Kudat district at the north of Sabah has some finest beaches of Borneo. For example, Tip of Borneo (a.k.a. Tanjung Simpang Mengayau) is a popular tourist destination due to its breathtaking beach and sea view. If you ask the locals in Kudat town, they would recommend Bak Bak Beach (Local Name: Pantai Bak Bak) too, which is the nearest beach to Kudat (11 KM away to the north).
New landmark sign of Bak Bak Beach (Pantai Bak Bak), installed in 2023
Pic: panoramic photo of Bak-Bak Beach
To go to the beach, you will pass by the junction to Bak Bak Beach (Note the signage reads “Jalan Bak-Bak” at your right, see the location map of the junction), when you are on the way to the Tip of Borneo. After 4 KM, you will see the beautiful Bak Bak Beach (See Location Map of Bak Bak Beach).
Local Chinese calls Bak Bak Beach “石码头海滩”, which means Rock Jetty. It is a rocky beach, but I didn’t see any jetty though. I read somewhere that mentions Bak Bak Beach was used to be a busy port in the past. We enjoyed the gentle sea breeze under the shades of swaying casuarina trees.
The sea water is crystal clear and shallow, and seem like you can walk all the way 100 Meters away from shore. During high tide, it is great for swimming. If you really want white sandy beach, you can continue to drive 4 KM along the road. When you come to a junction, turn to right and you will reach a deserted beach named Pasir Putih (means white sand) after 400 Meters. Pasir Putih is a more inviting spot for swimmers.
Am I your cup of tea?
The beach had a facelift in early 2023 and added some colourful decoration and photo booth structure at the beach. There is a restaurant that is open from 11am to 5pm. Public toilet is available too.
We visited the beach in Saturday noon and it was quiet, only one family hanging around with kids. We learn later that this place is only crowded with locals on weekends. Anyway, looking at the shelters, tables and barbecue areas, Bak Bak Beach is also a nice site for picnic and dating.
Door to the Bak Bak Beach?
Have you been to Bak Bak Beach? Please tell me more about it in comment section below.
Sabah culture is so colourful. We have over 30 indigenous and 200 sub-ethnic groups, most of them have distinct traditional costume, a heritage that tells the world their identity, traditions, and stories. Sabah is beautiful because of this cultural diversity. I’ve been photographing Sabah traditional costumes for 15 years and would like to share what I think are the 10 most beautiful traditional costumes of Sabah (not in any order).
Please note there are always variants in costumes due to different occasions such as wedding, ceremony and social status, so I only can give you a general view. FYI, many ethnic groups share common elements such as linangkit (needlework), siga (headgear) and belts (e.g. Tangkong, Himpogot).
1. Kadazan Penampang
Kadazandusun is the largest indigenous group of Sabah, and Kadazan Penampang is the biggest sub-ethnic. Their traditional costume has become an iconic dress to represent Sabahans.
Kadazan Penampang couple in traditional costume
Kadazan Penampang costume has basic trimmings and embroidery and may look a bit plain. However, simplicity is beauty, like Vietnamese Ao Dai and Chinese Cheongsam. Though it has relatively less shining ornaments and accessories, it is an elegant cloth inspired by sarong kebaya.
The costume of young female consists of a long cylindrical wrap skirt and a sleeveless blouse (Sinuangga’), and decorated with gold trimmings running along the opening for head and arms, and along the seams at the side and along the middle of the back. Around the trimming on neck and front is 20 or more gold plated Betawi buttons.
Bobohizan is the high priestesses of Kadazan people. They wear large headgear with feathers and beads.
Silver-dollar chains (himpogot) and brass ring belts (tangkong) in set of 2 to 3 are worn around the waist and hip to emphasize the curve. Some himpogot and tangkong are antique passed on to women as heirloom or wedding dowry, they can cost thousands of dollars!
“Light version” of Kadazan Penampang costume could be a daily wear
The jacket and trousers of Kadazan Penampang men bear some Chinese influence. They wear headgear called siga, a very intricately woven square piece of headcloth, handwoven or embroidered, and folded to the shape of the peak of the Mount Kinabalu. Most men from Kadazandusun ethnic group wear siga.
The basic material for clothing is black commercial fabric, silk or velvet for ceremonial occasions. It is also made from cotton for daily wear.
2. Dusun Lotud
With a population of only 6,000 in Tuaran district, Dusun Lotud is very famous for weaving the embroidered panel called linangkit, which is used to decorate the skirt, sash and trousers of many Sabah tribes. Without linangkit, Sabah traditional costumes would be far less colourful.
Dusun Lotud couple in ceremonial attire. Note the siwot on her head, an ornament which is stuck into the hairbun. It consists of four bunches of red cloth and black cock feathers. The strings of silver-green beads in forehead was used to be the iridescent wings of beetles in old days.
In English, linangkit is sometimes referred to as needle weave or tapestry weave. a technique closely resembles the tatting or frivolite in Europe. Strips of linangkit are used by various native tribes to decorate and join the seams of their clothing. Different ethnic groups have different patterns and colours of linangkit.
Dusun Lotud girls in ceremonial attire with the following items: Sandai: long sash draped over one shoulder to the front and over the next shoulder falling to the back. Karo: a necklace made of mostly long barrel beads of glass, shell and carnelian.
The traditional costume of Dusun Lotud, be it the long sleeve ceremonial attire or short sleeve version, is just gorgeous. In fact, this costume is one of the favourite choice for contestants in Unduk Ngadau beauty pageant (Harvest Festival Queen) during Kaamatan (Sabah Harvest Festival).
Women in Dusun Lotud traditional costume. Gonob: knee-length black cotton tube skirt. From the waist down is a panel of linangkit needle work. Kuluwu: circular sash with gold trimming along the edges. At the seam is wide band of linangkit. Lilimbo: wide girdle of interconnected loops of split rattan worn around the hips. (Red colour for childless women, black colour for mothers)
Man is wearing headgear called sundi can be folded in different ways. When two points stick out, the weaver has two wives and so on (now you know!).
3. Rungus
Rungus of northern Sabah is considered as the most “traditional” and unique tribe among all Sabah indigenous groups. Rungus women wear a dark bandeau with delicate hand-stitched patterns, a matching knee-length tube skirt and a slipover that drapes over the arms like sleeves. The narrow upper zone of the bodice is decorated with horizontal bands filled with floating weft and/or embroidered motifs. The lower part of the bodice is embellished with vertical bands.
Rungus people dancing Mongigol Sumandai
The women’s hair is pulled back in a neat bun and decorated with a titimbok (a multi-colored floral headpiece), sisingal (a thin band of beads tied together around the forehead) and rampai (a hairpin which has two or three rows of folded pieces of colourful cloth strung together and which float down to the nape)
Rungus woman costume decorated with exotic accessories. Hip band looped with brass rings and antique beads called orot and two pinakol, beaded shoulder bands worn diagonally across the chest. Togkol: string of carnelian, glass and shell beads looped crossed over the shoulders. Sulau: necklace of old beads and a disc of white shell (giant clam) in front and back.
The dress is “musical” too, by having many tiny brass bells attached to bottom hem line of their skirt, making delightful tinkling sounds when they walk or dance.
Rungus women wearing brass ring necklace (Ganggalung) and legging (Lungkaki)
Some older Rungus women wear heavy brass ring necklace and legging. It’s a fading costume. Ganggalung: discs of brass coil worn as necklace. Lungkaki: tightly coiled brass ornament covering the lower legs.
The headgear of men is brightly coloured Kain tinohian (a.k.a. kain pis), a richly embroidered cloth with legendary creatures and takes four months to weave one.
4. Murut Tagol
Murut means “People of the Hill”, and majority of this third largest indigenous group of Sabah lives in interior. They were used to be fearsome headhunters in the past, and men preserve their wild warrior outfit until today (they prefer proper shirts anyway).
Girls in Murut traditional costume
Murut has over 15 ethnic groups, and Murut Tagol is the most skillful for their weave work. Murut women wear black, sleeveless blouse and a long, black skirt decorated with colourful beads motifs of daily objects such as flowers, insects, animals and ferns. Female skirt has hip belts made of chained white round seeds collected from Job’s Tears plant (Coix lacryma-jobi).
The men costume is even more interesting. They wear vest, frontal and rear flaps made of tree bark. First, barks of the tarap or tamarang (timadang) trees (Artcocarps tamaran) are peeled from the trunks, soaked in stream for days to soften them up, then it is pounded, washed and rinsed, and lastly dried under sun for the fabric. However, man costume is too “sexy” so they also wear short pants for more cover.
Beautiful female traditional costume of Murut
The headgear of Murut may be adorned with long tail feathers of Great Argus Pheasant. To see more Murut costumes, you may check out Kalimaran Festival which is held annually in Tenom.
5. Bajau Sama
While most Kadazandusun and Murut people use black as the base colour, Bajau goes bold with striking colours such as yellow, red, green and blue. This also reflects in their multi-coloured and elaborate floral motifs in their crafts, an element greatly inspired by Islam. Bajau in Kota Belud town is also known as Cowboys of the East due to their mastery in horse-riding skill.
Traditional costumes of Bajau Same
Bajau women wear an unusual headgear called sarempak, which is a two-pieced head decoration in the shape of a ship made of gilded silver or modern substitute. Small ornaments dangling down from both ends of sarempak are called garigai. Next is the brightly colored satiny blouse usually in yellow. The flared sleeves show the cuffs of an underblouse in contrasting hue.
Mock wedding of Bajau people
Shining metallic accessories complement their traditional costume really well. Bajau women covers the front from below the neck to waist with beautiful mandapun, a flat collar-ornament accentuating the neckline decorated with stylized leaves in silver, goldleaf or substitute. To add more colours, long and wide band of linangkit embroidered panels (berangkit in Bajau) are sewn into their long black wrap-skirt.
Bajau men wear the traditional headgear called kain dastar, which is also used in women skirt. See more their vibrant culture in Tamu Besar Festival which is normally held in October in Kota Belud town. They even dress up their horses!
6. Kadazan Papar
I wonder who designed the traditional costume of Kadazan Papar. It’s so cute and “flowerish”. The lovely girl costume looks neat and modern. Kadazan Papar women wear a short jacket with gold or silver buttons over a white blouse, and their knee-length black skirt is decorated with a horizontal and vertical cross-stitched panel lined with gold thread. Gold or silver trimming is used on the seams.
Kadazan Papar couple
The mini conical hat is made of fine bamboo strips and features coloured feather-down or artificial flowers at the top to show the wearer’s marital status. Feather-down for the single lady and flowers for the married woman. Another hint is the silver belt (antique British trade dollar), unmarried ladies wear four and married wear two.
The flowers of Kadazan Papar
If no feather or flower, the woman is widowed, grandmothers or elderly ladies then.
7. Dusun Tindal
Influenced by culture of Bajau Sama in the same district, Dusun Tindal is also the most colourful Kadazandusun sub-ethnic group. Just look at the girl costume, 3-colour slashed and flared sleeves from the elbows, rainbow-like beads girdle around the hips, and also embroider on their arms and hem of the skirt. To add more colours, in formal occasion they also carry sunduk, a multi-color hood with embroidered border.
Dusun Tindal people from Kota Belud
On top of colours is extensive use of metallic elements: line and line of gold or silver trimmings and sequins are sewn into their blouse and skirt, two to four Himpogot (or Simpogot) silver-dollar chain belts on the waist, one or more of kuapu (a round embossed silver tobacco container made by the Bruneis) are worn around the neck on a silver chain.
Close up of Dusun Tindal girl dress
Dusun Tindal has brought the creativity of native fashion to the next level. You would be surprised that Dusun Tindal extracts fibre from a wild banana or pisang lanut (Musa textilis) which is processed into a coarse yarn for weaving their skirts, jackets and headwear.
8. Sea Bajau
While Bajau Sama in West Coast of Sabah has the best horse-riding skill, Sea Bajau (or Suluk) in East Coast is an expert of seafaring. Also known as the Sea Gypsies, Sea Bajau spent most of their time on the boat and sailed around the sea of South East Asia. Now they are not as nomadic and many have called Sabah their homeland.
Sea Bajau girls in Lepa-Lepa boat
Similar to Bajau Sama, Sea Bajau is also a fan of bright colours. Their dresses are almost fully covered with colourful patterns, and gold / silver trimmings, sequins and embroidery. Sea Bajau dancers wear long gold or silver fingercovers, to show their fingers dance.
Sea Bajau girl dancer
Backed by beating of drum and kulintangan (small brass gong) music, the dance of Sea Bajau is one of the most mesmerizing in Borneo. They shake and move every part of their bodies, combine with rich facial expression to dazzle you, even to a seductive level. To see more of Sea Bajau, don’t miss the Lepa-Lepa Festival in April every year in Semporna.
The traditional costume of Sea Bajau is really fancy and shout “Look at me! Look at me!”
9. Dusun Lebou
Dusun Lebou (or Lobu) is a sub-ethnic of Kadazandusun lives in Sook (in Keningau district of Sabah interior). Their big woven cloth (called Binaduan) takes a month to weave and consists of different Rungus motifs and even some Dayak motifs from the southern part of Borneo. The complete costume is 2 pieces of woven Binaduan sewn together to create the front and back covers. Binaduan is used in skirt too.
Dusun Lebou girls from Sook
The size, design and complexity of Binaduan is simply astonishing. Men’s costume has a finer motif called Inambau. Unfortunately, the last person who knows how to weave Inambau has passed away. The traditional costume of Dusun Lebou is complex and special, but this art can go extinct.
Binaduan cloth of Dusun Lebou
In old days, married woman with child was not allowed to be a Binaduan weaver. The story was:- a mother was too engrossed with weaving Binaduan from morning until night that she accidentally starved her baby. Devastated, she forbade any married woman to weave Binaduan. The ban was lifted later so more people can pass on this heritage.
Back view of Binaduan is as beautiful as butterfly wings
10. Lundayeh
Most Sabah Lundayeh lives in Sipitang, Tenom and Long Pasia. Different to other groups who mostly use black as main colour, white blouse and black skirt are the signature wear of Lundayeh ladies. Lundayeh men wear jackets made of tree barks called kuyu talun.
Smile of Lundayeh girls, so sweet. Marry one?
Traditional costume of Lundayeh people is simple, but sharp and catchy
Bead cap made entirely of beads (it can be glass, carnelian and other materials) is worn by every Lundayeh woman. In the past, only upper class ladies could wear bead cap. Other key accessories are multi-strand necklaces, silver waist belts, and colourful bead girdle wrap around the hip. Overall it’s a very clean and stylish traditional costume.
Cute Lundayeh flower girls in Sipitang
That’s all! Have you seen other beautiful costumes that desire to be featured here? What’s your top 10 list? Please share it in comment section below.
Now you can see that Sabahans are totally different breed of Malaysians. Put all 200 traditional costumes together and we can make a Sabah version of Wakanda movie.
Sabah has enough beautiful costumes to film Wakanda. Sakanda anyone?
To learn more about traditional costumes of Sabah, you may visit Chanteek Borneo Indigenous Museum in Tamparuli, which showcases wide array of costume dolls, and it is awarded the title “The First Miniature Indigenous Museum” in the country by Malaysia Book of Records. Want to rent a traditional costume? You can browse Sabah Cultural Board website.
Reference Books
“An Introduction to the Traditional Costumes of Sabah” – January 1, 1997, by Rita Lasimbang and Stella Moo-Tan
“The Beliefs and Practices of the Kadazandusun-Murut Natives of Sabah” – 2017, by John Seet
Are you a tourist who loves sightseeing at popular attractions, or a traveller who enjoys exploring destinations off the beaten path? If you are a traveller, visit Pitas, a remote area of Sabah that even Internet doesn’t know much. If you google Pitas, you will find a round pocket bread named Pita instead lol.
Supirak Island is the most popular attraction in Pitas now
Kampung Malubang (or Malubang Village), a peaceful fishing village in Pitas, has the saddest legend in Sabah. This story debuted in musical theater of Sabah Fest 2017 and received overwhelming responses. Tickets were sold out to people who wanted a good cry.
The Supirak Legend
Supirak Island is amazing because it resembles a petrified big ship. Locals say it was a ship turned into a rock due to a curse from a mother to her son. It’s really shocking because mothers would never want to harm their son. Why did such terrible thing happen?
Si Ragam and other occupants on the ship were turned into rocks
Ok, the legend goes like this. Long time ago in Kougun Village there lived a couple. The man was a fisherman, who went missing in a fishing trip and left behind his pregnant housewife, Supirak (or Odu Gerawang). She gave birth Si Ragam, a boy grew up as a responsible and hardworking man who really cared about his mother. He built a small hut for both on the seaside of Torong Puteh. To Supirak, Si Ragam means everything to her.
Si Ragam wanted to leave home to explore the world and promised his mom that he would come back
One day, a ship docked at Torong Puteh to be resupplied. Being ambitious, Si Ragam asked for his mother’s permission to work on-board for better prospect. He promised Supirak that he would return home one day. Before he left, his mother took a strand of his hair as a keepsake.
Ragam fell in love with princess Dayang Dundunai and married her
Due to his diligence and intelligence, Si Ragam became the captain of the ship. A few years later, his ship landed on an island called Pulau Intan. He met the king in Istana Bahkiah with his merchant boss. During the visit, Ragam fell in love with the princess, Dayang Dundunai, and married her months later.
Supirak and villagers were so excited to see Ragam coming home
One day Si Ragam was on a voyage with his wife and parked his ship at Torong Puteh. The villagers were so excited when they recognized Si Ragam. They held a big party to welcome Si Ragam. Supirak was so happy when everyone told her that her beloved son was back.
Ragam didn’t acknowledge his mother and chased her away
She boarded the ship to meet her son. Unfortunately, seeing Supirak in ragged clothes, Si Ragam was too ashamed of acknowledging her as his mother in front of his royal wife, and he disowned Supirak and chased her out of the ship.
The heart-broken Supirak cursed her son
Devastated and disheartened, Supirak rowed back to the shore. She was then mocked by the villagers. In deep resentment, Supirak took out Ragam’s hair and cursed her son. Suddenly, a heavy storm came to rock the ship. Ragam regretted his wrongdoing and cried aloud begging for forgiveness. It was too late too little. The ship and its occupants turned into stone.
Ragam begged for forgiveness. He and his people were turning into rock with the ship
In the next morning, Kougon village turned into canals and small gulfs. The villagers who were dancing a day before had turned into stones forming islets. Si Ragam’s carriage and three plates used for the meal had also turned into stones. Odu Gerawang’s small hut also turned into a stone arch.
The Rocks
Even today you can see the six “relics” of the legend, which are located near to one another in Malubang. FYI, Batu means “Rock” in Malay language.
Supirak Island
The ship, Supirak Island, is the highlight of the legend. It’s accessible as you can hire a boat from Malubang Village to send you there.
Supirak Island really looks like a ship
The boat ride to Supirak Island takes less than 10 minutes from Malubang Village. In good weather, the shallow sea is in beautiful emerald color, like something from the world of legend.
Supirak Island is near to Malubang Village in Pitas
Jetty of Supirak Island
The district government tries to develop this island as a tourist destination, so jetty and structures were constructed on the island.
Local fisherman family unwinds at Supirak Island
When I reached Supirak Island, there was a local fisherman family fishing and swimming around the jetty. Though they are not used to tourists, they are very friendly to outsiders.
Modern version of Si Ragam lol
We walked on the 30-Meter wooden boardwalk to enter the island, followed by a 12-Meter steep staircase that helps us get to the top of Supirak Island.
The boardwalk and staircase lead to the top of Supirak Island
When the government developed the island, a few 2,000-year-old skeletons and relics were found. I don’t know whether these are Si Ragam and his followers.
The observatory platform that looks like a mainsail of a boat
In the centre of the island, there is an observatory platform with some exhibition about the legend in English and Malay languages. However, the pictures are faded and the text are barely readable.
The bow-like structure at the head of Supirak Island
Then we walked about 200 Meters on a paved path under the tree shade to reach the bow (front) of the island. I saw a few Megapode nests along the way.
You can see Banggi, Balambangan and Maliagin Islands from the top of Supirak Island
The tip of Supirak Island is pointing to the north of Sabah, so you can see Banggi, Balambangan and Maliagin Islands from its top. In fact, Banggi Island is only 20 minutes away by boat ride.
Supirak Island is about 250 Meters long
There is no toilet and other recreational amenities on the island, so nothing much you can do there, except playing Titanic pose and pirates of the Caribbean. The view up there is nice anyway.
This is a sea cave in Supirak Island
Batu Gerawang
At the beach facing Supirak Island, you can find the house of Supirak, which is a stone arch now.
Batu Odu Gerawang on the beach. The bathtub-like structure far behind is one of the freshwater wells
Imagine she was standing there looking at the ship with broken heart. What her son did to her was unthinkable. Abandoning parents is simply an inhuman act in any culture.
The Batu Odu Gerawang rock in different angles. The one at the right looks like a sad woman
Freshwater Wells
Not far in front of Batu Gerawang are three freshwater wells, which were the water supply for Supirak.
The freshwater wells are in front of Batu Odu Gerawang rock
During my visit, these waterholes were submerged in high tide, so I wasn’t able to taste it to tell if it’s freshwater. Anyway, it’s confirmed freshwater by the locals.
The three freshwater wells in the sea
One of the wells is enclosed in cement structure which is meant to preserve it (see pictures no.1 above). However, the wall obstructs the flow of the freshwater, causing sand piled up and cover the opening, not good.
Batu Talam
Batu Talam is said look like a food cover.
Batu Talam, the rock turned from the traditional food cover
You can land on it and make funny surfing pose under its wave rock lol.
“Surfing” under wave-like wall of Batu Talam
Batu Berunsai
Next is the Batu Berunsai islet that looks like a group of people.
The village people in the party were turned into rocks of Batu Berunsai
The locals said these standing stones are the villagers who were turned into rocks in the party for Si Ragam.
Stones of Batu Berunsai
This is a beautful islet with mangrove trees grow between the rocks. At one side of the island, I saw rocks that look like killer whale and shark fin.
Another side of Batu Berunsai. Notice the rock that looks like orca?
One of the rocks looks like a woman in grief. Could it be Supirak?
This stone on Batu Berunsai Islet looks like the sad mother of Ragam
Batu Dulang
These three rocks with flat surface were the plates or containers for the food, our guide said.
Batu Dulang, which was the plates of Ragam
You can climb onto the rocks to take some interesting shots. It’s kind of cool, like a music album cover.
Standing on Batu Dulang. Look like a photo of music album cover haha
The following video gives you an overview of these rocks:
These six rock wonders are in the sea. You need to get a boat to reach them.
The locations of all rocks and island related to Supirak legend
Just ask around in Malubang Village. Most villagers own a boat, so you can easily charter a boat for less than RM80 (about USD$20) for a half-day cruise. The small boat can take about 5 passengers, so each person pays less than RM20 after sharing the cost.
How to get there
A day trip to these rocks is possible, though overnight stay is recommended. From Kota Kinabalu City (KK), there are two ways to reach Supirak Island and other rocks. Try to arrive Malubang before noon, so you can have more time to enjoy the tour.
1. Easy and Fast Way (4 Hours)
In KK city centre, you can get a long distance bus / van / taxi readily near Padang Merdeka (Merdeka Field, see Location Map) to Kudat town, which takes nearly 3 hours one way. Then go to the harbour at the edge of Kudat town to charter a boat. That would cost around RM500 (about USD$125) per boat, and it can reach Malubang within an hour (one way).
On the way to Supirak Island
2. Long Way (6+ Hours)
This requires you to drive a total of 220+ KM (5 to 6 hours road trip), so consider this option only if you plan to overnight in Pitas or Malubang. You need to own (or rent) a transport, preferably 4-wheel drive. First drive from KK to Pitas town (160 KM) on asphalt road, then drive another 60 KM on gravel road to Malubang (and enjoy 2 hours of free butt massage). At Malubang Village, you can hire a boat to visit the rocks. For accommodation, you can stay in Malubang Homestay in Malubang Village.
During low tide, you can walk to Supirak Island from mainland
The GPS Coordinates of Malubang Village is 6.959509, 117.060136 (see Location Map). Please keep in mind the village is so remote that it has no data and Internet connection. You would have problem if you navigate with Waze or Google Map.
FYI, the plot of Supirak legend is 90% similar to story of Si Tanggang, which is very well-known in Peninsular Malaysia. However, you only can see these legendary rocks in Sabah.
A new queen was born on 31 May 2016, after 44 contestants from different Sabah and Malaysia districts competed for the State-Level Unduk Ngadau 2016* title (Miss Harvest Festival of Sabah), which marks the end of month-long Kaamatan celebration (Harvest Festival). The photos below are clickable to zoom in.
Top 7 Winners of Unduk Ngadau 2016. From left to right: Patriciaelsa Jimy (Klang Valley), Vinny Alvionitta Sasising (Matunggong), Claryssa Henry (Kudat), Sherry Ann Laujang (Penampang), Fenny Ester Joslin (Banggi), Christine Joan Charles (Papar), Charmine Bartholomew (Kapayan)
Result: Unduk Ngadau 2016
The following is the result: Unduk Ngadau 2016: Sherry Ann Laujang (Penampang) 1st Runner-Up: Claryssa Henry (Kudat) 2nd Runner-Up: Fenny Ester Joslin (Banggi) 3rd Runner Up: Vinny Alvionitta Sasising (Matunggong) 4th Runner Up: Christine Joan Charles (Papar) 5th Runner Up: Patriciaelsa Jimy (Klang Valley) 6th Runner Up: Charmine Bartholomew (Kapayan)
From left to right: 1st Runner-up: Claryssa Henry (Kudat), The Queen: Sherry Ann Laujang (Penampang), 2nd-Runner-up: Fenny Ester Joslin (Banggi)
Unduk Ngadau Beauty Pageant has been around since 1940s, but it only becomes an official annual competition in 1960. It is the highlight of the Kaamatan, and in the video below, you can see the crowd went crazy when the top 7 finalists were “unveiled”.
Most guys would agree with me that many beautiful Kadazan sumandak (girls) are concentrated in Penampang area. Out of 56 State-Level Unduk Ngadau contests in the past, Penampang won the title 25 times (now 26)!
Sherry Ann Laujang in traditional Kadazan costume
Sherry is 21-year-old, and she is from Kampung Ramayah. She is a Kadazandusun with 25% British blood (her great-grandfather was a Briton), and she just earned her accounting diploma from UiTM Sabah.
Sherry Ann Laujang in evening gown
1st Runner-Up: Claryssa Henry (Kudat)
Claryssa was the strongest rival of Sherry. Her name was heard everywhere in the beginning, and she has a lot of supporters.
1st Runner-Up: Claryssa Henry (Kudat)
Claryssa Henry was wearing a traditional Rungus costume called sukolop. Many people didn’t think that it’s a good idea because sukolop is a thinner clothing Rungus women wear at home and farm, and too simple for formal events. She proceeded anyway to create more awareness about this dress.
After the competition, there is a hot debate which says Kudat should have won the first place, because most people think Claryssa was doing better than Sherry in Q&A session.
Claryssa Henry in evening gown
I don’t understand Kadazandusun language, so I don’t know who is right. Anyway, the judges had mentioned that 40% of the score is based on beauty, 30% on traditional costume, 20% on presentation and 10% on attitude.
Therefore, Q&A is not the sole factor for winning, though it’s important. No matter what, hopefully everyone will stop quarrelling about this during festive time. Both of them are fabulous girls.
2nd Runner-Up: Fenny Ester Joslin (Banggi)
2nd Runner-Up: Fenny Ester Joslin (Banggi)
Fenny Ester Joslin in a traditional Rungus costume called tapi
Vinny is my favorite candidate actually. She is picture perfect. She will definitely win the Miss Photogenic title if there is one. She is awarded the subsidiary title of Miss Natural Beauty.
Vinny Alvionitta Sasising in traditional Rungus costume
4th Runner Up: Christine Joan Charles (Papar)
Whenever Christine showed up, the people went gaga, and their scream almost broke my eardrums. There must be something special about her. Can anyone tell me please?
4th Runner Up: Christine Joan Charles (Papar)
She is also the winner of Miss Conservation WWF Subsidiary Title. She will be attached to Sabah WWF to raise awareness on the conservation and wildlife issues from 1 Jun 2016 to 31 May 2017.
Christine Joan Charles in traditional Kadazan Papar costume
5th Runner Up: Patriciaelsa Jimy (Klang Valley)
Besides contestants from Sabah, we also have participants from Klang Valley, Labuan and Johor.
5th Runner Up: Patriciaelsa Jimy (Klang Valley). She is wearing traditional Dusun Tindal costume
Patriciaelsa Jimy in evening gown
6th Runner Up: Charmine Bartholomew (Kapayan)
6th Runner Up: Charmine Bartholomew (Kapayan)
The Crowning
As there are over 40 Unduk Ngadau, so the competition took a long time and finished at 7:40pm.
Ryannie Neils Yong, the Reigning Queen (Unduk Ngadau 2015), came to say Hi Hi and Bye Bye. You know the drill.
In first round, 15 contestants were selected, then shortlisted to top 7 in second round, and at last the Q&A round to decide the winners.
The moment of the final announcement
The Rungus ladies from northern district rocked the stage this year, when contestants from Kudat, Banggi and Matunggong won 1st, 2nd and 3rd runner-up (plus Miss Natural Beauty) respectively. Besides, Unduk Ngadau of Pitas also won the Most Creative Evening Gown (with Rungus motif as theme).
Yay! A new queen is born!
Kudat district is used to be famous for three things, i.e. longhouse, coconut and peanut. Now I guess it is famous for pretty girls too lol.
Crowning of Unduk Ngadau 2016
From left to right: 1st Runner-up: Claryssa Henry (Kudat), The Queen: Sherry Ann Laujang (Penampang), 2nd-Runner-up: Fenny Ester Joslin (Banggi)
Sherry Ann Laujang (Penampang) is named the State-Level Unduk Ngadau 2016
Subsidiary Titles
There are three Subsidiary Titles being awarded during Sodop Unduk Ngadau Charity Dinner on 29 May 2016. Below is the result: Miss Conservation WWF: Christine Joan Charles (Papar) Miss Friendly (Tati Tosuau): Dorizah Noh Tongod (Tongod) (Can I add her in Facebook?) Miss Natural Beauty (Tati Topiodo): Vinny Alvionitta Sasising (Matunggong)
Unduk Ngadau Charity Dinner on 29 May 2016
Winners of Subsidiary Titles
Miss Natural Beauty (Tati Topiodo): Vinny Alvionitta Sasising (Matunggong)
Miss Conservation WWF: Christine Joan Charles (Papar). Ok, please scream.
Miss Friendly (Tati Tosuau): Dorizah Noh Tongod (Tongod)
Top 7 Most Creative Evening Gown
That evening every Unduk Ngadau was wearing evening gown designed with Sabah ethnic theme. Top 7 best designs were selected, and the dress (designed by Petrus Boyd Pensin) of Treacy Chee from Pitas won the Most Creative Evening Gown award.
Most Creative Evening Gown designed by Petrus Boyd Pensin, and presented by Treacy Chee from Pitas
This colorful theme is inspired by Rungus motif. I saw patterns that symbolize flower, lizard and people.
Most Creative Evening Gown presented by Treacy Chee from Pitas
One of the Top 7 Most Creative Evening Gown (Model: Hyellene Danius, Unduk Ngadau of Tuaran )
One of the Top 7 Most Creative Evening Gown (Model: Sharon Joseph, Unduk Ngadau of Libaran)
One of the Top 7 Most Creative Evening Gown (Model: Norfainie Binti Diwalang, Unduk Ngadau of Pagalungan)
One of the Top 7 Most Creative Evening Gown (Model: Muntel Binti Santangan, Unduk Ngadau of Lahad Datu)
One of the Top 7 Most Creative Evening Gown (Model: Laura Simon, Unduk Ngadau of Likas)
Congratulations to all the Winners!
Bare feet beauty pageant
You may notice this beauty pageant is very different. First, everyone is on bare feet. Second, “Gong Hair” is the standard hairstyle for the contestants. If you like their hair, watch the video by Beverley Shim to make one:
In fact, Unduk Ngadau Contest is a tradition to commemorate Huminodun, a maiden who sacrificed herself to save the starving people. You can read the very interesting and informative article titled Not just a beauty pageant, written by Melissa Leong, to understand the true meaning of this event.
“Kaamatan without Unduk Ngadau is not kaamatan. It will be like a song without rhythm.” -Joanna Kitingan (Chairperson of Sabah state-level Unduk Ngadau)
*”Unduk” literally means the shoot of a plant, signifying youth and progressiveness, and “Ngadau” means sun, connoting the beauty of the heart, mind and body of an ideal Kadazandusun woman.
Photos taken in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo
If we have a choice of our childhood, most of us would want to grow up near to a beach, which is the favorite playground for children (and a dating place when they become adult). People who born in Kudat district are lucky, because Kudat has a lot of nice beaches, besides coconut and longhouse.
The pocket beach of Loro Kecil during low tide
Sunset at Loro Kecil
In Sabah cities such as Kota Kinabalu, houses with sea view can easily cost over RM1 million. It’s really a dream home because most middle-class people only can daydream about it.
Panoramic view of Loro Kecil Beach
Sometimes I envy those who live in seaside village, though their place is not as prosperous and developed as big city, at least they don’t need to work their ass off to live in a sea-view apartment.
Loro Kecil has the potential to be a tourism destination
Loro Kecil Village is the place like this. Actually it’s not a tourist beach. A friendly local showed me Loro Kecil Beach when I was travelling around Kudat, as the beach is only 10 KM before the Tip of Borneo and 32 KM from Kudat town (GPS: 6.973331, 116.726774, see Location Map)
Loro Kecil is a cove surrounded by lush hill
Rocky shore of Loro Kecil
Look at the aerial map below and you can see that Loro Kecil Beach is adjacent to Bawang Jamal Beach and Kelambu Beach, and you can have “Beach Hopping” trip to visit them all until your skin get wrinkly after swimming.
Map: Beaches of Kudat Peninsular
Small boat resting on the beach
Morever, these three beaches have distinctly different geological features, namely, Pocket Beach (Loro Kecil), Tombolo (Kelambu Beach) and Linear Beach (Bawang Jamal Beach).
Canoe on the beach
The hashtags (keywords) that best describe Loro Kecil are #villagelife #beach #childhood #PocketBeach #beautiful #kudat #nature #beachlife and #sea.
“Beaches such as the Tanjung Simpang Mengayau (Tip of Borneo), Kulambu (Kelambu), Loro Kecil, Torongkongan and Marasimsim Beach have research, educational and recreational values and therefore have high potential for geotourism.”
Remains of World War II Japanese warship at Loro Kecil Village
The villagers say there is a Japanese warship of World War II being sunk in the sea there. They can see the shipwreck during certain monsoon period.
Engines from a World War II warship
Two engines were salvaged from the wreck and placed on the beach. Hope the history and relic of this ship are preserved, to turn this beach into an interesting destination. I wonder where I can find more information about this ship. Without any story, this WW2 remnant is only as good as scrap metal.
Inlet of Loro Kecil
Scenic embayment
Technically Loro Kecil Beach is an Embayed or Pocket Beach. During high tide, the cove is filled with sea water.
Embayed beach of Loro Kecil
Large area of intertidal sandflat is exposed during low tide, where you can see thousands of small holes dug by whelks. When I walked on the sandflat, I heard continuous pop sound everywhere, probably it was the noise of whelks retreating to their burrows.
Rocky Beach of Loro Kecil
The beach is between two rocky shores with many small caves. They told me there are another two bigger caves, about 10 feet long, behind the shores.
Caves at Loro Kecil Beach
Whenever I visit a place that has cave, there is always a legend saying that it’s a treasure burial site. Anyway, only bats are found in these caves, the village folks say. I bet the children there like to play hide and seek inside caves.
Some says Loro Kecil is a treasure hunting site
Honeycomb rockface
At the beach is a small fishing village with a dozen of houses. Most of the residents are Rungus people. They are very friendly and don’t mind stranger like me exploring around.
Interesting rock formation
Interesting rock wall at the beach
The rocks at the shore are like art of nature and fun to look at, as they are craved into different shapes and figures by sea and wind erosion.
Did you see a China map?
Villager collecting mussels
Then I saw an old woman was busy beating something on the rock with a small metal rod. I’m a busybody, so I checked her out. She was collecting the flesh of mussels, which are abundant on the rocks at the beach.
Flesh of mussels
I have a feeling that this location will become a popular homestay in future. Currently the villagers may not aware that they are living at a very unique and interesting beach.
Need a break? Hearing someone says, “let’s go to the beach!” will definitely cheer you up. Everyone loves going to the beach. However, it stinks for beachgoers to get only a few meters of space at a popular but crowded beach. Personally I dislike sharing a beach with hundred of people.
Bawang Jamal Beach (Pantai Bawang Jamal in local language)
Luckily, with about 1,300 Kilometers of coastline, Sabah has so many nice beaches that are enough for everyone to get over 10,000 Sq. Meters of space.
Bawang Jamal Beach is about 1 KM long
I’m not exaggerating. Bawang Jamal Beach (Pantai Bawang Jamal in local language), in north of Sabah, is one of them, and most of the time you would see less than 10 people on this 1-Kilometer long beach.
Water-filled trough (Runnel)
Promoting the beaches of Sabah to foreigners can be challenging sometimes, because my marketing managers would comment, “The photos are nice but hey.. the beach is so empty. Tourists would think that our beach ain’t fun or got shark!”
Panoramic view of Bawang Jamal Beach
Located in Kudat, Bawang Jamal Beach is really hidden well behind a village and dense casuarina trees (GPS: 6.993149, 116.727974, see Location Map).
End of Bawang Jamal Beach
During my visit, I saw an Australian couple spending their vacation at this beach, and they say Bawang Jamal Beach is probably the best beach in Borneo. I had seen the seething mass of meat (people) in Bondi Beach of Sydney, so I understand why they love this secluded beach so much.
Tourist walking on the beach
This beach is unspoiled and turtles also come to nest occasionally, and a turtle hatchery was built around here. Street and house light can drive turtles away, so no development could mean a good thing to wildlife.
White sandy beach of Bawang Jamal Beach
Local children beachcombing for shells and seaweed
The blue sea and snowy beach here are something that tourists willing to pay high dollar for staying in such an untouched beach. It’s a small bay flanked by rocky shores. The intertidal zone and sandy beach are wide, which is very suitable for kids who can’t stop running around.
Sometimes group of village kids would walk along the shore to collect edible stuffs such as shellfish and seaweed. In tourist beach we can’t do this because usually there is nothing left.
Crawl marks left by seashells
Rocky shore of Bawang Jamal Beach
Rocky beach at the end of Bawang Jamal Beach
The rocky shore at the edge of the beach is fun to explore. You would see many small marine animals trapped in the tide pools. I can sit there whole day watching them crawling or swimming.
Starfish in tide pool
Rocky beach covered by yellow seaweed
The most interesting feature of Bawang Jamal Beach is big area of rocky shore covered by yellow seaweed. It looks like a golden carpet when lighted by warm colors of sunset.
Beautiful sunset at Bawang Jamal Beach
Rocks along the beach
Actually I want to photograph the luminous sea (“glowing sea” caused by bioluminescent phytoplankton) of Bawang Jamal Beach, but it wasn’t in peak condition during my visit. Anyway, I saw many fishes swam near to the shore to lay eggs, and a fisherman showed me his caught after night fishing, it’s kind of fun.
Fishes caught by villager at night
Mossy rocks and seaweed on the beach
No matter what, this beach is quite unique that I’m sure many photographers would thank me for introducing them another nice spot for landscape shots.
Milky Way at Bawang Jamal Beach
As this beach is free from light and dust pollution, you can see thousands of stars clearly in crystal clear sky. I shot a few photos of Milk Way. Later I found that some of my friends have no idea what is Milky Way because they never see one in the city.
Super Sunset
Not only that, the sunset view at Bawang Jamal Beach is spectacular. No kidding. The nice sunset and beach can be the excellent backdrop for romantic movie scenes.
Dog and cat seem to enjoy the sunset
Sunset walk at Bawang Jamal Beach
Our beaches are really underrated. I’m kind of upset when some travel portals rank some mediocre (but popular) beaches as the best in the world.
Panoramic sunset view
Sunset run on the beach
After seeing so many nice beaches in Sabah, I’m not easily impressed by beaches in other countries. In fact, many Sabahan friends return from overseas trip and say, “heck, you know what? Our beaches are better.”
Secret Place Cafe
By the way, if you stroll around this beach, you would find Secret Place Cafe near the midsection of the beach. Well, it’s not that secret. I saw a number of westerners relaxing there.
Secret Cafe Place
You can buy hot and cold drink such as tea, coffee, soft drink and beer there. They also sell food like fried rice, noodles, toast and omelette. The prices range from RM6.50 to RM8 (≈US$1.60-2.00) and the serving size is quite big. Though the cafe is not certified Halal, they serve no pork.
Beach at Secret Cafe Place
FYI, you also can rent snorkelling gears and camping tents at this cafe. I think they offer sunset BBQ too.
Lupa Masa Longhouse
For those who want to spend more wonderful time at Bawang Jamal Beach, Lupa Masa Longhouse is only 3 minute walk away from the beach. The design of this accommodation is based on traditional bamboo longhouse of Rungus people in Kudat. “Lupa Masa” means “Forget Time” in Malay language, which conveys that it is an enjoyable place where you would forget about time.
Lupa Masa Longhouse
Like how villagers live, the bedroom and amenities of the longhouse are very basic. The room is quite warm during daytime, but quite cooling at night. Electricity for lighting is available. Common toilet and bathroom are just 10 Meters outside the longhouse. The place can accommodate about 12 guests.
Lupa Masa Longhouse has some basic amenities (From left to right, top to bottom: longhouse, bedroom, washroom, verandah)
The accommodation fee per night is RM50 – 75 (≈US$12.50-19), depend on if you want to participate in Homestay (with full meals) or just Bed & Breakfast. They can help you to arrange various activities around Kudat, for example, snorkeling, fishing, sunset tour and river cruise.
If you live in a developed country, open-air native market may have gone “extinct” and replaced by air-conditioned supermarkets. If you on the way to the Tip of Borneo of Sabah in Sunday morning, you may drop by the tamu (weekly open-air market) in Sikuati, a small town about 21 KM before Kudat town. The tamu market of Sikuati is open from 7am to 12pm on every Sunday.
Tamu is also a gathering spot for locals to mingle around
Tamu was started as bartering trade area in the past
Sikuati (GPS: 6.891364, 116.712713, see Location Map or Street View) is a very small town in northern district with only a few shoplots. In normal days you won’t see many people around here, but it turns into a busy alfresco market on Sunday.
Local fruits and vegetables for sale in Tamu
The tamu of Sikuati is similar to other tamu in Sabah, which sells almost EVERYTHING. Anyway, most of the items sold here are local produces from villagers, who are mainly farmers and fishermen, so you will see a myriad of freshly harvested fruits, vegetables and seafood in tamu.
Sikuati is a small town about 18 KM away from Kudat
To locals like me, tamu is just an ordinary thing. For foreigners, they might enjoy exploring a local market which is so different from their hometown. “Hey, why common things like apple and broccoli aren’t being sold here?” they might think. Well, enjoy your Wander and Wonder tour in tamu, Tourist. This is Sabah.
Tamu means “Temu” (Meeting in Malay language)
I was probably the only “tourist” in this tamu during my visit (everyone was looking at me and smile). As this tamu is purely for local shoppers, it’s unlikely that you find souvenir and the tacky “I Love Sabah” T-shirt there lol. I like that it’s not so commercialized and touristy though.
Variety of fresh seafood
Nevertheless, many Rungus people live in Sikuati. They are expert in weaving beaded work and handicraft. You can get some beautiful bead necklace and handicraft at very good price in Sikuati tamu. In fact, many vendors buy from them, then double or triple the prices in souvenir shops in city.
Tamu is a great place to shop for breakfast and food
You also can shop for other items such as meats, seafood, salted & dried fishes, snacks, clothing, toys, flowers, household items and even machetes in tamu. However, Sikuati Tamu is relatively smaller so the variety of goods is limited. For example, I was looking for montokou (a local wine) but the seller wasn’t around that day.
You wouldn’t know some stuffs are edible until you visit a Tamu market
By the way, tamu is also a good place to sample local food. Many local snacks are packed or wrapped nicely in plastic, so you can buy some home to try. Keep an open mind and be a bit more adventurous. Go try eating some fruits unknown to you, like tampoi and liposu. You can find wild durian if you visit in fruiting season.
Lambis lambis (Spider Conch) and seaweed for sale
Edible Seaweed (Sea Grapes)
Sometimes I can learn something new in tamu, for example, what stuffs are edible. I first discover one of my favourite food, a type of seaweed named sea grapes in tamu. Squeeze a bit of lime juice on it and eat it raw, so yummy. It’s only RM1 or RM2 (≈USD0.25-0.50) per bag.
Smelly salted dried fish
The weekly tamu turns Sikuati into a bustling town
In the past, I could find “exotic” meats and pets in tamu. Yeah, tamu was used to be the best place to buy wild boar and deer meats. Sometimes they would sell slow loris, pangolin and rare birds (Hell if I know people bought them as food or pet). Now Sabah Wildlife Department is very serious in banning game meats, so the only “wild food” allowed in tamu now is wild bee honey I guess.
Dried shrimps and fishes are commonly sold in tamu
The products sold in tamu is cheaper than supermarket, because there is no middleman, and the villagers also don’t bear any overhead to run a store or customer service department. They just take their stuffs to tamu, and lay everything on the floor to sell. A booth is not even required. Such market won’t be permitted in modern cities, where everything has to be “proper and licensed” or the city council will fine them.
Telescope Creeper Shells, probably from mangrove mudflat nearby
Not only that, we can buy “duty free” cigarette and wine in tamu. Just kidding. Actually these are homemade tobacco rolls (known as Sigup locally) and rice wine such as Lihing.
Live abalone for sale
OMG the live abalone is only sold for RM20 (≈USD5) per kilo here! Cheap isn’t it? It’s a win-win, the buyers save some money and the sellers earn some side income.
Guess what it is. (Answer: flesh of mussels)
However, you must always bargain in tamu. The shopkeeper would give you an eye-roll if you ask for a discount in shopping mall, but you are expected to haggle in tamu. You know the trick. Stick to a reasonable counter offer, pretend to leave then the seller would say, “Ok ok I’ll take that!” to close the deal.
The seafood is from local fishermen
“Everyone lives by selling something.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Tip: always bargain in tamu market
During the old days when there was no Internet and newspapers, tamu is also a meeting point for socializing and information exchange among people from different villages. My late grandmother was used to be a hawker in tamu. I don’t think she made a good profit by selling used clothing, but she insisted to go to tamu every week. To old folks, tamu is already part of their lives.
At the north of Sabah, Kudat has the most number of nice beaches in Sabah, and many of them have unique geological features more than a stretch of white sand. Kelambu Beach (or Kulambu Beach) is a tombolo, which is a sand bar joining an island to the mainland and something rare in Sabah. Kelambu means mosquito net in local language, probably the beach is named after the mosquito-net shape of Kelambu Island.
Kelambu (or Kulambu) Island is connect to the mainland by a stretch of sand bar
Kelambu Beach (locally known as Pantai Kelambu) is accessible by tar road (mostly) and about 31 KM to the north-west of Kudat town and 8 KM at the south of the Tip of Borneo. There is no public transport going there, so you need to drive there yourself (GPS: 6.987443, 116.724120, see Location Map).
Kelambu Beach (Pantai Kelambu) is a public beach of Kudat
Kelambu Beach is a beautiful destination that escapes the radar of tourists. It has no facilities, except three seaside pavilions and a few barbecue pits (someone says a public washroom is available but I didn’t see it). In fact, locals would prefer that it remains undeveloped because we don’t to share this secluded beach with noisy tourists and greedy developers.
Aerial view of Kelambu Island and Beach on Google Map
The 200-Meter sand bar to Kelambu Island is quite broad, about 20 to 30 Metres in width, and the soft sandy beach is comfortable to walk on with bare feet.
Kelambu Beach is also known as Kulambu Beach
There were only two families playing at the beach during my visit. The beach is big and everyone is far from one another, so I hear only lapping waves most of the time.
Crystal clear water of Kelambu Beach (note the dark fish ball in the sea)
The crystal clear and shallow sea water is very inviting, so I soak my feet to enjoy the cooling water. I tried the water at both sides of the sand bar just for fun because someone say the water temperature is warmer at the right, which is a bay area. It’s true.
Panoramic shot of Kelambu Beach
Here is a secret. If you come here at night, you would find luminous sea at Kelambu Beach. Whenever you touch the water, it will leave a light trail of your movement. The light is a natural chemical reaction called bioluminescence emitted by phytoplankton (a tiny organism) when disturbed. The light is more obvious during new moon.
Kulambu Beach is a secluded beach only well-known among locals
However, there is no lighting around the beach, so please bring a torchlight if you want to explore here at night, and don’t go alone.
Kelambu Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches of Kudat
Rip tide makes Kelambu Beach an unsuitable place to swim
Due to presence of rip tide, Kelambu Beach is not a safe place to swim. It’s ok to play near the shore, as long as you stay in water lower than your waist.
Kelambu Beach (or Pantai Kelambu in local language)
Fishing boats at Kelambu Beach
Unless you plan to have a picnic, a short visit to this beach takes less than an hour. Anyway, it is a great place to take vacation photos to harvest some Likes on Facebook. A selfie on this beach with Kelumba Island as your background is quite a killer shot.
The sand bar to Kelambu Island is a tombolo
Kelambu Island is an uninhabited and rocky island covered with lush forest. It takes you only 5 minutes to walk to that island during low tide.
Rocky bank of Kelambu Island (Pulau Kelambu)
When I explored around the island, I found a nice angle for photography. But a pile of seaweed on the beach was in the frame, and I didn’t want this. Therefore, I gave it a BIG KICK. Suddenly I was all over by a swarm of buzzing sandflies. That freaked me out because I thought I was attacked by bees. I ran like an Olympian to mainland and screamed “WTH! WTH?” all the way. Now I think it’s funny.
Blue Sky, White Sand and Green Forest at Kelambu Beach
High tide floods the sand bar
You can camp in Kelambu Beach, and the sand bar looks like a loving place to setup a tent. I would advise you not to do that because you would find that you sleep in the water later.
The sand bar of Kelambu Beach is flooded during high tide
However, there are some rubbish scattered around Kelambu Beach, especially the area near the pavilions. A local non-profit organization, Kudat Turtle Conservation Society (KTCS) has been doing some beach clean up, but the visitors still litter at the beach.
Casuarina trees and shelters at Kelambu Beach
Trash next to the “Keep Clean” sign
You see. Local people always complain when some resorts or developers privatize a beach. But when they own the beach, they turn it into a dumping ground. With such attitude, do we deserve to have beautiful beach?
Littering at Kelambu Beach
The pavilions are also not in good shape due to poor maintenance. I didn’t see any dustbin around too.
Damaged bench in the pavilion
Now Kelambu Beach just looks like a pretty but dirty girl. After some cleaning, I believe the beach will become super nice again.
The rubbish is an eyesore at Kelambu Beach
I’m sure our government will do something about it after they see this post. Anyway, please don’t leave any garbage behind after you visit the beach. If we want to be successful in life, please learn not to let others to take care of our mess.
