Orchid is such a charismatic flower that some enthusiasts would risk their lives to collect it in the wild. Luckily, you can see many precious orchid species in Sabah Agriculture Park (Taman Pertanian Sabah) in Tenom, without putting your life in danger. There are two orchid gardens there, namely, Native Orchid Center and Hybrid Orchid Center.
1. Native Orchid Center
Borneo island has about 1,500 species of orchid, and you can see more than 350 indigenous orchid species in Native Orchid Center, making Sabah Agriculture Park one of the world’s famous orchid centers.
This orchid conservation center is housing some of the most valuable orchid species in the world, which include a slipper orchid (species: Paphiopedilum rothschildianum) endemic to Sabah and nicknamed “Gold of Kinabalu”. Valued at USD5,000 per stem in black market, this slipper orchid is known to be the most expensive orchid in the world. It’s also our Sabah state flower and locally known as “Sumazau Orchid”.
To protect those expensive and rare native Borneo orchid from being plucked, the park has to keep this garden locked and visitors must be accompanied by a guide from the park.
Most orchid collection of Native Orchid Garden are from lowland rainforest, which is a warm, humid and dim environment.
Therefore, the native orchid garden is also simulating the rainforest environment. The orchid nursery is shaded to avoid direct sunlight. You may not see any blooming orchid in photo above. Actually there are many of them but most of them are very tiny (only a few MM) and they are unlike the commercial orchids which are generally bigger and have bright colors.
In average, there are 30 orchid flowering per day in this garden. Some orchids have very interesting characteristics.
Have you ever seen a green orchid?
This orchid is known as “Bottle-Brush Orchid”. Go figure.
The orchid above have very strong and sweet aroma.
Above: Paphiopedilum lowii, a type of slipper orchid.
Above: “Rat Tail” orchid (Ekor Tikas) has the longest orchid leaf in the world. Click Here for more info
2. Hybrid Orchid Center
The orchids in Hybrid Orchid Center may look more familiar to you, because they are those large, colorful and showy orchids commercially sold in flora garden. These are the end product of cross-breeding of orchids.
The hybrid orchids are usually tougher and easier to plant. Native orchids are very sensitive to change of environment.
In contrast to Native Orchid Center, hybrid orchids have bigger and denser blooming clusters.
As you can see, both orchid gardens are very different. I believe botanists will love Native Orchid Center and gardeners love Hybrid Orchid Center.
“Ekor Tikus” is “Rat Tail” in Malay language. You will agree with such name if you see its photos here.
Rat-Tailed Orchid (Paraphalaenopsis labukensis) is a rare native orchid with all four species live in Borneo island. It grows as an epiphyte on branches of large tree. The longest recorded length of Rat-tailed orchid leaf is 3.05M (10 feet) long.
Our guide says, Elephant ear orchid is only found in Sabah and Kalimantan of Borneo island and it is very rare.
The leaves of Elephant Ear Orchid are so huge that no wonder it gets its name. I know there are a few lowland forest in Sabah where you can see this orchid but I haven’t seen one in the wild so far. In the Botanical Garden of Tawau Hills Park, there was one cultivation that has leaf measured 60.5 x 22.5 CM.
Based on my understanding, flower usually spends the most resources on fruiting, so it makes me wonder that why this orchid wants to develop huge & thick leaves, so big that it’s inflorescences are hidden behind the leaf.
In my childhood, one of the most exciting Christmas gifts I wanted was “choo-choo” steam train toy. Now I was even happier to have a fun ride on a real steam train on the oldest railway (established since 1896) of Borneo last week. Big toy man.. FYI, “North Borneo” is the name of Sabah during British colony time.
Above: the office of North Borneo Railway in Tanjung Aru Train Station
Actually it’s a tour product for tourists to experience the nostalgic romance of riding on a 57-year-old antique steam train. Even though it’s a train, it’s not a public transportation so you MUST book a seat in advance. You may sign up a tour with the company, North Borneo Railway. The fee is MYR290 (≈USD$97) for adult, MYR185 (≈USD$62) for child (3-12 years old). The rates are as of 22 Mar 2013.The steam train runs on every Wednesday and Saturday.
Above: entrance of North Borneo Railway
The North Borneo Railway is in Tanjung Aru Train Station, which is about 5 KM away from Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah.
Passengers will be given a “Train Passport” before boarding at 9.30am. It’s only for fun and have some brief introduction about the towns we see along the railway. The train steward will stamp the passport whenever we approach a town. At the end I have 5 stamps on the book.
Above is the route map I copy from the Train Passport. Our steam train departs at 10am from Tanjung Aru and head to Papar town about 40 Kilometers away. Our train passes through the countryside and we see villages, rivers, mangrove, paddy fields, rainforests and plantations on the way. The part our train passing through a 450-Meter Pengalat Tunnel (built by British in early 1900) is also fun. The whole tour takes less than 5 hours.
Above: this steam train is made by Vulcan Foundry Ltd in Newton-le-Willows in Lancashire, United Kingdom in 1955 for North Borneo Railway.
Our steam train is one of the few functional locomotive powered by burning wood. They don’t use coal that produces very fine ash powder which would cause black stains on your shirt. Anyway, you better don’t wear anything white on the train.
The railway service of Borneo is first started by William Clarke Cowie, Managing Director of the British North Borneo Chartered Company in 1896.
The exterior of the steam train is in deep green and cream colors, the original colors used in old days. The windows are open all the time for a more enjoyable experience. However, it’s still a bit warm inside, so I advise you to wear thin T-shirt.
The interior is natural wooded seat and there are cooling by fans. This train has 5 Japanese-designed carriages that have been meticulously restored and renovated to reflect the era of the classical steam train. Very nice ambiance indeed.
Breakfast (Danish pastries, croissant and tea/coffee) is served onboard.
Passing by water village of Putatan.
We stop at Kinarut town for 20 minutes and visit the Tien Nam Shi Buddhist Temple (镇南寺).
Burning incense sponsored by individual who makes wishes (written on red paper)
Doing tourist stuff…
Back to train and cool ourselves with cold towel.
Above: brick factory in Kawang. Our train travels at a speed of 50 to 60 Kilometer per hour.
Btw, there is a unisex toilet in each carriage for your call of nature.
If you reach Kawang, you should check out the nice view of mangrove forest.
Some souvenir is available for sale on the train. I bought a bookmark.
The train has 5 colonial-period carriages and each can accommodate 16 passengers, with a total train capacity of 80 passengers.
Reaching the steel trestle bridge of Papar.
We stop at Papar town for a 30 minutes of free and easy sightseeing around town. You can check out the old wooden post-war shoplots here.
Old building with air-conditioning, haha, interesting contrast..
Papar is our last stop. Now our steam train needs to turn around so it can head back to Tanjung Aru. Some of us stick around to see how the Pullman carriage detaches and connects to the rear (now rear become front). You may watch the 1-min video below: Click Here for wider video
Enjoying our lunch on the way back… Guess what we had?
Above: strawberry ice-cream as dessert
We arrived Tanjung Aru Station at 1:40pm. Overall, everything is great. The experience is really fun, the food is nice, the train steward is friendly and the ambiance is excellent. The only thing I can complain is the high price. That’s probably why I didn’t see many faces of locals.
Most Sabahans would not forget 6 Jun 1976 the “double-six” day an Australian Nomad aircraft crashed in Sembulan, when it was about to land at the airport in Tanjung Aru on its return from Labuan island. Four of nine Sabah state ministers including chief minister Fuad (Donald) Stephens lost their lives.
To commemorate this tragic air crash, the Double Six Monument was built on the crash site, and there is a memorial service holds here annually on 6 Jun. You may read my previous blog about Double Six Monument.
For those who would like to learn about the history, you may visit the 4,000-sq-feet Double Six Gallery, which costs MYR1.2 Million to build and opened in 2010 near the monument.
Double Six Gallery exhibits pictures, newspaper clips and memorabilia of the untoward event. I saw many life and family photographs of the late ministers. A debris of the crashed plane is on display. Visitors also can watch a 30-min video about the Sabah history and formation of Malaysia. Besides, they have a replica of “Batu Sumpah” (oath stone) of Keningau, which serves as a reminder to Malaysia government what they had promised East Malaysia. One of the promises is freedom of religion. From the happening in recent years, obviously Federal government has lost its memory.
This air-conditioned gallery is managed by Kota Kinabalu City Hall and opens from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and public holiday. Note it is close on every Monday. Entrance fee is MYR2 for adult, MYR1 for student, children and senior citizen.
Sorry, I was not allowed to take photo inside, so I only can show you the ticketing counter.
What makes Double Six Tragedy so unforgettable is that not only we lost our beloved leaders who fight for Sabahans, we felt that we were betrayed. No, the tragedy is not a mystery to Sabahans. Only fool believes that’s an accident.
Photos taken in Sembulan, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo
In 1944, just 3 days before the Chinese New Year Eve, villagers of Petagas was awaken by the distant firing of machine gun in a silent morning. In the next 3 days, they still heard cries and groans. They knew something went very wrong but nobody dared to check it out. 176 Kinabalu Guerrillas members were massacred by Japanese army, making 21 Jan 1944 the bloodiest day in Sabah history.
However, these fallen heroes are not forgotten even after more than half a century. 9 KM from Kota Kinabalu city and in front of Kota Kinabalu International Airport terminal 1, a Petagas War Memorial Garden was built on the mass execution site to honour those who defended Sabah during World War II.
Above: under the green grass is where the Kinabalu Guerrillas members and others buried.
Above: monument with names of the victims inscribed on the plaque.
Above: Albert Kwok (郭益南), the leader of Kinabalu Guerrillas.
Albert Kwok was born in Kuching (Sarawak) and studied Chinese medicine in China. He came to Sabah in 1940 and worked as doctor. To resist the iron rules of the Japanese, Albert Kwok organized Kinabalu Guerrillas and took charge as commander-in-chief in 1943. He launched the Double Tenth Revolt with a guerrilla force of 300 men in the eve of 10 Oct 1943. The Japanese was attacked by surprise and more than 60 of them were killed, though the guerrilla was mainly machetes-wielding attackers with very limited firearm. You may click the photo above for more history of Double Tenth Revolt.
Above: Sabah Government and the descendants of the guerrillas hold a memorial ceremony to commemorate the fallen heroes every year on 21 Jan. 20 uniform bodies also send their troops.
Albert Kwok and his Kinabalu Guerrillas managed to take control of Tuaran, Menggatal and Jesselton (former name of Kota Kinabalu). However, being poorly-armed and facing the Japanese reinforcement from Kuching 3 days later, the guerillas were forced to retreat to hills in Menggatal. After two months of fighting, Japanese army threatened to massacre 400 people in Shantung Valley if Albert Kwok refused to surrender. Albert Kwok turned in himself on 19 Dec 1943 and locked in Batu Tiga prison with 400 others. He was executed with other guerrillas members in Petagas at the age of 23.
Above: wreath-laying ceremony is carried out in the annual memorial service. In 2012, I noticed a very beautiful wreath standing quietly behind.
Above: Madam Lim and the wreath given by a Japanese couple.
The father and elder brother of Madam Lim were also killed here. She told this story to a Japanese couple. They felt so sorry that they requested Madam Lim to buy a wreath (cost MYR300!) for the memorial service. Younger generation of Japanese have no idea about the cruelty of their army in World War II. Their textbooks and education rationalize and glorify the war as a holy battle to liberate Asia from western imperialism.
Above: government representatives in Petagas War Memorial service
Above: relatives and descendants of victims.
It must be a painful memory for them even today. The following were the happening on 21 Jan 1944:
1. 176 prisoners transported by 6 covered goods-vans of a train from Batu Tiga prison at 3am.
2. They knew their fate. 3 of them resisted the escort and were slashed to death at prison door by sword.
3. The train arrived Petagas, where deep pits were prepared for them. Some held onto the train and refused to leave. Their fingers & hands were cut off and a few were hang on sliding door.
4. Albert Kwok was beheaded by double-handed sword with 4 other leaders (namely, Charles Peter, Chan Chau Kong, Kong Tze Phui, Lee Tek Phui)
5. The rest was shot by machine gun or bayoneted. Their bodies were dragged, pushed or kicked into the trenches.
6. Some were still alive and village nearby could hear their cries & groans for next 3 days, day & night.
3 days later was the eve of Chinese New Year 1944. It’s already so overwhelming to imagine how they families felt when they looked at the empty seat of the deceased, on the traditional family reunion day. For those who were not executed that day, 131 were sent to Labuan, where they were tortured and humiliated by Japanese in front of people. Only 9 of them survived.
Above: commander of memorial service, nice mustache.
The memorial service starts after 8am. First, 4 guards of honor marches to the monument and stand at 4 sides.
Above: wreath-laying ceremony by different organizations and individuals.
Lastly, the ceremony ended with the sounding of the Last Post and Rouse. You may watch the 2-min video below:
Above: people looking at the plaque containing the names of their relatives. Some of the victims were folks always hang up in kopitiam (coffee shop) together.
There are fathers and sons among the names. Ms Lo says her brother died at age of 17 with his father in this execution.
Lee Min (李明), the 91-year-old survivor of Kinabalu guerilla, always comes every year in honor of his fallen comrades, though his health condition is not ideal and requires the aid of a walking stick. He said, “I miss my friends very much and I will come here every year as long as I live.”
His eldest son, Lee Yaw Koo (right), 61, said his father always pay homage to his fallen comrades each year.
Lee Min can point to the names and tell stories about them, like who was forwarder and who was his captain.
Above: relatives and descendants of fallen heroes
Reporters interview grand daughter (Rachel) of Datuk Fung Khyam Shen (back), 82, from Singapore, whose elder brother Fung Khung Shen was among those killed in the massacre. Datuk Fung said, “I can forgive them but I just can’t forget… I still feel bitter and my family is very sad about the tragedy.”
The father told his daughter about the heroic incident of these people. It’s important to educate the young about the brutality of the war so they won’t repeat the history. Many years ago, I was watching a sad movie about World War II. There was a group of ignorant youngsters smirked and made fun of the movie, as if they were watching a comedy. I don’t blame them for being lack of empathy, because they have no f*cking idea about the history. War is something so distant and unreal to them.
Petagas War Memorial was built in 1946 and the 1st memorial service started in 1948. That year the response was overwhelming. Busloads of people, friends and families of the dead came and they cried and comforted one another. Nowadays, except the relatives and descendants, there are very few people come here to pay tribute. There are many government people but they attend the service for the seek of formality. Hope you will come after you read the story here.
The public should show their appreciation to those who sacrificed their lives for our homeland. FYI, the memorial service starts at 8am in Petagas War Memorial Garden on 21 Jan every year. Funeral attire advised.
Just an interesting story. In 1979, the new war memorial was under construction for an upgrade, and the workers unearthed 5 big jars of human bones. Everyone didn’t know whose bones were those and it became a mystery for a while, until a Tawau bookseller, Peter Chong Yuk Kiong explained that these are the bones of 122 prisoners who died in Labuan. Their bones were collected and sent to Petagas for burial in 1949.
The war monument has a plaque on each side. I posted them here for your viewing:
Most are Chinese and the names don’t seem to be in any order. There are also names of islanders consists of Suluk, Bajau and Binadans people from Sulug, Dinawan and Mantanani islands. They also took part in Double Tenth Revolt by launching attack from the sea. After the rebellion, the Japanese army took revenge by burning the houses and gun down most men on those islands. All the adult males on Sulug island had been killed and an 11-year-old boy became headman!
The Japanese officers who responsible for this massacre were convicted in Singapore in 1946. The lieutenant and the sergeant were sentenced to death and were hanged. Others implicated received long sentences of imprisonment.
In Kampung Air of Kota Kinabalu city and next to building of Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber Of Commerce & Industry, you can find a street named after Albert Kwok.
Because of Double Tenth Uprising, Japanese abandoned the ideas of conscripting 2,000 Chinese youth into army, to use them as cannon fodder to fight a losing battle against Allies in South-East Asia. They also stopped forcing local women to become comfort women (prostitute) for Japanese soldiers.
Above: for further reading, you may check out: (1) One Crowded Moment of Glory : The Kinabalu Guerillas and the 1943 Jesselton Uprising, written by Danny Wong Tze Ken and published by UM Press (ISBN: 9789674880866) in 2019, Price: RM58, (2) Chinese version of book no.1. 神山游擊隊： 1943年亞庇起義 (ISBN: 978-983-3987-64-1), (3) Kinabalu Guerrillas (An account of the Double Tenth Rising against the Japanese invaders in North Borneo), published by OPUS Publications (ISBN: 978-983-3987-15-3), cost RM20, or (4) 北婆罗洲抗日神山游击队 Chinese version, costs RM39 (ISBN: 978-983-3987-34-4).
Besides old news clip, I also used the first book as a reference for this writing. Please correct me if there is any mistake.
The story of an island boy and a friendly male dugong (named Nicky) in Mantanani was once featured in Discovery Channel. Besides their touching friendship, viewers are also impressed by the beautiful scene of the island. Due to the mysterious and human-like appearance of dugong, the people call it “mermaid”. Mantanani consists of three islands, namely, Mantanani Kecil, Mantanani Besar and Lungisan.
Two years ago, I had a 2-day-1-night trip in Mari-Mari Dive Lodge on Mantanani Kecil Island. Earlier this month, I decided to have a day trip to Mantanani Besar Island this time. FYI, as of this writing, the accommodation (Mari-Mari Dive Lodge) of Mantanani Kecil is destroyed by storm and will be open in later date.
Above: jetty at Abai Village
There are a few tour operators such as Mari-Mari Backpackers Lodge on Mantanani Besar. You need to book the tour with them for day / overnight trip on Mantanani, they will arrange the land transport and boat transfer for you. First, a tour bus will bring you to jetty of Kg. Abai (Abai Village) in Kota Belud in the morning (now boat transfer from Kota Kinabalu is also available daily). The land transfer takes about 1.5 hours. A day trip to Mantanani costs about RM300 (about USD90), which includes return transport, lunch and 2 snorkeling (with gears).
Then you will take a boat at jetty to transfer to Mantanani. The boat ride takes about an hour, depend on the sea condition. It’ll take longer time if the sea is rough during bad weather. I know it’ll be a good day when I see the face of Mt. Kinabalu is clear of mist.
Everyone on the boat is in happy mood and we enjoy the ride and breeze. The ride took less than 1 hour.
Probably most are first-time visitors. I heard lot of WOW and WAH when they saw the crystal blue sea of Mantanani Besar. Many stood up and took photos like crazy and they couldn’t wait to get out of the boat to take a dip. The visibility is so good that we can see the corals deep in the water. You can watch the 2-min video below:
Unlike the yellow sand we see in other beaches, the sand on this island is white and as fine as powder.
Frankly, I don’t mind resting in this little hut and watch the sea all day long. You may watch the 40-sec video below to see the surrounding:
You can see Mt. Kinabalu and mainland from this side. What’s better than having blue sky, peaceful sea and our iconic mountain in one open view?
Above: Sayang-Sayang, the place we have our break and lunch.
Above: toilets nearby Sayang-Sayang
Above: a friendly cat
Above: a cattle asks for a share of our lunch. It’s from a nearby village of islanders. It doesn’t swim all the way here from mainland.
Above: The Mari-Mari Backpackers Lodge of Mantanani Besar looks really nice. Too bad I was on a day trip. There are about 10 of them and each house can host 4 guests. The starting price is about RM80/night per person. They will build more houses like this at Sayang-Sayang soon.
Above: reception counter of Mari-Mari Backpackers Lodge
Above: Cafe of Mari-Mari Backpackers Lodge. We collected our snorkeling mask, fin and life jacket behind this cafe.
Our day trip includes 2 snorkeling. You may go for Diving Package instead, which costs RM500 (about USD150) and includes 2 discovery scuba diving (no diver license required) in water of 3 to 7 Meters in depth.
Our first snorkeling site is near Magic Rock, an area near Mantanani Kecil Island. Though our snorkeling sites are far from shore, the depth is only 2 to 3 Meters only. The sea there is quite choppy and we were being tossed around by rough waves. At first I was having fun, then I started to feel dizzy after 10 minutes. All of us got seasick and felt very uncomfortable.
After returning to island for a lunch break, our boatman took us to second snorkeling site near the sand bars. This time the sea is calmer, but the water is quite cool and the current is strong too. Instead of fighting with the current, I just stay relax and let myself flow with the current and I was sent to a warmer zone. Then I felt something stinging me like mosquito. I look carefully and find that I’m in a swarm of translucent jelly bug! Their stings are very light so no worry. I saw a few tiny flashing jellyfishes, so cool..
Above: I wonder what is on that sand bar. Too bad we didn’t explore it. There might be tons of seashells and corals on it?
Frankly speaking, I’m a bit disappointed with what I see during snorkeling. Even though I still see quite a number of fishes, many corals are dead and the rest don’t look healthy, probably damaged by blast fishing (fish bombing). If you go for snorkeling, the corals at Rocky Point and Magic Rock near Mantanani Kecil Island are still in great shape.
Lankayan Island is a tranquil tropical island in Sulu Sea off Sandakan. Situated within the Sea Turtle Corridor and Coral Triangle (a.k.a. “Amazon of the Seas”), Lankayan is also declared as Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) by Malaysia government in 2001. After visit orangutan and pygmy elephants in Kinabatangan, you must not miss the turtles in Lankayan, to complete your wildlife adventure tour.
Turtle Hatcheries
Lankayan Island is a nesting and foraging place for Green and Hawksbill Turtles. You have a chance to see turtles laying eggs and hatched baby turtles being released to the sea, especially in peak season from July to October.
As nesting occurs mostly at night, an overnight stay is recommended. You can request the staff to knock on your door when turtle nesting or hatching takes place. The egg-laying can take about 1 to 2 hours. The clutch size varies between 40 – 200 eggs but batches of 50 – 80 are most common.
Above: the tracks left behind by mother turtle
Above: the turtle nesting is growing over the years, thanks to the conservation effort!
For better rate of survival, the staffs will promptly collect the freshly laid eggs and transfer them to the hatchery, where the eggs are buried by hand into 75-cm-deep pits, covered in sand and surrounded by plastic wire mesh. The hatchery will protect the eggs from predators such as monitor lizards and snakes, as well as soil erosion.
Above: each nest has an information plate displaying a serial number, collection date and number of eggs.
Above: as you can see, the peak season of nesting is from July to October
After 50 to 60 days, the hatchlings will emerge and the guests would have the opportunity to witness the release of baby turtles.
Above: newly hatched baby turtles. Do you know temperature of the sand can determine the sex of the turtles? Higher sand temperatures result in more females.
Above: Green turtle has one pair of prefrontal scales and rounded beak
Above: Hawksbill turtle has two pairs of prefrontal scales and sharp hawk-like beak
Diving
What makes Lankayan Island an excellent diving destination is the following 3-in-1 diving deal.
1. Reef & Macro Diving
It’s a colorful world under the water of Lankayan. Besides lettuce coral, staghorn coral, jawfish, seahorses, flying gurnards, mimic octopus and porcelain crabs, other pelagic such as scads, barracudas and jacks are found all year round. Lucky divers will see hump head parrotfish, large rays, guitarfish and even manatees.
2. Whale Shark
Lankayan is also famous for sighting of gentle whale sharks. You have a better chance of seeing it from March through May.
3. Wreck Diving
Lankayan has four wreck diving sites, where divers can observe different types of marine life living there. The highlight is Mosquito Wreck, a cargo ship of Japanese’s Mosquito Fleet during World War II and its main structure still remains mostly intact, include its bow gun.
Lankayan Island Resort is the only accommodation on Lankayan and it offers modern amenities, comfortable rooms, and excellent dive facilities. The seafront wooden chalets are well-equipped and attached with private balcony for a breath-taking, open view of white sandy beach and turquoise colored ocean.
