Tag Archives: Kudat

Rungus beating gong

Gong of Sabah and Gong Making in Kg. Sumangkap

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Gong is the most important idiophone in traditional music of Sabah indigenous people and found throughout Sabah state. Gong is usually made of brass or bronze, it produces muffled sounds of a deep tone, when its thick and broad rim was hit by a stick. As the backbone of most music ensembles, gong is played in almost every social event in Sabah.


Pic: Kadazan Papar girls playing gong in Harvest Festival

When Sabahans want to dance, they beat the gong. When they want to celebrate wedding, they beat the gong. When someone dies, they also beat the gong. Gong is also played in other occasions such as animistic religion ceremonies, festivals and welcoming guests.


Gong is more than a musical instrument in old days without phones. Besides showing happiness and sadness, gong was also a communication tool to send signals to other villagers up to 5 miles away. The listeners can tell from the rhythm that if it’s a good or bad news. Slow rhythm means an invitation for having a drink. Fast rhythm indicates danger. When someone is dying the beats start slowly at first increase in speed and then on death resume a slow beat.


Pic: Rungus boys beating gong in longhouse

In the past, gong is highly valued and owning gong is a sign of wealth. Villagers would exchange livestock for a gong and gong is one of the common items in dowry. Gong is valued by its age and tone. People that time can recognise the unique sound from individual gong and even tell if a gong has flaw. Therefore, stealing of gong is rare, because owner (and other villagers) will locate his gong once the thief beats it.


Pic: Dusun Tindal people from Kota Belud playing gong


Pic: Murut playing gong to welcome guests

Gong is widely used by Kadazandusun, Murut and Bajau people in their traditional music. Each ethnic group has its own distinct musical forms such as the number of gong used, styles, tempos and tunings, and in combinations of other instruments such as drums to accentuate the main rhythms. A set of 5 to 12 gong is being played in most cases, sometimes it can go up to 36 gong.


Pic: Sulu Sandakan dancing on the gong


Pic: Use of gong in Betitik music of Bajau


Pic: Beating gong 1 or 7 times is a common way to launch an event by VVIP


Pic: gong as a symbol of Kadazandusun culture on building of KDCA Penampang

“If you can’t sing, you can beat a gong.” – John H. Alman


Pic: structure of gong ensemble of Murut Timugon community (Source: Jacquline Pugh-Kitingan)

There are many types of gongs, but in general gong can be divided into three main groups, namely, tawak, chanang, togung. Some gongs have interesting motif on it. Individual gong also has a name which denotes its sound or rhythm it plays. These musical names vary in different tribes.


Pic: Chanang Kimanis gong, note it has two bosses

You may play the following video to listen to the sound of gong:

Kampung Sumangkap, the Gong Making Village

In Matunggong of Kudat district, you can see gong making process at gong factory of Kampung Sumangkap (Sumangkap Village). When I entered the village, I saw no “factory” but a typical Sabah village of over 60 wooden houses, with 30 or more gong workshop scattered near to them.


Pic: entrance of Kg. Sumangkap Gong Factory

By the way, visitor is required to pay a small fee at the ticket booth near the entrance. The gong factory is open daily from 8:30am to 5:30pm (including public holiday). The following is the rate of Admission Fee (as of Jul 2014):
Adult (12 years and above): RM5.00 (≈US$1.60)
Children (6 to 12 years old): RM3.00 (≈US$1)
Children (below 6 years old): Free


Pic: trying to lift the Biggest Gong in Malaysia (or in the world?)

The highlight of this village is the Biggest Gong in Malaysia. This giant gong is 22 feet tall and weigh 980 Kilograms. Funded by Malaysia Handicraft, it took 5 weeks for 4 local gong craftsmen to make this gong from 20 pieces of 4’x8′ zincs.


There are many other big gong displayed in the field for tourists to take photos with.


Sumangkap Gong Village was inspired and initiated by a well-known local Gong craftman named Mr. Majabab @ Majabab B. Omlunru in 1968.


Pic: Gong workshop next to village house

Visitors can walk freely in the village and visit individual gong workshop to see craftsman making gong. Probably I visited on weekend, so the village was quiet and only two families busy making gong.


Before the visit, I thought I would see sweating gong-smith pounding iron next to a flaming stove, in a smokey and noisy environment. Instead, the gong makers use gas welder to melt and join pieces of galvanized iron sheets together, and occasionally using hammer to touch-up the outline of gong.


Most villagers are Rungus, the indigenous people of Sabah. Rungus is skillful in all sorts of craftwork and their women are the best weaver and handicraft maker in Sabah. They are very friendly and totally don’t mind I busybody around while they work.


Pic: a woman making the boss and base of the gong


Each gong workshop is a shop by itself. Besides watching gong making and buying gong, variety of smaller souvenirs in gong shape are available for sale on the spot. The smallest item is gong key-chain that costs only a few bucks. You also can bargain with the seller.


A complete set of gong can cost thousands of dollars. As gong is in good demand, Sabah also imports gong from the Philippines, Indonesia or Brunei. Now this village supplies 80% of gong throughout Malaysia.


You also can order custom-made gong, in the size, motif / design and wording that you specify. How cool it is to use gong as an ornamental signage for your shop / house.


Sumangkap Gong Village is very accessible but very far, it’s about 140 KM north of Kota Kinabalu city (See location map). Just follow the highway to Kudat town, after 2.5 hours of driving you will see a brown signage reads “Gong Making Factory Kg. Sumangkap” and a big gong at your left in Matunggong area (see photo above). Turn to that junction and you will reach Sumangkap in minutes.

Matunggong Gong Festival

To have more fun with gong, you may visit the annual Gong Festival of Kg. Sumangkap.


Pic: Rungus people beating gong in Matunggong Gong Festival


As an opening, hundred of gong will be beaten by villagers and tourists, making it the noisiest festival of Sabah.


The gong beating is “fire at will” style. Just beat the gong non-stop until you make all the birds within 10 KM radius flee.


Pic: tourists have fun beating gong

After the launching, there are “Queen of Gong” beauty pageant and cultural performance line up for your enjoyment.

Posts related to Gong

Music of Gong Rock

A few children discovered strange rocks on riverbank when they were swimming at a river in Tambunan. When being hit, the rocks produce gong-like sound.

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The Cursed Gong Rock

This mysterious rock laying deep in the forest and looks like a gong. Legend says it is from a cursed longhouse. It’ll bring flood when disturbed.

» Read Full Story…

Reference

“If you can’t sing, you can beat a gong”, by John H. Alman, Sabah Society Journal September 1961

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Sabah Longhouse and the Rungus

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Sabah may not have a lot of tall building, but we have many long building (longhouse). Though other Sabah native tribes such as Murut and Dusun Lotud also build longhouse, larger number of Rungus people, a sub-ethnic of Kadazandusun (largest indigenous group of Sabah) with a population of 80,000*, still practise the traditional lifestyle of living in a longhouse today. In 1930s, there was a Rungus longhouse stretched as long as 5 Kilometers!**


Pic: a traditional Rungus longhouse

A Rungus longhouse (known as Vinataang in local language) is made up of 7 to 15 or more family apartments co-joined laterally. Most residents in a longhouse are relatives among themselves. If new family is added, the owner would extend the longhouse at one end. A Rungus village consists of 1 or more longhouses (usually 5 or 6). Longhouse is common in northern part of Sabah, from Matunggong, Kudat, Kota Marudu to Pitas.


Traditional longhouse is built from wood, bamboo and atap (palm leaves). To avoid flood and wildlife such as snake, the house is lift off the ground by stilts made of hard wood such as bogil, belian ironwood, mangrove wood and manzalangan**. In old day, they also raised pigs under the longhouse. The roof is dry palm leaves of sago or nipah, and needs to be replaced every 3 to 5 years.


Pic: entry ladder to longhouse

There are many taboos about longhouse. For example, the site of a new longhouse is chosen based on signs such as dream, animals, weather and human behaviour. If a python (which symbolise death in local belief) appears at the construction site, they would not build the longhouse there. In contrast, tortoise is an auspicious sign. Guest who enters apartment under construction, or leaving the house without informing the host will bring bad luck. The wood of toodopon and puvok trees can’t be used in making house, as they will bring illness, disaster or bad luck. Nevertheless, after many Rungus converted to Christian, they may not strictly uphold these belief now.


Pic: the long and wide corridor of longhouse. Rungus longhouse is divided into two distinct areas, the apad or common gallery (left), and Ongkob or compartment area (right). Apad is an open area for work and leisure activities such as rice pounding and celebration.


The raised platform (tingkang) of apad is a general working area and sleeping area for older boys.


Pic: flooring made of split bamboo or nibung.


Pic: The wall is created from the bark of manzalangan or tarap tree (Artocarpus odoratissimus). There are some holes on the wall if you want to peek what your neighbour is busy on lol.


Pic: I was staying in Maranjak Longhouse for a night and this is my bedroom in longhouse. They have electric bulb to light up the room and corridor. The mosquito net can keep hungry mosquito at bay. There were far fewer mosquitoes than I thought because the longhouse is near to the forest. The wall is so thin that I can hear clearly what the girls in next room talking. During bedtime, I can almost hear the girl breathing, as if she was sleeping on my bed. Luckily she didn’t snore (but I did, HAHAHA). The longhouse is a bit warm in daytime, but at night it is quite cooling. In my dream, I heard two geckos fighting near my bed.


During my stay in Maranjak Longhouse, I took a closer look at the Rungus longhouse.


Then I saw a tower at other end of the longhouse. At first I think it’s for the guard. Then they tell me that that tower is called Rorizan, the place to keep the most beautiful girl in the longhouse.


In case you fall in love with the girl in Rorizan… FYI, to marry a Rungus lady, big muscle is not enough. You also need brain and patience.


Because, you will be tested by Inuog Dazang (Teka Teki Puteri) puzzle, to free the rope from interlocked rattan knots, without cutting it. If you succeed, you can marry the girl without paying any bride price. You can try until you cry but not getting it. Don’t worry, I already have the formula for you. You can buy me some beers if you win a Rungus bride.


Pic: you may have seen the photo of Rungus people dancing Mongigol Sumandai (a welcoming dance mimic the movement of dragon and the male being the head of dragon) and think that Rungus man can have many wives. Rungus marriage is monogamy. Sex before marriage is strictly prohibited, as Rungus people believe this will bring sickness and death to their village. Besides, girls are kept separate from boys except at work. I’m talking about the old time.

Modern Longhouses

Nowadays each Rungus family prefers to have their own house. Also, it’s rare to see thatched-roof Rungus longhouse as corrugated zinc is preferred roofing material. If you see an authentic longhouse, very likely it is built for the tourists. 😀



Pic: photos of “modernised” longhouse, which is more durable and offers bigger space. More livable but lack of cultural identity.


Pic: longhouse with solar panels (certified low-energy green building). This longhouse in KDCA Penampang costs about half a million Ringgit (≈US$157,000) to construct!

The Rungus

Longhouse is not the only cool thing about Rungus. Rungus is renowned weaver. They produce finely woven textiles, handicraft and beadwork which incorporate intricate traditional motif.


The motif design of Rungus is inspired by animals, plant and other things in their environment. Each piece takes 1 to 7 days to make, depend on its complexity. Some motif carries meaning such as good health.


The handmade beadwork of Rungus is so beautiful and colorful that it is one of the most popular souvenirs tourists bring home. It’s also nice as an exotic accessory for lady dress. With prices start from only a few dollars, it’s quite affordable.


If you go to Kudat, I highly recommend you to buy some handicraft from the locals. In fact, most Rungus handicraft for sale in city shops are from them, but being priced higher by distributors.


Pic: Rungus woman is also skillful in producing homespun cloth made from cotton (kapok)


The traditional costume of Rungus is truly unique. I haven’t seen other Borneo tribes that share the similar traits. The photo above is the “most traditional” custome of Rungus women, who wear Ganggalung, disc of brass coil necklace of 40cm in diameter, and Lungkaki, the tightly coiled ornament covering the lower leg. Ganggalung and Lungkaki are seldom worn today. They told me that the brass outfit is heavy and make them lazy to move.


Pic: A Rungus man wearing colorful sash and a sigal, the traditional embroidered headgear. He looks serious but he is very friendly.

Staying in Longhouse

If you would like to experience staying in longhouse, you may visit Kampung Bavanggazo or Maranjak Longhouse Lodge in Matunggong, about 150 KM north of Kota Kinabalu city and 40 KM south of Kudat town (see Location Map). Both longhouses are only a few KM away from each other and their owners are brothers.

Their longhouse can host about 30 to 40 guests at a time. The accommodation fee is about RM60 – RM80 per night (≈US$19 – 25) and Online Booking is available. You also can sign up for some activities such as fishing, crab catching, hiking and tour around in Kudat.


Lastly, mind your head when you visit a longhouse. Incoming! LOL

*Census 2000
**source: Sabah Traditional Ethnic Houses, published by Department of Museums Malaysia (ISBN: 978-967-9935-81-3)

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Kampung Gombizau, Honey Bee Village of Sabah Borneo

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City people will freak out if they see honey bees building a nest under their roof. To most village folks, they are happy to see bee hives, because got honey, got money. However, beekeeping is not really something they do for money initially. In countryside of Sabah, it is fairly common to see one or two manmade bee hives in farm houses. The collected honey is mainly for self-consumption, but Kampung Gombizau (Gombizau Village) has turned honey bee farming into an attraction.


Pic: many village house has a hollow log (a native beehive called gelodog) for beekeeping.


Kampung Gombizau is in Matunggong and about 2-hour drive from Kota Kinabalu City. When you head to Kudat town, you will see a brown signage “Gombizau Honey Bee Farm” at the roadside, about 40 KM before the town. Turn to that junction and you will reach Gombizau (See location map), after driving two minutes on a small paved road (watch out for potholes).


Pic: ticket booth of Gombizau. Entry fee is RM5 (≈US$1.55) for adult (above 12 years) and only RM3 (≈US$1) for child (6-12 years old).


Pic: bottles of honey for sale in a booth near to entrance of Kampung Gombizau. Price ranges from RM20 (≈US$6.20) to RM38 (≈US$12) per small bottle.


Pic: big bottle of honey bee, about RM60 (≈US$19) to RM105 (≈US$33) each.


Pic: cute honey bee handicraft made of beads, available for a couple of dollars. The villagers are Rungus people, who are skillful in making beadwork.


Gombizau is a real village with a population of 260 and not an industrial area. A villager led us to a rubber plantation about 30 Meters behind the village, where the bee farm located.


Under the shade, there are dozens of “honey bee hotels”, the man-made bee hives for the honey bees. The most common bee species in honey bee farm of Borneo is Apis cerana (Eastern Hive Bee).


A worker showed us how to collect honey. First he used smoke to neutralize the attack-induced scent (pheromone) released among the bees.


Then he opened the top cover and took out a movable frame hive, to which honeycomb attached. There are about 7 movable frames in a box. This allows the beekeepers to take out the honeycomb, harvest part of it and put it back, without damaging the nest structure, otherwise the bees would abandon the hive.


Pic: close-up of honeycomb

The whitish top portion are honey cells sealed by wax capping. The middle parts are cells filled by pollen, the color is depend on type of flower visited by the bees. Pollen is the only source of protein for feeding the broods. Some cells contain pupae, which is edible and rich in vitamin and minerals. Note the bee on her finger. It’s a drone (male honeybee) without sting. Drone is developed from unfertilized egg (with only one set of chromosomes), a son without a father. All worker bees are female developed from fertilized eggs (diploid).


They cut the honeycomb into small pieces and invited us to taste the golden sweetness of raw honey. It’s really sweet, with a flowery aroma that is absent from sugar.

“Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.” (Pro 24:13)

Types of Honey

Before I left the village, I would like to buy some honey. I thought there was only one type of honey, then I found out there were 3, each with different price tag. So I asked the villagers if these are due to difference in quality. According to them, farm honey is the cheapest (RM20 per bottle), wild honey is 2nd (RM32), and the most expensive honey (RM38) is from stingless bee (Trigona genus). You had seen the farm honey bee, so what are the other two?


Pic: Giant Honey Bee is open nesting bee and doesn’t live in cavity

Most wild honey is collected from the nest of Giant Honey Bee (Species: Apis dorsata, Local Name: potiukan). Giant Honey Bee is open nesting bee so you can’t farm it in cavity like other honey bees. Besides, Giant Honey Bee is aggressive and considered one of the most dangerous animals in Borneo, its sting can penetrate fire fighter’s uniform, so honey gathering is carried out at night. They build their hive under the branch of tall tree (over 50 Meters high in many cases), and native honey hunter needs some guts and skill to climb up there in total darkness to harvest it. Each hive stores over five litres of honey and can be sold for RM200 (≈US$62) per litre.


The next honey bee is Stingless Bee (known as Kelulut locally). Its honey is sweet and sour in taste. It is the most expensive because it is the hardest to extract.


Pic: stingless bees collecting nectar. They are relatively a lot smaller than honey bees.


Pic: the exit tunnel of stingless bees (Kelulut)

Stingless bees are quite common, even in sub-urban area. You can see them nest in crevice of houses and tree holes.

The most distinctive feature of stingless bee nest is its tube-like wax tunnel as the opening of the nest. When I was a naughty kid, I liked to pinch the tunnel to close their “door”. They don’t sting. The only defence they have is to secrete something sticky onto my hair, so I didn’t give them due respect. Now I know that stingless bee is also an amazing bee.

Interesting Facts about Borneo Honey Bees

If you want to learn more about honey bees, I highly recommend the book “Honey Bees of Borneo” (by Nikolaus Koeniger et al). A lot of information of this article is from that book. I list a few interesting facts mentioned in the book:

  • Out of 9 honey bee species (Apis genus) in the world, Borneo has 5, so we are high in bee diversity, and Sabah has a Bee Research Center in Sabah Agriculture Park of Tenom.
  • Honey bee species naturally found in Borneo are Apis Dorsata (Giant honey bee), Apis cerana (Eastern hive bee), Apis andreniformis (Dwarf bee), Apis koschevnikovi (Red honey bee) and Apis nuluensis (Mountain honey bee).
  • In contrast, most part of Europe, Africa and America only has 1 honey bee species, i.e. Apis mellifera (Western Honey Bee).
  • During colonial era, British tried to introduce Western Honey Bee to Borneo but failed, due to mites, diseases and predation.
  • Apis nuluensis is the true Borneo honey bee, as it is restricted to mountain range of Borneo (1,500m-3,500m). Nulu means “Mountain” in Kadazan language.
  • Apis cerana is the most widely used in honey production in Borneo.
  • Apis dorsata is well-adapated to low light, so it can see you in half or full moon night. Harvesting honey from its nest is only safe being done in moonless night.
  • To avoid cross species mating, different bee species which share the same geographical area have different mating time. e.g. Apis andreniformis is 12:00-14:00, Apis cerana is 14:00-16:30.
  • Mating with the wrong species can be fatal, the genitals of both sexes would be locked, and both will drop to ground and die.
  • Robbing honey from other bee nests are common among honey bees.


Pic: honey bee and stingless bee on a flower

Between year 2005 and 2009, Sabah imported about 341 tonnes of honey product, which is worth about RM5 Million. During the same period, only 26 tonnes of honey was produced in Sabah State. This means the demand for honey is high, and our honey has big market.

A Need for Standard & Branding

The authors of “Honey Bees of Borneo” also urge for the development of an international quality standard for Asian Honey Bees. Currently the quality standard of honey is based on Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera), the most researched and farmed honey bee in the world. The biochemical characters of Asian and Western honey bees are different, so the honey of Asian bees would be graded as low quality, if the criteria is based on Western bee standard, it is like comparing orange to an apple.


A small bottle of imported honey can be priced over RM50 in the market, but we sell 1-litre of local honey for only RM25. Is foreign honey really SsssOOOooOOo…. much better than our honey? The most expensive honey in the world is ‘Elvish’ honey from Turkey, which costs US$6,800 per Kg, because it is extracted from a 1,800m deep cave. Hey, Borneo is richer in flora (flower & herb) variety and our environment is cleaner. Can’t our honey ask for a premium price too?


Not only that, our honey is also lack of nice packaging. Most Sabah honey are sold in a glass bottle in the market and roadside without any label or quality seal. Would you pay RM100 per bottle for such presentation? There have been complaints about adulteration of honey too.


Nevertheless, there are a few local companies try to package and brand our Borneo honey, which is a good move. But we still need an official quality standard for Asian honey, so we can compete with Western honey in international market. Otherwise our local farmers will dump indigenous honey bees and farm only Western honey bee, a more profitable species.

In fact, it’s happening. Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (Sabah) has imported European honey bee Apis mellifera (subspecies: agustica, a.k.a. Italian bee) from Australia for a trial run in Sipitang. The Italian bee is more docile and productive (generates 20-35 kg of honey) than Apis cerana (3-9 Kg).

Two months ago, I visited Melita Honey Farm in Tasmania, Australia. The range of their honey products is impressive, you can find ANYTHING related to honey, such as ice-cream, skincare, soap, lotion, candle, mug, candy, toy and medicines, so colorful… The shopping experience was so fun that I bought a lot of things. This is something Sabah should learn from the others.



Pic: Melita Honey Farm in Australia.

Do you like Sabah honey? Please tell me what you think about our local honey.

Related Post

Stingless Bees and Other Bees

Photos taken in Matunggong, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

The Tip of Borneo (Tanjung Simpang Mengayau) of Sabah

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Borneo is the third largest island in the world, and its northern-most tip is the meeting point of two big oceans, South China Sea and Sulu Sea. The Tip of Borneo is located in Kudat district and one of the most popular attractions in Sabah. The scenery is delightful but you may not know where you stand was used to be a watch-point for pirate invasion hundreds of years ago. That’s why the Tip of Borneo is also known as Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, which means the junction to the battle at the tip (in Rungus language).


Pic: The Tip of Borneo

Though most tourists doesn’t know the historical background here, they still love the scenic countryside, open sea and sandy beach at the Tip of Borneo. The best thing is – the entry is FREE. (Note: Tip of Borneo is closed for upgrade and renovation. No re-opening date is announced yet.)


Albeit the warning sign, many can’t resist to climb down the slope and walk to the tip for photo taking. It is not quite risky in normal day, but you must avoid standing at the tip during bad weather. Watch my video and you will know that the rough waves can wash you off the tip easily.



There are ample parking space at the entrance to the Tip. You only need to walk 3 minutes to a knoll which overlooks the Tip of Borneo. You will see the flagpole and globe monument near the end. Tourists like to take photos here.



The globe marks the location of the Tip of Borneo so you know where you are.


It’s always windy at the Tip of Borneo. In fact, many Chinese trading vessels were sunk here during the era of China’s Sung, Ming and Qing Dynasty, when they were on their way to Sulawesi, the Spice Island. Historians estimate that there might be twenty more undiscovered wrecks in the sea. Occasionally some lucky fishermen discover the ancient ship wrecks and sell the antique on the ships.


Pic: sea view at the Tip of Borneo

The fleet of Ferdinand Magellan, on its famous voyage to circumnavigate the globe, was said to have stopped here for 42 days to repair their ships. The Tip of Borneo was also the staging post of pirates and provisioning point for ships that needed water and fresh food.


Pic: the rocky shore next to the Tip of Borneo


Local Chinese calls the Tip of Borneo as Den Foh Liew (灯火楼 in Hakka dialect), which refers to the lighthouse on Pulau Kalampunian Island, to the east of the Tip.


Pic: panoramic view of the Tip of Borneo

The following are the photos of some interesting rocks crafted by prolonged wind and wave erosion. You will find some small caves and deep crevasses if you explore around the edge of the Tip of Borneo. Do you see the “fish”?


Pic: FYI, there are restaurant, parking lot, souvenir shop and toilet nearby for the convenience of visitors.

Beautiful Sunset

Don’t rush back home when you come here. The Tip of Borneo reserves the most magnificent sunset for those who are keen to stay put.


Pic: sunset over the meeting point of two oceans.


The sunset of the Tip is so beautiful that Sunset Music Fest is held here around June annually, to use sunset view as a backdrop. Some local and international artistes are invited to perform. The next one will be held on 20-21 June 2014. (Note: the Tip will be closed for the fest in the evening.) Do visit their website if you want to enjoy music in sunset, sea breeze and ocean view of Borneo.


Pic: Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz was the guest of honor in Sunset Music Fest 2013, and welcomed by Rungus girls dressed in traditional costumes.

If you come to Sunset Music Fest, you may check out Coconut Festival in Kudat town. Both events happen on the same date.

Kalampunian Beach

On the way to the Tip of Borneo, your eyes will be drawn to the wonderful Kalampunian Beach (Pantai Kalampunian) located next to the Tip.


Pic: view of Kalampunian Beach from Tomanggong Kurantud, the highest point of the Tip (named after a brave Rungus warrior who led his people fought off pirate attack in 1880s)

The white sandy beach of Kalampunian Beach stretches over 4 Kilometers to the Tip. Bring your swimwear, sunblock lotion and towel when you plan to visit the Tip of Borneo, as it is so tempting to jump into the warm and crystal clear sea water.


However, the sea wave there is quite strong. Don’t let your kids swim too far. There is no lifeguard in this beach, so swim at your own risk.

Sometimes sea turtles would come to this beach to lay their eggs. To protect the baby turtles, the resorts and lodges nearby have been taking care of their nests, which is a great thing.

Other Activities

If you are an outdoor person, you have the choice of leisure to extreme activity at the Tip of Borneo.


Do you know that Kudat is the Coconut Town of Sabah? When the ugly oil palm is quickly replacing other crops, the view of swaying coconut trees is getting rare in outskirt, but not Kudat.


You can rent a bike or bicycle to have a relaxing ride near the Tip.


Around the Tip of Borneo, there are some villagers selling seashells at the roadside outside their wooden houses. A few of them even can post the seashell to your home country. But be informed that certain protected species such as giant clam might not be allowed to be shipped to your country.


During monsoon season from Dec to Mar, the tides at Kalampunian Beach can turn really rough. Bad news to beach goers but exciting news to surfers. Tip of Borneo is now one of the hot spots for local and overseas surfers.

I was told that there is a good scuba diving spot near the lighthouse. You may try to dive there. Who knows you would find an ancient ship wreck full of treasures? I’m not kidding.. A shipwreck of a Chinese merchant vessel from Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 A.D.) was discovered there, it’s the earliest maritime trade ship discovered in Malaysia.

How to get there

The Tip of Borneo is about 215 KM north of Kota Kinabalu city (see location map). You need to drive about 2.5 to 3 hours on a paved road (with a few small sections of gravel road) to reach there (via Kota Kinabalu → Tuaran → Kota Belud main road). Or you can charter a taxi (can take 3 or 4 passengers) for a return trip for about RM240 (≈USD73).


When you approach Kudat town, you will see many signage (note: some read “Tg. Simpang Mengayau” instead of “Tip of Borneo”) lead you to the Tip of Borneo.


Pic: compare to some years back (note the same tree), the road condition to the Tip of Borneo has improved a lot, though I still like the countryside feel in the past.

Accommodation near the Tip of Borneo

There are a few basic accommodation around the Tip of Borneo. I list them below and you may contact them for latest info / rate. Note for caller: 60 is country code of Malaysia.

1. TSM Merrimas Villa

– Next to the Tip of Borneo, has over 10 chalets, for honeymooners and family. Wifi available. Room with air-conditioner, TV, hot water and attached bathroom.


Rate: RM268 – RM568 (≈USD81 -172)
Tel: +60 19-8332199, +60 19-8923299
Website: www.merrimasvilla.com
Facebook: TSMmerrimasvilla
E-mail: reservations@merrimasvilla.com, webmaster@merrimasvilla.com

2. Simpang Mengayau Chalet

– Next to the Tip of Borneo, Chalets and rooms with fan and attached bathroom, Wifi available.


Rate: RM100-RM600 (≈USD30 – 181)
Tel: +60 13-8682112 (Betty), +60 13-5580801 (James), +60 11-19584515, +60 16-8273258, +60 17-3410237
E-mail: betty6763@gmail.com, simpangmengayauchalet@gmail.com
Facebook: SimpangMengayauChalet
Website: simpangmengayauchalet.blogspot.com

3. Tommy’s Place (Tip of Borneo Resort)

– 15 minutes walk to the Tip of Borneo, near to Kalampunian Beach, backpacker lodge with many activities (e.g. surfing, diving, snorkeling), winner of TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence 2013, air-conditioned room. Wifi available. (Online Booking available)


Rate: RM140 – RM240 (≈USD42 -73)
Tel: +60 88 493468, +60 13-811 2315, +60 16-8321466, +60 16-8321488
Website: www.tipofborneoresort.com
E-mail: tipofborneoresort@yahoo.com
Facebook: Tip-of-Borneo-Resort

4. BorneoTip Beach Lodge

– 15 minutes walk to the Tip of Borneo, near to Kalampunian Beach, air-conditioned room for standard traveller and family group, with attached bathroom. Wifi available.


Rate: RM150 – RM300 (≈USD45 – 91)
Tel: +60 16 8170163
E-mail: borneotip@yahoo.com
Website: borneotipbeachlodge.blogspot.com
Facebook: borneotipbeachlodge.kudat

Below is a location map of the Tip of Borneo and the accommodation in its vicinity:

View My Sabah Map in a larger map

Personally I love the tranquility of this rural area and enjoy every peaceful moment of it. In city, every minute my brain works hard to process hundred of “noises” from TV, phone, road, computer, etc. In contrast, at Tip of Borneo, my body seems to enjoy the noises of sea wave, gentle breeze, rustling leaves, bird chirping… All these remind me that I’m a human being and part of the nature… The Internet and the latest technology have turned me into a half-cyborg LOL. Spending a day away from home is better than viewing and liking 1,000 photos on the Internet. “Get a life!”

Photos taken in Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Cave of Balambangan Island

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Pulau Balambangan (Balambangan Island) looks so big on Sabah map. However, very little is known about this island. The British East India Company built their first establishment in Sabah hundred years ago as a trading post. Unfortunately, it was attacked by Sulu pirates and British had to move their base to Kudat.

Someone call Balambangan Island a “Treasure Island,” as they believe there was an old Chinese/British ship, carried plenty of gold and other precious, was sunk by storm around this island but yet to be found. Anyway, I was not there for the treasure. I just want to document the caves, before they are gone. There are over 20 limestone caves on Balambangan Island and none of them is named, and only four are studied. I went to this island by following a boat departed from Banggi Island (Pulau Banggi), which is about 10KM away from this island. I stopped by Kg. Selamat (Selamat Village), which has abalone farming (at the left in photo below). Kg Selamat is not so “selamat” (safe) because sometimes you can find aggressive crocodiles swimming under the houses.

Talking about the salt-water crocodile, a local said the crocodiles were used to live in peace with the people here. One day, a fisherman caught some fishes and left them at the shore. When he came back, he saw a crocodile was eating his caught. In anger, he shot the crocodile. Probably the crocodiles also have “feeling”, so they started to attack the human. Some fishermen were eaten when they setup the fish trap in the water. Nevermind if you don’t believe this story. Below is a photo of limestone hills on the island.

Then we proceeded to other side of the island, with mangrove area infested with crocodiles. Probably they all went to church on Sunday, so I didn’t see any of them around. There was no nice beach for landing, so I crossed the sharp limestones around the shore to get to land.


Click Here to see more photos of Balambangan Island >>


Click Here to see more photos of Balambangan Island >>

After a 10 minutes walk through a dense forest, I reached the limestone cave, where prehistoric human stayed here about 200,000 years ago. Archaeological findings from the Pleistocene era (the Ice Age – between 1.75 million to 11,000 years ago) was discovered in the cave of Balambangan Island. I also wonder if the Japanese had stationed here during the World War II, like the local mentioned.


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This cave is very big and deep. I saw many unique cave formations consisting of stalactites, stalagmites, flow stone and many other speleotems. I wished I could stay longer to see the art of nature that takes thousands years to form. I started taking photos like crazy, while others kept on yelling, “Hurry Up!! There were more stuffs here!” Busy, busy, busy…


Click Here to see more photos of Balambangan Island >>

There were many stalactites on top and stalagmites on the ground, making the cave looked like a big mouth of a monster with sharp teeth. You do not need to be a geologist to appreciate the beauty. These caves are not protected though they are considered as a natural and historic heritage. In the future, some developers would build a clinker plant to mine the limestone, the major raw ingredient of cement. So sad huh. It is like burning our house to keep ourselves warm.


Click Here to see more photos of Balambangan Island >>

Some swiftlets and bats made noise to warn the “intruders”. The cave is dark and the floor is uneven, so I have to walk slowly. Otherwise I would step on a stalagmite that takes hundreds years to form (FYI, it grows only 0.5 inch every 100 years). The cave got a few tunnels that went very deep and narrow. None of us had the time and gut to explore the cave network. I also saw some ball-like “Cave Pearls” inside the stream of the cave. I shared over 50 photos in the album, so you can see more about the cave.


Click Here to see more photos of Balambangan Island >>

Undoubtedly, this cave is a promising spot as a geo-tourism attraction. Tip of Borneo is nothing if compared with it. To go to this island, you can hire a boat in Banggi Island, which will cost about RM200-300 (for day trip). Who knows you might find treasures in those unexplored caves.

Photos taken in Balambangan Island of Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Climbing Senambung Hill

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Bukit Senambung (Senambung Hill) is the highest point of Pulau Banggi (Banggi Island). This pyramid-shape hill is covered with dense forest and its top offers an irresistible aerial view of whole Pulau Banggi, so you will get both climbing + jungle trekking experiences.

Bukit Senambung is located in Kalangkaman, about an hour drive from Karakit. It is advisable to use 4-wheel to run on this bumpy gravel path full of mud.


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You know you enter a very remote area when you see many Dusun Bonggi huts, which are made of wood and dry leaves, along the way. These are probably one of the few places you can see such primitive houses in Sabah. My car is probably the only vehicle on the road, and my camera caught a lot of dust while shooting. There are hundreds of coconut trees that seem like the primary crop of the locals.



Click Here to see more photos of Senambung Hill >>

Senambung Hill is a class II forest reserve (commercial logging) managed by forestry department. The hill doesn’t look tall and steep, but this is a wrong impression. As we moved closer, we felt that we were so small. My expectation of a leisure and easy hiking was definitely too much.


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After registered with the ranger at the foothill, we started the climb. I was warned that the slope was quite steep and I should proceed cautiously and don’t try anything uncertain. The guide said we needed only 30 minutes to reach the top but we took over 2 hours!


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Most of the time we were climbing the slope with a steep of about 40 to 70 degree. Though tired, there were cool breezes that made me felt much better. I saw only one small leech on the way. Well, it will be very minor problem to bother with, when you feel so exhausted. Only one person was bitten.


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The trail was slippery, muddy and not tourist-friendly. Forget about your hundred dollar branded shoes such as Timberland and Camel, as they are not as good as a pair of RM7 (USD$2) “Kampung Addidas” (Village Addidas), a local made rubber shoe. The expensive hiking shoe is prone to catching mud, and it will become a “skiing shoe” in such trail condition. The worst thing was – I brought a fragile camera, so I had to walk like a pregnant woman. A walking stick can make a difference too.

Most already started to feel the body stress after 500 Meters, and we didn’t know how long was the trail ahead. To maintain my determination, I didn’t dare to look up. I only focused on the part in front, walked and climbed slowly. I thought the trail was only 1KM and it was a 1.8KM. I could see the beautiful blue sea through the trees. That motivated me to move on.


Click Here to see more photos of Senambung Hill >>

“Why still hasn’t arrived? How far are we?” we kept on asking the guides. I brought two small bottles of water and one 100Plus (which helped a lot!), and a few energy bar. I finished all of them. Finally, I was so glad I made it to the top. “Is it the top?” I asked the guide, as if it was hard to believe that the hardship was over. I was rewarded a nice view from the top.

^dGJ$82^%&2XYZ…!!! Why they call Bukit Senambung a “Hill”? Senambung Hill is 529 Meters high so it needs another 71 Meters to qualify as a Mountain (600M), in UK standard. However, it is considered as a Mountain under USA standard (1,000 feet). Whatever, I am happy to reach the top of it.

Photos taken in Banggi Island of Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Maliagin Islands

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Not all the beautiful islands are at Semporna. The sea off Kudat (northern tip of Sabah) has a few nice islands that are not listed on tourism map. Maliagin Islands are also known as Molleangan Islands. Actually Maliagin Islands consist of two islands, i.e., Maliagin Besar and Maliagin Kecil (Besar=Big, Kecil=Small).


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There is no ferry going to these 2 islands, so I followed the boat of WWF to get there. WWF has some conservation projects on these islands, to recover the corals and to educate the local fishing community not to employ destructive fishing methods such as fish bombing and cyanide (poison) fishing, which are same as killing the geese that lays gold eggs.

The fishermen are staying in Maliagin Besar, and the smaller Maliagin Kecil Island has no resident. Electricity and pipe water are not available on the island, so they use the water from a well. Other than these, I think they live in a vacation spot. The sea is so crystal clean and the sand of the beach is powderly white.


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The fishermen are Bajau people, but their houses are built on land, unlike the Sea Bajau who live at East Coast and build stilt houses on the water. One thing I found unique is their graveyard is still outside their houses. You know most cultures want the graves stay far away from the residential area. Probably Bajau has very different attitude towards death.

Excited about this discovery, I walked around the graves to get some photos. Then I saw a small stone next to my feet. Oh sh*t, I was standing on a grave! Quickly I moved aside. I have been hearing scary stories about people being harassed by the spirits coz they offended the thing slept under the soil. Luckily that night was a peaceful one. Looking at my photo album, you would notice that the tombs come in different shapes and size. In fact this gives us some information about the gender, age and status of the deceased.


Click Here to see more photos of Maliagin Islands >>

Later we moved on to nearby Maliagin Kecil Island, which is such a tiny spot on the map. Its shore is rocky, in contrast to the sandy shore of Maliagin Besar. You have to walk carefully in the water coz the rock is slippery and covered with a layer of brown algae, sometimes with sea urchins hiding between them.


Click Here to see more photos of Maliagin Islands >>

Since there is no people living here, all the coconuts on the island are free for us to enjoy, provided that you have to skill to pluck them high on the tree. Fortunately, the very kind boatmen helped to do the job. Despite the hot surrounding, the coconut juice is cold and it tastes like carbonated drink. It was such a wonderful trip, but the travelogue doesn’t end here. The following days I experienced something more interesting and will share with you later.

Photos taken in Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Sea Snakes Highway

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Look for a painful death just a few feets away? You can have it in Pulau Banggi (Banggi Island) off Kudat town. If you walk around the Bonggi Resort, you will see the sign below by WWF that reads:

Be Careful!..
Sea Snakes
Scientific Name: Laticauda Colubrina
Group: Elapidae
Sub-group: Hydrophiinae
“This area is a habitat of sea snakes. Sea snake is a venomous snake. It can reach 2 Meters in length. There are more than 50 species of sea snakes. They normally live in beach and sea, and reproduce in land.

Sea snake is not a threat to human, unless provoked or beaten. Thus, when you see it, please do not beat or disturb it because it is a poisonous snake. It is also an unique wildlife that can become an attraction for this region.”

The notice is written in Malaysia language, so the foreigners may not aware that they have entered a danger zone. I only knew it in my second visit to Banggi Island. The locals told me that the sea snakes would leave the sea and wander in this spot after 7pm, then return to sea around 4 and 5am morning. Below is a figure of their moving routes. They love to hide in the tree at the right.

Snake phobia can go to bed early then. Since Pulau Banggi is such a remote place with nothing to do at night, I can sit there and watch them for whole night. The area is dim and not well-lighted, so you can step on the sea snake accidentally. It venom is so potent that one drop of it can kill 7 people, 3 times more poisonous than cobra and can kill us within 2 hours! But its head is very small, unlike most other poisonous snakes.

Right after 7pm, I could see something moving in the dark. It was a sea snake in black and white stripes. Actually I had seen Yellow-lipped sea snakes in Sawangan Beach of Kuala Penyu. The difference is the sea snakes here are not so afraid of human, even we were only a few feets away. It just continued to go to the old tree. Later I saw 2 more. They are about 4 to 6 feet long. I saw about 6 in 2nd night. There might be more coz I didn’t stay there for long.

When we were watching the snakes, the locals came and touched the sea snakes and said how “friendly” these snakes were. I know yellow-lipped sea snake is not aggressive, but I think wildlife is not a pet that love to be touched, so better just leave them alone. I was told that the darker color one is more aggressive.

From its flat and paddle-shape tail that is equipped for swimming, you can tell that it is a sea snake. This type of sea snake has the habit to come to land to sleep and lay eggs at night. I have been watching them for 2 night. They just moved back and forth, before really settled down under the trees. I guess the interesting phenomenon here have started about as old as the tree. Even though human has claimed this area long ago, the snakes insist to come back every night.

Sea snakes are always trapped in the fishing net. When the fishermen are busy sorting out the fishes, they might be bitten by this sea snake and don’t know it, due to the anesthetic effect of the venom. Later the fisherman will die mysteriously, and his co-workers would think that it is the act of sea ghost. They will place the dead body in the sea, and “let the sea ghost takes him away”.

Another good reason not to anger this snake is — there is NO antidote for the poison. The hospital would use other substituted antidote for the cure, which is less effective. If the situation worsen, the poison will dissolve the muscles of our body, it is very very very very very painful, then our urine will turn into cola red color. The color is actually the protein of the muscle cells dissolved by the venom. Our kidney will try to filter this protein and will eventually fail due to unbearable burden. At last, we die in agony.

Therefore, if you want a wonderful and unforgettable travel experience, do not mess with sea snake. I hope you get it, I mean the advice, not the snake bite itself. Don’t ask me why those Pulau Tiga guide asks the tourists to hold this snake in Snake Island. Personally I don’t think they should disturb the snakes, no matter they are harmful or not.

JFYI, ALL species of sea snakes are poisonous.

Photos taken in Banggi Island (Kudat), Sabah, Malaysia Borneo