In only 10 minutes, you can conquer a peak that is higher than the highest mountain of Johor, Penang, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and Perlis States. I’m talking about Sosodikon Hill in Kundasang of Sabah, Malaysia. Anyway, most people climb Sosodikon Hill for the rewarding view, not the height.
Location of the peak of Sosodikon Hill. The hill itself is on a highland that has an altitude higher than many mountains in Malaysia.
At an elevation of about 1,300 Metres (4,265 ft), Kundasang is the highest town of Malaysia. Kundasang is also the closest town to Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain of Malaysia, and only 6 kilometres away from Kinabalu National Park, the second UNESCO Global Geopark of Malaysia. Coupled with cooling weather, this highland town is a popular vacation spot for local and foreign tourists.
Parking, starting point and ticket booth at Sosodikon Hill, which is situated on a gently-sloped plain of Pinousuk tilloid deposits originating from glacial-eroded boulders during the last ice age about 10,000 years ago in the tropical region.
The altitude of Sosodikon Hill is 1,465 Metres (4,806 ft) above sea level. Sound really tall right? Actually, if measured from its foothill, Sosodikon Hill is only about 70 Metres (230 ft) tall. Nevertheless, its peak allows you to have a panoramic view of Mount Kinabalu and Kundasang Valley.
Starting point of the hike to Sosodikon Hill
Some local Chinese like to make fun of the name “Sosodikon” because it sounds like “傻傻地看” (means staring foolishly) in Hakka dialect (no offense). Actually Sosodikon means “a place for laying traps” in Dusun language. When Sosodikon Hill was covered by thick forest in the past, the villagers frequently set traps there to hunt for wildlife such as deer and birds.
In clear day you can see Mount Kinabalu in the morning, before it’s covered by cloud after 8am
Is Sosodikon Hill worth a visit? Yes, if you love to take some beautiful photos of Mount Kinabalu and Kundasang Valley. You can frame a lot of things in the photos taken from the highest point of Kundasang. After all, the hike is so easy and take less than 15 minutes.
Do slow down to appreciate the flowers and ornamental plants along the trail
However, you are advised to reach the peak before 8am, the time Mount Kinabalu is still visible. In most days, Mount Kinabalu would be covered by dense cloud after 9am. If it’s misty or raining, climbing Sosodikon Hill may not worth your time.
Rock painted with rafflesia flower on the trail
Sosodikon Hill (see Location Map) is about 98 Kilometres from Kota Kinabalu City and quite accessible. If you plan to visit DESA dairy farm, you may include Sosodikon Hill in your itinerary as both places are near to each other. The road to the starting point is mainly paved road in ok condition. The last 800 Metres away from the main road to the starting point is a narrow cement and gravel road (no 4WD required).
It takes only 15 minutes or less to reach the peak of Sosodikon Hill
There are some parking spaces for cars within walking distance to the ticket booth, which is open from 6am to 5pm every day. You will be given a pass card after you pay the entrance fee, then you can start climbing the hill. No guide is required. The following is the entrance fee per person in Malaysian Ringgit:
Malaysian Adult (13 years old and above): RM5.00
Malaysian Child (7-12 years old): RM3.00
Foreigner Adult: RM10.00
Foreigner Child: RM5.00
Free admission for children 6 years old and below
Walk-in tourist is welcomed and no advance booking is needed. You may use the small toilet next to the booth before or after the hike.
Pyramid Hills at another side of Sosodikon Hill
The 300-metre trail to the peak is a well trodden soil path. As the trail isn’t very steep, you can walk up, without much climbing, to reach the peak between 10 to 15 minutes. Though it’s an easy short hike, you may walk slowly to enjoy the view. They planted some flowers and installed some decorations along the way.
Viewpoint platform on the peak of Sosodikon Hill. It could be a long queue during weekends and holidays.
The view of Mount Kinabalu was so breathtaking that I kept stopping to take some photos. The view got nicer and nicer when I was moving up. The weather was cooling and the morning sunlight was soft. This hill is mainly grassy slope with very few trees that offer shade, so you better apply sunscreen if you climb in the afternoon. It’s quite windy on top so please put on a jacket for a more comfortable walk.
Enjoy the view on the peak of Sosodikon Hill
The ending point is a colourful wooden platform with boardwalk on the highest point, where you can have a 360° view of Kundasang Valley under the majestic Mount Kinabalu.
View from the peak of Sosodikon Hill. The light blue building is the starting point.
Besides Mount Kinabalu, the rolling Pyramid Hills at another side is scenic as well. Pyramid Hills is an example of triangular facets (or faceted spur), a geomorphic feature produced by active fault movements that started 15 million years ago from the ongoing collision in Sabah. Stream erosion passing through the fault scarps create the triangular-shaped cliff face.
You can order the certificate of conquering Sosodikon Hill. For achiever only!
Unfortunately, some farmland has creeped into the foothill of Pyramid Hills. I hope the locals will spare these green hills from agriculture and development. In fact, due to land clearing, the temperature of Kundasang has risen to 18 to 30 Celsius now, compared to 10-18 Celsius before 1990. People should learn not to repeat the bad consequences that happen to the overdeveloped Cameron Highlands in Peninsular Malaysia.
You can try the ATV (all-terrain vehicle) at the foothill of Sosodikon Hill
Can you believe that you only need to hike 1.6 Kilometers (about a mile) to the peak of Maragang Hill, for one of the most spectacular views of Mount Kinabalu (the highest mountain of Malaysia)? I felt a bit guilty when I conquered Maragang Hill, so easy that it’s like cheating. The closer you are to Mount Kinabalu, the more stunning her scenery, and Maragang Hill is probably the hill nearest to Mount Kinabalu.
The peaks of the Eastern Plateau of Mount Kinabalu can be seen on Maragang Hill, which is named after the Red (or Maroon) Leaf Monkey endemic to Borneo.
With a height of 2,232 Metres (7,323 Feet) and located in Mesilau (of Kundasang, Sabah), Maragang Hill is a gigantic stairway for climbers to meet our giant mountain up-close. Maragang is the Dusun (Sabah’s native) name of Red or Maroon Leaf Monkey (Scientific Name: Presbytis rubicunda), an elusive monkey endemic to Borneo. You can see Red Leaf Monkey as a “hill monkey”. Unlike other primates which avoid high altitude, Red Leaf Monkey is adapted to the highland habitats. In Jan 2021, four Maragang were spotted in Panalaban (3,272 Metres above sea level!!!) of Mount Kinabalu and the discovery went viral.
Maragang Hill is near the border (light green line) of Kinabalu National Park. The distance between the highest peak of Mount Kinabalu and Maragang Peak is only 5 KM!
About the Climb
Climbing Maragang Hill requires very little preparation and the trip takes only half-day. You only need to book the tour in advance. The hiking distance to the peak of Maragang Hill is only 1.6 Kilometer one way. You can reach the summit in an hour if you are really fit. Normally most people take 1.5 hours to reach the top. Yes, 2,232 Meters sounds high, but the climb starts at 1,835 Metres above sea level, so you only need to move up 397 Meters to conquer Maragang Hill.
The height of Maragang Hall is 2,232 Meters (7,323 Feet), and the climb starts at 1,835 Meters above sea level.
Time Table
The following is the standard schedule of the climb:
6:00am Registration at the admin office (in Mesilau)
6:30am Transfer to the starting point
6:45am Safety briefing by your guide
7:00am Start climbing
8:30am Reach the peak of Maragang Hill
10:00am Descend to the starting point
11:30am End of climb
Sunrise Hike starts at 3:00am but the flow is the same.
My Climbing Experience
I was climbing Maragang Hill with 4 friends last month. We didn’t want to drive 3 hours in midnight to rush from Kota Kinabalu (KK) to Mesilau, so we spent a night in Kundasang, which is only 15 minutes away from Mesilau by car. Next day we waked up around 5am to prepare for the climb. It was so windy and chilling in the morning. Though it’s only 20°C (68°F), I wore three layers of clothing (two T-shirt and a jacket) to keep warm. You can watch the walkthrough video below if you don’t want to read further.
We arrived the registration center (admin office) of Maragang Hill in Kampung Mesilou before 6am. After parking our car in the village, we registered, made payment, met our guide, and signed the indemnity form. Funny thing is, it wasn’t windy at Mesilau.
Registration Center and Admin Office (orange building) for climbing Maragang Hill, with Mount Kinabalu at the background.
The paper work only took us a few minutes. Then we and our guide were transferred by a 4-wheel drive to the starting point about 4 KM away. On the back of the truck, we had an open view of the scenic mountain and countryside views along the way. We passed through Mount Kinabalu Golf Club and the lovely pine tree road.
We were transferred by 4-wheel drive to the starting point of the climb for Maragang Hill.
Our vehicle reached the starting point of our climb within 15 minutes. The place is not far away from Mitraville Meditation Centre (慈观法林). There is a toilet for climbers. A mountain guide is assigned to my group because nobody is allowed to climb without a local guide, for your safety. A guide can take care up to 5 climbers.
Moving to the starting point of the climb and reached a viewpoint in one minute.
After a short briefing by our guide, we started our 1.6-KM hike at 6:23am. We reached the peak at 8:10am, after 1 hours and 47 minutes, slightly longer than the average 1.5 hours. This is because we went slow and stopped many times to take pictures.
The trail is a bit steep in the beginning, but don’t worry, only a few sections are slightly challenging.
The first 200 Meters of the climb is quite steep but not difficult. In fact, I prefer to call this as hiking, as there was almost no climbing at all. There are support such as boardwalk, ropes and wooden steps at some steep sections. It is not tough, even to people who are lack of exercise.
We can see Mitraville Meditation Centre from the higher ground (note the white stupa).
Most of the time we walked under the cover of canopy, which protected us from harsh sunlight. The cooling temperature reduced the fatigue and dehydration of our overheat muscles. 500ML of drinking water is sufficient, which is half the amount of my hike in lowland.
We reached the 200-Meter trail marker after 15 minutes.
After 500 Meters of hiking, our bodies were getting warm, so everyone took off their jacket. There was no leech (pacat) in our trail. But my sweat attracted a few buzzing and annoying blood sucker, deer flies. They hovered around me, trying to land on my skin for a feast. They lost interest and left when I stopped sweating profusely.
We walked under the shade of dense trees most of the time.
At 6:56am, we took a short break at a gazebo, which has a toilet behind it. You can refill your drinking bottle with untreated water from the big water tank there (not recommended though).
About 20% of the summit trail to Maragang Hill is relatively flat.
In general it’s an undulating terrain, with flat ground in between. Whenever I was about to get exhausted, a gentle slope or ridge would come next and allowed me to catch my breath.
It took us less than 30 minutes to reach the 500-Meter mark.
We reached trail markers labelled with 200 M, 500 M, 1 KM, and 1.3 KM, which show the distance we have covered, at 6:38am, 6:51am, 7:21am and 7:51am respectively. For me, they are morale boosters.
The resting gazebo after 500 Meters. There is a squat toilet hut behind it.
The vegetation on Maragang Hill is tropical montane cloud forest, similar to the high altitude forest of Kinabalu park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its plant diversity. Most trees in montane forest are shorter than 15 Meters. It’s also known as cloud forest because it’s frequented by mist, and characterized by tree trunks and branches blanketed with ferns, mosses, liverworts, epiphytes and other moist-loving plant.
Group photo in Tropical Montane Forest of Maragang Hill. I’m the uncle in blue short-sleeve T-Shirt lol.The tropical montane forest (or cloud forest) near the peak of Maragang Hill looks like a garden.
To be specific, Maragang Hall is dominated by Ericaceous Forest thrives between 1,800 and 2,400 Meters. Red Leaf Monkey loves to feed on the nuts from the oak trees here. The gnarled and stunted forms of Leptospermum and Dacrydium plant turn the forest into a strange garden. If it’s flowering season, you would see native orchids and wild rhododendron blooming along the trail.
Pengimpaan Point is translated as Imagination Point.
Occasionally we stopped to give way to the descending climbers who return from their sunrise hike, which started at 3am. I was told that the sunrise hike was fully booked (40 slots) and it’s more popular than standard day hike, which had only 11 climbers that day. We already plan to do sunrise hike in the future before we finish our normal hike.
We met other climbers returning from sunrise hike. One of them carried a toddler on the back.
At 7:47am, we came to a long boardwalk that looked like red carpet. A few minutes later we passed by the 1.3 KM marker, and finally we reached the peak after another 20 more minutes. We walked out of the dense bush and greeted by the majestic Mount Kinabalu.
Passing by the 1 Kilometers marker, the peak of Maragang Hill is only 600 Metres ahead.
All of us rushed to the platform and took selfie with Mount Kinabalu like crazy, as if we saw a superstar. What a brilliant idea to build 2-Meter raised platform above the summit shrubs, so there is no tall shrub obstructs our 360 degree view.
The longest boardwalk is after 1 KM. Look like a red carpet to the peak.The 1.3-Kilometer trail mark tells us that there are only 300 Meters left. “Dekat Sudah” means “Almost there” in Malay language.
There are three platforms connected to one another by 20 Meters of boardwalk, forming a U-shape walkway. Each platform offers different viewpoint of the mountain and its vast landscape. The second platform gives us a panoramic view of Mesilau and Kundasang from Maragang Hill.
Reaching the peak of Maragang Hill after 1.5 hours of climbing
Only on Maragang Hill, climbers can have a good look of the jagged peaks on Eastern Plateau such as Red Rock Peak, Lion Head Peak, King Edward Peak, Mesilau Peak, and Mesilau Pinnacles. Red Rock Peak is the most prominent due to its crown shape.
Hiking only 1.6 Kilometers to get this view? It’s a steal!
It’s a sea of green carpets the foothill of Mount Kinabalu. The lush rolling hills are dotted with flowering trees. I noticed some exposed rockface in the forested slopes, the scars left by landslide in earthquake of 2015. Sad but our mother mountain will recover.
The raised platform on the peak of Maragang Hill gives you a 360 degree unobstructed view of the surrounding mountains and forest.
To have better chance of seeing Mount Kinabalu in clear view, it’s advisable to reach the peak of Maragang Hill before 8:30am. In most days, the mountain would be enveloped in dense fog after 9am. Probably that’s why many climbers opt for sunrise hike, so they can get up here as early as possible, and the starry sky is also a bonus view.
We are lucky to have this nice group photo because of the clear day and no other climbers around.
You can fly a drone on the peak as long as it doesn’t fly inside the boundary of Kinabalu Park administered by Sabah Parks. Maragang Hill is managed by Mesilou Ecotourism Association (META) of the local community. They claim Maragang Hill is the highest community nature reserve in Malaysia.
View of the third platform. The signage says “Maragang Hill 2,232M. The best view comes after the hardest climb”.
Loop Trail
In most cases, climbers choose to descend from the same trail. To explore more, we went for the loop trail (Ascending 1.6 KM to the peak and Descending 2.7 KM via different route), which is more challenging and longer than the ascending trail.
Descending route of the loop trail, which is about 2.7 Kilometers
The descending trail is less pristine and looks like a regenerated secondary forest in good condition. The trail is steeper and narrower, with many rope support. Some interesting flora and fauna are spotted on the way down, for example, mushroom and fungus, liana vines, trilobite beetles (Duliticola sp.) feeding on rotten wood. We heard calling of montane birds such as Crested Yuhina, white-throated fantail, Mountain Barbet, Barber and Trogon, and also a wreathed hornbill flied over the canopy.
Interesting flora and fauna on the descending (loop) trail of Maragang Hill. The crimson fruits in top left are earth figs (Ficus malayana). This species is one of the most common figs in the mountain forest of Kinabalu Park and Crocker Range. The dark fungus in lower left is Dead Man’s Finger (species: Xylaria polymorpha). Lower Right: We saw many trilobite beetles (Duliticola sp) feeding on rotting wood.
Our guide asked us to watch out for Fire-lipped Keelback (Scientific name: Rhabdophis murudensis), a rare snake endemic to Sabah. When threatened, it can exude a white milky venom from the back of its neck as a defensive mechanism. I wished to see one though.
A clean and cold river in loop trail of Maragang Hill.
My group descended at 9:16am and arrived the ending point at 11:54am. 800 Meters before the ending point, you will cross a small and crystal clean river and exit through D’La Sri Cottage after 15 more minutes.
The loop trail of Maragang Hill hiking ends at D’La Sri Cottage.
A few advices to those who want to try loop trail:
Carry at least 1 Litre of drinking water to stay comfortable and hydrated.
Bring some energy snacks with you. You will need these.
Loop trail is not suitable for climbers with knee problem.
You will use rope to descend a lot so gloves are necessary for soft skin.
Hiking pole can help you to move down easier.
How to Book
Maragang Hill is highly rated and should be in the bucket list of Mount Kinabalu fans. Walk-in is not advisable, especially during weekends, as the daily limited slots of 80 to 200 climbers can be fully booked. You can book the tour in advance at maraganghill.com.my or text / Whatsapp them at +60 17-8952753.
There are two types of hikes:
Day Hike (starts at 6am)
Sunrise Hike (starts at 3am)
The starting price for Day and Sunrise Hike are RM115 (about USD27) and RM155 (about USD36) respectively. FYI, you can save a lot more by group booking. You can have up to 5 climbers per group (to share the same guide), and you only top up RM15 for each climber. For example, if you climb alone in Day Hike, you pay RM115. But if you have 5 climbers in your group, the total price is RM175 per group, after dividing the cost among yourselves, each of you only pay RM35.
The boardwalk on Maragang Hill is well-maintained. There are about 150 Metres of them in different spots.
Besides guiding service, the price has included return transfer (usually by 4-wheel drive) for moving climbers between registration office and starting point. Certificate is optional and cost RM5.
A 4-wheel drive picked us up at the ending point
You need to pay RM30 deposit to secure your booking (and settle the rest in registration office before climbing). However, currently their website doesn’t accept payment by credit card and Paypal. You need a bank account (e.g. Maybank, RHB, CIMB, AmBank, UOB) to bank-in the deposit via FPX.
The descending route of loop trail is long and steep
Booking Loop Trail
By default, climbers use the same 1.6-KM trail for ascending and descending (they call it Normal Trail). You can request for Loop Trail when you check-in at their registration office before the climb. There will be an additional fee of RM30 to RM70 per group, depending on the group size. You can check out the price in their website.
Lastly, they have a campsite with basic amenities near the peak, in case you want to camp on the hill for stargazing. You can message the operator via their Facebook page (@MaragangHill) if you need more information.
Things to Bring
Cash
Mykad / Passport / Identification document
Face masks
Warm Clothing (e.g. windbreaker, jacket). Temperature ranges from 15°C to 22°C (59°F to 72°F).
Optional: LED headlamp (for sunrise hike), sunglasses, selfie stick, tripod
How to get there
Book the climb in advance. Before you climb, you need to report to the registration office of Maragang Hill (GPS: 6.012919616415158, 116.59744029807099 [see Location Map]) in Kg. Mesilou, which is 97 KM away from Kota Kinabalu city (KK). This location is highly accessible by highway and paved road.
Climbers can find many great spots to take photos with the beautiful montane trees.
If you don’t want to drive nearly 3 hours in early morning from KK to Mesilau, you can spend a night in Mesilau or Kundasang, which offers variety of accommodation. The accommodation nearest to the registration office is Sulap. After registration, they will provide the return transportation to the starting point (GPS: 6.033364907654647, 116.58989023443904 [see Location Map]).
Kinabalu Park is the most popular destination of Sabah, visitors usually find it highly desirable to spend more time exploring the park. However, the official accommodation in Kinabalu Park is expensive. For about RM200 a night, you only get the cheapest dormitory bed with common bathroom in Kinabalu Park. If you don’t mind staying outside the park, RM200 can make you feel like a VIP.
Want more value from your money? In this article is a list of alternative accommodations within 2 Kilometre radius (walking distance) of Kinabalu Park. If cost is not important and your single top priority is convenience, then you may book the room of Kinabalu Park online.
The following accommodations range from budget lodges, mid-range chalets to high-end resort, and you can see their exact locations in my Google map. Three things to note:
The prices listed here are normal rates. The accommodation fee is higher in peak season (weekends, public and school holiday).
Each hotel has different policy. e.g. the check-in time can be as early as 1pm or as late as 3pm.
The rates published in some websites might be outdated or don’t include 6% GST (Government Service Tax, or known as VAT in other countries).
Recommended Accommodations
To save your time, I personally recommend four accommodations for you to have a quick start. They get excellent or good reviews by their guests, and I’m neither paid nor sponsored by any of them.
1. J Residence
Distance from Kinabalu Park: 400 Meters (≈0.25 Mile) Rates:RM88/room to RM480/villa (US$≈26-145) (online booking available) Room Types: Twin-Bed Room, Family Room (Triple-Bed), Villa (3 rooms)
Kinabalu Park is only a 15-minute walk away from J Residence. No matter you are solo or group traveller, you will get the most bang for your buck here. Start from RM88, you already can get a spacious and comfy bedroom, with attached bathroom and balcony. The lodge overlooks the lush green hills and farm of Bundu Tuhan.
Their main feature is the see-through glass door and window that allow you to enjoy the misty view of highland (Room 5B has the best view). The lodge has no restaurant but the nearest one (Restoran Bayu Kinabalu) is only 50 Meters away. They have BBQ pits if you want to throw a party, and charcoals and utensils can be provided for a small fee.
Distance from Kinabalu Park: 1.4 Km (≈0.87 Mile) Rates:RM120/room to RM360/bungalow (US$≈36-109) (online booking available) Room Types: Twin-bed / Triple-bed Rooms, Family Room (4 pax), Studio Room, Bungalow (8 pax)
Formerly known as Sunny’s Village, Mile 36 Lodge is a decent accommodation for family vacation because of its surrounding garden and fantastic view of Mt. Kinabalu at their front lawn.
For visitors who seek for a homey environment in cooling highland, Mile 36 Lodge is suitable for a long stay. Its rooms are clean, amenities are well-maintained, and it has a restaurant and souvenir shop.
Distance from Kinabalu Park: 100 Meters (≈328 Feet) Rates: RM40/bed to RM160/room (US$≈12-36)
If you just want a convenient and cheap place to stay, and you don’t mind everything is basic, Tahubang Lodge will be your best choice. This lodge is only 100 Meters away from Kinabalu Park, the nearest accommodation to the park. Tahubang Lodge is a small lodge that can host 16 people, below are their room types:
1 unit of Dormitory Room (Bunk Bed) @ RM40/bed or RM160/room
1 unit of Twin-Bed Room @ RM100/room
2 units of Queen-Size Bed Room @ RM120/room
2 units of Triple-Bed Room @ RM150/room
(No meal included, shared toilet and bathroom)
Another plus of this lodge is, Panataran Restaurant is just next door, which serves good variety of local food. Free Wifi and hot shower are available. Luggage storage is also available for rent at RM5 per luggage.
Jungle Jack Backpacker is almost as basic as a camp that I have to think many times to recommend it. As its name implies, it is for backpacker and not for everyone. However, Jungle Jack Backpacker receives overwhelming positive reviews by their guests and becomes popular by words of mouth among European backpackers.
For foreign backpackers who travel in an unfamiliar land, they will really appreciate someone likes Uncle Jack (the owner), a local who is genuine in being their friend, guide and cook. The rave reviews are mainly due to the great hospitality of Uncle Jack. The accommodation fee includes bed, meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and unlimited coffee and tea!). Towels, blankets and storage space are provided. Goodness, for that price, I believe Uncle Jack is more interested in making friends than money.
Just another reminder that you can see the location of these accommodations (yellow icon) in my map. My mark points are more accurate than Google’s.
(Click Here to see Bigger Map)
Other Accommodations
Here are over 10 other accommodations ordered by distance to Kinabalu Park. Some are more than 1 Km away. If 1+ Km isn’t considered as a “walking distance” to you, you may take public buses which move between Kinabalu Park and Kundasang / Ranau towns (roughly at 1-hour interval during daytime), or most lodges are more than happy to provide return transport to their guests.
Mountain Resthouse is a budget lodge which provides dormitory bunk bed (RM25/bed), single-bed room without attached bathroom (RM50), queen-sized bed room (RM60) and room with 1 queen-sized bed and 1 single bed (RM80). They have 12 dormitory rooms which can fit 2 to 4 people per room.
Hot water is available. They can cook your meal upon request (for a small fee). A lot of their customers are students.
2. Bayu Kinabalu Lodge
Distance from Kinabalu Park: 450 Meters (≈0.28 Mile) Rates:RM15/bed to RM80/room (US$≈4.50-24) (online booking available) Room Types: 8-bed / 6-bed Dormitory, Single-bed / Double-bed Rooms, 4-bed Family Room
Bayu Kinabalu Lodge is a budget accommodation that looks like a 2-floor resident house being re-purposed as a lodge. It is next to a restaurant named Restoran Bayu Kinabalu. If you want to cook your own food, BBQ and kitchen facilities are available.
Distance from Kinabalu Park: 680 Meters (≈0.42 Mile) Rates:RM88 to RM128 per room (US$≈25-37), RM608 per House (US$≈173) (online booking available) Room Types: Standard (Queen bed for 2 pax), Deluxe (Queen bed for 2 pax), Superior (1 Queen bed & 1 Single bed), Holiday House (1-storey, 3 bedrooms & bathrooms)
Ayana Holiday Resort is relatively new but you will love its forest view and natural surrounding. It’s a mid-range accommodation that offers clean and affordable rooms and holiday house that target friend and family groups. Their weekday rates are irresistible deals with nearly 50% off.
Distance from Kinabalu Park: 750 Meters (≈0.47 Mile) Rates: RM30/bed to RM220/room (US$≈9-66) (online booking available) Room Types: Dormitory Bunk Bed (12 pax), Queen-bed / Triple-bed Room, Family Rooms (4-6 pax)
D’Villa Rina Ria Lodge operates since 1992 and quite established. Besides rooms, guests can find almost everything they need, for example, mini shop, restaurant (serve no pork), parking, hot shower, laundry service, TV, BBQ & steamboat, free Wifi and free storage room (for in-house guests).
5. Mount Kinabalu Holiday Home (Haleluyah Retreat Centre)
Distance from Kinabalu Park: 1.3 Km (≈0.81 Mile) Rates: RM20/bed to RM180/chalet (US$≈6-54) (online booking available) Room Types: 5-bed Dormitory, Family Room (3 pax), Chalet (5-6 pax)
If you like kampung (village) lifestyle with green view, Mount Kinabalu Holiday Home is it. You will be greeted by friendly village dogs upon arrival. The place is big, with garden, fish pond, ballroom (hall) and wonderful view of Kiau Valley a distance away. Facilities and services such as laundry service / dry cleaning, free Wifi, kitchen and room service are available. They also provide transport to airport.
In general, their studio unit has 1 or 2 bathroom, shared / private bathroom, kitchenette, living area and Cable TV. The chalet has two rooms with queen-sized bed and attached bathroom (without kitchen). You may look at the photos and details in their Facebook.
Puncak Borneo Resort is relatively new and it’s located on a slope next to main road, a high point where their guests can have a stunning view of Mt. Kinabalu. Its building with Bajau-style roof is quite unique so you won’t miss it when you drive to Kinabalu Park.
9. Nikgold Garden Resort
Distance from Kinabalu Park: 1.9 Km (≈1.18 Mile) Rates: RM98/room to RM750/bungalow (US$≈30-227) (online booking available) Room Types: Twin Share / Queen-Bed / King-Bed / Deluxe Room, 3-Bedroom Family Suite, Semi-D House, Bungalow
In contrast to most accommodations near Kinabalu Park, Nikgold Garden Resort is on deluxe side. If weather permits, you can have a spectacular view of Mt. Kinabalu and its forest at this resort. It’s so quiet that honeymoon couples will find a lot of space and privacy here. If you don’t travel by car, you have to walk 1 KM from its junction next to main road to this resort, possible but taxing. This resort has no restaurant but you can bring your own food and charcoal to barbecue there.
Distance from Kinabalu Park: 2 Km (≈1.24 Mile) Rates: RM38/bed to RM180/room (US$≈11.50-54) (online booking available)
Below are the room types of Kinabalu Mountain Lodge in general:
Dormitory (10 beds) @ RM38/bed
Double-bed room @ RM110/room
Japanese room (4 pax) @ RM150/room
Family room (4 pax) @ RM180/room
Facilities: common bathroom & toilet, BBQ, steamboat (for rent @RM20), kitchen, hot water
Personally I love this lodge because the exterior and interior of its 3-storey wooden house is so beautiful. It’s definitely on my recommended accommodation in this article if it is nearer to Kinabalu Park. Same as Nikgold Garden Resort, Kinabalu Mountain Lodge is located 1 KM away from main road. Located inside the dense forest, this lodge is more “nature” than the accommodation inside Kinabalu Park. Nature lovers will like this place very much.
Kinabalu Rose Cabin is a mid-range hotel which is very popular among locals and tourists. Its highlight is the magnificent close-up view of Mt. Kinabalu behind this hotel. Though it calls itself a “cabin”, Kinabalu Rose Cabin is as developed as a small hotel, just to list some facilities, restaurant (serve no pork), gift shop, convenient store, free Wifi, meeting room (can host up to 60 people).
Most accommodation listed here are located next to main road to Kundasang Town, you can reach them by long-distance bus. Just 3 final notes: (1) Most accommodations are small and can be fully booked even in non-peak season, so please book earlier, (2) Wifi is generally very slow around Kinabalu Park, so don’t use Wifi service as a deciding factor to choose your accommodation, and (3) the temperature around Kinabalu Park is quite cooling (about 18°C to 25°C), so air-conditioning isn’t required.
I would like to stress again that this list is only for accommodations located within 2 Km radius of Kinabalu Park. There are many other quality accommodations that worth a mention, and I’ll feature them in future.
For this article, I visited most of the accommodations listed here to verify they are still in operation. Seems like almost every lodge has one or two super friendly cats or dogs. It became a “petting” trip too. Just can’t help it. They are too adorable. 😀
It’s always nice to try some local food when you travel. If you visit Kinabalu Park of Sabah, there is a chance that you would drop by Kundasang town, which is 12 Kilometres away, to visit the War Memorial and Fruit & Vegetables stalls there.
Sabah people who visit Kundasang would not leave without trying the famous Kundasang BBQ chicken wings, something that most tourists miss. You can find the stall easily, it’s near the big roundabout of Kundasang and in front of Hidayah Restaurant & Catering (see Location Map), and it’s hard not to notice the excessive CO2 emission (smoke) from this stall.
The face of Kundasang has changed a lot over the years, but this small stall remains the same and still serving one of the best BBQ chicken wings in Sabah. I don’t know why his barbecue chicken tastes so good, probably it’s already great to enjoy sizzling BBQ chicken wings in cool air of Kundasang highland.
I believe this stall sells hundreds of BBQ chicken wings every day. Each piece is sold for RM2 (I’m not sure if this is correct). Though I visited during non-peak hour, the cook never stopped for a break. He himself would smell like chicken wing after long hours of barbecuing haha.
“Chicken wings only? What so special?” you might ask.
Look at the photo above carefully. Do you notice the round things? They are BBQ chicken tails, locally known as Satay Buntut (literally means BBQ chicken butt). Chicken tail is always unwanted part in other places, but it’s a delicacy for Sabahans. After BBQ, the skin of chicken tail becomes crisp and slight burnt, with aroma of charcoal. It’s soft, oily but juicy. Personally I love it. If you never try BBQ chicken tail, be open-minded and try it, before you decide you don’t like it.
Someone says eating Satay Buntut can make you horny, rubbing it on your chest and hair will grow. I don’t know if this is true and I’ll let you to prove it. 😀
