Turtle Islands Park, the Best Turtle Sanctuary of Borneo

About 110 million years ago, when dinosaurs were ruling the Earth, a marine creature has existed in the ocean. They survived the predation of Megalodon (a 20-metre-long, the biggest extinct shark) and live until today. It’s the sea turtle, some species can live more than 100 years old.

You can see three stages of turtle life on Selingan Island

However, without any protection, human can wipe out this ancient animal in 20 years. Luckily, sea turtles are fully protected in Sabah, as well as their main nesting grounds in Sulu Sea, the Turtle Islands Park, which is about 40 kilometers to the north of Sandakan of Sabah (Malaysia).

Two sea turtle species of Sabah. Left: Green Turtle (*Chelonia mydas*). Right: Hawksbill Turtle (*Eretmochelys imbricata*). Can you spot their differences? (Photo Credit: Green turtle by Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble, Hawksbill Turtle by Tchami)

Turtle Islands Park comprises the islands of Selingan (8.1ha), Gulisaan (1.6ha) and Bakkungaan Kecil (8.5ha), covering a protected area of some 1,740 hectares, of which 18.2 hectares are on land while 1,721.8 hectares at sea.

Beach of Selingan Island protected by reef balls (to stop beach erosion)

Only Selingan Island, which provides accommodation and basic facilities, is open to tourists, who will witness three stages of a turtle life by looking at the hatchery for the eggs, releasing of hatchlings and nesting of mother turtles in close distance.

Why Protect Sea Turtles?

Turtles don’t beat up villains like what Ninja Turtles do, but they are unsung heroes of maintaining a healthy coral reef ecosystem and food chain balance in the ocean. For example, a Leatherback Sea Turtle can consume 200 kg of jellyfish a day. Green turtles graze on seagrass to stop the overgrown sea meadows that obstruct the sunlight to seabed.

Sea turtles have existed on earth for over 100 million years. But human can wipe them out in one or two generations. Then our children only can see this ancient animal in an aquarium.

Sea Turtles are also the important assets of tourism in Sabah. Diving with gentle sea turtles is one of the most exciting experience, and scuba divers can see more than 10 turtles whenever they dive at Sipadan Island, the top dive sites of Malaysia.

Sea turtles are also important for tourism because tourists love to see them, especially scuba divers

Unfortunately, all seven species of sea turtles are on the endangered list (IUCN Red List). Four of the seven extant species of marine turtles occur in Malaysia (leatherback, green turtle, hawksbill and olive ridley). Selingan Island is a safe haven for the endangered green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).

A Painful Lesson

In the 1950s, about 10,000 leatherback turtle nesting were recorded annually in Terengganu state. Nevertheless, in 1980s, I had been hearing bad things such as people turned the turtles over, sat on them to take pictures and even took their eggs. The mother turtles couldn’t lay their eggs in peace, the consequence is no more landing of leatherbacks there after 2006.

Nesting trends of sea turtles in Sabah and Terengganu. Left: Leatherback turtles in Terengganu. Right: Green and Hawksbill Turtles in Turtle Islands Park of Sabah. Without conservation, leatherback turtle is extinct in Peninsular Malaysia.

Terengganu government tried to curb the collection of turtle eggs in 2005 but it’s too late too little. Though leatherback is sighted occasionally after 2015, there is no hope to recover the past glory as one of the world’s largest nesting grounds of leatherback turtles. WWF Malaysia states that the leatherback turtle population in Malaysia has plummeted by more than 99 percent since the 1960s.

Four species of sea turtles found in Malaysia are Leatherback turtle, Green turtle, Hawksbill turtle and Olive ridley turtle. They are all endangered species. In Sabah, they are fully protected by laws (Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997). Offender could face a fine of up to RM250,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.

Therefore, it’s significant that Sabah gazetted Turtle Island Parks as a turtle sanctuary on 1 Oct 1977, which stops the declining trend of green and hawksbill turtles population in Sabah.

Visit Selingan Island

Selingan, the turtle island of Sabah, is the place where turtles and tourists meet. To visit Selingan Island, visitors need to contact Crystal Quest (Website: turtleisland.com.my, Facebook: Turtleislandresortsandakan, Phone (Whatsapp): +60 11-51665923) to book a 2-day-1-night tour, which is a full board package that covers land / sea transportation, permit, accommodation and meals.

Sabah Parks jetty in Sandakan City is the departure point to the Turtle Islands Park (Selingan)

Turtle Islands Park is managed by Sabah Parks, but they are focus on conservation and offload the tour booking and activities to Crystal Quest. The island sets a limit of maximum 50 tourists per day, so the tour to Selingan is always full. You better book this popular trip a few months in advance.

The main office and dining hall on Selingan Island

The Itinerary in Brief:
9:15am Register at Sabah Parks jetty
10:00am Depart to Selingan by boat
11:15am Arrive Selingan, check-in and have lunch
6:30pm Visit Exhibition Hall
7:30pm Dinner. After that wait for turtle landing and releasing of hatchlings
Day 2
7:00am Check-out, breakfast and leave Selingan

Only Selingan Island has chalets for tourists

The peak nesting months for Green turtle are from April to August, and for the Hawksbill turtle is between January to June. Overall, for Selingan the peak time is during April – August. Turtle landing on Selingan is almost guaranteed every day, so you don’t really need to pick a best time to visit.

You can watch this video for a quick overview of the tour to Selingan

Note: It’s a family and muslim friendly tour. English is spoken for non-Malaysian tourists.

The Turtle Hatchery

The first thing that you would notice on Selingan Island is the turtle hatchery zones with thousand of turtle nests fenced by green mesh net, which keeps away the predators such as monitor lizards, rodents and crabs. A well-protected nest has a hatch rate of above 80%.

Turtle hatchery on Selingan Island. The temperature determines the gender of the hatchlings, so part of them are placed under the shade, which provides higher chance to hatch male turtles.

The first turtle hatchery was built on Pulau Selingaan in 1966, followed by Pulau Bakkungan Kecil and Pulau Gulisaan in 1968. But the hatchery on the smallest island, Gulisaan, closed in 2015 due to beach erosion.

The total number of turtle eggs collected in the Turtle Islands Park from 1979 to 2016 is 22,449,572 eggs, namely 10,428,711 (46%) on Selingan Island, 6,381,682 (28%) on Bakkungan Kecil Island, and 5,629,179 (25%) on Gulisaan Island.

Tourists looking at their adopted turtle nests. You can participate in the Turtle Nest Adoption Program by donating RM100 to adopt a turtle nest.

The sex of baby turtles depends on the nest temperature. Warmer nests can lead to hatching of more female babies, while cooler nests lead to more males, so you would see some hatcheries are placed under the cooler shade. Without such measure, overwhelming majority of the hatchlings would be female due to global warming.

You can adopt a turtle nest. Your name will be labelled on the nest that you adopt.

Turtle Nest Adoption Program

You can adopt a turtle nest at RM100 (about USD27). Each sponsor will receive the following as an appreciation:

Have your name displayed on the nest’s label
A certificate of adoption
A Turtle Nest Adoption T-Shirt

You will be informed via e-mail when the eggs in your adopted nest hatch.

Other Turtle Hatcheries in Sabah

The combined island size of Turtle Islands Park is only 18.2 hectares, which is smaller than Manukan Island (20.6 hectares). We can save more turtles if we build more hatcheries because Sabah has 394 islands and nearly 1,000 miles of coastline.

Turtle hatcheries of Lankayan (left) and Sipadan Island (right)

In fact, some Sabah islands such as Libaran, Lankayan, Mabul, Mataking, Sipadan and Dinawan have small turtle hatcheries built under the support of resorts, government and local communities. For example, Libaran Island has released more than 42,000 baby turtles since 2010.

Accommodation on Selingan

A few chalets are available for tourists. Most of the rooms are twin standard bed room, which is clean and comfortable, so is the attached bathroom cum toilet. Electricity is available 24 by 7 to power the air conditioning and ceiling fan. Towel and shower gel are provided.

Twin bedroom and attached bathroom of Selingan Turtle Island Chalet. Towel, shower gel, air-conditioning, ceiling fan and toilet are provided.

Beach of Selingan

The beautiful white sandy beach of Selingan is a bonus of the tour. The beach is kept in clean and pristine state, the way mother turtles love it. What turtles need is just a simple and natural beach for nesting. Sadly, nowadays most beaches are either having too many rubbish or people.

Left: site map of Selingan Island, Right: No nudity warning sign at the beach

After lunch you will have plenty of free and easy time until dinner time. It takes less than an hour to walk one around of the island. North side of the island is rocky shore, so I only explored the sandy beach. I saw hundred of holes dug by the turtles for laying eggs, and the tyre-like tracks they left on the beach.

Monitor lizard and Philippine megapode are two common residents on Selingan Island

Do apply mosquito repellent before you walk in the wood. The three most common animals on Selingan are the roaming monitor lizards (harmless unless provoked), Philippines megapodes (or Tabon scrubfowl) busy scratching soil for food, and hermit crabs (most active at night).

The sandy beach and rocky beach on Selingan Island

The favourite afternoon activity of tourists is snorkeling (gears available for rent on Selingan). Only the beach on the east side of Selingan is open for tourists to swim and snorkel because of the calm and shallow sea. There are life guards on duty at the beach from 8:30am to 5:30pm. You can sunbathe in sexy bikini, but no topless and nude please.

Left: snorkeling on Selingan Island. Right: sea cucumbers. There are probably thousand of sea cucumbers in the shallow sea of Selingan.

From the beach, you can see Lihiman and Great Bakkungaan Islands of the Philippines only 6 Kilometres away. They are the “Philippines side” of the turtle island park. Turtle island parks from Malaysia and Philippines establishes the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA), the world’s first transborder programme between two countries to conserve sea turtles and their habitats in the Sulu Sea since May 1996.

You can see the islands of Philippines from Selingan. They are also part of the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA), the world’s first trans-border protected area for marine turtle. Left: Lihiman Island, Right: Great Bakungan Island at the left and Pulau Bakkungaan Kecil (of Sabah) at the right

The sea water is crystal clear and inviting to beachgoers who want to swim between Malaysia and Philippines water. The sea floor is rocky so a pair of water shoes would help. I saw hundred of sea cucumbers near the shore. The corals and macro lives in deeper water are spectacular. During low tide, avoid snorkel too close to the sharp corals or you would risk getting cut.

Exhibition Hall

No walking on the beach is allowed after 6pm, as the turtles would land anytime. You may visit the small exhibition hall, which is open from 6:30pm to 9pm. Some photographs, specimens and skeleton of marine animals such as turtle, dolphin and giant seashells are displayed.

The labels and information are written in Malaysian and English, for you to learn about the sea turtles and the conservation projects of Turtle Islands Park. This short visit is a good time filler before dinner. Halal / Muslim-friendly food is served. If you are a vegetarian, you can inform the operator of your food preference in advance.

Turtle Nesting

After dinner at 7:30pm, everyone was asked to sit and wait in the dining hall for the highlight activity. Based on the landing records from 1981 to 2016 of the Park, a total of 85,870 unique turtles have been marked involving 81,149 (94.5%) green turtles and 4,721 (5.5%) hawksbill turtles. The Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) rarely comes here (only 6 landing).

After dinner, tourists wait in the dining hall for the tour to see nesting turtle

The number of turtle landings at the Turtle Island Park has increased to between 6,000 to 15,000 annually since 1991. The highest number of turtle landing was 15,219 nests in 2011. It’s safe to say that Turtle Islands Park is one of the most important nesting sites for green turtles in the world.

Green Turtles lay about 120 eggs while a Hawksbill can lay up to 160 eggs on average. Batches of 50 – 80 eggs are the most common.

The wait took less than an hour. Around 8pm, the ranger brought us to the beach where mother turtle nested. It’s only a 10-minute walk, but we were so enthusiastic and brisk walking behind the dim flash light of the rangers. We were requested to keep quiet and turn off our torch, or the excessive noise and light would stress the sensitive mother turtle and turn it away.

Nesting pits dug by the sea turtles for laying their eggs on the beach. These holes are everywhere on the sandy beach of Selingan Island.

By the time we got there, a green turtle had already dug a 16-inch-deep hole in the sand near vegetation line (above high water mark) and started laying eggs. We gathered around the turtle and looking at clutch of ivory-color and perfectly round eggs being laid into the pit.

Tourists gather next to the nesting site of a mother turtle

Everyone was given turn to shoot photos (extra torch, flash light and video taking are prohibited) so we didn’t need to elbow others to move to the front for the best angle. But we still need to keep a distance from the turtle.

The nesting usually takes 30 to 60 minutes. The clutch size varies between 40 – 200 eggs but batches of 50 – 80 are the most common. After the mother turtle was done with nesting, the ranger collected her fresh eggs into a bucket.

The fresh turtle eggs look like ping-pong balls. They are transferred to the turtle hatchery for better protection.

We followed the ranger to the turtle hatchery, where he buried the new turtle eggs for incubation. The nest is labelled with date, clutch size and serial number. These are what rangers do until dawn when they find new nests during night patrol.

Releasing Baby Turtles

The next program is the releasing of baby turtles to the wild. Turtle eggs take about two months to hatch. Once they emerge from the sand, the ranger will put them in a basket ready for releasing at night later.

Newly hatched baby turtles got photographed by excited tourists before their release

Everyone walked to the beach. The baby turtles were so cute and we were in a photo frenzy. Before the release, we were instructed to stand still because the small turtles would run all over the beach and around our feet.

A sleeping sea turtle can remain underwater for 4 to 7 hours

The ranger pointed the torch to the sea, to guide the hatchlings to enter the water. Baby turtles normally use the brightest horizon as clues to find the ocean. Artificial lights would distract them from finding their way, so coastal reclamation is a threat to their habitat.

You might ask, isn’t it easier to pour them all into the water? Sea turtles can sense the Earth’s magnetic field and use it as an internal compass. Release them on the beach would help them to register the magnetic signature of their birthplace, so they will come back to lay eggs in future.

Releasing of baby turtles on the beach. The female turtles would come back to the same beach to lay eggs after 20 years.

During their lifetime, sea turtles will travel thousands of miles across the oceans. It’s remarkable that adult turtles can use the Earth’s magnetic field as a global GPS to navigate back home for laying eggs.

Daily scoreboard of records on turtle landing and number of eggs collected. (GT = Green Turtle, HB = Hawksbill Turtle)

About 22 million hatchlings from over 315,000 turtle nests have been released into the sea from 1979 up to 2023 (1st quarter) in Turtle Islands Park (94% are green turtles, 6% are Hawksbills). The number is impressive but only one in 1,000 hatchlings would survive to adulthood. Every egg counts.

Starry sky of Selingan Island, which is free of air and light pollution

The releasing is the last activity of our tour. Most of the light was off and we were not permitted to wander near the beach until 6am next day, to avoid disturbing the landing of turtles. Without light pollution, the starry sky on Selingan was stunning. Many hermit crabs crawled out in the night. It’s funny but worrying to see that many hermit crabs used plastic waste as their shelter instead of normal seashells.

Hermit crabs use plastic waste as their shelters. This bizarre adaptation is getting common as more beaches are polluted.

People told me that Selingan Island is haunted. The rangers also shared some paranormal activities that they experienced during night patrol. Sometimes they heard people whispering but there was nobody around. One of the most terrifying story is – they saw huge shadow of turtle stood up in the sea. I’m not sure if these are fake stories to discourage tourists from going to the beach at night. I’ll leave it to you to find out. I had a good sleep there anyway.

Before we left Selingan next morning, we caught the nice sunrise view over the Philippines islands. Overall, this is a leisure and educational tour that I would highly recommend to someone who love turtles and tropical islands.

What to Bring

The following are some necessary or useful items for the trip:

Sunblock lotion / spray
Sunglasses & hat
Swimwear or beachwear (e.g. swimsuit, bikini, rough guard)
Beach mat
Cash
Passport / MyKad
Water in refillable bottle
Insect repellent
Light clothing (e.g. T-Shirt, short)
Slipper / Sandal
Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash, soap, shampoo, toilet paper)
Camera & spare batteries / memory cards
Mobile / Cell phone and charger
Portable power bank and charging cable
Torch / Flashlight
Optional: dry bag (water-proof), goggles, waterproof casing for phone / camera, snorkelling gears (mask, snorkel, fins, life vest), water shoes, personal medicines

Note: you can rent the snorkelling gears on Selingan.

Challenges

Having turtle hatcheries and conservation acts are not enough to stop sea turtles from extinction, unless the threats below are mitigated effectively.

Not all Malaysian states ban the consumption of turtle eggs
Poaching of turtle and its eggs
Between 2,000-3,000 turtles are trapped as bycatch of commercial fishing in Malaysia every year
At least half of all sea turtles have already consumed plastic, which is hazardous to their health
Coastal development destroys the nesting beach of turtles

Threats to marine turtles include poaching of turtle eggs, and thousands of turtles trapped and drowned in the net of fishing trawlers every year

References

“Sabah on the world turtle map” by Daily Express (October 29, 2017)
(PDF) “Marine turtles in Malaysia: On the verge of extinction?” by Eng-Heng Chan
“Solutions for fishermen, marine life” by Daily Express (June 21, 2021)
“Turtles use the Earth’s magnetic field as a global GPS” by National Geographic

Mee Sup Kota Belud, the Noodle Soup from the Cowboy Town of Sabah

Leave a reply

Good food doesn’t need any advertising because by words of mouth, eventually everyone will come for it. Mee Sup Kota Belud (or Mee Sup KB in short) is one of them. I had first taste of this delicious noodle soup in Kota Belud town more than 10 years ago, in a food stall behind the Bangunan Usia building. Only the local folks know this “hidden” corner. Now Mee Sup KB is well-known and even available in some cities of Peninsular Malaysia.

Mee Sup Kota Belud is the iconic noodle of Kota Belud

Mee Sup Kota Belud literally means Kota Belud Noodle Soup, which is named after Kota Belud, a small town about 60 Kilometres away from Kota Kinabalu City (KK). Mee Sup Kota Belud is like the noodle soup version of the famous Hainanese Chicken Rice, which allows you to taste the flavour of chicken fully.

Mee Sup Kota Belud (Kota Belud Noodle Soup) with egg, chicken feet and meatballs

There are four things that make Mee Sup Kota Belud so mouth-watering: 1) savoury chicken soup, 2) aromatic fried shallot, 3) tender chicken meat, and 4) noodle that absorbs all the goodness in soup. It tastes the best when fresh drumstick and vegetables are used.

Mee Sup Kota Belud with Cha-Shao (barbecued pork) slices, chicken meat and chicken heart

Mee Sup Kota Belud is quite simple to prepare. The most important part is the chicken soup. Chicken meat is boiled in hot water first. Then ginger, pepper, lemongrass, garlic, chicken stock / bouillon cubes and a bit of MSG would be added to the soup to enrich the flavours. Lastly, hot soup is poured on the noodle and chicken meat, with some fried shallot on top as a finishing touch.

Mee Sup Kota Belud of *konlou* (dry) type (without soup)

The classic Mee Sup Kota Belud, which is served with yellow noodle and chicken pieces in soup is the style I love. Some shops add cha-shao, meatballs, boiled egg, chicken feet, chicken heart, or green vegetable leaf to create a more fancy dish. You also can order Kota Belud Noodle Soup in konlou (dry) or mee hon (rice noodle) style.

Mee Sup Kota Belud (*mee hoon* or rice noodle type)

Adding a bit of calamansi lime juice (limau kasturi), coriander, or chili sauce can spice up your noodle soup too.

Best Mee Sup Kota Belud

The following are the recommended shops for Mee Sup KB, based on public reviews and rating.

1. Kota Belud Town

You can have the authentic Mee Sup KB in a few places of Kota Belud, for examples, the food stalls at Bazar Rakyat Kota Belud (Location Map) and Sunday Tamu Market (Location Map).

Left: one of the food stalls at Bazar Rakyat Kota Belud. Right: menu and price list of noodles

2. Mee Sup KB Ah Thong

Facebook: Mee Sup KB Ah Thong
Phone: +60 12-8239063
Location: 5.909942850793467, 116.1018139753375 (Donggongon, Penampang)

3. MG Corner Restaurant

Facebook: MG-Corner-Restaurant
Phone: +60 16-8366020
Location: 6.137608979075816, 116.27024009807108 (Tamparuli)

4. Real Mee Sup KB

Facebook: @realmeesupkb
Phone: +60 17-816 7428
Location: 5.986795024067851, 116.13059859807107 (Inanam Capital, Inanam)

Some of them may serve pork, so Muslim please check if it’s halal before ordering.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Bajau Sama Cultural Centre for the Most Colourful Tribe of Sabah

Leave a reply

Bajau is the second largest indigenous group of Sabah. Without Bajau, the cultural world of Sabah would be a lot less colourful, because Bajau people are famous for using bold bright colours in their traditional costumes and handicrafts. Bajau has about 13 subethnic, including the Ubian, Sama, Simunul, Tolen, Pala’u, and Sikubung, all of which are named according to their place of origin or current regions.

Bajau Sama (or Bajau Samah) mainly resides in West coast of Sabah (Malaysia), especially Kota Belud and Tuaran districts. They are also known as the Cowboys of the East because of their excellent horsemanship.

Sabah Bajau Sama Cultural Centre

To preserve their cultural heritages, the building of RM7.5-million Sabah Bajau Sama Cultural Centre (Local Name: Pusat Kebudayaan Persatuan Rumpun Bajau Sama Sabah) was completed in 2022 and open to visitors who want to see the vibrant cultures of Bajau Sama, who is widely recognised as the colourful, festive, and musical people.

Bajau Sama is also known as the Cowboys of the East because of their excellent equine skills

Gallery, the little world of Bajau Sama

The gallery of Sabah Bajau Sama Cultural Centre is the highlight. It shows everything about Bajau Sama, from handicrafts, motif, musical instruments, wedding decoration, antique to clothing. Photo-taking is allowed in the gallery.

This beautiful mural at Sabah Bajau Sama Cultural Centre summarises many cultural elements of Bajau Sama

As the most colourful tribe of Sabah, Bajau Sama uses bright yellow, red, blue and green as the main colours. Majority of the bright-coloured Sabah handicrafts such as Serdang boxes and Tudung Duang (food cover / basket) are made by Bajau Sama.

Serimpak or Serempak is the unique headgear of Bajau Sama women

Bajau people are not only skillful in handwoven crafts, they are also good in making different kinds of parang (machete) with traditional methods, the hilt and sheath are carved out of wood with beautiful motif on them.

Copperware exhibition in the galley of Sabah Bajau Sama Cultural Centre

The place is air-conditioned and has clean toilet. You can enjoy listening to the soothing Betitik music while you are doing your business.

The Mount Kinabalu backdrop is my photo taken at Tegudon Tourism Village

The gallery uses four of my photos. One of them is the big Mount Kinabalu backdrop. I’m so excited about it. Thank you Haw for choosing my works.

Musical instruments and wedding display of Bajau Sama

The most colourful section is the display of their wedding dais and bed. The wedding of Bajau is a glamorous affair with up to seven ceremonies. Sometimes it’s so splendour that it looks like a royal wedding.

A conceptual chandelier piece that features the Togong (Bubu fish trap), chicken cage and Tudung Duang (food cover) as main subjects

The chandelier hanging on top is quite a masterpiece by Sabah Art Gallery team. It’s a conceptual chandelier that features Bubu (fish traps) and Duang (food basket). The meaning is to illustrate the importance of preserving the Bajau Sama’s heritage craft because it sheds light to the culture and way of life of their ancestors.

Brassware and bronzeware of Bajau, one of the most prosperous race in Sabah.

One of the main sections is the exhibition of various antique and metal wares made of Bronze, Copper and Brass. Besides striking colours, Bajau Sama is really fond of shiny objects too. They seem to have copper items for everything they use, for examples, Betel nut containers, plate, cookware, kettle, tray, accessories, fingernail caps, measurement cup. Having these items is a show of wealth and can be passed on as dowry and heirloom.

The information panel is available in both English and Malaysia languages, for visitors to learn about the exhibited items. If you want a guided tour, the following is the schedule for the best time to visit.

Day	Morning	Afternoon
Monday	Closed
Friday	9am	2pm
Other Days	10am	2pm

Schedule of Guided Tour

Photo of a grandma at Kota Belud Tamu, taken by me in year 2005. A French tourist said he saw her eyes blinked.

Overall, this Centre is a good starting point to see the culture of Land Bajau (Sea Bajau is totally different). The human photos in this article are not taken at the Centre.

Traditional Bajau Houses

You may explore the two traditional Bajau houses (farmer and fisherman) behind the main building. Such wooden houses are getting rare when most people prefer brick and mortar building nowadays. There is a mini herbs garden there too.

Traditional Bajau house at Sabah Bajau Sama Cultural Centre. The chamber on top is the small room for maiden. The ladder is removed after they go to bed.

Horse Riding

You can try out horse riding at the Centre. A staff will company you and the horse for a safe stroll around the track.

Bajau Sama are skilled horse riders and love their horses. During festivals such as Tamu Besar (grand open market) in Kota Belud, Bajau horsemen wear traditional costumes in the parade, and their horses wear colourful clothing steeds too. It’s like dressing up your pet in next level up.

Other Activities

Normally, there is no Bajau people dressed in traditional costumes stationed at the Centre to show some actions. For a more complete cultural experience, you may come in group and add in some activities (fees applicable and need to book in advance) such as Penjaram cooking demo and food sampling (RM150) and cultural dance (RM1,000 to RM2,000).

Pinjaram (or penyaram) cooking demo. Pinjaram is a famous snack of Bajau Sama. Some call it UFO Cake

FYI, Penjaram (or UFO Cake) is a popular Bajau snack, and Limbai is the iconic dance of Bajau Sama.

Other Services / Facilities

The Centre is suitable for hosting events such as wedding, meeting and gathering. The outdoor stage, main hall, conference room, chairs and desks are available for rent for a fee.

Left: tourists try Bajau style wedding. Right: Betitik music of Bajau

Tickets and Opening Hours

Visitor Type	Malaysian	Non-Malaysian
Adult	RM10	RM15
Child (4-12 years old)	RM5	RM10
Senior (60 and above)	RM5	RM10
Baby (below 4)	Free	Free

Ticket prices to enter the gallery

Usungan is an ornately decorated palanquin that is used to transport the groom during wedding ceremony

Opening Hours

Monday	Closed
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, Public Holidays	8am-12pm and 2pm-4:30pm
Friday	8am-11:30am and 2pm-4:30pm

Operating time of Sabah Bajau Sama Cultural Centre

Contact of the Centre

Facebook: @RumahBajau
Instagram: @pusatkebudayaan_bajausama
E-mail: afiqa.pkrbss@gmail.com
Phone / Whatsapp: +60 17-8383507 (Afiqa), +60 13-8375792 (Ifah), +60 14-9437383 (Ayien)

Bajau Sama girl on a horse decorated in Bajau fashion

How to get there

Sabah Bajau Sama Cultural Centre is in Tuaran and about 34 Kilometres from Kota Kinabalu City. You can reach there within an hour by driving on asphalt road.
Address: Komplex Budaya PKRBSS, Kampung Lok Batik, Tuaran, Sabah, Malaysia
GPS: 6.1659205915238955, 116.18589156295744

Cultural heritage, be it tangible or intangible, is an important asset of a race, so it’s crucial to preserve and document our indigenous cultures, to get some protection against culture appropriation. Large international companies such as Dior would steal the ideas of native art pieces and claim that’s their original concept.

Photos taken in Tuaran, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Bornean Bristlehead, the Superstar Bird of Borneo

Leave a reply

Angry Bird was used to be the most popular “bird” in the world, but now most people forget it. Out of 660 bird species in Borneo, do you know which one is the most wanted bird by bird watchers? It’s Bornean Bristlehead (Species: Pityriasis gymnocephala), which is endemic to Borneo. It is so special that it should take over hornbill as the most iconic bird of Borneo. Birders from all over the world consider Bornean Bristlehead a trophy bird and pay thousand$ just to see it.

Group photo of Bornean Bristlehead mascot and Sabah natives at Borneo Bird Festival

In Borneo Bird Festival every year, foreign birders who visit the festival would take the opportunity to look for Bornean Bristlehead at the event site, i.e. Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) in Sepilok of Sandakan, one of the most promising places where Bornean Bristlehead shows up frequently.

The nickname of Bornean Bristlehead is Headphone Bird. I think you can see why. It’s also known as the bristled shrike, bald-headed crow or the bald-headed wood-shrike.

Bornean Bristlehead is classified as a Near Threatened rare bird species. Some people catch it and sell it as a pet bird in black market (of course it is illegal). This bird lives in rainforest from lowland to 1,200 Metres asl. It is usually seen foraging in flocks of 5 to 10 in the middle and upper canopy, generally feeding on insects. What makes Bornean Bristlehead so unique is – it is the sole representative of the family Pityriasis (scientific grouping).

Looking for Bornean Bristlehead at Rainforest Skywalk of Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sepilok forest

Where to see Bornean Bristlehead?

The Rainforest Skywalk and towers of Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) is the best location to see Bornean Bristlehead because it is usually active on middle and upper canopy of the trees in lowland primary or secondary rainforest. There are about 307 bird species in RDC, and 13 of them are endemic to Borneo Island.

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

Bornean Bristlehead is generally scarce but a locally common resident. You need some luck to see it. Some bird watchers can spend hours waiting for Bornean Bristlehead on the canopy walk of Rainforest Discovery Centre. Sometimes Bornean Bristlehead is accompanied by other large forest birds (e.g. babblers, malkohaa, drongos, hornbills, woodpeckers) that form a hunting flock to feed on insects.

Bornean Bristlehead is the icon of Borneo birds. You can find its pictures in logos of birding community and events

You have to believe in the Law of Attraction. If you keep thinking about one thing, no matter it is good or bad, it will come to you. One day in Sandakan, some birders told me that they saw Bornean Bristlehead in the Sepilok forest nearby. When I rushed to the site, there were already a group of birders and photographers waiting for the bird.

Bornean Bristlehead on the tree at RDC. The first time I saw this superstar bird.

In a few minutes, a Bornean Bristlehead showed up on a tree about 15 Metres away from us. It is a fairly active and vocal bird and looks like a crow with head on fire. It was hopping from branch to branch for nearly a minute, until an approaching group of noisy students scared it away. Anyway, I was really happy and took a few photos of this superstar. Please pardon about the poor photo quality, as I didn’t own a bazooka lens like below.

Long camera lens for bird photography. The focal length is usually 500mm or above (about 25x optical zoom)

You just need the ~~most expensive~~ best lens for bird photography, like the lens in pictures above. A good 800mm lens can cost about RM73,000 (about USD17,500)!!! Would you buy a car or this lens?

Waiting for Bornean Bristlehead at canopy walk of Danum Valley, the primary rainforest of Borneo.

Besides RDC in Sandakan, another best place to see Bornean Bristlehead is at the canopy walk of Danum Valley in Lahad Datu. I saw it again there, and it was only 10 Metres from me this time. Bornean Bristlehead likes to perch on branches under big leaves, where it can find insects. We were waiting for it early in the morning for nearly an hour, luckily it showed up and checked us out.

Photos of Bornean Bristlehead I took at Danum Valley. I was using a 200mm Tamron lens with a 2x teleconverter.

After Bornean Bristlehead, another rising star is Bornean Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron schleiermacheri). It’s also an endemic bird of Borneo, and birders had to travel to Kalimantan to see it, before it was recently discovered in the centre of Sabah. I just got a 600mm long lens for bird photography. Hope I’ll get some good shots to show you in future.

Photos taken in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Kayu Tas, Borneo wood with mystic powers

2 Replies

In the villages of Sabah and Sarawak, almost every house has a Kayu Tas (Tas Stick), My grandparents call it “snake beater stick” because snakes are really afraid of Kayu Tas. Kayu Tas is commonly for sale in local markets such as Tamu (native market) and Gaya Street Sunday Market. You can even buy it online now.

Kayu Tas is also known as Kayu Hujan Panas (Hot Rain Stick), Kayu Penunduk, Kayu Limpanas and God’s Mountain Stick. Locals believe that Kayu Tas possess mystic powers to protect the owner. Like yin and yang, Kayu Tas also has Betina (female) and Jantan (male) types, each has different magical powers.

Kayu Tas Jantan is darker and Kayu Tas Betina is lighter in color.

Kayu Tas Jantan is in dark color. It can ward off wild or venomous animals such as snake, centipede, scorpion, tiger and elephant, or even tame them. Carry a small chunk of it also prevents bad people to bother you. Some cyclists carry a Tas stick when they cycle in neighborhood roaming with aggressive dogs (please don’t hold me responsible if it doesn’t work). But you must not bring it to a fishing trip or all the fishes will run away from you.

Kayu Tas Betina is lighter in color and feared by evil spirits, so it’s good in blocking bad energy from ghost and jinx. It can be used as a traditional herb to cure some diseases too, for example, diarrhea and stomach ache.

Bind a small section of male and female sticks together and it becomes a lucky charm and amulet, to protect the owner from any harm and even bring good luck or business. Some use rosary made of Kayu Tas. Harry Potter would want to use Kayu Tas as his magic wand lol. However, it’s a taboo to whip someone with Kayu Tas.

Penan people believe that burning the skin or leaves of Kayu Tas during daytime can move the rain to somewhere else. The smoke also smells like incense, which can get rid of pest such as ants, cockroach and flies. Burning the skin of Kayu Tas Betina can keep the evil spirits at bay.

Product description of Kayu Tas (in Malay language)

The most highly graded Tas is Kayu Tas Pontianak from Kalimantan, which has the powers of Kayu Tas Jantan and Betina, but it’s rare. Kayu Penunduk Gajah / Gunung claims to have the power to soften the hardened hearts of human. You can carry the wood with you or leave it at home to guard your house.

Tas Kayu is abundant on Borneo Island. From what I search, Kayu Tas is a plant of Glochidion species (under Euphorbiaceae family). Peninsular Malaysia also has Kayu Tas but its aroma (stink actually) is different from the Borneo Tas wood (smell like spice), so it might be another species.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Jambatan Tamparuli, the most famous bridge of Sabah

Leave a reply

My first experience of crossing the Tamparuli hanging bridge was scary. I was frightened by the raging yellow river under my feet and cried loudly. My parents tried to coax me to move on but failed. Then my father asked me to close my eyes, and he carried me to other end of the bridge. I was about 6 or 7 years old that time. :-p

Left: signage to Tamparuli Bridge. Right: Kadazandusun girls crossing a hanging bridge carefully

The 200-Metre-long Tamparuli Suspension Bridge is made famous by the Kadazandusun (biggest indigenous tribe of Sabah) folk song “Jambatan Tamparuli” (jambatan means bridge) written by Justin Lusah in 1977. It’s also known as the Lover’s Bridge because of a heartbroken love story.

Walking on the Tamparuli Bridge. At the right is the busy Tamu market and Bukit Perahu (Ruhiang Hill). You also can see the tip of Mount Kinabalu behind the hill.

The romantic Jambatan Tamparuli song is in Kadazandusun language. Thanks to Ben Godomon! Below is his translation of the lyrics or you can listen to the Kadazandusun and Chinese versions of Jambatan Tamparuli performed by Cozzi Chong (雁卿), a popular Sino-Kadazan singer from Sabah:

I’m making a “Pak Pak” sound
As I walk along the bridge
The bridge of Tamparuli
while wearing high-heeled shoes

[Note: a proper name for high-heeled shoes for men is probably “Cuban Heels”]

As I walk along the bridge
The Bridge of Tamparuli
I’m making a “Pak Pak” sound
while wearing high-heeled shoes

But damn my shoes
they fell off the bridge
only socks are left
which I brought home

[Note: “silaka” is “celaka” in Malay : “damn” is the closest equivalent to English that I can think of]

On Wednesday
It’s the Tamu in Tamparuli
I go around the shops
Looking for high-heeled shoes

[Note: “Tamu” of course means “weekly open market” as is practised in Sabah]

Whenever listening to this song, I would visualize a lady walking carefully on the wobbly hanging bridge without her shoes. The holes between the planks can trap high heels so ladies please beware. However, this is not the same hanging bridge that inspired Justin Lusah to write the song. The “original” hanging bridge was washed away by flood in 1999.

Music performance by Persatuan Seni Budaya Tuaran (Tuaran Cultural and Art Association). You would find them play Jambatan Tamparuli at the Tamparuli Bridge.

You could have a nice view of surrounding of Tamparuli town on Tamparuli Suspension Bridge. The highest point is Ruhiang Hill (Bukit Perahu), a spot for hiking and paragliding during weekends. Mt. Kinabalu, the highest mountain of Malaysia, would show her face in good weather. On every Wednesday, there is a tamu (weekly open market, as described by the song) at Tamparuli town too.

Tamparuli Bridge with Linangkit and Lelawangan motif, the unique textile patterns of Lotud and Bajau respectively.

In 2021, Tamparuli Bridge received a facelift under the Linangkit Mural and Lelewangan Jambatan Gantung Tamparuli project. The artwork is completed by Tujuh Tompinai or 7T (means seven friends or teachers in Dusun language). The support posts and walls of the bridge are decorated with Linangkit motif and giant mural.

Mural of Tamparuli Bridge depicts the stories, legend, cultures and attractions of Tamparuli, an artwork of Tujuh Tompinai or 7T team (led by Saidina Atiman).

The top part of mural (see picture above) shows a group of Tantagas, the high priest of Lotud tribe and their world view – the end of the river is the edge of our world. The bottom mural displays the people (Lotud, Bajau, Chinese) and attractions (Bukit Perahu, Rumah Terbalik (Upside Down House), Murug Turug Waterfall, JonGrapevines & Figs Garden) of Tamparuli. Right mural represents the legend of Solungkoi. Left mural is to commemorate two brave British soldiers.

British Monument at Tamparuli Bridge. The inscription on the plaque says: *This plaque is erected in Memory of: Private J.W.N. Hall RAMC and Driver D.C. Cooper RASC who lost their lives on 18th May 1960 in trying to save the life of a woman of Kampong Sayap, Kota Belud.*
(RAMC = Royal Army Medical Corps, RASC = Royal Army Service Corps)

In 1960, two British soldiers lost their lives when they tried to save the life of a woman from Kota Belud. Their Land Rover was swept by strong currents while crossing the old Tamparuli Bridge and three of them drowned. You can find the plaque about the incident behind the fruit & vegetables market near the bridge.

Tourists looking at the fishes under the Tamparuli Bridge

Unlike the traditional hanging bridge, the new bridge is supported by concrete pillars and steel cables, so rock solid that you can bring a full cup of coffee walking nearly 200 Meters to another end without spilling a drop. Not only that, there is mesh wire covering the lower part of the boardwalk, so it’s impossible to drop your shoe like the lady in the song, unless you purposely throw it into the river.

Left: story of Solungkoi. Middle: drawing about the song Jambatan Tamparuli. Right: playing the music on the bridge

Nonetheless, the construction of old Tamparuli bridge posed a big challenge to British engineers in 1930s because it’s always destroyed by flood. Bobolian (local high priest) said that Tambuakar, the river spirit, was angry with the building of new bridge. To appease the spirit, a human sacrifice was demanded.

Therefore, a fair maiden named Solungkoi was put into a jar and buried alive under the first pole of the bridge. After the offering, the bridge lasts until today, though it’s flooded by the rising river occasionally. Legend says the British engineer was in love with Solungkoi, making their love story sounds more tragic.

After you cross the bridge, you may take a walk in Tamparuli to get nostalgia with those old wooden shoplots of post-war era in town. For tourists who head to Kinabalu Park or Kiulu white water rafting, this is a nice mid-point to stop for a tea break and try the delicious Tamparuli fried noodle.

Another hanging bridge not far away from Tamparuli town

Photos taken in Tamparuli, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

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

59 Replies

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

Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain of Borneo and Malaysia and part of Kinabalu Park. Kinabalu Park is now a Unesco Global Geopark.

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

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

1. How much does it cost?

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

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

Panalaban is the area where mountain accommodations located. It’s called Laban Rata previously.

How to Book a Climb Package

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

Important notes:

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

There are four ways to book the climb package:

1. Book with Travel Agent

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

2. Book with Sabah Parks

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

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

A) Lemaing Hostel (for Malaysian only)

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

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

B) Panalaban Hostels (for Malaysian and Foreigner)

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

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

Sabah Parks Contact:

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

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

3. Book with Sutera Sanctuary Lodges (SSL)

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

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

4. Mountain TORQ

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

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

Itinerary of the Climb

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

Day 1

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

Day 2

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

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

Day 3

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

Photo Walk-through

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

Day 1: Climbing to Panalaban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Day 2: Conquering Mount Kinabalu

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

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

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

Ranau trail of Mount Kinabalu, not difficult but tiring.

Left: The rope section. Right: Sayat-Sayat Checkpoint

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tips and Advice

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

Climbing outfit: Day 1 vs Day 2. You don’t need thick clothing for climbing on day 1, but pack a warm jacket in your bag. On day 2, you need to prepare for near freezing point temperature. You must have poncho or water resistant clothing in case it rains.

Things to Bring

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

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

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

How to go to Islands nearby Kota Kinabalu city?

Leave a reply

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

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

1. Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal

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

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

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

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

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

Destinations

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

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

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

Return Boat Fare (as of Jan 2023)

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

Pic: jetty of Jesselton Point

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

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

Gaya Island

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

(Currently Not available) Labuan & Brunei

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

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

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

Other Islands

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

Pic: boats parked at Jesselton Point

Amenities

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

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

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

Contact

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

2. Sutera Harbour Marina Jetty

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

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

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