reduce the burden. Your porter will head straight to Panalaban in great speed and won’t be walking next to the slow you, so do not let them carry your water and raincoat.
  2. The climate is cool with an average temperature range of 15°C to 24°C (59°F to 75°F) at the Kinabalu Park Headquarters and 6°C to 10°C (42°F to 50°F) on the mountain. It can even go down to freezing point in coldest months (Nov-Dec). Climbers are recommended to wear breathable cotton clothing and comfortable pair of hiking shoes.
  3. Climbers are also reminded to be ready with torch lights, raincoats and warm clothes in case it rains and the temperature drops.
  4. Descending stresses your knee and muscle more than ascending. Try to descend slowly to avoid serious joint and muscle pain later.
  5. Trail can be slippery after rain. Wear comfortable trekking or hiking shoes with good grip (best if it’s waterproof).
  6. Stay with your group and Mountain Guide at all times. Never walk off trail.
  7. Don’t climb if you have ailments such as asthma, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and other sickness that severely affects your fitness.
  8. Always book the tour with licensed tour agent. There have been many cases tourists cheated by unlicensed agents.
  9. Mt. Kinabalu is the Sacred Mountain (resting place of the deceased) of Sabah. Please be respectful and refrain from doing anything offensive such as taking nude photo.
  10. Follow the social media of Sabah Parks for latest update on travel restriction. Currently, only our locals can climb the mountain.
Climbing outfit: Day 1 vs Day 2. You don’t need thick clothing for climbing on day 1, but pack a warm jacket in your bag. On day 2, you need to prepare for near freezing point temperature. You must have poncho or water resistant clothing in case it rains.

Things to Bring

  • Passport / MyKad (for registration)
  • Proof of Accommodation Booking and Payment
  • Cash (most transactions are by cash)
  • Drinking Water (in Refillable 1 Litre water bottle)
  • LED Headlamp (head torch)
  • Energy Bars / Chocolate Bars
  • Light Backpack (preferably with rain cover)
  • Raincoat / Poncho (Murphy’s Law says it’ll rain if you don’t bring one)
  • Toiletries (e.g. toilet paper, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste)
  • Warm Clothing (e.g. Wind breaker, Fleece, Jacket)
  • Extra clothing and socks
  • Gloves (to keep warm and rope climbing)
  • Ear Warmer
  • Towel
  • Camera and spare Battery
  • Medication such as painkiller, headache or altitude sickness tablet
  • Plastic bags: to store rubbish and soiled clothes
  • Optional: walking pole, sunblock lotion, sunglasses, portable charger

I hope you find this guide useful. Please feel free to comment or ask any question in the Comment section below.

Photos taken in Kinabalu Park and Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

How to go to Islands nearby Kota Kinabalu city?

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Kota Kinabalu City (KK) is the gateway to Sabah. Some of our islands are only 15 minutes away from KK by boat. In KK, there are three boat / ferry terminals that can take you to most Sabah islands at west coast. However, their services and charges are slightly different to one another. All of them opens from 8am to 5pm every day (boat service ends about 4:00pm).


Pic: map of 3 boat terminals (green) and neighboring islands of KK

1. Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal

Jesselton Point is the most popular public ferry terminal at the edge of KK city centre, and it’s packed with local and foreign tourists during weekends. If you stay in KK city centre, it is within walking distance.


Pic: entrance of Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal. The building at the right is ticketing hall.

Their boat service can start as early as 7:30am in weekends, but the boat only moves after it’s full with passengers (about 10 to 12 people). If you go in big group, you can negotiate for discount. Their fares are the cheapest so most people use their boat service to visit islands off KK.


Pic: the ticket counters run by over 10 operators competing with one another. This is the place where you buy return boat fare.


Pic: after you buy the ticket, you can sit in the hall (toilet is at the left corner). They will inform you once the boat is full and ready to depart. The waiting time is short if there are many tourists.

Destinations

Below are a list of islands you can go from Jesselton Point:

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

(Manukan Island, Mamutik Island, Sapi Island and Sulug Island)

Return Boat Fare (as of Jan 2023)

  • Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik: RM23 (≈US$5.35) per Adult, RM18 (≈US$4.20) per Child (below 11 years old)
  • Island Hopping
    Two Islands: Adult RM35 (≈US$8.15), Child RM30 (≈US$7)
    Three Islands: Adult RM55 (≈US$12.80), Child RM50 (≈US$11.60)
    Four Islands: Adult RM65 (≈US$15.10), Child RM60 (≈US$14)
  • The ticket prices above are inclusive of Terminal Fee: RM7.20 (≈US$1.70) per Adult, RM3.60 (≈US$0.85) per Child.
  • The fare doesn’t include Conservation Fee imposed by Sabah Parks and to be paid on island (see fees below).
    • Malaysian: Adult: RM8, Child (7 to 17 years old): RM5
    • Foreigner: Adult: RM25 (≈US$5.80), Child: RM20 (≈US$4.65)
  • You can tell them what time to pick you up for return. The last boat transfer is around 4pm.


Pic: jetty of Jesselton Point

Though their fare is the cheapest, the boatmen ride the speedboat like cowboy, making the trip very bumpy. Anyway, it’s only 15 minutes so most people can put up with this.

You can book and buy the boat ticket online at eticketing.jesseltonpoint.com.my
Gaya Island

To go to Gayana Eco Resort or Bunga Raya Resort, you can book the tour at the office of these resort operators in this terminal. However, these resorts are private zone, they only allow resort guests to enter, unless you purchase a tour such as lunch package from them.

(Currently Not available) Labuan & Brunei

You can go to Labuan and Brunei from Jesselton Point. They have regular ferry service as the following:

  • KK → Labuan: departs at 8:00am daily (take 2.5 hours)
  • Labuan → Brunei: depart at 8:00am on Friday and Sunday (transit Labuan, take 6.5 hours)

You may visit their website for more info such as fare price.

Other Islands

You also can go to the following islands in west coast. Most operators will require you to book an island tour in advance, so they would or would not accept walk-in customers. Since these islands are far away, they usually use catamaran instead of speedboat.

  1. Mantanani Island
  2. Pulau Tiga Island
  3. Mengalum Island
  4. Sepanggar Island


Pic: boats parked at Jesselton Point

Amenities

Jesselton Point is more like an activity centre for tourists and locals. Besides island transfer, there are many things you can get or do here. You can charter a boat to go fishing or even fish at their jetty (for a fee). For islanders, they can rent snorkeling set (fin, snorkel, mask) before they depart to islands. You can park your car in the parking lot next to the terminal (for RM1 per hour).


Pic: Jesselton Point has some shops where tourists can buy sunblock lotion, swimwear, sunglass, flip-flop, swimming float, soft drink, snacks, insect repellent, beach mat, souvenirs, etc.


Pic: there are good variety of food and beverages in their hawker centre.

Contact

Below is the contact of the management of Jesselton Point:
Website: www.jesseltonpoint.com.my
Ticketing: eticketing.jesseltonpoint.com.my
Facebook: Jesselton-Point-Ferry-Terminal
E-mail: jesseltonpoint@suriaplc.com.my
Phone: +60 88-249709
Address: Jalan Haji Saman, Kota Kinabalu

2. Sutera Harbour Marina Jetty

Sutera Harbour Marina Jetty is a harbour between Pacific Sutera Hotel and Magellan Sutera Resort. Going to islands is very convenient if you stay in one of these hotels (which is 3 KM away from KK City Centre). The services also open to public. Some locals also like the ample free parking space there.


Pic: Sutera Harbour is a beautiful port parked with many private yacht port and sailboats. At the background is Pacific Sutera Hotel.


Pic: at the right are the kiosks of tour operators who offer boat transfer and island tour. The popular agents here are Sea Quest and Summer Cruise Holiday.

Destinations

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

(Manukan Island, Mamutik Island, Sapi Island)

Same as Jesselton Point, they also offer island transfer to Manukan, Sapi and Mamutik Island. The return fare costs RM60 (≈US$16.75) per adult and RM30 (≈US$9) per Child, which has included jetty fee. Conservation Fee (entry to island) is not included. Island hopping is available for an additional fee of RM10 (≈US$3) per island. The fare may be slightly higher than Jesselton Point, but I like them for a few reasons:

  • Their staff and boatman are more professional (less bumpy ride).
  • The boat departs on time at fixed schedule (no matter it’s full or not).
  • They have staff stations on island to guide you if required.
  • The boat looks newer or well-maintained.
Other Islands

They also offer trip to the following islands (required booking of island tour in advance).

Amenities

Besides boat transfer and island tour, they have watersport centre that offers diving courses / services, parasailing, jetski, flyfish, banana boat ride, sea-walking, kayak, sunset cruise, fishing, etc. The harbor also has short and long term rental berthing services for boats.

Contact

Website: www.suteraharbour.com
Facebook: suteraharbour
E-mail: marinaO@suteraharbour.com.my
Phone: +60 88-318888
Address: 1 Sutera Harbour Boulevard, Kota Kinabalu

3. STAR Marina

STAR Marina is located behind Shangri-la Tanjung Aru Resort (STAR) and operated by Borneo Divers, about 7KM away from KK. They offer full-fledged professional services on all island tours and watersports, not just boat transfer.


Pic: STAR Marina (right) and its jetty (left)

Destinations

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

(Manukan Island, Mamutik Island, Sapi Island, Gaya Island – Base Camp)

They have fixed schedule to these islands. The fee of return boat transfer is RM65 (≈US$19.50) for Adult and RM40 (≈US$12) for Child (12 & below), which includes 10% service tax. You can purchase optional items such as picnic box for RM50 (≈US$15) and snorkel gears. You may download the brochure of Island Transfer Services for details. They are willing to provide extra service such as sending you to the best spot for snorkeling.


Pic: 60-Metre-long jetty designed by Design B.U.BE from Singapore


Pic: air-conditioned service centre of STAR Marina


Pic: tour service counters of STAR Marina


Pic: snorkeling set for rent


Pic: they also look after your belonging during the island trip, or you may keep some of your things in the locker in STAR Marina.

Amenities

You can find the most complete motorised and non-motorised watersport activities in STAR Marina. Just to list some, diving (and PADI certitication courses), coastal and deep-sea fishing at Mengalum Island and Pulau Tiga Island, windsurfing, jet-ski, waterski, wakeboard, ocean kayak, paddle board, banana boat, Hobie Cat (a small sailing catamaran).


Pic: Dive centre of STAR Marina

To learn more detail about the activities, you may download the following brochures:


Pic: souvenir shop


Pic: refreshment corner

Contact

Website: www.shangri-la.com
E-mail: marina.tah@shangri-la.com
Phone: +60 88-327888
Address: 20 Jalan Aru, Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu

Illegal Operators

A word of cautious to those who want to get island transfer other than the three locations I mentioned above. There are some illegal and unlicensed boat operators around KK Central Market and Wisma Merdeka Shopping Mall lobbying ignorant tourists to employ their services. In one case, a group of tourists were robbed and left on an island. I would say they are lucky because it can be worse, e.g. kidnap, rape (though these haven’t happened yet).

Photos taken in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

The Amazing World of Insects at Borneo Jungle Girl Camp

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About 40 years ago, a young Japanese boy named Satoshi Tajiri was so fascinated by insects that he loved to explore the forest for collecting bugs. In the early 1990s, inspired by the world of insects, Satoshi invented the wildly successful Pokémon video game and you know the rest of the story. If humans are afraid of insects, there would be no Pokémon game, and also no life-changing discoveries such as honey bees and silkworms.

Insect is a source of inspiration for science, artworks, fashion, movies and even games.

Borneo island is the kingdom of insects and bugs, and it offers far more variety of bugs than what Satoshi saw in his childhood. Some of the insects become an attraction, for example, firefly Christmas trees, Gombizau Honey Bee Farm, butod (sago grub).

Insects of Nuluhon Trusmadi forest reserve. In peak seasons, you could see more than 5,000 species of insects there. Photos by LeeLing

The best place to see insects of Borneo is at Borneo Jungle Girl Camp, located in Nuluhon Trusmadi, a 74,736-hectare (747 KM2) Class I (fully protected) forest reserve in Keningau and where Mount Trus Madi, the second highest mountain of Malaysia situated. I had a wonderful time at the camp just two weeks ago.

20 awesome (or weird) things I saw at Borneo Jungle Girl Camp

A trip to Borneo Jungle Girl Camp is a dream vacation for nature lovers, entomologists, and macro photographers. I’ve visited most rainforest of Sabah and thought there would be nothing new. I was wrong. I was awed by the insect world during my 2-day-1-night trip in the forest of Nuluhon Trusmadi. I just share 20 of them below.

1. Jewel Beetles, the gems of rainforest

Many beetles in Nuluhon Trusmadi are endemic to Borneo and some of them are not named yet. Different beetles seem like wearing armoured wings made of various materials such as wood, marble, metals and leather.

Jewel beetles at Borneo Jungle Girl Camp. Photo by LeeLing

The most remarkable group is the jewel beetles that have a metallic iridescence body. Some rhinoceros, stag, scarab and long-horned beetles of Borneo have such shiny shells. Jewel beetles are the most sought-after trophies by insect collectors and the rare ones can be worth as much as jewelry in black market.

Shiny green scarab beetle of Sabah (species: Pseudochalcothes planiuscula). Photo by LeeLing

Note: you are forbidden to collect any specimen in the protected forest.

2. Pitcher plant with “eyes”

On the way to the camp, there is a rockface area that is almost fully covered by clumps of pitcher plant. The species of this carnivorous plant is Nepenthes reinwardtiana, which is native to Borneo and Sumatra and is unique for the two “eye spots” on the inside surface of its pitchers. Nepenthes reinwardtiana has many different colour forms. In Sarawak, it’s red colour.

Nepenthes reinwardtiana can be found in lowland and highland but is fairly uncommon. The eyespots (see red arrow) are its trademark.

3. Meet the most elegant flying insect

Look like a kite, Moon moth or Luna moth (species: Actias selene vandenberghi and Actias maenas diana) is the most elegant flying insect of Borneo and it has the longest wing tails in insect world. Its swaying long tails are to confuse the predators such as bats, which would target its tails instead of the body. Moth moon is quite rare and I’m glad to see it twice at the camp.

Two types of Moon moths. Left: Actias selene vandenberghi. Right: Actias maenas

4. Flying dead leaves?

How on earth can some moths be so identical to dry leaves? The best camouflage trick human can pull off is a ghillie suit and it’s not even close to these dead leaf moths. Some moths even have holes on their wings to mimic a decayed foliage perfectly!

Borneo moths that mimic the shapes and colours of leaf

5. Praying Mantis, the Master of Stealth

The lethal claws makes Kungfu mantis the apex predator of the insect world. Some species take it to next level by being stealth to ambush their prey. They even rock back and forth to imitate the movement of leaves in wind. Praying mantis also can turn their heads 180 degree to scan their surrounding. Insects in range only can pray for their lives.

Praying mantis in different camouflage. Top: Toxodera hauseri, Bottom: Deropatlys truncata

6. Frog with horns. Is it evil?

Before the trip, I haven’t seen any horned frogs that are endemic to Borneo, so it’s high on my bucket list. Believe it or not. In a rainy evening, one of them just jumped to me in the camp. The one I met is known as the rough-backed horned frog (species: Borneophyrs edwardinae). It’s a brown-coloured medium-sized frog with horns above its eyes. Actually the “horn” is a drawn-out, slender, triangular projection from the eyelid. Horned frogs don’t intend to look like a devil, they need that leaf-like horns to hide among foliage.

Rough-backed horned frog (species: Borneophyrs edwardinae) is endemic to Borneo.

7. Hide and seek with leaf mimic pygmy grasshoppers

Though this insect is tiny and not as flamboyant as other famous insects, it’s a superstar among entomologists who love extraordinary insects. There are only four Borneo species of leaf mimic pygmy grasshoppers and you can find 2 or 3 of them just 15 metres outside the camp!

Leaf mimic pygmy grasshoppers (Paraphyllum antennatum) of Borneo. They are about 1cm in size but they have patterns and colouration that look like an art.

This is exciting as they have very limited distribution. However, it’s fairly hard to spot them as their colours blend into rock faces where they feed on algae. Put them under the magnifying glass and you would see something like a Sail-Backed Dimetrodon (dinosaur).

8. Moth that deceives with pictures

Besides camouflage, moths have another mean to fool predators. Many of them have “faked eyes” on their wings so they look like an owl or snake head.

Left: Macrocilix maia, with pictures of feeding flies on its wings. Right: the eye-like marking on the wings of Brahmid Moth (Brahmaea hearseyi) makes it looks like an owl.

The funniest strategy is employed by Macrocilix maia, a moth with wings that feature a picture of two flies feeding on a poo, to show that it is not delicious. It’s always jaw-dropping to see the work of nature. Who knows in future we would find a moth with a painting of Mona Lisa on its wings.

9. Misty cloud forest is a heaven for insects

Borneo Jungle Girl Camp is located about 1,170 metres above sea level, a highland zone dominated by lower montane forest (cloud forest). The dense forest is showered by fog, so the environment is cooling and humid, the most ideal habitat for insects, as many of them migrate uphill due to global warming and pesticides.

Borneo Jungle Girl Camp and its natural surrounding. The white things on the clear ground at the right are light traps.

Even if some tourists are not fond of bugs, they still come here for the refreshing air and nature touch.

10. Light trap, a magnet to insects

One of the fun activities at the camp is to check out the light traps at night. You know insects are attracted to light. Four light traps are set up on four corners of a ridge in the evening, then we went for dinner and waited for the insect show. We might lure some rare bugs out of the wood without searching hard.

There are four entomology light traps about 150 metres away from the camp. Photos by LeeLing

By the time we came back around midnight, the screens were already blanketed by hundreds of nocturnal bugs of different colours, sizes and shapes. Most of them are moths, with stick insects, beetles, mantis, cricket, grasshoppers, cicada, and katydid among them. Jimmy the camp manager, smiled and said, “in peak season between March and May, the screens would be totally covered and swarmed by insects. You couldn’t even walk near them.”

11. Moths are more diverse than butterflies

The light trap is like a stage for a fashion show by moths. Moths form a very large group, with about 10,000 species in Borneo, in different sizes, colours and forms. You are lucky if you see the gigantic Atlas Moth (species: Attacus atlas) with a wing span of 25 cm, which is among the biggest insects in the world.

There are about 10,000 species of moths in Borneo. Many species are yet to be fully described. The picture at the far left shows some big jet moths with aerodynamic shape.

Hawkmoth is a common visitor too, it’s nicknamed as Jet because of its hawk-like aerodynamic shape and super flying speed of 50 KM/H, the fastest in the insect Olympic. Some moths look like they are wearing a fur coat or Halloween costumes.

Altas moth is the largest insect in Borneo. Two variations of Altas Moth can be found at Borneo Jungle Girl Camp. Left: Attacus atlas, Right: Archaeoattacus staudingeri. Note their wing tips look like snake head. Photos by LeeLing

12. Crab + Spider = ?

You know crab and spider have eight legs but they are totally different creatures. If you can “merge” them, it would look like Crab Spider, Jewel Spider, or Parallel-spined Spiny Orbweaver Spider (Gasteracantha diardi). Despite its intimidating appearance, this spider is harmless to humans.

The bright-coloured Crab Spider is one of the most beautiful spiders in nature

Crab spiders fluoresce blue under ultraviolet light, which is to simulate the blooming flowers for luring the insects that use UV vision. You can bring some crab spiders to a disco night to see their cool UV effects.

13. Bird’s dropping that moves

Besides disguising themselves as a dead leaf or the eyes of predators, butterflies and moths have another camouflage tactic called “masquerade,” a defense that helps them look like inedible objects, such as twigs, stones or bird droppings. Bird’s dropping caterpillar is a great example of masquerade, which increases their survival rates by three times.

Bird’s dropping caterpillar looks and poses like a bird poo for a better survival rate. It doesn’t need to hide under the leaves.

Birds have better eyesight than humans, so it’s difficult to fool them. Therefore, a knobbly body with the correct poo colours isn’t enough. Some bird’s dropping caterpillars use bent posture to copy the look of a dollop of excrement.

14. Searching for peace and a sense of purpose? Go Stargazing

City people would think a description like “starry sky studded with diamonds” is just an exaggeration in the romance novels, until they visit a place that has no light and air pollution.

Milky Way in a starry night of Nuluhon Trusmadi Forest Reserve. Photo by LeeLing

Just come to Nuluhon Trusmadi during moonless days and witness it yourself. To see the Milky Way in its brightest time, the best months are between April and September.

15. Butterflies also loves smelly stuffs

Whenever we talk about butterflies, usually what comes to our mind is a picture of a butterfly foraging on a fragrant flower. What if I tell you that butterflies also love dung? On the way to the camp, I saw a group of butterflies sipping pee on the ground.

Butterflies puddling on the animal urine for minerals. The butterflies in the photos are: (1) Commander (Moduza procris agnata), (2) Abnormal Sergeant (Athyma clerica clerica), (3) Straight line mapwing (Cyrestis nivea borneensis), (4) Athyma selenophora amhara, and (5) Athyma assa pseudocama

In addition to the sweet nectar, butterflies also need some minerals (especially salt) and nutrients that are not available in flowers. You guessed it right. They obtain these from the pee and poo left by other animals. This strange behavior is called puddling, and is mostly seen in male butterflies, which need the materials for their reproduction system.

16. Stick insect the walking stick

At Borneo Jungle Girl Camp, don’t be surprised if you see a walking twig. Stick insect, as the name implies, is an insect that resembles a stick or twig, and it’s the longest insect in the world. Phobaeticus chani or Chan’s megastick, the second longest insect in world’s record (567 mm or 22.3 inches), is from Sabah. Their eggs are large and some village kids eat them like a snack.

Stick insect from Nuluhon Trusmadi. This one doesn’t have a name yet.

Some stick insects at the camp still wait to be named. Therefore, you can discover the new species there and name the ugly ones over your mother-in-law or boss. Some stick insects are capable of laying eggs without the need to mate with males to produce offspring. Crazy huh?

17. Birdwatching

Very few people know about this so it’s almost like a little secret. The montane forest near the camp is a great birdwatching site. Avid birders would be thrilled to see Bulwer’s pheasant, Bornean Pitta, Whitehead’s Broadbill, Red-naped Trogon, Red-bearded bee-eater and Black-and-yellow broadbill, just to list a few rare or famous ones.

Birds in Nuluhon Trusmadi forest. From left: Red-billed Malkoha, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Dark-necked tailorbird. Photos by LeeLing

If you are too lazy to walk, Temminck’s Sunbird, Bornean Bulbul and Bornean Laughing-thrush are always wondering near the camp.

18. Monkey loves bugs?

Monkey is omnivorous and banana is not its only food. But it’s only in my last trip that I first saw a pig-tailed macaque eating insects as a source of protein. It’s quite picky and only choose the big and juicy ones. The crunchy cicada sounds like its favourite snack and followed by jet moths.

Left: pig-tailed macaque eating insects. Right: the crime scene. You can tell most of them are big moths.

This monkey is one of the four macaques that always hang around the camp. They are probably old beta males that are expelled from the troop and form their own bachelor group. As a matter of fact, insects are nutrient-efficient compared to meat, and they may be the solution for the world hunger problem. It’s safe if our close cousins can eat it.

19. Cicada, the singing orchestra of rainforest

For the sound of rainforest, cicada is always the lead singer as it can produce a noise over 100 decibels, enough to cause hearing loss if you leave it singing next to your ears for long hours. The most interesting species is Pomponia merula, which is also known as Six O’Clock Cicada because they start buzzing at six. I want one as an alarm clock.

Left: 6 O’ Clock Cicada (Pomponia merula), native to Borneo. Photo by Pavel Kirillov. Right: 7 O’ Clock Cicada (Megapomponia imperatoria), photo by 57Andrew

Their counterpart in Peninsular Malaysia is 7 O’clock Cicada (Megapomponia imperatoria), which sings at 7pm (because sun sets 30 minutes slower in West Malaysia).

20. Borneo Jungle Girl Camp is more than a camp

After all the exciting activities in the forest, I only need a hot shower, some nice food and a cozy bed. I thought I was probably expecting too much from a jungle camp. A camping tent is more realistic in such a remote jungle. To my surprise, Borneo Jungle Girl Camp provides all these. They have clean and spacious bedrooms, and bathroom with hot shower. I have absolutely no problem (in fact, would love to) to stay over a month in the camp.

Borneo Jungle Girl Camp is located at 1,170 metres above sea level and surrounded by mountain range and rainforest

The food was yummy too and the cooling weather there boosted my appetite. During my stay, I had nasi lemak, BBQ, steamboat and even seafood. 4G network is available at certain spots in the camp. Electricity is available from 6pm to 6am.

We had fresh fish, meat, vegetables and fruit as lunch at Borneo Jungle Girl Camp, not instant noodle and canned food. We also had BBQ and steamboat the other day.

About Borneo Jungle Girl Camp

Borneo Jungle Girl Camp was established in 1986. With decades of experience in entomology, the founders believe that Nuluhon Trusmadi forest is the most ideal location for entomology studies and entotourism. During peak season, over 5,000 species of insects can be recorded at the site.

Building of Borneo Jungle Girl Camp. After a few expansion, the campsite is complete with electricity (half-day), bedrooms, dining hall, kitchen, toilets and other amenities.

Therefore, the founders spent most of their personal saving to fund the construction of the entomology camp, and they obtained the operation permit from the Sabah Forestry Department in 2006 for tourism, education and conservation on entomology. After a few phases of upgrade over the years, the humble camping tent is developed into a decent lodge complete with accommodation, dining hall, water and electricity, and other amenities that can host up to 60 guests. The camp has been an academic destination for hundreds of students from overseas universities in China and Japan, as well as local tourists who just want to chill.

Malay civet and porcupine, other residents around the campsite. You would see Kijang (barking deer), pig-tailed macaque, and slow loris too. Photos by LeeLing

You can contact the camp or follow their social media for more information:
Phone / Whatsapp: +60 16-4106078
E-mail: trusmadientomology@gmail.com
Website: www.trusmadientomology.com
Facebook: @trusmadientomologycamp
Instagram: @trus_madi_entomology_camp

Tour and Fees

As Borneo Jungle Girl Camp is situated in the fully protected Nuluhon Trusmadi forest, entry permits are required for visitors and vehicles, so walk-in tourists are not accepted. You can book a tour with Borneo Jungle Girl Camp and they will get the permit(s) for you. The following is the a list of the fees (USD1.00 is approximately RM4.40). Note: though these prices are valid until the end of 2022, they are subject to change:

NationalityEntry Permit (per person)Entry Permit (per vehicle)Camera
MalaysianRM15 per dayRM100RM5
Non-MalaysianRM30 per dayRM100RM5
*rates are subject to change

Accommodation (meals included)

Room rates per head on twin-sharing basis:

Visitor TypeStandard RoomVIP RoomChalet
MalaysianRM300RM400RM450
Non-MalaysianUSD120USD170USD190
Room rates of Borneo Jungle Girl Camp (valid until the end of 2022)
Rooms are available at Borneo Jungle Girl Camp. You don’t need to bring your sleeping bag and pillow.

The temperature at the camp can drop to between 10 and 16°C (50 – 61°F) at night, so bring some warming clothing such as a windbreaker. Daytime temperature is between 28 to 30°C (82 to 86°F). To see more wildlife, spending two or more nights is recommended.

Sunrise view from the balcony of VIP rooms at Borneo Jungle Girl Camp

How to get there

The distance between Kota Kinabalu City and Borneo Jungle Girl Camp (GPS Coordinates: 5.443048041703671, 116.45120820208399. See Location Map) is about 160 KM, which takes 3 hours and 30 minutes to travel one way. The first 128 KM is asphalt road with fair condition. The last 32 KM to the camp starts at the junction to Jalan Ranggom Kepayan in Apin-Apin (Keningau), which is an old logging road (mainly gravel road) only accessible by four-wheel drive.

You need a 4-wheel drive to reach Borneo Jungle Girl Camp

Don’t worry if you don’t own a 4WD. You can request the camp for a 4WD return transfer for a fee of RM450 per car (can fit in up to 4 tourists). You can park your car in the village of Apin-Apin, and they will pick you up there. If you want them to fetch you in Kota Kinabalu, the fee is RM1,100 (round trip) per car.

Things to Bring

  • MyKad / Passport
  • Cash
  • Extra clothing (overnight trip)
  • Jacket or warm clothing
  • Raincoat / poncho / umbrella
  • Drinking water
  • Plastic bags (for soiled clothing)
  • Toilet paper
  • Toiletries (toothbrush, tooth paste, face wash, etc.)
  • Towel
  • Power bank (portable charger) and phone charging cable
  • Snacks / energy bar
  • Sunblock lotion
  • Hat
  • Sandals / Slippers
  • Torchlight
  • Camera (with spared batteries and memory cards)
  • Personal medicines
  • Optional: swimwear, binocular, anti-leech socks
Left: beetle with jewel colours, Right: Ceroplophana modigliani beetle

My Thoughts

Insects being insects, they just do what they ought to do. No insect is bad. Allah / God creates all living things for a purpose. The insects keep our earth balanced and healthy. It’s up to the people to choose if they want to appreciate bugs and become the next Satoshi Tajiri, or let the unjustified fear of insects turns them into a wuss.

“If all insects on Earth disappeared, within 50 years all life on Earth would end. If all human beings disappeared from the Earth, within 50 years all forms of life would flourish.” – Jonas Salk

Photos taken in Keningau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Taralamas River Canyon, the Magic of Water

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Living in a stressful world, we need a place to wash away our worries. Scientific studies show that being near water gives us a powerful mental health boost. How about a water therapy at Taralamas River Canyon (also known as Tolungan Daralamas River Canyon), a 15-million-year-old canyon that is hidden deep inside the rainforest of Sabah? Its unique geological feature is a wow factor to visitors. Most people decide to visit Taralamas just by looking at its photos.

Taralamas River Canyon lit by the afternoon light

Taralamas River Canyon, which is formed earlier than Mount Kinabalu, is a work of water erosion. It’s a great canyon, though it’s not as big as Grand Canyon. Besides the interesting landscape, a trip to Taralamas allows you to enjoy various nature-based activities such as hiking, picnic and swimming that cover forest, river, waterfall and hill.

Standard Itinerary

Most visitors prefer a day trip at Taralamas River Canyon. The following is the standard itinerary (shortest trail). Please note you need to book the tour in advance. Walk-in tourists may not be accepted.

Walking on the village road and jungle trail in Tiang Lama Village
  • 5am: Depart from Kota Kinabalu City (KK)
  • 8am: Arrive Tiang Lama Village (in Ranau) and start hiking (3 KM)
  • 10am: Reach Taralamas River Canyon (Lunch and river canyon walk there)
  • 12pm: Going back to the Starting Point
  • 2pm: Return to KK
  • 6pm: Arrive KK

The downside of day trip is more than 7 hours of driving back and forth. You can consider spending a night in homestay of Tiang Lama (walking distance to the starting point) for a more relaxing experience.

Entering Taralamas River Canyon

Below is a useful walk-through with photos, or you can watch the video below:

Gather at Starting Point (at Tiang Lama Village)

The starting point of the hike is at the Community Hall near the end of Tiang Lama Village (or Kampung Tiang Lama) in Ranau district. Group of hikers congregate there between 7am and 9am. It’s better to start hiking in early morning, as it’s more likely to rain in the afternoon.

Starting point of the hike to Taralamas River Canyon

After you register and pay the operator, a village guide will be assigned to your group. Most guides are youngsters from the village. There is a small toilet near the hall, in case you want to relieve yourself before the 2-hour hike. A short briefing on Do & Don’t will be given before the hike begins.

At the hall are some stalls that sell food, (e.g. fried noodle, linopot packed rice, instant noodle, snacks, biscuit, pinjaram, hinompuka, traditional kuih), drink, fruits and vegetables. You can have your breakfast there and buy packed lunch from the villagers, as there is no restaurant at the canyon.

Start hiking to Taralamas River Canyon in the morning

The stalls are also around in the afternoon, so you can buy some fresh produce at a very reasonable or cheap price, before you head home. Depending on the season, you would find different fruits and vegetables such as durian, tuhau and rambutan.

Hiking to Taralamas River Canyon

Once everyone is prepared, we start hiking from the village. The morning at Tiang Lama Village is cooling and refreshing. Within minutes we come to the plantation in the mist.

Left: muddy trail, Middle: bamboo bridge, Right: trail near the local plantation

The temperature is about 25°C. You might need a jacket to keep warm in the beginning. Very soon you would feel warm after some walk among the dense shrubs and trees.

We choose the standard loop trail, which is 6 KM back and forth and the shortest hiking distance. If you want to visit the Sadoron Waterfall, it’ll be a total of 8 KM walk.

One way distance to the river canyon is about 3 Kilometres. The signage says follow your pace but don’t be slow.

Everyone start out dry and high in spirit. Just don’t expect to come out dry since you would face muddy trail, river canyon walk or rain later. Waterproof shoes such as Adidas Kampung would help a lot. Very likely you will need an extra pair of dry socks.

The trail is well-trodden. I’ve been to Taralamas twice and the muddy trail in the first 30 minutes is quite a drag, because the slippery trail on uneven ground can slow you down.

Interesting flora along the trail. Left: an ornamental plant (Alocasia cuprea), Middle: tall bamboo, Right: Begonia

After one KM, you will enter the secondary rainforest. If you are lucky, you would see flock of Rhinocerus hornbill flying over the canopy. There are some leeches but only a handful of them. Wearing anti-leech socks will keep them at bay. The deer fly is more annoying when they find you by the smell of your sweat. The presence of blood sucking bugs means the forest is rich with wildlife.

The view at the highest point of the hike. The last line of the signage says patient is a virtue.

Normally it takes about 1.5 hours to reach the river canyon 3 KM away. Overall the trail is not very challenging. Accident is rare. Only the one KM before the canyon is steep. The difficult sections have rope support. Ladies would need gloves to protect their skin while using the coarse ropes.

Anyway, you don’t need to rush. Just enjoy the view along the trail. I’ve seen Alocasia cuprea (ornmental plant), bamboo groves, Begonia, mushroom, fungus, big fern tree, and many unknown flora.

Reaching the River Canyon

After 3 KM, you will reach the river bank of Widu River. You are probably very excited, but please keep quiet. Making noise in the forest are taboos.

You can place your bag and belonging under the canvas shelter in case it rains. There is a small toilet nearby for you to change or doing your business.

Left: reaching the Taralamas River Canyon, Right: toilet next to the river

One of my favourite moment is to enjoy my linopot lunch by the river. During dry season, the river water is clear with emerald colour. I’m always tempted to collect the beautiful blue-grayish river rocks but this is forbidden (and would bring bad luck).

Some insects such as butterflies and bees attracted by our sweat. They land on our skin to harvest salt, which is a vital but rare mineral in the jungle. The bees won’t sting you unless provoked. But be careful and bring medicines (to treat anaphylactic shock) if you are allergic to bee stung.

Left: enjoy Linopot packed lunch next to the river, Right: crossing the river to enter the canyon

Butterflies are more timid and would target the fresh mud on our shoes. Entomologists will be pleased to find Borneo endemic species among them, for example, Bornean swallowtail (Graphium stratiotes) and Bornean sawtooth (Prioneris cornelia). I also see Bornean Straight Pierrot (Caleta manovus), Orange Gull (Cepora judith hespera), Grass Yellow, Green Dragontail, Mormon, and Common Cruiser at the river bank.

Left: shelter at the river side, Middle: butterflies attracted by smelly shoes, Right: Linopot packed rice

The gap of the river canyon is only 2 to 5 Metres width, and there are more than 30 visitors. Therefore, we take turn to go in, to avoid overcrowding. Usually the walk in river canyon takes about an hour.

Enter the River Canyon

Finally it’s my turn. We are required to put on a life vest and a helmet to protect us from drowning and falling rocks. The canyon is about 150 Metres long. However, in most cases, the guide would bring you up to 120 Metres. You can fully explore it only when the water is very shallow in dry days.

The beginning of the river canyon walk

I cross the river to enter the canyon at the other side. The temperature of the water is about 25°C degrees, it’s cold but probably not enough to cause hyperthermia, unless you stay for long hours. It’s bearable once my body gets used to it.

During drought season, you can walk across the river easily. It rained the night before, so the river reaches my chest level and the current is quite swift. I hold on the guiding rope to move to the entrance of the canyon, and fight another stream coming out from there.

Left: the river is deep during wet season, Right: the brightest section of Taralamas River Canyon

Though I struggle a bit with the cold and strong current, I feel no regret the moment I see the gorgeous rock walls in the canyon. Like most people say, it looks so unreal and doesn’t resemble any place in Sabah.

The rock walls in the canyon marked with layers horizontally, a characteristic of sedimentary rock. I feel like being sandwiched between two giant chocolate crepe cakes of 2 to 5 floors high. The walls are comprised of rock layers that are stacked and deposited since 60 millions years ago. After river flows on these rocks for million of years, it carves out the Taralamas River Canyon today. The wall surface is so smooth that I can see my reflection.

For a moment the river canyon looks like a romantic paradise

Part of the river is as deep as 9 feet. I float on the water and use the rope to move forward slowly. I look up and see the sky through the narrow opening, which is partially shielded by the translucent green leaves. Some big rocks in the canyon really look like petrified wood. I thought it was wood until my toes kick it.

Entrance to explore the deeper and darker canyon section

The first half of the river canyon is the best section for photo-taking because it’s relatively well-lighted and some rocks are coloured by green moss. About 40 Metres into the canyon is a wide open area with sandy bank where you can stand. I take a break there and photograph some pictures when the afternoon sun on top brightens up the canyon.

The narrow passage of Taralamas River Canyon

Then I continue to explore the canyon. The deeper side of the canyon is dark and narrow, almost like a cave tunnel, it’s a bit scary actually. Large volume of water squeezes through this narrow tunnel and pushes me with force.

I climb over a few mini waterfalls to go further inside, like a rat crawling against the running water in the pipe. Behind each waterfall is a chamber-like space with opening on top. The rain starts to flood the canyon, so our guide advises us to leave before the bad weather hit us. Exit the canyon is easy as we follow the current.

The ending section of Taralamas River Canyon. Actually you still can explore further up.

At last we hike back to the starting point and it is pouring rain on the way. None of us was dry. After some clean-up at the community hall, we return to KK. I’ve visited the canyon twice but more than happy to come back again.

Geology of Taralamas River Canyon

On social media, you may have seen tons of posts that praise the beauty of Taralamas River Canyon, but nobody tells you why it is so special. I did some homework by asking Professor Dr. Felix Tongkul, an expert in geology.

The unique rock structure of Taralamas River Canyon

According to Dr. Felix, technically Taralamas is a small river canyon. It was formed by stream erosion along a vertical fracture on the sedimentary rock sequence of the Trusmadi Formation. The sedimentary rock sequence comprising of dark shales and thin sandstones that were deposited about 60 million years ago in a deep sea area. The canyon itself was formed much later after the sedimentary rock sequence were uplifted and exposed on land about 15 million years ago. (Me: Wow, this canyon exists about 7 million years earlier than Mount Kinabalu.)

Left: smooth rockface of the canyon, Right: the bluish-gray stones on the riverside

Dr. Felix also said that there are other small canyons in Sabah too, but they are quite inaccessible. One such canyon can be found along Baliojong River in Kampung Togudon, Tandek in Kota Marudu. In terms of geological significance, Taralamas tells the geological history of Sabah during the Paleogene Period and illustrates the ongoing geomorphological process that shapes the surface of the earth. (Me: It’s also an extraordinary geotourism destination.)

Stories of Taralamas

My first impression of Taralamas is its hauntingly beautiful and mysterious vibe. Locals believe that some guardian spirits are living in this canyon. They don’t appreciate noisy people and dogs.

The big rock at the left looks like the face of a beast

Mr. David Julian, the founder of Tiang Lama Village Ecotourism, has been working on the tourism project there since 2019. He shared some stories of Taralamas with me. He thinks this canyon was probably discovered by the villagers who fished and hunted around Widu River in 1930s.

Left: misty forest of Tiang Lama village, Right: snake swimming in river canyon

The name “Taralamas” originated from the local word Dalamas, which means wall of big rocks at the river, or tall and slippery giant rocks along the river. Before Taralamas was open to tourists, it’s a fishing ground of the villagers.

People of Tiang Lama Village. Most of them are Dusun, the largest native group of Sabah.

Though the river there is teeming with fishes, the spirits can make fishermen go home empty-handed. Therefore, before the villagers catching the fishes together, their Bobolians (high priest) would perform a ritual to request for a bountiful caught permitted by the bunian (elf). As most villagers are converted to Christians or Muslims nowadays, they are no longer doing this, but they still remain respectful to the spirits in the canyon. That’s why shouting, cursing and offensive behaviours are not acceptable at Taralamas.

Playing in water and forest

Another story is a group of hunters were chasing a deer at Taralamas. A dog and deer fell into the canyon. When the hunters went down to search in the river, they were shocked to find that the dog and deer have turned into rocks and sticked on the wall of Taralamas River Canyon. The figures are still there, but faded now due to water erosion.

Fees & Booking Info

To visit Taralamas River Canyon, you can book the tour online with one of the village operators listed below. Both operators offer different packages and services. Besides entrance and guiding fees, you can order add-on such as packed meals, transportation and homestay / camping. And hardcore hikers can opt for the longer trails (8km and 12km) to visit Sadoron Waterfall and Gibai Peak.

Left: Mimpori Nature Homestay, Right: sunset view of Mount Kinabalu at Tiang Lama Village

1) Noponu Adventure Center

Website (booking): noponu.com
Facebook: @noponucamp
E-mail: davidjulian5583@gmail.com
Phone: +60 19-5803558

2) Tolungan Daralamas River Canyon

Website (booking): tntdaralamas.com
Facebook: @taralamasofficial
E-mail: tntdaralamas@gmail.com
Phone: +60 19-5826269, +60 13-2343949

Note: They would cancel the tour if the weather is bad (canyon flooded). If you plan to overnight in Tiang Lama Village, do bring some warm clothing. It’s very cold at night (about 16°C).

How to get there

Tiang Lama Village is a remote site located between Ranau and Tambunan districts. If you depart from Kota Kinabalu City, the driving distance is about 170 Kilometres (or 106 miles). The last 25 KM to the village is a gravel road, while the rest is paved road in ok condition. It takes 3.5 or more hours to reach the village by car. For day trip, you better move as early as 5am.

Left: 4-wheel-drive is the best transport to Tiang Lama, Right: van stranded in muddy road

The junction (GPS: 5.858062880692335, 116.50639939196654, see Location Map) to Tiang Lama is next to the main road between Ranau and Tambunan towns. The 25-km gravel road is muddy after rain, so getting there by 4-wheel drive is highly advisable. Or you may book the transportation with the operator, who can pick you up in Ranau or Tambunan town.

Things to Bring

The following is a list of recommended items to bring for day trip. It’s for your reference only, you may not need them all.

Left: outfit for the hike, Middle: waterproof casing for phone, Right: leech repellent
  • Drinking water & bottle
  • Backpack with rain cover
  • Dry bag
  • Raincoat / poncho
  • Cash
  • Jacket or windbreaker
  • Gloves (for using ropes)
  • Anti-leech socks
  • Waterproof casing for phone or camera
  • Power bank and charger cable
  • Swimwear / Spare clothing
  • Towel
  • Extra socks
  • Plastic bag (to store wet or soiled clothing)
  • Toilet paper
  • Tissue paper or wet wipe
  • Hiking sticks
  • Insect repellent
  • Optional: Lunch Box + spoon, energy bar / snacks, personal medicines, hat, sunglasses, sunblock lotion

Photos taken in Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Is Dark Tourism for Sabah?

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In 1939, an American writer, Agnes Newton Keith wrote a book about her life in Sabah, the book title “Land Below the Wind” has become the nickname of Sabah since then. What she didn’t expect was, after more than 80 years, her house became a source of inspiration again.

The house and the book (Land Below the Wind) of Agnes Keith

In June 2021, Sabah tourism minister dropped a bombshell by urging the promotion of dark tourism, and Agnes Keith House is one of the destinations. In case you don’t know, the post-war colonial wooden house of Agnes Keith is a heritage building as well as a haunted house.

Sabah tourism minister at the launching of Dark Tourism Sabah Workshop

Sabah has been doing well in nature tourism, so many tourism players were skeptical, and some even scoffed at the idea. I heard comments such as “Is the nature tourism of Sabah jumping the shark and now we have to market ghost tours?”, “Sabah will be promoted as the Land of Ghosts?” and “Why go dark when we have plenty of sunny islands and blue sky?”

Is Dark Tourism about Ghost Hunting?

Before we think that it’s a joke, let’s keep our minds open and try to fully understand the real meaning of Dark Tourism. First of all, Dark Tourism is defined as any form of tourism that is related to death, suffering, atrocity, tragedy and crimes. Note the words “ghost” and “paranormal” are not in the definition? Apparently, Dark Tourism is not Ghost Tourism. Ghost hunting is a sub-genre of Dark Tourism for only a tiny number of brave hobbyists.

The infamous Sandakan Death Marches and its starting point in PoW camp of Sandakan

Dark Tourism is focus on sharing the dark history or story of a site or event. In fact, some tour packages already contain the elements of dark tourism, for example, the Sandakan Death March. During World War II, 2,434 Australia and British PoW (Prisoners of War) were forced by Japanese to walk about 250 km from Sandakan to Ranau. Only six survived. Today you can sign up for a walk on the same route, to experience the suffering of these victims.

Left: ancient tombs at Pogunon Museum. Right: headhunting sword

Anyway, the dark tourism sites are always linked to horrible death, so some tourists would sense something paranormal or just feeling uneasy. Goosebumps can induce a more compelling and intensified atmosphere for storytelling. Dark Tourism can be done during daytime and it’s not meant to terrify the tourists. Actually tourists may have unwittingly participated in dark tourism.

Burials by jars (left) and log coffin (right) have existed a thousand years ago in Sabah

However, like ghost movies, some tourists are interested in hearing the ghost stories, but very few of them would want to experience these. So you can see the major flaw of highlighting only ghost hunting, which is a niche market that is too small to sustain.

Is Dark Tourism Good for Sabah?

The answer is Yes. The opinions below are my own and not the views of my company or any organisation.

1. Branding of Mysterious Borneo

In the past, many western adventurers were drawn to Borneo because it’s a land of mystery and roaming headhunters. That’s why Borneo is a more popular name than Sabah in some western countries. Local tourism players have been branding Sabah as Borneo (i.e. Malaysian Borneo). Dark Tourism fits well with the image of Mysterious Borneo.

Ritual and the instruments, many are passed down from the ancestors.

When tourists visit Sabah, they would be impressed by Mount Kinabalu, Sipadan Island, Danum Valley and other attractions that are great for a sunny vacation. However, there is a lack of mystical element. Dark Tourism could complement this. For example, by sharing of Arung Salamiah’s love story at Bohey Dulang, a popular island among tourists. A remarkable destination should have a remarkable story to tell, so the tourists can appreciate it with their eyes and hearts.

Bohey Dulang Island and the Arung Salamiah legend. Locals say she could be seen walking on the beach during full moon.

Other countries can offer a better version of our mountains, islands and forest, but they can’t replicate our brand and legends.

2. Documentary of Intangible Heritage

What’s your favorite Halloween character? Werewolf? Nine-tailed fox? Mummy? Wait! Did you notice something sad? You probably can’t name any character from Sabah (Balan-Balan flying head and Pocong are not uniquely Sabah by the way). Countries with strong cultural influences also have popular mystic figures internationally.

Odou Bakanjar Festival of Dusun Tatana from Kuala Penyu. Cultural performance is also a form of storytelling to pass on the belief.

If we dive deeper into Dark Tourism, we would uncover many cultural figures mentioned in traditional customs, rituals, belief and legends. Promoting Dark Tourism will help to preserve these intangible assets like our intellectual properties. Disney and Hollywood are making billions of dollars from showing these in their movies and merchandises.

Bobolian is the high priest of Kadazandusun people. They can communicate with the dead and deities from other worlds.

Sabah villages are not short of local tales and folklore that were told by grandparents. Unfortunately, whenever I asked for such story, most of the time the villagers would say, “I don’t know. You need to talk to our elders.” In contrast, Pitas people record and own their Supirak legend, they bring their attractions to life, and the mesmerizing story can be made into a drama or literature.

Oil seepages of Kampung Minyak (Kudat). It was used to be a sacred ground. Visitor needed to sacrifice a chicken and consumed it there.

The Little Mermaid statue, which attracts more than 5 millions visitors and is listed as one of the top tourist attractions in Denmark. Sound like easy money? This is how powerful a story can be.

3. Create More Tours, Storytelling, and Destinations

Based on my experience in Sabah trip, the introduction of an attraction by tour guides is mainly informational content like how old our rainforest is, how many species of birds we have, the age of a building, etc. I respect their professionalism but I bet tourists will forget most of the presentation even before the tour ends.

Some dark history of Sabah are coming from the battles between British rulers (of North Borneo) and the natives.

The research by cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner shows that messages delivered as stories can be up to 22 times more memorable than just facts. Most Dark Tourism sites are about past events so the presentation is usually in the form of storytelling. Stories engage the emotions of listeners and keeps their attention. This will spice up their travel experience. The most memorable part of their Borneo trip could be a campfire story.

During WWII, Berhala Island was used as a prisoner station by Japanese. Agnes Keith and her husband were interned on this island for a short period.

Promoting Dark Tourism would generate interest on neglected destinations that have historical and great story, or add more unusual and refreshing angle for some tours. For example, Berhala Island was used to be a leprosy and PoW camp, Kota Batu the Brunei fort submerged in Kinarut River. A more diversified product mix will be beneficial in serving different types of tourists and gaining more exposure in new niche market.

The “scars” of Mount Kinabalu created by the Earthquake 2015

Europe has more than 10,000 castles, but Dracula’s Castle is always on the bucket list of tourists. Can you figure out why?

The Potential Drawbacks

Dark Tourism is a relatively new concept to Sabah and we need to be sensitive to the cultures of the local communities in the development of new products. The interpretation is important too. For example, it’s inappropriate to call Bobolian (high priest) a witch. Some tribes would not want to be stereotyped as aggressive people because of their headhunting past. Some places may be considered as sacred and should not be disturbed by noisy tourists. Care should be taken to leave no room for breaking of taboos and to avoid any disrespectful activity to the culture of certain social groups.

Double Six Monument is built on the plane crash site of 6 June 1976. Sabahans don’t believe that it was an accident.

List of Potential Dark Tourism Sites in Sabah

The following is a (unofficial) list of potential dark tourism sites in Sabah, where the events or tales associated with wars, disasters, tragedies, brutality and death taking place.

Japanese War Tunnel in Kunak. Someone say it’s a few km long but nobody dares to walk to the end to confirm this.

Development of Dark Tourism in Sabah

Sabah Parks is managing six terrestrial parks and three marine parks of Sabah. They are the most proactive government agency in dark tourism initiatives and able to identify 40 dark tourism sites in their parks, then seven sites (i.e. Sulug Island, Gaya Island, Bohey Dulang (2), Grave of Si Gunting, Supirak Island, Earthquake 2015 on Mount Kinabalu) are shortlisted for development.

You can watch this video to listen to the talks delivered in Dark Tourism Sabah Workshop

From 22nd to 24th July 2022, Sabah Tourism Board organised a 3-day Dark Tourism Workshop for a group of 52 district officers, assistant district officers, officials from the state Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, Kota Kinabalu City Hall, and Federation of Rural Tourism Association Sabah.

Group photo of Sabah tourism minister with the participants of 3-day Sabah Dark Tourism Workshop

They visited Kinarut Mansion, Pogunon Museum, Petagas Memorial Garden and Double Six Monument. Talks on Dark Tourism were given, for more understanding on the concepts and government plan. The local authorities are given the tasks of identifying potential dark tourism destinations, and supporting the development of dark tourism in their districts. The workshop ended with a camping on Sulug Island, the darkest island in Kota Kinabalu.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Sulug Island, the Darkest Island in KK

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Sulug Island (Local Name: Pulau Sulug) is a forgotten island. As one of the five islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (TARP) off Kota Kinabalu City (KK), it receives 0 tourist, compared to other four islands that are visited by nearly half a million tourists annually during peak years.

The white sandy beach of Sulug Island

Gaya, Manukan, Sapi and Mamutik Island have complete amenities for tourists. However, there is nothing on Sulug Island, not even a jetty and toilet.

Sulug Island is incredibly beautiful and pristine. The moment you land on its soft sandy beach and see the emerald seawater, you would wish that you discovered this secret island earlier. For many years, this island is hidden fairly well from the tourism map. You may wonder why.

About Sulug Island

Sulug Island is the second smallest island (20 acres or 8.1 hectares in size) of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, which is managed by Sabah Parks. It’s used to be a shelter for the Suluk or Tausug tribe refugees in the past hence the name Sulug. In Bajau language, Sulug means current, and also another term for group of Suluk tribes.

Sulug Island (Pulau Sulug) is one of the five islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park off Kota Kinabalu City. It is the second smallest island (20 acres or 8.1 hectares), 33% larger than the smallest Mamutik Island (15-acre or 6.1 hectares).

The most unique feature of Sulug Island is its long sand spit, like an island sticking its tongue out. The rest of the island is fully covered in lush forest. From the sky, Sulug Island looks like a broccoli.

More than 70 years ago, Sulug Island had a fishing village for about a hundred Bajau Ubian people (more stories on this later). It’s a miracle that such an amazing island is uninhabited and undeveloped, consider it’s only 5 Kilometres away from KK. Actually, there was a resort on Sulug but was destroyed by wind decades ago.

The long sandspit beach is a feature of Sulug Island. It can change shape and direction in different time of the year because of sea and wind actions.

Wanna go there? No, you can’t because Sulug Island is not open to public. I was able to “sneak” into Sulug island in 2006 because the ban wasn’t strict then. Even so, at first the boatman was reluctant to bring me there because Sulug wasn’t a popular choice and sending only one passenger to Sulug was less profitable. Last month I joined a dark tourism program and overnight on Sulug Island, now I can write more about it.

The Beach of Sulug Island

The beach of Sulug Island is untouched so it’s full of coral fragments and seashells washed ashore (sadly, so are some garbage). The long strip of white sandy beach is vast and extend far to the sea, more than 120 metres long and about 30 to 40 metres wide. Other than the beach area, other sides of Sulug Island are rocky beach or cliff.

Left: The crystal clear water and nice beach of Sulug Island. Right: you can see Manukan Island here

This sand spit beach would shift direction and change shape from time to time due to wind and wave actions. The strip can become shorter, wider or bent sometimes. That affects the depth of the seawater that flanks the beach, so be careful, it can be shallow today but turn into deep water in your next visit.

The beach on Sulug Island changes shape occasionally, like a licking tongue. (satellite photos by Google Earth)

However, the open area of the beach is not a right spot to setup your camp. Your tent would be blown away or flooded if a rainstorm hits. A patch of tall casuarina trees at the shore offers some good covers for dozen of camping tents, but be prepared for some itchy sandfly bites in the shaded area.

The sand, corals and drift wood on the beach of Sulug Island

Anyway, this breezy beach is perfect for picnicking and sun tanning, especially for beach-goers who prefer a secluded and tranquil seaside outing. In 2015, two female foreign tourists felt so free in Sulug that they went topless and became a local news headline. Nude sunbathing is a No-No in Malaysia.

Left: seashells and corals of Sulug Island. Right: the rocky shore of Sulug Island

Too bad no bikini girl with me. The drift wood and log laying around on the beach are excellent spots for taking photos. The sandy side of Sulug Island is facing east so you can see sunrise over KK and Mount Kinabalu in the morning, another great chance to bag some cool pictures.

You can see Mount Kinabalu, Mamutik Island, and sunrise view of Kota Kinabalu City from Sulug Island

Watch your steps when you bath, so you won’t step on the graves submerged in the sea. These graves belong to the past villagers and used to be on the land before the beach erosion. Some locals found human bones in the sea and have collected and took most of them away. At night hermit crabs would be everywhere, and some of them grow to fist size!

In the wood near the beach you would see some ruins of the abandoned resort, which are mostly engulfed by the trees and vegetation.

The Island Forest

Except the beach, the whole Sulug Island is covered by undisturbed old secondary forest. There is a gradual slope from the beach to the forested ridge at the back of Sulug Island, which is about a hundred metres high.

Sulug Island has a few popular dive sites such as North Sulug Reef

To explore the forest, you can start hiking from the wood behind the beach. On the way, you will find some traces of past human settlement such as old well and graves. The walk is about 1 kilometre in distance. The trail is narrow and not maintained regularly. Since it’s not well-trodden and has no clear marker, you could lose your way, so never go alone.

Left: dense forest of Sulug Island. Middle: sun rays through the tree gaps. Right: an old well of the bygone village

The forest is mostly island vegetation dominated by tall and slender trees, with figs, sparrow’s mango, and tembusu trees among them. The dense undergrowth such as palm, ferns, creeping vines, rattan (some are spiky) and shrubs would slow you down. The sea view is obstructed by dense tree lines so don’t expect any nice view on the top.

Near the end of the loop trail is a slippery descending route to the rocky beach, where you would see interesting plant like Pandanus (screwpine) that bears fruits look like pineapples. Surprisingly, I find no coconut tree on Sulug Island.

A Haunted Island?

Most KK folks believe that Sulug is a ghost island and a burial ground. When I was a boy, my late father owned a speedboat but never wanted to land on Sulug. We only passed by and looked at Sulug Island from the sea, I still can recall the loud cicada song on this empty island that gave a spooky vibe.

The ruins that I saw in 2006 are almost completely engulfed by the forest and sea after 16 years

If you talk to the locals, this island is not short of paranormal stories. Remember the resort I mentioned? Some guests experienced strange things such as the light turned on and off by itself. Or they were sleeping in their room but ended up laying outside in the next morning. Nobody would challenge you if you list Sulug Island as one of the 10 most haunted places in KK.

Some graves (at yellow pointer) are submerged in the water due to the beach erosion

The more recent case is a group of campers on Sulug Island were so freaked out because their tents were shaken by invisible hands. Apparently there may be some resentful spirits lingering on the island. They might relate to the following tragedy that makes Sulug earning the title of “The Darkest Island in KK”.

The most common unexplainable case is – one of your important items goes missing on the island, you search high and low but can’t find it. Don’t worry. It will reappear miraculously by itself later, at a place that you had checked. I’ve heard stories of missing vaper, cooking salt and mahjong tile.

Dark History of Sulug Island

During World War II, Sabah was occupied by the Japanese between 1942 and 1945. To overthrow the Japanese invaders, Albert Kwok (Chinese name: 郭益南) formed Kinabalu Guerrillas and led an uprising on 10 October 1943, which is known as Double Tenth Revolt. The islanders from Sulug and other islands launched the attack from the sea. They landed on Beach Road (Jalan Pantai) and the wharf. Then they attacked the military stations and set fire to the customs sheds. The rebellion killed about 50 enemies and the guerrillas took over KK (formerly Jesselton) successfully.

Unfortunately, without any backup by the ally, the victory of Kinabalu guerrillas is short-lived. Soon Japanese mobilised their main force from Kuching (Sarawak) and regained control of KK. The Japanese knew that islanders were involved in the revolt of October and planned to take revenge.

The name of Orang Tua Panglima Ali, the headman of Sulug Island, is engraved on the plaque of the monument in Petagas Memorial Garden.

A week after the uprising, an expedition force under the command of Lieutenant Ogata arrested Orang Tua Panglima Ali (or Ali Imam Abbas Sani. Orang Tua means village elder / head), the headman of Sulug Island and about 10 of his men. They were taken to the mainland via Kinarut from where they were made to walk to Jesselton with their hands tied. Panglima Ali was imprisoned at Batu Tiga and later executed together with other guerrilla members at Petagas on 21 January 1944.

Two weeks later, 30 Japanese soldiers and 20 native policemen came to Sulug Island. The Japanese machine-gunned the inhabitants, setting fire to all the houses on the island. They shot the men running out of their houses. Some villagers tried to fight back and wounded a few Japanese. The Japanese soon overcame this resistance and killed or captured all the men whom they could find.

Left: Sulug Island is nicknamed as the darkest island in Kota Kinabalu because of its tragic history. The signboard is drawn by Kartunis Binjai. Right: a news in The Straits Times on 28 October 1951 called Sulug the Widow’s Island

Of 114 people living on Sulug Island, 54 were killed and 60 survived. Thirty women and children were exiled to Bongawan as the forced labour in the paddy fields, and 25 of them died from malnutrition and ill treatment. No adult male of Sulug Island survived. When the British landed there in 1945, they found only women and children. An 11-year-old boy became the headman and featured in the article “Widow’s Island” on The Straits Times newspaper on 28 October 1951.

The islanders suffered severely from reprisals. Besides Sulug, the massacre also occurred in other islands such as Mantanani. Hundreds of islanders died but only about 50 of the them are listed in the monument of Petagas Memorial Garden with other Chinese, Bajau and Kadazandusun warriors.

Reference Books

  1. “One Crowded Moment Of Glory” by Danny Wong Tze Ken, University of Malaya Press (2019)
  2. “Kinabalu Guerrillas, An account of the Double-Tenth Rising against the Japanese Invaders in North Borneo” by Maxwell Hall, Opus Publications (2009).

How to get there

The GPS location of Sulug Island is 5.95931591065662, 115.9950597329908 (see Location Map). As there is no amenities, Sulug Island is not meant to be a tourist destination. Entry to the island is forbidden, unless you get the permission from Sabah Parks (Though I saw some tourists land on the island by chartered boat, probably without the knowledge of Sabah Parks). If you really want to visit Sulug, the following are some ways.

1. Dark Tourism

Sulug Island is special because the event is an important chapter of Sabah history during WWII. All races were working together to fight for the freedom of Sabah. A local club Dark Tourism Sabah has been promoting Sulug Island as a dark tourism destination. Sometimes they organise trip to Sulug Island, but not on regular basis. You can follow their social media for updates. Please note Dark Tourism is not entirely about ghost hunting. The group focuses more on telling the sad stories of a location.

Camping on Sulug Island under the shade of Casuarina trees. Taken in Dark Tourism Workshop

2. Scuba Diving

The beauty of Sulug Island is not merely on its surface. A few dive sites such as Sulug North Reef is one of the top 10 diving spots in TARP. Scuba divers can sign up for leisure boat dives around Sulug with the local dive operators. The average depth is 15 metres (49.2 ft) with good visibility (10 to 20 metres). Possible sighting includes turtles, nudibranch, frogfish, lion fish, giant clam, school of yellowback / blueback fusiliers, barracuda, and rich variety of soft and hard corals such as sea whips and barrel sponge. Clement Lee, a local hardcore diver, even found Rhinopias (scorpionfish) and Hairy Shrimp in the water of Sulug.

3. Standup Paddleboarding (SUP)

SUP is fun and getting popular in Sabah. Sometimes the participants take off from Kinabalu Yacht Club of Tanjung Aru Beach and paddle 5 to 6 km to reach Sulug Island. I saw the photos in the Facebook of Borneo Paddle Monkeys. I’m not sure how often they do this. You can contact Borneo Paddle Monkeys for information.

Tourists are forbidden to land on Sulug Island without permission by the Sabah Parks.

Anyway, you can always visit four other islands in the marine park for a more comfortable travel experience.

My Thoughts

Sulug Island is gorgeous but deserted, so a lot of investors think we should do something about it. The primary goal of a marine park is to conserve the local flora and fauna by protecting and nurturing their ecosystem and habitats. One of the best strategies is to leave them alone, and let them stay free from the destruction by human activities. Therefore, it’s not an utmost priority to develop every beautiful islands we have, which would degrade the natural environment.

Scuba divers on a training at Sulug Island (note the four people between the boats)

In 2019, a Japanese firm proposed to build high-end floating chalets on Sulug Island. I don’t know what’s your take. The soldiers from their country committed a serious war crime on Sulug Island. Building a Japanese resort on the graves of WWII victims? Sound like a slap in the faces of those islander heroes. Yes, I agree that this is history and we should move on. However, we can forgive, but NEVER FORGET. Anyway, a WWII monument on Sulug Island would be very much appreciated though.

Photos taken in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Rafflesia flowers of Sabah

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I have been waiting for the blooming of Rafflesia flower. I went to Tambunan Rafflesia Information Centre in August last year, but came back empty-handed (I mean no photograph). Rafflesia is the biggest flower in the world and out of 15 species, only 3 species are found in Sabah. You also can find rafflesia flower in Sumatran, Peninsular Malaysia, Java and Philippines.

Rafflesia display at Rafflesia Information Centre in Tambunan

Rafflesia arnoldii species, with 90 cm in diameter, is the biggest flower in the world. Too bad it does not live in Sabah. I am tired of hearing tour operators advertise we have the biggest flower. Just to get the fact right.

Rafflesia pricei is the second largest rafflesia species of Sabah

Tambunan’s Rafflesia Information Centre is about 80 KM away from Kota Kinabalu city. However, you will be driving on a long and winding road on the hilly area. Unless you own a powerful 4-wheel, otherwise you will need about 2 hours to reach there. There is an exhibition hall that shows some info of rafflesia species. The centre opens at 9am daily and close at 5pm every day. So don’t be late.

Information panel on different species of rafflesia flower

Only Rafflesia pricei, about 30 cm in diameter (max. 45 CM) and second largest species in Sabah, is found in the Tambunan forest reserve about 1,200 – 1,400 Meters above sea level. Daily sighting is not guaranteed and in fact consider rare. many small brownish protuberances (bud) of rafflesia can be seen on the forest ground. The seed will need 6 to 7 months to grow! Rats and other animals would feed on this juicy bud thereby adding the rate of fatality. It is difficult than bearing a human baby.

Close up of rafflesia pricei

Rafflesia is a parasite plant that hosts on the vine of Tetrastigma. Rafflesia is a single flower with no stem, leaf, or root; it is smelly like rotten meat. Rafflesia pricei is not as stinky as Rafflesia keithii. But when I get very close and sniff, I still can smell the unpleasant odor. Rafflesia relies on this smell to attract insects, such as flies, to carry on pollination.

Buds of rafflesia pricei

The photo above shows the reddish-brown cabbage-like protuberances of rafflesia. As you can see, they grow on a vine. A few months later, their flower will bloom at night, showing their fleshy petals (perigone lobes) like the picture of Rafflesia price below. The whole plant is a bit soft and looks like a plastic flower. I like its beautiful white patchy pattern. I was excited because this was my first time seeing a blooming rafflesia.

The Rafflesia Azlanii species featured on the RM10 Malaysian banknote was first discovered in the Royal Belum Forest Reserve of Perak. It looks quite similar to our Rafflesia pricei (left).

Last Saturday there were two blooming of rafflesia pricei, one was 3 days old, another one 6 days. I was very lucky because one of the blooming rafflesia is only 10 minutes walk into the forest, and there was no forest leech due to the dry season now. The worst experience will be walking in the trail for an hour and get annoyed by the little blood sucking slimy leeches throughout the trekking. The extra water, raincoat and leech sock that I carried were needless.

Follow the guide into the forest to look for the blooming rafflesia flower. If you are lucky, it’ll be a short walk.

When I was busy photographing the rafflesia, the park ranger kept on asking if I would use the photos for filming. If the photos are for commercial use and I photograph it for very long, I would have to pay RM3,000 (USD900) for such purpose. According to him, a Korean even paid RM2,500 (WOW!) to picture this magnificent flower. Rafflesia pricei is pricey to photograph then. Well, I drove here for 2 hours and paid RM50 entrance fee, there was no way I would take two shots and left. I was done with the priceless moment anyway.

The blooming of the rafflesia flower lasts about six days. Days 2 and 3 are the best viewing times. The flower would turn dark and show signs of withering from day four onward.

Just for your info, the blooming flower will last only 1 to 5 days. On 6th day, the petals will dry up, and the whole plant will wither in the next few days. By the time you read this, the pretty rafflesia flower I saw last week should have gone. Before you visit, please call the center to see if there is any blooming. When I left, two tourist buses had come in; the travel agent was quite well-informed. When there is no blooming, the whole place is like yours.

For other two species, Rafflesia keithii, with 80cm in diameter, is the biggest species in Sabah. You can see them in Poring, Crocker Range Park, Sabah Agriculture Park (Tenom), and Lohan. If I am not mistaken, Keith, the person that discovered Rafflesia keithii, is the husband of Agnes Keith, the author who named Sabah “The land below the wind.”

Models of different rafflesia flower species from other regions

Rafflesia tengku-adlinii, with 20cm in diameter, is the smallest but the rarest rafflesia that can only be found in eastern slope of Trus Madi range and Lutong Mountain (of Maliau Basin) in interior Sabah. If you are able to show me its blooming, I will not hesitate to pay you handsomely!

Rafflesia tengku-adlinii is the rarest and smallest rafflesia species of Sabah.

Due to forest clearing for logging and agriculture, sighting rafflesia depends on luck. I hope we can grow them in the nursery. Some villagers are unhappy to see Rafflesia flowers. They would remove it to prevent their land is gazetted as a protected forest reserve. I also hope Sabah Parks can create a web page that announces the blooming of rafflesia so more tourists will come to the sighting. I have no doubt the interest is strong.

Blooming Info

Sighting of blooming rafflesia needs luck. To avoid disappointment, before you visit Rafflesia Information Centre in Tambunan (see Location Map), you can check for blooming information with Sabah Forestry Department:
Facebook: sabahforestrydepartment (they will update their Facebook if there is blooming)
Tel: +60 19-5383992 (mobile), +60 88-899589 (office)
Mobile Phone: +60 11-33912760, +60 16-8878110, +60 11-26883441, +60 16-8346396, +60 11-31445985, +60 14-8694419
Email: rafflesia.info@gmail.com

VisitorAdultChildGuiding Fee
MalaysianRM5RM3RM50 for 5 people
ForeignerRM15RM7RM100 for 5 people
Please note entrance fee applies. To see rafflesia flower, you need to pay guiding fee (can be shared by 5 people). Rates as of Mar 2024

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Biggest flower in Sabah
Twin blooming of rafflesia

Photos taken in Tambunan, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Peak Nam Toong Temple

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Religion has been a source of inspiration for making of remarkable architectures and artworks, but the ideas need the devotion of followers to turn into a reality. Peak Nam Toong (Chinese name: 碧南堂), one of the most beautiful Chinese temples in Sabah, is a perfect example of such outcome.

Peak Nam Toong looks like a palace in the heaven.

Chinese people are highly adaptive and willing to adjust their lifestyle to blend into the local society, but their cultures and religion are the cores that always remain intact. Therefore, a visit to a Chinese temple is a good starting point to see the dragon in their hearts.

Peak Nam Toong (碧南堂) is surrounded by houses and situated 300 feet away from the highway, but its towering 9-tier pagoda can been seen from miles away.

Even if you are a non-believer or atheist, your world view and values are more or less influenced by religions. For example, the karma, you wish good people go to heaven and your ex goes to hell right.

Peak Nam Toong temple is really photogenic and you can find many excellent spots for taking pictures.

History of Peak Nam Toong

Visitors would be impressed by the magnificent golden temple and 9-tier pagoda of Peak Nam Toong, so it’s hard to believe that Peak Nam Toong was just a humble stilt house in the water village of Tanjung Aru Beach about half a century ago.

In 1972, Peak Nam Toong was a small wooden building in water village and located about 300 feet away from the shore.

However, this first temple in the sea was so popular that it had to expand to accommodate more devotees. The temple was moved to Taman Fortuna less than 5 KM from Kota Kinabalu City and operated in 1984, this time it’s upgraded with bricks and cement structure. In the beginning, the new location was mostly empty ground. Now the temple is fully surrounded by residential housing.

Left: the 9-level pagoda of Peak Nam Toong; Right: The relief sculpture of five dragons

Wherever Chinese lives, there is a temple. In the bygone era of North British colonization, thousands of Chinese sailed across the South China Sea to work as labours and farmers in Sabah. Away from their hometown and working in a foreign country, religion gave these ancestor pioneers from China some hopes to protect themselves against insecurity.

Watch the video for a tour at Peak Nam Toong

Most of the Chinese immigrants are Hakka and Hokkien from Guangdong and Fujian provinces respectively, so naturally Guanyin (观音), Tua Pek Kong (大伯公) and Guang Ze Zun Wang (广泽尊王) are the three most common deities being worshiped in Sabah.

Lion decorations for the Chinese New Year. The place is clean and peaceful.

The Golden Temple

Taoism has a vivid vision of how a heaven looks like, so their temple is a mini replica of the palace. Peak Nam Toong fully incorporates the design of traditional Chinese architecture. The auspicious red and gold form the main theme colours. The area between the arch and temple are guarded by dozen of dragons and lions.

Day and night view of Peak Nam Toong (碧南堂)

The most prominent structure of Peak Nam Toong is the 9-tier pagoda, one of the tallest in Sabah. For Chinese, a 9-tier pagoda is a Feng Shui tower that can transfigure negative energy. Pagoda is a symbol of stability and wealth too because it was used to be a place for safekeeping of sacred relics, literature and treasures. This 200-feet-tall pagoda is a spectacular sight at night when its colourful LED light glows.

You can move the slider on photo to compare the day and night scenes of Peak Nam Toong

The front of Peak Nam Toong is facing at the direction of the sea. For people who’ve never been to a Chinese temple, there would be many things that pique their interest. Every elements in the sculptures, murals, motif, reliefs, statues, all have a story or meaning.

Sculptures of 12 Chinese Zodiac. They all look very rich.

Peak Nam Toong welcomes all visitors, even to non-followers who are respectful. The colourful statues of 12 Zodiac animals and Eight Immortals (八仙) at the compound are favourite spots of visitors for taking photos. For praying to the deities, the opening hours of the main prayer hall is from 6am to 6pm daily.

The Eight Immortals (八仙) in Chinese mythology. They represent eight main categories of people.

Under financial constraint, the construction of new Peak Nam Toong would be impossible without the support by the community through fund-raising, donation, and sponsorship. Just a trivia. When deciding the scale of the temple, the committees determined to go grand, as Taoism in Sabah needs a majestic landmark to project their faith and status.

Left: door of Peak Nam Toong; Right: booth for hanging wish banners

Main Prayer Hall

Taoism is a polytheistic religion, so there are about 16 deities housed in three altars and different areas of Peak Nam Toong. Sitting in the middle altar is Guang Ze Zun Wang (广泽尊王 / 圣王公), the main patron deity of Peak Nam Toong, together with his wife, Miao Yin Xian Fei (妙应仙妃) and 13 children, Thirteen Taibao (十三太保). You can find 24 drawing on the wall of the main prayer hall about the journey of Guang Ze Zun Wang to becoming a deity.

Altar of Guang Ze Zun Wang (广泽尊王) in the middle. He existed in Nan’an, Quanzhou, Fujian Province for over a thousand years.

The altar of Qing Shui Zu Shi (清水祖师) is at the right and Guanyin (观音菩萨) is at the left. They are accompanied by other deities such as Goddess Tian Hou (天后娘娘), Qi Xian Niang Niang (七仙娘娘), Lord Guan (关圣大帝), Tua Pek Kong (大伯公), Nezha (哪吒三太子), Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (地藏王菩萨) and Daode Tianzun (太上老君).

Altar of Qing Shui (清水祖师)

Each deity acts like an officer in heaven and has different roles and ranks. Most of them can answer general prayers about wealth, health, relationships, and some can handle specific requests like academic achievement and getting a baby. (Tip: For money matters, ask Tua Pek Kong.)

The altar of Guanyin (观音菩萨)

Usually devotees pray to Guang Ze Zun Wang to wish for blessing and a peaceful life. Guang Ze Zun Wang also has the power to ward off the evil spirits, and able to travel between heaven and hell. There are 13 Guang Ze Zun Wang temples in Sabah.

Praying on the birthday of Qing Shui (清水祖师). Note the three altars in the hall.

Taoism believes that kind-hearted human can transform into a deity, if she / he practices Taoism and does a lot of charitable works to help the people. Many deities were used to be a Taoist or legendary figure who is deeply respected as a philanthropist or hero.

Events & Celebrations

Peak Nam Toong would organise special celebrations on important dates to pay homage to the deities. If you enjoy watching vibrant cultural events, you could check out the following grand events:

Chinese New Year celebration and stage performance at Peak Nam Toong
  1. Pray to Tian Gong (拜天公)
  2. Birthdays of Guang Ze Zun Wang (广泽尊王), Qing Sui Zhu Shi (清水祖师), Guanyi (观音)
  3. Hungry Ghost Festival (孟兰节)
Devotees pray to King Guangze in the main prayer hall

Some events come with entertainment programmes including dragon, unicorn and lion dance, music and dance performances, grand parade, offering of various popular Chinese dishes to the deities, etc.

The glowing pagoda of Peak Nam Toong

You can follow their social media or contact the temple for updates on their upcoming activities.
Facebook: peaknamtoongkk
Email: peaknamtoong@gmail.com
Phone: +60 88-221616

Thank you Kapitam Lee Hing Boo (甲必丹李宏武) for sharing the stories of Peak Nam Toong.

Photos taken in Kota Kinabalu City, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo