Bukit Panchang, the Volcanic Hill of Tawau

Mount Kinabalu is the sacred mountain of Sabah’s indigenous people. During the active volcanic period from the Early Miocene to the Pleistocene in the eastern part of Sabah, did the people from that era worship these volcanoes? Currently, all volcanoes in Sabah are extinct, and many people are unaware that Tawau has at least 10 volcanoes that became extinct approximately 12,000 years ago. Anyway, a dead volcano is still a volcano. Climbing to the summit of a volcano fulfills my interests in its geological, spiritual, and ecological features.

Distribution of volcanic rocks and ancient volcanoes in Tawau and Semporna (south-east of Sabah). Tinagat Hill is No.7 on the map.

Bukit Panchang (or Panchang Hill, where ‘Bukit’ means ‘Hill’) is the fifth Sabah volcano I’ve climbed, following Bombalai Hill, Mount Wullersdorf, Bukit Tengkorak and Bohey Dulang. Situated in the Tinagat Forest Reserve, Bukit Panchang or Bukit Panchang Tinagat is less than 10 kilometers away from Tawau town.

About Tinagat Forest Reserve

Managed by the Sabah Forestry Department, Tinagat Forest Reserve is classified as a Class-1 (fully protected) forest reserve, covering an area of 1,011 hectares (or 10.11 square kilometers). Traveling along Jalan Apas, one of Tawau’s main roads, in the morning, you’ll witness this lush hilly forest veiled in mist. Amidst the extensive conversion of land around Tawau into oil palm plantations, Tinagat Forest Reserve stands as one of the few remaining forested areas near the town.

3D map of Tinagat forest reserve and its surrounding

Tinagat essentially represents a multi-peaked ancient volcano blanketed by dense forest cover. Remarkably, numerous climbing trails lead to various peaks on this hill. Among them, Bukit Panchang claims the highest altitude at 398 meters (1,306 feet). Bukit Panchang is probably a new official name, as many locals used to call it Bukit Kinabutan or Bukit Tinagat. Other notable peaks within the Tinagat Forest Reserve include Bukit 38, Bukit Akar, Hero Hill (Batu Payung), Bukit Kayawan, and Bukit Kiawan.

The trail map of Bukit Panchang in Tinagat Forest Reserve (English translation in blue colour). There are more than one hill in this forest.

A century-old lighthouse (Rumah Api Batu Tinagat), constructed by the British colonial government in 1916, stands at the foothills facing the sea. This 9-meter-high Batu Tinagat Lighthouse is currently a restricted area. However, PELKO (Pelancongan Komuniti Tawau, associated with Politeknik Tawau) suggests that it will soon be accessible to tourists. On 23rd February 2018, Batu Tinagat Lighthouse was among the 24 heritage sites in the state officially designated by Sabah’s State Heritage Council under the new enactment of the ‘State Heritage Enactment 2017’.

View of Tinagat Forest Reserve from the Jalan Apas Road near to Tawau town

Not far from the Batu Tinagat Lighthouse lies Batu Payung (literally meaning Umbrella Rock), which is tied to a legend that lends Tinagat its name (Tinagat translates to ‘Cut Down’ in the Tidung language). According to the tale, long ago, a young farmer encountered seven heavenly princesses bathing along the beach. Captivated by their beauty, he devised a plan to win one of them over by stealing her clothes. Unable to locate her dress, the youngest princess was stranded on Earth. Eventually, she married the young man and bore him a child.

PELKO (Tawau Community Tourism) is planning to develop and promote the attractions in Tinagat

One day, during a festival, the princess was invited to perform a dance. As she danced in her old attire, hidden from her until then, her body began to levitate and ascended to the top of Batu Payung. In a desperate attempt to get her back, her husband cut down the rock, but she continued to soar away. All that remained was a message she left behind: ‘Please take care of our child. If he cries, bring him to Sungai Sibuku (Sibuku River).’

A walk-through video of climbing Bukit Panchang

Climbing Bukit Panchang

Bukit Panchang is steep but not too difficult to climb. The trail to the peak spans about 1,080 metres one way, typically taking around an hour to complete. Your climb will start with a steep slope, sorry, no warm-up for you.

Starting point from the junction No.10. You can see the forested hill ahead of you. If you are afraid of dog, you may go in group or bring a hiking stick. These dogs were friendly to me when I communicated with positive gesture and voice.

Initially, a 200-metre walk on a gravel road within an oil palm plantation leads to the Sabah Forestry station (or checkpoint) at the foothill. Here, they’ve established amenities like toilets and gazebos. Beware of village dogs, though I found them quite friendly.

The small road to the Sabah Forestry station. You will pass through oil palm, rubber, coconut and banana plantation. You are almost there if you see the signages at the right. (Mula = Start, Jarak = Distance)

Thanks to the dense forest, the trail offers ample shade. Approximately 90% of the time is spent ascending, with mild to steep slopes. Tawau hikers often describe climbing steep hill as ‘feeling like Panchang,’ signifying its steepness.

Sabah Forestry station or checkpoint at the foothill of Bukit Panchang. Toilet and gazebo are available here.

The most challenging segment involves a 200-metre-long steep boulder section at the trail’s onset. After rainfall, this section transforms into a waterfall, so I strongly advise against attempting the climb during the wet season.

The starting point of the climb at the Sabah Forestry Department station

Throughout the climb, numerous exposed volcanic rocks and rockfaces remain visible, indicating Bukit Panchang was used to be a rocky hill. Rope supports are placed along the trail, providing climbing aid. The ropes also serve as guides leading to the summit. Distance markers every 100 meters serve as motivational checkpoints, and some spots have benches for resting. Fortunately, there are no leeches.

Left: start of the climbing trail. Right: the waterfall trail is the steepest section

In 2021, four kindergarten teachers lost their way in the Tinagat forest, but were thankfully rescued the following day. As a safety precaution, the Sabah Forestry Department now requires hikers to enlist a ranger’s guidance. Personally, I believe the hike isn’t dangerous if one exercises caution.

The Vegetations

After volcanic activity stopped thousands of years ago, this hill is covered with trees and plants that thrived in its fertile volcanic soil. While many perceive trees as mere providers of oxygen, the reality is that a rainforest hosts a multitude of plants offering food, medicinal properties, timber, firewood, and more.

Distance marker and rope support. The total climbing distance to the peak is 1,080 metres one way. The distance marker shows you how many metres you have climbed (Jarak = Distance).

The forest covering the Tinagat hills primarily consists of mixed dipterocarp forest, a typical rainforest found in the hills of Borneo. However, the trees here tend to be relatively smaller, possibly due to the thin layer of soil.

The steep climbing trail of Bukit Panchang. Basically it’s up-up-up all the way and only slightly better after 750 metres.

Along the trail to the peak, 30 or more trees are labeled with their scientific and local names. Providing additional information on these labels would greatly benefit non-botanist visitors, who want to learn more about the diverse flora present. I list a few trees that are interesting and useful.

The trees on Bukit Panchang of Tinagat Forest Reserve

Arenga undulatifolia (Polod) is a tree that can feed and kill. Its fruits are poisonous but the apical bud (known as a ‘palm heart’) is edible. The petioles and midribs are used to make darts for blowpipes.
Cratoxylum cochinchinensis, known as Selangan Biabas (Suluk) or Serungan (Malay, Brunei) is probably the most useful tree. Its timber, traded under the name ‘derum,’ is prized for medium to heavy construction. Additionally, its young fruit and shoots are edible, while the young leaves serve as a tea substitute. Its roots, bark, and twigs can treat colds and diarrhea.
Celtis philippensis offers a versatile range of applications: the seed oil finds use in producing lubricants and soap. Its bark supplies valuable fibers utilized in crafting ropes and paper. Furthermore, the wood is used in making poles, tool handles, beams, joists, rafters, cheap furniture, box lumber, and as fuel.

The trail is less steep after 800 metres (Jarak = Distance)

During World War II, villagers relied on their resourcefulness and the abundance of the forest. Many could retreat deep into the jungle, hiding for months as they relied on the forest for sustenance and survival.

Endemic trees of Borneo on Bukit Panchang

There are five or more trees endemic to Borneo on this hill.

Shorea biawak, known as Selangan Batu Biawak in Malay, is assessed as Endangered. It yields quality wood used in handicrafts.
Diospyros discocalyx, deriving its specific epithet from the Latin for ‘disc-shaped calyx,’ thrives in lowland mixed dipterocarp forests
Bauhinia diptera is a climbing shrub primarily found in the wet tropical biome.
Chionanthus pubicalyx is endemic specifically to Borneo.

Semecarpus glaucus (Rengas) is a poisonous plant you should avoid. (Ada Racun = Is Poisonous)

For hikers, they need to be cautious to a tree called Semecarpus glaucus (locally referred to as Rengas in Malay). Avoid touching this tree or its sap, as it can lead to severe skin irritations such as rashes and itching.

The exposed volcanic rocks along the trail. Many are weathered and covered by green moss.

Reaching the Peak

As I approached the peak, the trail’s inclination gradually eased, transitioning into a gentle ridge walk leading to the summit of Bukit Panchang. Hikers who had reached earlier cheered to show encouragement. Among them were Suzan and Priscilla, local regulars who’ve conquered most of Tawau’s hills and mountains.

At the peak, a raised wooden platform awaited, inviting a well-deserved rest and the chance to savor the victorious moment from an elevated vantage point. Not gonna lie, the 270 degree panoramic view on the peak is breathtaking. To the left lies the Celebes Sea, while to the right unfolds Tawau town and its surrounding plain. Notably, the sight extends to Pulau Sebatik, an island situated 13 kilometers away, shared nearly evenly between Malaysia and Indonesia.

The last 80 metres of climbing to the peak

Despite being only 9 kilometers away, Tawau town remains clearly visible even during hazy days. Beyond this bustling coastal town sprawls an extensive area dominated by oil palm plantations, residential areas, and notable landmarks like the Shan-Shui Golf & Country Club.

Group photos on the wooden platform and next to the trigonometrical point on the peak

At 398 meters (1,306 feet) above ground level, the peak of Bukit Panchang offers a higher vantage point compared to both the KL Tower and the Eiffel Tower.

Nestled within this plain are a handful of isolated forested hills, awkwardly encircled by expanses of oil palm. These remaining green hills—Bukit Gemok, Tiger Hill, and Membalua Forest Reserve—stand as vestiges of a volcanic past. I earnestly hope that the people of Tawau will endeavor to protect these fragmented forests, preserving their essence as remnants of past volcanic activity.

View of Tawau town, Celebes Sea and Sebatik Island from the top of Bukit Panchang

Sadly there is a hill being quarried. You can see Shan-Shui Golf & Country Club at the right.

How to get there

To embark on the Bukit Panchang ascent, navigate towards Tawau town’s Jalan Apas road until reaching Mile 6.5 (Batu 6.5). Look for the junction marked by a white cement signage adorned with prominent red lettering that reads ‘Selamat Datang Ke Kau Sing (高昇)’—translated as ‘Welcome to Kau Sing.’ Turn into this junction to proceed onto a narrow and straight road.

Junction No. 10 and the signboard of Bukit Panchang at the starting point

As you drive, maintain a slow pace and keep an eye out on the right-hand side for a small junction labeled No. 10. Adjacent to it (see Location Map), there’s a coloured signboard displaying ‘Taman Alam Tinagat’ (means Tinagat Nature Park). Park your car safely along the roadside, then proceed by foot towards the junction featuring a gravel path that leads directly to the foothill (forest station).

Upon entry at the Sabah Forestry station, visitors are required to pay an entry fee of RM5 for Malaysians and RM15 for foreigners. Additionally, hiring a guide is mandatory at RM50, and one guide can accompany up to five climbers. For optimal savings, a team of five climbers can share the cost of one guide. Even solo climbers must pay the full RM50 fee for a guide.

Viewpoint platform and trig point on the top of Bukit Panchang

Unauthorized entry is considered illegal encroachment and can result in severe penalties. Offenders could face fines up to RM50,000, imprisonment for up to 3 years, or both.

A huge volcanic boulder on the peak of Bukit Panchang

Tinagat was once a popular hiking destination among locals. However, the number of regular visitors has significantly declined due to the added guide fee. While Bombalai Hill could be a viable alternative, its distance from Tawau town makes it less accessible for many.

Some spots have benches for the climbers to rest

You can contact Sabah Forestry Department of Tawau district via the following channels for more information:
Facebook: Destinasi Rekreasi Hutan Simpan Perhutanan Daerah Tawau
Phone: +60 89-761833
E-mail: trhsm2021@gmail.com

Things to Bring

Besides wearing a pair of comfortable hiking shoes, you should bring the following items:

Cash
MyKad or identity card
Drinking water (1 Litre)
Raincoat / Poncho
Insect repellent
Sunscreen lotion
Snack or energy bars
Hiking stick (Trekking pole)

Photos taken in Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Rainforest Discovery Center (RDC), a Park in the Jungle

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The Rainforest Discovery Center (RDC) is one of the most accessible natural rainforest parks in Sabah. It sits by a lake at the edge of the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve in Sandakan. RDC has been in operation since 1996 for environmental education purposes. Today, it is a 3-in-1 park (i.e. wildlife, bird and botanical) for nature lovers and bird watchers where they can see the unique flora and fauna of Borneo. To students, it’s the best outdoor classroom to learn the rich biodiversity of tropical rainforest.

Rainforest Discovery Center and the adjacent Sepilok-Kabili Forest, and its lake. Boat is available for rent (RM5)

Rainforest Discovery Center (RDC) is managed by the Sabah Forestry Department and one of the most popular Environmental Education (EE) centers in Sabah. A pristine lowland dipterocarp and Mangrove forest with astounding 300 species of birds are recorded in the area.

10 things you can do at Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC). RDC receives more than 30,000 visitors every year.

The 4,300-hectare Sepilok-Kabili Forest Reserve has gained birders recognition worldwide for its iconic Bornean Bristlehead, Black & Crimson Pitta, Blue-headed Pitta, Giant Pitta, Black Hornbill, Rhinoceros Hornbill and more. The forest of Sepilok is declared as an Important Birding Area (IBA) by Birdlife International in 2009.

Jungle and Nature Trails

Visitors can walk along the trails and become acquainted with green giants such as the 40-Meter-tall mengaris tree, one of the tallest tree in Borneo. Besides soaking up the sight and getting a good workout, visitors can refer to the interpretive panels along the trail, which has descriptions about the unique residents of the forest.

Interesting fruit and plant at RDC. Left: Giant aroid (*Alocasia robusta*), endemic to Borneo; Middle: an unknown fruit; Right: Elephant tree, locally known as Simpoh Gajah or Ubah Rusa (Species: *Dillenia borneensis*), endemic to Borneo

Alert the little ones to keep an eye out for darting civets and flying squirrels (which can glide up to 100 Meters)! And lucky visitors have also spotted animals such as the elusive red leaf monkey, gibbon (the fastest moving primate in tree canopy), mouse deer, civet cat and many odd looking insects such as stick insect and lantern bug.

Giant trees of Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok Giant (left) and Kabili Monster (right)

The giant trees that you must check out are Sepilok Giant, a Yellow Seraya tree (Shorea acatissima), which is about 65 Meters in height, with an estimated age of 800-1,000 years old, and the 75-Meter-tall Kabili Monster, an Obah Suluk tree (Shorea pauciflora).

Trail map of Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC)

Another tree worths a good look is Belian Borneo Ironwood (Eusideroxylon zwageri), the 7th hardest wood in the world. The main trails are gravel path, and some sections are networks of well-trodden nature (soil) trails for you to explore deeper.

Plant Discovery Garden

RDC also has a Plant Discovery Garden, which covers about 3 acres of land. This garden will make any botanist smile with its rich collection of hybrid orchids, arid land plants, aquatic plants, pitcher plants, economic crops and tropical American plants.

There are colourful outdoor interpretive panels with descriptions of all the plants, which are available in English and Bahasa Malaysia languages and makes learning not only easy but fun as well.

Interpretation panels with photographs and interesting facts of fruits and herb, description is available in English and Malay languages.

For serious learners, there are just too many local and exotic plants (flowers, herbs, spices, crops) to look at, just to name a few, peach palm, vanilla, tongkat ali, rubber, cassava, cinnamon, fig, and cycad (a living fossil and food of dinosaur).

From left: Kelumpang Sarawak (*Sterculia megistophylla*), fig tree, and red fruit of achiote plant (used as lipstick in the past)

Rainforest Skywalk (Canopy Walk)

The main attraction of RDC is Rainforest Skywalk, the longest Canopy Walkway in Sabah. Visitors can climb to the top of the observation towers and take in the breathtaking view from the 620-Meter-long and 25-meter-high metal platforms and walkway.

Towers of RDC. From left: Bristlehead Tower, Trogon Tower, nature trail under the tower

The walkway is two meters wide, is very sturdy and can hold the weight of a large crowd. RDC has three main towers that are named after the Bristlehead, Hornbill and Trogon and a single-column shelter called the Sunbird. With a height of 26.5 Metres (87 ft), Trogon Tower is the highest tower of RDC.

Rainforest Skywalk of Rainforest Discovery Centre is tall but still lower than many trees. Some of the trees were planted in 1970s and 1980s.

The designers of the canopy walkway made sure that it was not only safe for adults, but also for young children who are at kindergarten-level.

Fruiting next to the Rainforest Skywalk. From left: *Artocarpus elasticus* (Terap togop), *Dacryodes rostrata* (or cuspidata), poisonous Lampada Fruit (*Tabernaemontana macrocarpa*)

To the team at RDC, the younger children are exposed to the wonders of Mother Nature, the more they will appreciate our rainforest. During weekends, some local retired people also come here for birding regularly.

Rainforest Skywalk of RDC is 620 Metres long after an extension of 250 Metres completed in early 2022.

The highest platform of towers is about 26.5 Meters (87 feet) above the ground. Many birds, wildlife, fruits and insects live high on the tree, so these towers provide a great viewing point for bird watching and wildlife sighting. I’ve seen mother orangutan with her baby there before (see video).

Orangutan and Macaque could be seen at RDC, especially during fruiting season. They are not friendly so keep a distance from them.

Bornean Bristlehead normally feeds up in the mid and upper layer of tree canopy, and best seen from Canopy Walkway. You have higher chance of seeing them near Bristlehead and Hornbill Towers in RDC. On the skywalk, you don’t need to look up so much that your neck cramps. I’m confident to say that RDC has one of the best setting for bird watching in the world.

Information board about the tall rainforest trees around this area, so you can do a self-guided tour.

Many trees here are very old and over 50 Meters tall, most of these emergent trees are from the family Dipterocarpaceae, the main timber family of Sabah. During fruiting season, you will see many birds and wildlife coming here for feeding.

Bird Watching

Due to the tourist-friendly canopy walkway and nearby virgin rainforest where over 300 lowland bird species reside, RDC is really a haven for nature photographers and birdwatchers. RDC is also the most promising spot to see Bornean Bristlehead, the trophy bird species of birders, but you still need some luck. I saw it only once after three visits.

Many endemic (13 species are Borneo endemic), rare and colorful birds are active around RDC, for example, Bornean Bristlehead, Hornbills, Pittas, Kingfisher (8 species), Trogons, Malkohas, Leafbirds, Minivets, Spiderhunters (6 species), Crested Jay, Red-bearded Bee-eater, Broadbills, Woodpeckers, and Bulbuls. For full list, you may see this Checklist of Birds in Sepilok.

Endemic birds of Borneo in Sepilok. The red-headed bird in pictures is Bornean Bristlehead (Nickname: headphone bird)

Therefore, for visitors who don’t want to travel far, RDC is the best alternative birding sites to Danum Valley and Tabin Wildlife Reserve, the world-class birding sites in Lahad Datu.

Trail signages and interpretation panel of birds in RDC

Some forest birds spend most of their time on canopy and best to be observed from RDC Canopy Walkway, while some prefers habitat in understorey and forest ground, so you need to explore the jungle trails for such birds. (Note: leeches might present during wet season)

Interpretation panels of birds in RDC are placed at the spots where sighting of birds in the pictures are possible. Some are placed on Rainforest Skywalk for birds that are active on canopy.

According to birding community, the 1.9-KM Kingfisher Trail is very productive (many birds). There are many direction signages in the RDC trail network, so you should have no problem to get around. What I really like is – RDC also places many information panels in different spots to inform you what birds, trees and wildlife are (probable) nearby.

Birds of RDC. From left: Red-bearded bee eater, Racket-tailed drongo, White-crowned hornbill, Bornean black magpie

Inside the forest there are small ponds used by many birds as natural bird bath for bathing and drinking. Most birds only dip their wings to splash water on their backs. Parts of the bath is just about 2 inches deep, just enough for small birds. Keep an eye for Red-eyed Bulbul, Emerald Dove and Hairy-backed Bulbul there. Garden birds such as sunbirds, spiderhunters and flowerpeckers are common visitors too.

Borneo Bird Festival is packed with activities for birders, children, photographers and tourists.

RDC is a preferred venue for Borneo Bird Festival, which is usually held in Sep or Oct annually, the best visiting time for bird watchers who are looking forward for exciting activities such as bird race, talks, bird photography contest, latest birding gears, and exhibition.

Exhibition Hall

The main visitor building has an exhibition hall that features the unique flora found in Sabah, plus the various icons in our animal kingdom including the Bornean pygmy elephant, orangutan, proboscis monkey and many more.

Visitors can also find information on reptiles and the main groups of birds. The building also has a multi purpose hall, which is often used for talks, screenings and other activities.

Information about flora & fauna of Borneo (available in both English and Malay languages)

Besides animals, visitors can browse good collections of plant, fruit, tree and insect specimens in the hall. The information is presented in gallery style, with a lot of beautiful photographs with minimal text, available in English and Malay languages.

Left: One of the display item: Ghost Durian (Durian Hantu) has no spikes and inedible, though it’s under the same family of Durian fruit. Right: Crocodile specimen in exhibition hall of RDC

This Exhibition Hall is air-conditioned, so I love to come here after a long walk under hot sun outside LOL (and for the toilet too). I must say the Exhibition Hall does a very good job in giving visitors an interesting overview of Borneo’s nature.

Other Facilities

The infrastructure of RDC is quite well-thought, this makes RDC an excellent attraction, as well as a great location to organize mid-scale events. They also added a 180-Metre flying squirrel zipline at the lake area.

Left: Keruing Cafe of RDC is located at the starting point of Canopy Walk and it serves simple meals and drink. Right: Kabili Mini Theatre for seminar, talks and conference

Left: Exhibition about Borneo birds in Drongo House. Right: Birders Rest Complex (toilet available), Both places are good shelters when it rains.

Entrance Fee

Rainforest Discovery Center (RDC) is open from 8am to 5pm every day (include Public Holidays), but the trails and canopy walkway close at 8pm, so some visitors can do night walk and evening birding. RDC is a park opens to public, any walk-in visitor can buy a ticket to enter (see ticket prices below).

	Malaysian	Foreigner
Adult (18 & above)	RM7	RM20 (≈USD$4.70)
5-17 years old	RM3	RM10 (≈USD$2.30)
Below 5 years old	FREE	FREE

Entrance Fee to RDC (Last updated in Dec 2022). Starting 1st April 2024, the new entrance fees for Non-Residents will be RM30 for adults and RM20 for children aged 5-17 years old.

For more information, call +60 89-533780 / 533781, e-mail rdcsepilok@yahoo.com or visit RDC’s official website and Facebook.

All proceeds from ticket sales are used to organize environmental education programs for students, teacher training courses and other environment-related activities.

Night Walk

Most wildlife are nocturnal. You may not see a lot of wildlife during daytime in RDC, but a night walk there would probably give you some pleasant surprises. Depend on your luck, you would see civet, moonrat, Malay badger, sleeping birds, glow worm, owls, stick insect, firefly, frog, bearded pig, flying lemur, etc. You hit jackpot if you spot Bornean Tarsier or Slow Loris, the most mysterious primates of Sabah. Known as Ghost Monkey locally, Bornean Tarsier is the smallest primate of Borneo and has huge eyes bigger than its brain.

During dusk, people gather and wait for red giant flying squirrel to come out of the box. Far right: Tarsier

Night Walk is available (conducted between 6pm-8pm), you can register for the walk at ticketing counter (before they close at 5pm). The fee is RM30 (≈USD$8.50) per adult and RM15 (≈USD$4) per child (5-17 years old) for a minimum of 2 hours, RM15/person for each additional hour. A minimum of 4 visitors (but no more than 10) is required to form the night walking group, or you have to pay for the full amount RM120/group (≈USD$34). Do bring torch-light (flashlight) and raincoat with you. You can take photos but no camera flash is allowed for small animals.

How to get there

The Rainforest Discovery Center is located at Sepilok, Sandakan, Sabah, about 25 KM to the west of Sandakan City (see Location Map). Public transport to Sepilok is available readily and the journey takes about 45 to 50 minutes one way. You can hire a taxi for a return trip for about RM100 per car (≈USD$28)(negotiable).

RDC Shuttle Service (within Sepilok Only)

I strongly recommend you to visit Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center and Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center, which are only 2 KM away from RDC.

RDC Shuttle Service (within Sepilok only) is available only when licensed taxi not around and depend on staff availability. It’s no guarantee but good to know this option anyway. The standard rate is RM10 (≈USD$2.50) per car. You can request for transport in following time:
9am-5pm: enquire for taxi or shuttle service at ticketing counter
5pm-8pm: enquire shuttle service at security hut

Photos taken in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Antanom Museum, the History of British Vs. Borneo Headhunters

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Tenom, nestled in the rustic interior of Sabah, serves as the terminus for Borneo’s railway, and is renowned for the beloved Tenom Coffee, a favorite among both Sabahans and tourists. Interestingly, both the coffee and the railway have roots dating back to the colonial era, introduced by the British over a century ago.

Padas River is the most important river of Tenom. It floods huge catchment area of 3,500 square miles and brings new layer of fertile alluvial soils after it recedes.

Before the British arrived, Tenom was merely a burial ground along a stream at Padas River, known to the Murut villagers as “Tanam.” Recognizing the fertility of the alluvial soil left by the river’s floods, the British “tanam” (means plant in Malay language, pun intended) some cash crops such as tobacco, rubber and coffee in the 1880s.

Left: Tenom during 1910. Right: *Tanam*, the burial ground of the Murut

Therefore, a heavy duty transport was badly needed to ferry tons of products from the interior to Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu City) about 150 Kilometres away, led to the completion of a 48-kilometer railway connecting Tenom to the coastal area’s main railway in 1905. However, improved accessibility triggered more conflicts between the white settlers and the Murut, former fearsome headhunters of Borneo, turning Tenom into one of Sabah’s most storied towns.

Old photograph of train terminal in Tenom

After you enjoy the popular Tenom dishes such as maize chicken and spring rolls, take a stroll through Tenom town. At the town center stands the Antanom Museum, named after Ontoros Antanom, the renowned Murut warrior. Functioning as a community museum, it features a small gallery showcasing the historical traces of the British, Murut, Chinese, and Japanese in Tenom.

Antanom Museum (Local Name: Muzium Antanom)

Established in 2009 on the grounds of a former European cemetery, the air-conditioned museum offers visitors a comfortable space to explore information and nostalgic photographs displayed on rows of exhibit panels. Most writings are accompanied by English translations.

Exhibition panels and gallery in the hall of Antanom Museum

While the size of the museum hall is less than that of a basketball court, a casual browse takes around 30 minutes. However, for those deeply interested in detailed exploration, it may extend beyond an hour. The museum exhibits fall into five main categories.

1) History of North Borneo Railway

Learn about the legacy of the British colony in Sabah through the prominent railway network. The first railway in North Borneo began in 1886 near Weston, serving as Sabah’s economic lifeline. In 1905, Tenom joined the backbone railway of the more prosperous west coast, facilitating the transport of agriculture products.

Pictures of North Borneo train stations and locomotive models in the past

For the next 60 years, this railway was the only mean of transport from the interior to the west coast. Loads after loads of tobacco, coffee, soy beans, fruits and rubber were able to be delivered from Tenom to the port of Jesselton. Because the natives were exposed to the civilized west, they learnt to use money and dress more decently.

2) Down Memory Lane Tenom

Discover the evolution of Tenom, officially named in 1906. Before that, it was known as Fort Birch, named after Governor E.W. Birch (1901-1904). Some believe that Tenom was used to be an ancient lake, then Padas River cut a gorge that drained away the water, leaving behind nutrient-rich and moist alluvial soil that is perfect for planting.

In 18th century, British, German and Dutch planters developed Tenom as a farming district. In 1915, 5,000 Chinese and 5,000 Javanese were imported as labours to work there. It’s a huge number, consider the population of North Borneo population that time was only 70,000. During World War II, Japanese built a military HQ in Tenom in early 1944, with 30,000 Japanese billeted in the estate.

Some interesting photos of the past. From left: Christmas Party in 1930s, British managers, cinema in Sapong (1950s)

This section presents various aspects of Tenom’s history, covering people, landmarks, plantations, sports, festivals, old shoplots, and events.

3) Dark History of Headhunting

You want to be respected? You want a wife? If you were a Murut man more than 150 years ago, you must bring back the heads of the enemies to earn them. Before British government banned headhunting in 1883, owning many skulls was a status of bravery among Murut, who believed that by doing so, they would possess the power of the victims.

The headhunting section in Antanom Museum

However, many natives still practiced headhunting even after the ban. They went headhunting when they needed sacrifice for a new bridge, house, or farmland. It’s cool that this museum has good collection of the photos of headhunters with their “trophies”.

Old photos of Murut people proudly showing the skull like a trophy

The gallery also highlights mysterious landmarks associated with headhunting and displays headhunting weapons such as swords, blowpipes, and poison darts.

4) Ontoros Antanom and Rundum Uprising

Explore Tenom as the stronghold of Muruts, the third largest indigenous group in Sabah. They were enraged by the meddlesome British who stepped into their land and imposed all sorts of laws and taxes that they never heard of, just to list some, poll tax, tapai (wine) tax, forest clearance tax, headhunting ban, and forced labour. These regulations affected the cores of their culture and livelihood.

The story of Ontoros Antanom and Rundum Uprising 1915 is one of the most important chapters in Sabah history

Under the leadership of Ontoros Antanom, thousands of Murut warriors from different tribes were united and attacked the British office in Rundum in Feb 1915. The rebellion lasted about two months until Antanom was captured and executed on 17 April on the same year. Rundum Uprising is one of the biggest battles in Sabah history. Though Antanom lost, he is honoured as the hero of Sabah, and his legend is being told in this museum.

British force was facing about 2,000 Murut fighters like these in Rundum Uprising

5) Artifacts and Handicrafts

In the middle of the hall is a wooden platform called Sangiang, the seats for wedding couple of Murut Tahol. Though it is made of from tikalis wood bound with rattan vines, the price of sitting on it is exorbitant, as the groom would need to pay his debt throughout his lifetime. In addition to bride price, the man needs to pay for the week-long feast.

*Sangiang*, a wooden throne for the wedding couples of Murut

At a corner are some handicrafts and artifacts on display. Murut women are skillful in making handicrafts with intricate patterns and elaborative weaving from basic materials such as bamboo and rattan. Just spend some time to appreciate the basket, mats and hats they make. Intrigued by the headhunting stories? Check out the headhunting sword and blowpipe. The antique ceramic jar may look ordinary but it’s a highly priced heirloom in the past.

Some artifacts and handicrafts displayed in the glass cases

How to Get There

Antanom Museum is located in the town centre of Tenom (see Location Map) and highly accessible by asphalt road. It’s open from 9am to 5pm every day. The entrance is free.

Normal tourists would not notice Antanom Museum because the gate is closed and the signage wears out

Tel: (+60) 087-339126
E-mail: Muzium.Sabah@sabah.gov.my
Facebook: @muzium.sabah.1
Website: museum.sabah.gov.my

Photos taken in Tenom, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Trip to the Cocoa Village of Tawau, the Chocolate Capital

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What food is cool 4,000 years ago and is still cool today? Today it is found in cakes, candy, drinks, desserts, ice-cream and cookies, you name it. In the past, Mayans praised chocolate as the drink of the gods, and the Aztecs (Mexica) believed that cocoa seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom. Now chocolate is also a food of love that you give to your crushes on Valentines’ Day.

Display at the entrance of Teck Guan Cocoa Village

Cocoa in Sabah

Cocoa is the main ingredient of chocolate. Malaysia is one of the major cocoa-producing countries in Asia, and over 60% of Malaysian cocoa beans are from Tawau of Sabah State. Teck Guan Cocoa Village is one of the earliest plantations to cultivate cocoa in Tawau. This village is also a family-friendly destination opens to public.

Quoin Hill at Teck Guan Cocoa Village is an extinct volcano. Its fertile volcanic soil is ideal for cocoa plantation.

For teachers and parents, a visit to the cocoa village offers an excellent outdoor education to make learning fun to their children. Because of Internet, the new generations spend far more time in virtual world than real world that some of them are even afraid of chicken. Gosh, where’s our hope in future if we have kids who are spooked by “food”? Anyway, adults would find the tour at cocoa village interesting too. Who doesn’t like chocolate?

Left: cold cocoa drink at Cocoa Village. Right: Abiu fruit, also known as “I Love You” fruit

Five Fun Things to Do at Cocoa Village

The tour to Teck Guan Cocoa Village takes about half-day (from 10am to 3pm) and requires booking in advance. The staff there will give you a guided tour to experience the wonders of nature and cocoa fruits. The following is a walk-through of the tour. My guide is Ms. Chida, a friendly sino who can speak English, Chinese and Malay.

You may watch this video for a quick overview of the cocoa village tour

1) Nature Walk in Cocoa Culture Spring

My cocoa journey starts with an one-hour nature walk in the rainforest of Cocoa Culture Spring. Though it’s a hot day, the air in this forested area is so cooling and refreshing. The plantation of Cocoa Village is near to Quoin Hill, an extinct volcano that produced the fertile soil that nurtures the cocoa trees as well as the jungle here.

Taking a nature walk in Cocoa Culture Spring. The green environment is good for our eyes too.

There are six waterfalls in Cocoa Culture Spring that work like giant air ionizers and conditioners that cleanse the air. Most of the trail is paved and easy to walk on. This reminds me of Japan, a well-developed country that coexists well with beautiful nature. Japanese is educated to appreciate nature since young, something we should learn from them.

The walk in cocoa culture spring ends at the tallest waterfall

The 75-feet Majesty Waterfall in Cocoa Culture Spring

The highlight is the columnar basalt on the river. These neatly arranged rocks are formed 27,000 years ago from lava flow that is cooled down rapidly by water. It’s a great spot for photo-taking but we didn’t stay long because there were many sandflies. Finally we ended the nature walk at the 75-foot-tall Majesty Waterfall.

Basalt columnar in Cocoa Culture Spring of Teck Guan Cocoa Village. In Malaysia, such volcanism wonder is only found in Tawau.

The basalt columnar in cocoa village was formed 27,000 years ago when hot lava was cooled down rapidly by water.

2) Learning about Cocoa

After the nature walk, I’m transferred to the cocoa nursery to learn more about the cocoa cultivation and processing. Our cocoa materials are used by famous brands such as Godiva and M&M to make chocolate.

Left: cocoa fruits with different grades and yield. Right: cocoa beans ready for fermentation

Uncle Mando shows me the variety of cocoa fruits being planted. Most plantations grow at least 6 distinct varietals, each with different grades, yield and resistance to pests. This approach minimizes the risk of cocoa plants being completely decimated by single enemy such as cocoa pod borer and vascular streak dieback. Cocoa is a profitable crop that requires great care, and it’s one of the best fruits to plant in an integrated farmland.

Left: Uncle Mando showing the cultivation and processing of cocoa. Right: cocoa pod (fruit) and its beans are white

I also savour the taste of freshly harvested cocoa pod. The pulp is thin, with sweet and sour taste like mango. After removing the pulp, the cocoa beans are fermented and dried to make cocoa butter and cocoa powder. A pound of chocolate is made from 400 cocoa beans. Each cocoa tree produces an average of 2,500 cacao beans per year.

Diagram on processing of cocoa to chocolate

Nine women can’t produce a baby in a month. Then Uncle Mando demonstrates the grafting technique that can make a 3-month-old cocoa seedling starts fruiting in only 2.5 years, which is normally takes 4 to 5 years if grows normally. Besides, these bud-grafted clonal trees are more productive and resistant to disease. That’s the power of science.

3) Enjoy Cocoa Meal and Chocolate Drink

Time flies when I’m having fun. It’s about noon time and the cocoa aroma makes me hungry, so I move to Tawau Cocoa Cafe to enjoy a tasty cocoa lunch that is included in the tour package. This cafe serves many cocoa-inspired dishes, desserts and drinks, as well as nasi kuning (yellow rice) and some western finger food.

Cocoa lunch with chicken katsu and organic cocoa noodle

I have cocoa noodle with chicken katsu (Japanese-style fried chicken cutlet coated with crispy panko) as main dish, cocoa waffle and chocolate ice-cream as desserts, and ice old cocoa drink. I’m quite full after lunch. Otherwise, I would try their cocoa pudding jelly and ice-blended chocolate coffee.

The lawn area at Cocoa Village for photo taking and other family activities

Their cocoa drink is a richer and heathier version of Milo (favourite cocoa drink of Malaysians). Tawau Cocoa Cafe has special cocoa dishes occasionally, you can follow their Facebook at tawaucocoa for the latest cocoa cuisines.

4) Family Time with Children

Next to Tawau Cocoa Cafe is a beautiful lawn and nice garden for your family to explore. Parents can sit at the benches watching their kids running on the lawn, taking family photos at the playground, explore the tree house, and even try the zipline (fee applies) between Durian and Menggaris tree.

Left: the lawn area of Cocoa Village. Right: tree house

5) Shopping for Local Cocoa Products

The last stop of the tour is to see a myriad of Sabah cocoa and chocolate products in their shop, for example, cocoa powder, spread, coffee, noodle, cookies and chocolates. Sabahans should be proud of their cocoa products besides Sabah Tea and Tenom Coffee.

Some cocoa products and souvenirs of Cocoa Village

Some of the items are nicely packaged and hard to find in Kota Kinabalu City so don’t leave empty-handed. I bought some Tawau white coffee to give to my friends. Their handmade chocolate is also one of the best buy.

Booking a Tour to Cocoa Village

The following is the price of the cocoa village tour package (year 2023):
Adult @ RM80, Child (Age 6-12) @ RM60, Child (Age 3-5) @ RM40
Infant (Age 0-2) @ Free of charge (no meals provided)
Note: A minimum of four (4) adults is required

Layout map of Teck Guan Cocoa Village, a cocoa theme park

Itinerary

10:00 Meet at gathering point (Elaeis Hall)
10:05 Depart to Cocoa Culture Spring
10:20 Briefing at Cocoa Cultural Spring
10:35 Jungle Trekking start
11:35 Return to Cocoa Nursery
11:40 Cocoa Grafting Demonstration & Real Cocoa Fruits Tasting
12:30 Lunch at Tawau Cocoa Café
14:00 Shopping time
14:30 Get a takeaway gift from Cocoa Village
15:00 Tour end

Site map of Cocoa Culture Spring, the forest and waterfall garden of Cocoa Village

Package Inclusions

Learn about cocoa cultivation chain through practical demonstration
Opportunity to taste the real Cocoa fruits
Waterfall trekking at Teck Guan Cocoa Culture Spring
Witness the historic columnar-jointing basalt
Entrance ticket to Teck Guan Cocoa Village
One (1) takeaway gift from Cocoa Village
One (1) lunch at Tawau Cocoa Café

Zipline + Abseil Adventure @ RM30/pax (subject to availability)

Cocoa Village is a family-friendly destination in Tawau that both adults and children enjoy.

For booking and enquiry, you can contact Teck Guan Cocoa Village at:
Phone: +60 16-8269579 (Whatsapp), +60 89 772277 (office)
E-mail: cocoavillage@teckguan.com
Facebook: cocoavillagetawau
Address (Cocoa Village): Quoin Hill, Miles 15, Jalan Bukit Quoin, 91000 Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia.

Teck Guan Cocoa Village is about 45 minutes (38 Kilometre) away from Tawau town by driving and highly accessible by asphalt road in good condition (see Location Map). You may visit Cocoa Museum in Tawau town if you are interested in the manufacturing of cocoa powder and cocoa butter at their factory.

Photos taken in Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Climbing Bombalai Hill, an Ancient Volcano

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One of the reasons Malaysians visit famous volcanoes such as Mount Fuji and Mount Bromo is they’ve never seen a volcano, and they think that there is no volcano in Malaysia. Wrong! Sabah has over 10 volcanoes, for example, Bohey Dulang Island, Bukit Tengkorak, Mount Wullersdorf. Tawau and Semporna in south-east of Sabah were used to be the volcanic regions from Neogene to Late Pleistocene ages (about 23 million to 11,700 years ago).

Volcano crater view from the plane to Tawau. It’s probably belong to the Mount Maria of Tawau Hills Park.

Don’t worry. All volcanoes in Sabah are extinct (or dead) volcano, which will not erupt anymore. Don’t believe those viral videos which clickbait us by saying that the Bombalai Hill of Sabah is an active or dormant volcano. Some local school teachers tell their students that Mount Kinabalu is a volcano, this is incorrect too.

Bombalai Hill is abundant with volcano rocks ranging in age from Middle Miocene to Quaternary.

About Bombalai Hill (Bukit Bombalai)

Bombalai Hill (Bukit Bombalai in Malay language) is the most accessible extinct volcano in Sabah. You can park your car near its foothill and hike only an hour to its peak. Though a dead volcano is not as interesting as a smoking active volcano with flowing lava, it is definitely safer to explore.

3D map of Bombalai Hill (left) and Tawau Hills Park (right). Note the caldera on the peak.

Bombalai Hill is an ancient cone volcano that was active during Quaternary. Its last eruption is probably about 129,000 to 11,700 years ago. Though the dense forest on the hill has covered the traces of volcanism, its 300-metre-wide caldera is quite visible from the sky. I saw it once from a plane that flied to Tawau town, the third largest town of Sabah.

Beautiful jungle trail of Bombalai Hill (Bukit Bombalai)

Bombalai Hill is part of Tawau Hills Park (Taman Bukit Tawau), a fully protected forest reserve about 24 km north-west of Tawau (see Location Map) and highly accessible by sealed roads. If Tawau Hills Park is open a million years ago, it would be called “Tawau Volcanoes Park” because the mountains there were used to be active volcanoes from the ages of Miocene to Late Pleistocene.

Hill dipterocarp forest is the most common forest type in Tawau Hills Park (Taman Bukit Tawau)

Now these extinct volcanoes become the three highest mountains in Tawau Hills Park, namely, Mount Magdalena (1,310 M), Mount Lucia (1,201 M) and Mount Maria (1,083 M). Mount Lucia has the most distinct volcano crater on the peak and it takes 6 hours to hike, but I climb Bombalai Hill first, because it’s the smaller volcano with the shortest and easiest trail.

Starting point of the climb to Bombalai Hill (Bukit Bombalai)

Tawau Hills Park opens from 8am to 4pm every day. You can climb Bombalai Hill during the opening hours but I advise you to start before 2pm. Because the dense forest is quite dim after 3pm, when the sun starts sinking behind the hill. You are not required to hire a guide to go with you.

Left: a long-tailed macaque on the fence. Right: grass path to Bombalai Hill

Climbing Bombalai Hill

The starting point is located outside the fenced area of Tawau Hills Park headquarter. The ticket (named as Conservation Fee) costs RM6 for Malaysian adult (18 years old & above) and RM20 for foreign adult (as of year 2023). Some “smart” people would ask you to bypass the ticket counter so you can climb the hill for free. Please don’t do that. In case you are stranded on the hill, nobody would know that you are on the hill. Or you would be mistaken as a poacher by the patrolling rangers there.

Left: nature trail to the hill. Middle: a cocoa tree. Right: white fungus high on a tree

Though Bombalai Hill is 530 metres above sea level, the hike begins on a higher ground of nearly 300 metres above sea level, so I only need to climb up about 230 metres. The trail to the peak of Bombalai Hill is about 1.9 kilometres one way. Normally it takes about an hour to reach the top. Overall, the climb is not tough, even beginners can do it. Wear a pair of anti-leech socks if you’re afraid of leech bite.

Fruits next to the trail of Bombalai Hill

When you face the front of the park entrance, turn left and walk 150 metres, from car park to the end of the paved road until you reach the building of staff accommodation. You will see a signage to Bombalai Hill, which points to a straight, wide and flat gravel and grass path next to an oil palm plantation.

Just follow the grass path for less than 10 minutes, you will enter a forest edge with narrow soil trail with bushy sides. You should see a signage that says “Ke Puncak Bukit Bombalai”, which is translated as “To the Peak of Bombalai Hill.” (Bukit means Hill in Malay language)

Signage to the peak of Bombalai Hill (Bukit Bombalai) at the forest edge

Due to the tree shades, the surrounding is darker and the trail is flanked by dense undergrowth. Walk slowly and scan around, you would find many fruits, herb plants and flowers, e.g. ginger, orchid, begonia, among them. A couple of leeches would welcome you.

Left: Begonia plant. Right: wild “football fruits” or *pangi* fruits. The fruits are poisonous and can be used for food fermentation after treatment.

The lush rainforest covers all the traces of volcanism. This forested dead volcano is actually a green volcano full of lives. The cicada orchestra and bird calls never stop. My presence causes some commotion among the elusive tree-dwelling primates.

Left: pill millipede curled up as a defense. Right: flies feasting on a dropping (very smelly). Both play important role in decomposing organic matters in forest.

The eight species of primate found in this park are long-tailed macaque, pig-tailed macaque, red-leaf monkey, Borneo gibbons, orang-utans, tarsiers, slow loris and Gray-leaf Monkey. They flee before I can tell what they are, but very likely they are either macaques or red-leaf monkey.

The towering rainforest trees of Bombalai Hill

Tawau Hills Park is also a popular bird-watching site. I can hear the hoarse call and flapping wing of hornbills on the canopy. I recognise the calls of broadbill and pitta too. Of the 8 species of Hornbills known from Sabah, 6 species live here, namely, the Black, Bushy-crested, Helmeted, Rhinoceros, White-crowned and the Wreathed hornbills. Also, 3 species of the rare pheasants occur here, namely, Crested-fireback, Great argus and Malayan peacock pheasants.

Distance markers to the peak of Bombalai Hill (Bukit Bombalai)

The first 1 kilometre of the hike is mainly an easy walk on flat surface, with only a few gentle slopes. The distance markers every 100 metres are the progress bars that keep me motivated. I’m the only climber on the hill, but I don’t feel lonely in nature. I don’t worry about losing my way because the trail is well-trodden.

Vines and creepers on the tree. The left one looks like birds in flight. To survive, these plants need to climb high to reach for more sunlight.

The foothill is mainly lowland and secondary forest. As I climb higher, I see variety of trees, vines, liana, and creepers of hill dipterocarp forest flourishing on the fertile volcanic soil. Unlike the monodominant forests in temperate countries, the vegetation of Borneo rainforest is highly diversified.

A tree with big buttress on the trail. This structure allows the tree to stand firm on the shallow soil.

Reaching the Peak

The last 400 metres uphill trail to the peak is the most challenging part of the climb. There are some rope support at steep or slippery sections. About 100 metres before the ending point is a leisure walk on a ridge. It takes me 1.5 hour to reach the peak because I walk slowly to take pictures.

The steepest sections to the peak of Bombalai Hill. The rope support and stairway help a lot.

0 Meter signage on the peak to mark the end of the climb. The viewpoint platform is a short walk away on a ridge.

At the peak is a 2-level wooden viewpoint platform with an open view facing south-west. It’s a hazy day but I still can see oil palm plantation, Tawau plains, Sulawesi Sea, Sebatik Island, and other places more than 12 kilometres away.

The 2-level wooden viewpoint platform on the peak of Bombalai Hill (Bukit Bombalai)

As Bombalai Hill is surrounded by oil palm plantation from three sides, to be honest the panoramic view on top isn’t really fantastic. Anyway, I feel wonderful and worthwhile conquering an ancient volcano.

The old signages and triangulation station (trigonometrical point) on the peak

Just a trivia of Bombalai Hill. There is a secret cave used by the Japanese or resistance fighters during World War II at the peak of Bombalai Hill. Urban legends from all over the world say Japanese hide their war loot in caves and tunnels during WWII. Some treasure hunters believe this myth and excavate the site, though Sabah Parks has debunked that there is no gold.

View from the peak of Bombalai Hill. You can see large area of oil palm plantation.

The north side of Bombalai Hill is connected to the main forest of Tawau Hills Park, so the wildlife aren’t stuck on an isolated hill. From the high density of the birds and monkey living there, they seem to like Bombalai Hill a lot.

You can see Tawau town and Sebatik Island more than 12 km away from the peak (photo captured by camera with 8x optical zoom)

After the climb, don’t throw away your ticket. You can use it to enter the park headquarter (Tawau Hills Park) to take a dip in the river, visit the waterfall, sulphurous springs, botanical garden and one of tallest tropical tree in the world. The park also has toilet and canteen (Kantin Begonia) for visitors. For more information, you can contact Sabah Parks, the government agency that manages Tawau Hills Park.

Photos taken in Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Seafood Noodles of Sabah

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First time to Sabah and don’t know what to eat? Most travel guides would recommend famous Sabah cuisines such as Tuaran fried noodle, Ngiu Chap (mixed beef noodle) and Sang Yuk Mee (mixed pork noodle) but leave out fish noodle. Sabah is renowned for its seafood and its seafood noodle is probably one of the best in Malaysia.

Popular seafood noodle shops always use fresh seafood from the warm sea for the fish soup. Cold water fishes such as cod and pollock have strong fishy flavors because they are high in fat, so they are too oily and fishy for making noodle soup.

Reef fishes from the warm tropical ocean are the most delicious seafood in the world, and they are the preferred fishes in seafood noodles of Sabah. Depend on the restaurants, groupers, wrasse, snapper, amberjack (ikan tofu) and other seafood would be used. Though seafood noodles are more expensive than other noodles, you won’t get a 4-digit bill amount for having seafood noodle.

You can enjoy seafood at (left) Kopitiam or Kedai Kopi (cafe), and seafood restaurant (right) in Sabah.

There are variety of serving styles for seafood noodles in Sabah. I list the popular seafood noodles below, as well as the recommended Kedai Kopi (coffee shop). Most of them are served by Chinese shops so I post their Chinese names too, easier for Chinese readers.

1) Mixed Fish Noodle (鱼杂)

Mixed Fish Noodle is the favourite seafood noodle of Sabah people, to enjoy different parts and serving styles of fish. For first timers, fresh or fried fillets, fish cake, fish chunks and fish ball are good start. Some foodies would go for the fishy parts such as fish head, fish skin and fish maw. For noodles, you can choose between the mee hoon (rice vermicelli) and yellow noodle (and kuey teow flat noodle). You may have your noodle served in broth or a separate bowl. For broth, you can pick the savoury and sour tomato soup, or the spicy and milky tom-yam soup (or hamcoi, salty vegetable in soup).

Mixed fish noodles in Tom-yam soup and tomato soup at Kedai Kopi How Kee (好记茶室)

I prefer vermicelli in soup because the thin noodle absorbs the rich seafood flavours well. By Malaysian standard, our tom-yam soup is not really hot. I had an American friend who insisted on trying tom-yam and his whole face turned red and sweaty, but he still liked it.

Fatt Kee Seafood Restaurant Hilltop (发记鱼杂专卖店)

Location (View Map): Lot 8, Ground Floor (Hilltop), 1-0-1, Kolam Centre Phase 3, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Facebook: fattkeeseafoodrestaurant
Instagram: fattkee_hilltop88
Phone: +60 16-8104884
E-mail: fattkeelintas@gmail.com

Kedai Kopi How Kee (好记茶室)

Location (View Map): Lot 16, Jalan Bundusan, Beverly Hills Plaza, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Phone: +60 88-416858

Mixed fish noodle is one of the must-try food of Sabah. Don’t touch the noodle or she will bite you.

Notung Kusan Cafe

Location (View Map): Kepayan (second junction after RTM), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Phone: +60 13-8781918

Kuo Man Restaurant (国民茶室)

Location (View Map): 5, Jalan Tuaran, Sunny Garden, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Facebook (unofficial): Kuo-Man-Restaurant
Phone: +60 17-8111428

Kedai Kopi Wan Wan (旺旺茶室)

Location (View Map): Apartment Penampang Phase 1, Lot 24, HSK Industrial Centre, Jalan Bundusan, Kota Kinabalu
Facebook: Kedai Kopi Wan Wan 旺旺茶室
Phone: +60 88-716698
E-mail: wanwankopi@gmail.com

Mr. Fish Restaurant (鱼先生)

Location (View Map): Ground Floor Lot 13-0, Block C, Jalan Papar Baru, Kem Lok Kawi, Kota Kinabalu
Facebook: Mr.FishSabah
Phone: +60 16-8794300
E-mail: mrfishsabah@gmail.com

Kedai Kopi Tien Hwa (天华茶室)

Location (View Map): Jalan Milimewa Lama, Keningau, Sabah

2) Giant Grouper Noodle

Giant grouper is the king of grouper (known as Ikan Keratang in Malay, 龙趸 in Chinese). It can grow to a massive size of nearly 200 Kg, which spooks the scuba divers sometimes. Huge giant grouper is a highly sought-after seafood here. The flesh of giant grouper is firm and its head is packed with collagen. For gourmet seafood lovers, it’s the ultimate delicacy.

Giant grouper in a fish farm. The wild one can reach nearly 200 Kg in weight.

Sabah Keratang Sadong Jaya (沙巴龙趸专卖店)

Location (View Map): Block J, Sadong Jaya, 74, Lorong Karamunsing, Karamunsing, Kota Kinabalu
Facebook: SabahKeratangSadongJaya
Instagram: sabah.keratang
Phone: +60 14-3349986
E-mail: sabahkeratang@gmail.com

The fish head of giant grouper is rich in collagen

Kedai Makan Gembira (大家乐茶餐室)

Location (View Map): Lorong 4, Bandar Sri Perdana, Lahad Datu
Facebook: kedaimakangembira
Phone: +60 16-8314671

3) Crispy Noodle (海鲜香底米粉)

You won’t forget the mouthfeel of eating the fried crispy noodle mixed with juicy seafood gravy. The aromatic noodle sucks the rich seafood flavours and you can’t stop once you start. The big prawns and squid look so good, but the most important thing is they are fresh.

Empire Seafood Restaurant (傅贵林门海鲜餐厅)

Location (View Map): Block CC,Lot 174,Lorong Avenue 5,Bandar Utama., Sandakan, Malaysia
Facebook: empireseafoodrestaurant
Phone: +60 89-278359

Left: crispy seafood noodle, Right: seafood noodle with lihing (local wine)

4) Other Seafood Noodles

The following are more seafood noodles of Sabah for your tastebuds to explore.

a) Fish Paste Noodle

The noodle itself is made of fish paste. 100% fish noodle baby.

Kedai Kopi Makan Kong Teck (康德小食馆)

Location (View Map): Jalan Airport, Sandakan, Malaysia
Facebook: 康德小食馆－Restaurant Kong Teck
Phone: +60 16-8197396

Tom-yam soup (left) and dry (right) styles of fish paste noodles

b) Tomyam Seafood Noodle

You love big prawns served in spicy and creamy broth? I thank God every time I have this.

Seng Hing Restaurant (成兴茶餐室)

Location (View Map): Block G, Lot 10, Lorong Sinsuran 2, Sinsuran Kompleks, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Facebook: Seng-Hing-restaurant
Phone: +60 19-8105255, +60 88-211594

Spicy tom-yam seafood noodle soup. The Sabah-style tom-yam soup is milky while the real Thailand tom-yam is clear soup.

Gaya Fish Noodle (加雅鱼面馆)

Location (View Map): Lot 129, Ground Floor Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu
Facebook: Gaya Fish Noodle 加雅鱼面馆

c) Spring Noodle (弹弓面)

Spring noodle is a Chinese-style yellow noodle that is named for its dense and chewy texture. This noodle from Sandakan goes well with seafood broth.

Spring noodle of Sandakan with seafood broth

Kampung Pukat Fishboat Street Sandakan (渔船街)

Location (View Map): Lorong 5, Kampung Pukat, Tanah Merah, Jalan Leila, Bandar Nam Tung, Sandakan
Phone: +60 89-616510

Note: Though most, if not all the Chinese shops listed here don’t serve pork, they are not certified as Halal. Some Muslims feel ok to dine there, while some don’t, so decide at your own discretion.

Sandakan is a famous place for seafood feast. Left: a shop that sells seafood noodle. Right: Fishboat Street Sandakan (渔船街) at Kampung Pukat of Sandakan

Some of the shops accept online orders by Foodpanda or Grab Food, so you can avoid the long queue and have these seafood noodles delivered to your doorstep. Just a heads up, the seafood noodles by reputable shops are very likely sold out in the morning.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Butterflies of Sabah Borneo

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Butterfly is the most beautiful insect in the world and has been a symbol of elegance, romance and beautiful transformation. Japan, India and Australia have national butterflies that represent their country. Malaysia also picks Rajah Brooke’s birdwing (Scientific name: Trogonoptera brookiana) as the poster boy due to its striking colours. Birdwings are named for their exceptional size, angular wings, and bird-like flight.

Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing (*Trogonoptera brookiana brookiana*) is the national butterfly of Malaysia and also the most well-known butterfly in Malaysia

As the most well-known butterfly in Malaysia, Rajah Brooke’s birdwing has large angular wings decorated with tooth-shaped ‘electric green’ bands on a velvet black background, and a splash of metallic blue markings on the underside of its wings. This national beauty also lives in Borneo (an island shared by three countries, i.e. East Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia).

Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing (*Trogonoptera brookiana brookiana*) likes to sip water around creek area under the shade

Kinabalu Birdwing, the Sabahan Butterfly

On 2 Oct 2023, Kinabalu Birdwing (Scientific name: Troides andromache) is officially declared as the Sabah State Butterfly. It’s the best candidate because: (1) its black and yellow colours are the main colours of traditional costumes of Kadazan, the largest indigenous group of Sabah, (2) Kinabalu Birdwing is only found around Mount Kinabalu and Crocker Range of Sabah, and (3) its bird-like flight movement reminds us of Sumazau dance. Most entomologists would agree that this endemic Borneo birdwing is truly a Sabah butterfly.

Kinabalu Birdwing Butterfly (*Troides andromache andromache*) is a montane butterfly lives between 1,000 to 2,000 Metres above sea level. Kinabalu Birdwing a large butterfly with a forewing length of about 65 mm (male) or 85 mm (female). The male (right) is black, yellow, and grey in colour, lower forewing with a band of large greyish distal spots dusted with yellow, while the female (left) has additional brown and white scaling on the forewing. The hindwing differs from the male in the band of large, black discal / postdiscal spots.

Official announcement of Kinabalu Birdwing as the Sabah State Butterfly in a press conference on 2 Oct 2023. Group photo at the right: (from left to right) Dr. Stephen Sutton (Leading Researcher of Kinabalu Birdwing Project), James Quek (President of Rotary Kota Kinabalu), Datuk Christina Liew (Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment (Sabah)), Datuk Mohd Yusrie Abdullah (Ministry’s Permanent Secretary) and Dr. Gerald Jetony (Director of Sabah Biodiversity Centre).

The Kinabalu Birdwing (Troides andromache) is a large (wingspan of female can reach 18.5cm (7.28 inches), the size of a small plate) but elusive butterfly, and its life remains pretty much a mystery. For example, why it chooses to live in cloud forest between 1,500 to 2,000 metres above sea level, a cold and misty environment which is harsh to most butterflies. The locals call Kinabalu Birdwing as Kalibambang Emas, which means a large and brightly coloured butterfly, in Dusun language.

Female (left) and Male (right) Kinabalu Birdwing Butterfly (*Troides andromache andromache*). They are rare endemic species of Borneo island. Right: The upper forewing of male is entirely black with a violet sheen. The hindwing is almost entirely yellow with black scaling narrowly over the veins, as a broad inner margin, and as large fringe spots producing an edentate submarginal band.

Kinabalu Birdwing has four other sister species in Borneo. All of them are sexually dimorphic (means male and female have different look).

Common Birdwing (Troides helena)
Golden Birdwing (Troides amphyrysus)
Miranda Birdwing (Troides miranda)
Mountain Birdwing (Troides cuneifera)

Left: Golden Birdwing (*Troides amphrysus*) from Kinabatangan, Right: Common Birdwing (*Troides helena*) from Poring in mating mood. Though the colours of all Borneo birdwing species are almost the same, they have subtitle difference in wing pattern and geographical distribution. For example, Golden Birdwing is a lowland species.

All Borneo birdwing species look the same to casual eyes. Unlike the other Borneo Birdwings, the females of Kinabalu Birdwing have white forewings with a black band on the edge of their wing. The males have black forewings and on the underside a number of white arrowhead bands.

Families of Borneo Butterflies

It has been estimated that there are about 940 species of butterflies in Borneo (from 10 families) and 81 of them are endemic (only found in Borneo). As of 2020, the family Lycaenidae has the most endemics, with 42 species, followed by Nymphalidae (15), Hesperiidae (9), Pieridae (6), Papilionidae (5) and Riodinidae (4).

Butterflies endemic to Borneo: 1. Kinabalu Swordtail (*Graphium (Pathysa) stratiotes)*, 2. Bornean Mormon (*Papilio acheron*), 3. Kinabalu Bluebottle (*Graphium procles*), 4. Bornean Straight Pierrot (*Caleta manovus*)

Every year in May, over 40+ Kadazandusun and Murut girls from different districts of Sabah line-up during Kaamatan (harvest festival) to compete for the State-level Unduk Ngadau title (Miss Harvest Festival). Probably we need a beauty pageant for our butterflies too. Don’t worry about the scientific names of their families and species (in brackets), just enjoy the riot of colours from these flying gems.

Butterflies of Sabah Borneo in *Papilionidae* family. Top left: Common Bluebottle (*Graphium sarpedon*), Top right: The Great Mormon (female) (*Menelaides memnon memnon*), Bottom left: Tailed Jay (*Graphium agamemnon agamemnon*), Bottom right: Green Dragontail (*Lamproptera meges meges*)

Papilionidae family has four “most”: largest, most beautiful, most studied, and well-known. There are 44 species in Borneo, which include the famous Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing and Borneo Birdwings.

Left: *Catopsilia scylla* from Kota Kinabalu wetland mangrove, and Right: Painted Jezebel (*Delias hyparete diva*) are butterflies of *Pieridae* family

Butterflies of Pieridae family are mostly medium-sized with yellow, white or orange colour. 41 species live in Borneo. They are often called whites, yellows or sulphurs in common names according to their colours.

Sabah butterflies in *Nymphalidae* family. Top left: Bornean Oakleaf (*Kallima buxtoni*), Top right: Malay Lacewing (*Cethosia hypsea*), Bottom left: The Yellow Glassy Tiger (*Parantica aspasia aspasia*), Bottom right: Common Three Ring (*Ypthima pandocus sertorius*)

Nymphalidae is one of the largest butterfly family and there are 136 species in Borneo. They are diverse in shapes, colours and patterns. They are also known as the four-footed butterfly because their front pair of legs is non-functional. These are strange butterflies that are often found sipping on fallen fruits, plant sap and animal dropping.

Sabah butterflies in Danaidae family. Left: Tree Nymph (*Idea stolli*), Top right: *Ideopsis gaura*, Bottom right: Mangrove Tree Nymph / Paper Kite (*Idea leuconoe*)

27 species of Borneo butterflies belong to Danaidae family. Many of them have black veins and numerous oval black dots on their translucent white wings. They are slow flyers and said to be the lightest butterfly in the world. For example, Ashy-white Tree Nymph (Idea stolli) is named as “Kupu-kupu Surat” (Mail Butterfly) locally because it glides gracefully in the air like a floating paper.

Butterflies of Sabah in *Hesperiidae* family. Left: *Burara gomata lalita*, Right: Yellow Banded Awl (*Hasora schoenherr chuza*)

With a family of 3,000 species (over 200 species in Borneo), Hesperiidae, which is also known as the Skippers, is the largest family. These moth-like butterflies are usually small and dull coloured.

Borneo butterflies of *Lycaenidae* family. Left: *Zeltus amasa maximinianus*, Right: *Miletus ancon gigas* from Crocker Range Park. A common name for *Lycaenidae* family is the Blues as most of them are blue in colour.

Impressed by the colours and diversity of Sabah butterflies? Kinabalu Birdwing is always my Unduk Ngadau. Who’s yours?

Differences between Butterflies and Moths

Many people can’t tell the difference between butterfly and moth. Let’s do the fun quiz below and see how good you are (ask your kids to join too). They are from Sabah and you may have seen two or more of them.

Quiz! Guess which one is Moth or Butterfly. Scroll down to next picture for answers.

**Answers for Butterfly vs Moth quiz above.** 1) Giant Atlas Moth (*Attacus atlas*), 2) Butterfly (*Junonia iphita viridis*), 3) Butterfly (*Cynitia cocytina ambalika*, male), 4) Tropical Swallowtail Moth (*Lyssa zampa*), 5) Butterfly (*Chersonesia risa cyanee*), 6) Emperor Moth from Deramakot Forest

Did you get all the answers right? There are three easy ways to distinguish them:

Butterflies are day-flying insects and moths are active at night.
When resting, the wings of butterflies are folded upright (but butterfly outstretches its wings for sun basking sometimes), while moth’s wings are open horizontally.
Butterfly has a pair of plain and club-like antenna. Moths are heavy-bodied with feathery antennas.

Interesting Facts about Butterflies

Here are some truths about butterflies, which are as fascinating as their colours.

Bornean Jezebel (*Delias eumolpe eumolpe*) is another marvelous butterfly species of Borneo and it’s hyper-endemic to Crocker Range Park

Interesting Facts about Butterflies

Here are some truths about butterflies, which are as fascinating as their colours.

The largest butterflies of Sabah are Golden Birdwing (Triodes amphrysus) and Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana), with a forewing of 8.5 cm (3.35 inches) in length.
Lesser Grass Blue (Zizina otis) is the smallest butterfly of Sabah, with a wingspan of only 1.5cm.
Caterpillar has crazy growth rate. For example, the larva of Great Mormon butterfly can grow from 0.3cm to 7cm in 3 weeks. For that speed and scale, a new-born human baby can grow into a 40-foot-tall giant within a month!
From egg to adult stage, most butterflies have a life span of only 1 to 3 months, depending on the species, some can live up to a year.
There is a butterfly called Kadazan Lass or Bornean Sapphire (Heliophorus kiana), a Borneo endemic, so are Kadazan Small Tiger (Dodona elvira) and Kinabalu Gem (Poritia phormedon).
Approximately five per cent (i.e. 50 species) of Sabah butterflies are toxic, so having butterflies in your stomach can be a bad experience.
There are about 17,500 butterfly species in the world, and Peru has the most species, which is about 3,700. Iceland has 0 species.
Butterflies smell with their feet, which have taste receptors to help them locating food.
The world’s largest butterfly farm is located in Penang.
Butterflies evolved from moths around 190 million years ago. Both co-existed with the dinosaurs before.
More recent findings suggest that butterflies may have existed before flowering plants. Another chicken and egg question?

Group of *Eurema hecabe hecabe* butterflies sipping mineral-rich water at river bank of Poring Hot Springs

Where to See Borneo Butterflies in Sabah?

Butterflies are everywhere. In general, you can see rich variety of wild butterflies in a garden full of blooming flowers and adjacent to a forest. Areas such as Tun Fuad Stephen Park (Bukit Padang), Crocker Range Park and Kinabalu National Park (625 species) are good places to start butterfly watching. If you want to see a lot of rare butterflies with the least effort, you can visit a butterfly garden (entry fee applied). Note: most butterflies in captivity have broken wings, not so great for photography.

Left: Malayan Nawab (*Polyura moori saida*) sipping chicken dropping in Kawang Forest, Right: The Blue Begum (*Prothoe franck borneensis*)

1. Poring Hot Springs

Most visitors aim for soaking in the popular sulphur springs and skip butterfly farm inside the park. Poring Butterfly Farm is started in 1989 with 4 main components, namely, exhibition gallery, large enclosure, breeding room and nursery of larvae’s food plant. Only the first two are open to public. You can see the specimens of most, if not all, Borneo endemic butterflies in the gallery. There are information panels and insect display boxes along the walkway. No guiding service is provided.

The Exhibition Gallery and Enclosure of Poring Butterfly Farm

The garden and streams outside the enclosure are the magnet for wild butterflies from pristine forest nearby. Besides butterflies feeding among the flowers, you can find group of butterflies (majority are male) congregate at stream banks for puddling, a drinking party for butterflies to sip natural salts from the mineral-rich creek, which contains vital nutrients for their reproduction. Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing prefers to do this in shady area.

2. Kipandi Butterfly Park (by appointment only)

Kipandi Butterfly Park is similar to Poring Butterfly Farm, but with more extensive and exotic collection of local and foreign insect specimens in their exhibition hall. The visitors can check out the pupa and caterpillars in their nursery. This site offers better experience for an education tour because they also have native orchids and pitcher plants in their garden. However, visitors need to book an appointment prior to the visit. You can try calling or texting (Whatsapp) their phone numbers at +60 13-8739092 (Mr. Stevan Chew, Operation / Park Manager) or +60 19-5302298 (Mr. Linus Gokusing).

Education tour, butterfly nursery, exhibition hall and native orchid garden of Kipandi Butterfly Garden

Best Time for Butterfly Watching

Butterflies are more active when there is sunlight, so 9am to 3pm during sunny day would be the most suitable time for butterfly watching in Sabah. Most butterflies need an air temperature of above 15°C (60°F) to fly. If they get too cold, they are unable to fly, so in cold days, you would see them rest on a leaf and bask with their wings out-stretched like a solar panel. Nevertheless, some species such as Kinabalu Birdwing can remain active in a cool and misty day.

Conservation of Borneo Butterflies

Same as other wildlife, butterflies need undisturbed habitat and reliable food sources to survive. Global warming, use of pesticides in agriculture, and forest clearance are threatening their well-being. In 2018, Kinabalu Birdwing was listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as a result of the large-scale forest clearance in Pinosuk Plateau (around Mesilau) of Mount Kinabalu. Therefore, some proactive measures are needed in place to prevent them moving toward extinction.

Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing (left) and Borneo Birdwing (right) butterflies are fully protected species by Malaysian law

Protection by Malaysian Law

Butterflies are fun to watch but you could be caged for catching a protected species. About 30 Malaysian butterfly species (e.g. Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing, Borneo Birdwings, Ashy Tree Nymph) are categorised as the fully protected species in Wildlife Protected Species Act 2010 [Act 716]. You can be fined up to RM30,000 or jailed up to one year, or both, for capturing, collecting or trading them illegally (without a permit or license).

Left: The Black and White Helen (*Papilio nephelus albolineatus*) is sipping nectar from Red Javanese Ixora (*Ixora javanica*), Right: Aeron’s Rod or Brazilian Tea (Local Name: Bunga Malam) is an evergreen plant loved by butterflies such as this *Eurema hecabe hecabe*

Feeding the Butterflies!

Why not inviting these little fairies into your backyard? You can plant plenty of flowers to conserve and attract these colourful visitors. Evergreen plant such as Red Javanese Ixora (Todong Periuk), Indian Snakeweed (Bunga Malam), Red hot cat’s tail (Ekor kucing) and Hibiscus are some of the common nectaring flowers of butterflies. Or just plant any flower you love, the more variety, the better.

Left: Clipper (*Parthenos sylvia borneensis*), Right: Common Red Harlequin (*Paralaxita telesia*)

You can target different types of butterflies with selected flowers. For Kinabalu Birdwing in highland, Orange balsams (Impatiens walleriana). Yellow daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.), Mussaenda, Lantana, Busy Lizzie, Poinsettia (Eurphorbia spp.) and Hibiscus (Rosa sinensis) are the flowers they feed on. It’s even superb if you cultivate Aristolochia foveolata, a liana that can serve as a foodplant for larva of Kinabalu Birdwing. FYI, Swallowtail & Birdwing Butterfly Trust and The Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu are training homestay operators in Kampung Kiau to plant this liana.

Borneo or Kinabalu Birdwing butterflies feeding on nectaring flowers

References & Acknowledgement

Stephen Sutton, Corné F. H. van der Linden, Tom M. Fayle, Kalsum M. Yusah, Alim Biun, Arthur Chung, Paul Foronda, Saiheng Taradas and Bart P. J. Burger. Troides andromache Staudinger 1892: The Natural History and Conservation of the Kinabalu or Borneo Birdwing Butterfly. The Malayan Nature Journal, 81st Anniversary Special Issue 2021.
Butterflies of Sabah poster by Sabah Forestry Department, published in May 2022
Marcella Gohun, Dg. Fazrinah A.D., Nurul Aqidah l., Razy Japir, Arthur Y.C. Chung. A Compilation of Bornean Endemic Butterflies. Sabah Forestry Department, Dec 2020.
Sherell Jeffrey. How society romanticises butterflies. Daily Express, 7 Feb 2021
Arthur Y.C. Chung. Butterflies of Borneo. Research Gate, Sep 2019
Fatimah Abang. Butterflies of Malaysian Borneo – A Pocket Guide. Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 2006.

Special thanks to members of Butterfly of Borneo Facebook Group (especially Potanthus Ttp), Dr. Stephen Sutton, and Dr. Arthur Y.C. Chung for the identification and information on Sabah butterflies. (Disclaimer: This acknowledgement doesn’t imply that they adopt this article)

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Topi Raja, the King’s Crown Rock

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Sabah people were so excited to see Agong (King of Malaysia) who toured around Sabah recently. A lyrics in our national anthem says “Rahmat bahagia. Tuhan kurniakan Raja kita selamat bertakhta” which means “With God’s blessings of grace and happiness, may our King be safely enthroned.” Malaysians really love their king. A king rock in Sabah would amaze them?

Topi Raja literally means ‘King’s Crown’. It’s 100% made by nature.

The majestic Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain of Malaysia, crafted a giant crown with fire, ice and water thousand of years ago. It’s “Topi Raja” (translated as King’s Crown in English), a granite boulder located in Kampung Lingkungan (Kampung means Village), Kota Belud. Topi Raja got this name because its pointy spikes that looks like a crown. Some say Topi Raja also resembles a dinosaur with spikes on its back.

The top of Topi Raja also looks like the slates on the back of a Stegosaurus dinosaur

The Origin of Topi Raja

Granite rock is formed from hot magma that slowly cooled far below the Earth’s surface. Topi Raja was lifted to the surface as part of Mount Kinabalu about 7 to 9 million years ago. Until 10,000 years ago, the end of the ice age, this huge granite boulder was swept down Mount Kinabalu by the force of melting glaciers to Kota Belud, got buried underground. Then powerful flushes of subsurface water (e.g. ground water) after heavy rain eroded this weathered rock creating those sharp spikes.

The jagged peaks on Mount KInabalu is the work of glacial erosion during ice age. Kota Belud is at the left side of this photo.

Actually the similar boulder is also found in Kampung Podos, Kampung Sayap, Kampung Langat, and Kampung Lobong-Lobong in Kota Belud. However, only Topi Raja is listed as one of the 30 geosites of Kinabalu Geopark because of its cultural heritage value.

Location map of 30 geosites (with geological, biological or cultural heritage value) under Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark

You may ask, why cultural value and not geological value? Because the story of Topi Raja teaches an important moral lesson that reflects the value of Sabah natives.

The Legend of Topi Raja

During a harvest season at the large paddy field of Kampung Togor (Kampung is Village in Malay language), villagers from neighboring Kampung Tolungan and Kampung Kebayau came to help Kampung Togor on harvesting. After they finished works, they congregated and feast in a big hut called sulap (a big resting hut) to celebrate. Two villagers, who bathed in the nearby river, brought back a takang (a kind of big frog) and a rudai (a big lizard that can change colours) that they caught at the river.

Climbing on Topi Raja is prohibited. Please respect it like a king.

The villagers were furious to see them making fun of the takang and rudai and asked them to free the animals at once, but their advice was ignored by the two villagers. Other villagers, while enjoying the feast, started to celebrate by beating gongs and dancing the traditional dance called Sumayau. The two villagers then joined the celebration by making the takang and rudai dance in the middle of the crowd.

Takang (horned frog) and Rudai (lizard). Did Takang escape, take the crown and become a Frog Prince? I don’t know.

For more party fun, these two villagers dressed the takang with a sarong (a kind of cloth worn by women villagers to wrap around their bodies) and rudai with a cawat (loin cloth). The beating of the gongs got louder and merrier as the villagers and the two animals kept on dancing, the amused villagers clapped, shouted and laughed.

Groundwater erosion led to the formation of craggy grooves on Topi Raja. This process is similar to the formation of the sharp spikes on limestone rocks such as the Mulu Pinnacles in Sarawak.

Unhappy of this situation, a girl among them scolded and demanded the villagers to stop this farce immediately, but nobody listened to her. Then black clouds approached and strong winds blowing outside the sulap, a mysterious old lady appeared and asked the girl to leave the sulap because something bad was about to happen. As the old lady pushed the girl out, a sudden boom of thunder and lightning struck the sulap and turned it into a big rock named Tontolob.

Topi Raja is a granitic boulder eroded from Mount Kinabalu and transported down the mountain by moving glaciers about 10,000 years ago.

The girl returned to her village and told the villagers what was happening. Though they heard the cry for help in the rock, they failed to rescue the people trapped inside, because whoever tried to break the big rock would be hit by lightning and injured badly. The villagers who rocked and rolled with the poor animals turned into rock forever.

White mold on granite. Granite is commonly used in construction and building materials because it is a hard and tough rock.

The lesson is – never make fun of animals, which is a taboo in the cultures of Kadazandusun and Murut people in Sabah. In our belief, people who do this will anger the God. Batu Punggul pinnacle also has a similar story that involves a dog and chicken, and Watu Monontian (pregnant woman) stone is a result of forcing dogs and cats to dance.

Visit Topi Raja

Topi Raja is highly accessible by paved road (see Location Map), about 27 KM from Kota Belud town and 79 KM away from Kota Kinabalu City. The rock is situated on a 9-acre private land owned by a couple, Mr. Hsu Han Chun and Madam Agnes, who bought this land in 1961 and developed it into a recreation site named Topi Raja Mountain River View since 2014.

Fruits at Topi Raja Mountain River View. You would see durian and tarap fruits if you visit at the right time.

The entry fee to Topi Raja, which comes with a welcome drink, is RM5 per person. Besides photo taking with Topi Raja, you can visit around this place to explore the hanging bridge, swimming and fish feeding at river (but don’t catch any frog and lizard), garden and orchard (durian, tarap, pineapple, sacha inchi, etc.). You must apply mosquito repellent though.

Information board about the legend of Topi Raja in 3 languages (English, Malay and Chinese)

The place is completed with amenities (e.g. toilet, dining hall, cafe, gazebo, camping ground) and accommodation for tourists. For group activities. You may contact the owner in advance to prepare the services for you.

For contact and more info, the following are the channels to get in touch with Topi Raja:
Facebook: Topi Raja Mountain River View
Instagram: topirajamountainriverview
Phone (Whatsapp): +60 10-5578983
E-mail: topiraja.tourism@gmail.com
Website: topiraja.wixsite.com/topiraja

Photos taken in Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo