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Climbing Mount Tambuyukon

Climbing Mt. Tambuyukon (part 5 of 5), the 4th highest mountain of Malaysia

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Continued from Part 4…

(You may start reading from Part 1)

This article tells you how to organize a climbing trip to Mt. Tambuyukon. You may skip this if you don’t plan to climb the mountain. Please note that planning and preparation for Mt. Tambuyukon trip is tedious and time-consuming. If you have little spare time, getting a tour operator to arrange everything is a good option, but the cost will double or even triple.

Planning & Preparation for the Climb

Step 1. Gather the Climbers

First, you need to decide the number of climbers and the climbing date. Prepare a name list (with Full Name, MyKad/Passport No. and Phone contact) and confirm a date with all the climbers. Usually May to July are dry months and best time to climb. However, the global climate has gone haywire, for example, the La Nina or El Nino phenomenon would change weather pattern. Nobody can predict the weather, so you better be prepared for the worst. But try to avoid Dec and Jan, which are the wettest months.

Normally, you need 5-day-4-night to complete the climb. For experienced and fit climbers, 4-day-3-night is possible. If you are unsure, just plan for a 5-day climb.

Step 2. Book the Date with Sabah Parks

You need to book the climb with Sabah Parks at least 1 month in advance. All the paperwork and registration are done with Sabah Parks office in Kinabalu Park (Tel: +60 88-889888). Later, you will still need to communicate with Sabah Parks back and forth on various arrangement, more on this later.

Under Sabah Parks policy, only a maximum of 9 climbers (exclude Sabah Park rangers and porters) are permitted in one trip. Inform Sabah Parks your climbing date and submit your name list. They will mark the date for you if no other group climbing.

Step 3. Plan the Itinerary

Once the climbing date is confirmed, you may plan your itinerary.

Below is the summit trail map of Mt. Tambuyukon. Click it for bigger picture:

Below is a standard 5-day schedule (for reference only. You may adjust it):

Day 1
6:00am Depart from Kota Kinabalu to Kinabalu Park
8:00am Register at Kinabalu Park. Fill up climber & Indemnity forms. Pay for climb permit & insurance. Collect climber tags.
9:00am Transfer into 4WD to Monggis Substation
10:30am Register at Monggis Substation. Meet porters & Briefing by guide.
11:00am Start trekking to Wuluh Camp (KM6)
4:00pm Arrive Wuluh Campsite for camping overnight
Day 2
7:00am Breakfast
8:00am Trekking 4.8KM to Musang Camp (KM10.8) for camping overnight
3:00pm Arrive Musang Campsite
Day 3
3:30am Breakfast
4:00am Trek up to summit of Mt. Tambuyukon
10:00am Reach the Summit (KM14)
5:00pm Back to Musang Campsite for dinner & overnight
Day 4
7:30am Breakfast
8:30am Descend 13 KM (via old trail) to Monggis sub station. Overnight in Monggis Sub Station
Day 5
8:00am Breakfast
9:00am 4WD transfer back to Kota Kinabalu
1:00pm Arrive KK

Below is a 4-day itinerary (for very tough climbers only):

Day 1
Depart to Kinabalu Park
Register at Kinabalu Park.
Go to Monggis substation by 4WD
Overnight in Monggis
Day 2
8am: Breakfast
Start climbing to Musang Camp (13KM old trail recommended)
Overnight in Musang Camp
Day 3
Breakfast
Climb to the Summit (KM14)
Back to Musang Camp for overnight
Day 4
Breakfast
Back to Monggis via 13KM old trail
Go to Ranau (by 4WD)
Back to Kota Kinabalu

Of course there are other variations of itinerary, depends on your needs.

Step 4. Working out the Budget

This part is not easy… You only know the exact amount spent after the trip.

Mandatory Expenses
  • Climb Permit: RM100 for Malaysian, RM200 for foreigner
  • 4-Wheel-Drive (4WD) Transport (Ranau-Monggis Substation return trip): RM400-500 per car
  • Sabah Parks Ranger Guide Fee: RM70/day (Policy: 1 ranger is required for every 3 climbers)
  • Conservation Levy: RM3 for Malaysian, RM10 for foreigner
  • Insurance: RM7 per day (you must insure the porters & rangers too)
  • Camping Fee: RM10 per pax
  • Food: estimated RM20/day per pax
Optional Expenses
  • Tour Guide: RM100-150 per day. Besides guiding, they can cook & setup camp for you.
  • Porter: RM70/day (carry up to 20Kg)
  • Cooking service: extra charge if you also want tour guide to cook for you
  • Accommodation (Monggis Substation): RM10/pax per night (not so sure the rate)
  • Use of cooking facilities (e.g. gas) in Monggis Substation: RM50
  • Certificate: RM5
Misc. Expenses

Individual / group may purchase the items below:

  • Camping tent
  • Portable cooking stove & utensils
  • Cooking gas cylinder, RM5 each (for portable cooking stove)
  • Personal medication (e.g pain-killer, anti-septic cream) & 1st Aid Kit (for minor cut & injury)
  • Insect repellent, mosquito coils (anti-sandfly)

For example, there are 3 Malaysian climbers who would like to hire one 4WD and two porters for a 5-day trip. The budget will look like table below (all fees in Malaysian Ringgit (RM), USD1 = RM3.3):

Item Price Qty. Total (RM)
Climber Permit* 100 3 300
4WD Transport 500 1 500
Sabah Parks guide fee (RM70 x 4 day) 280 1 280
Camping Fee 10 3 30
Conservation Levy* 3 3 9
Porter (RM70 x 4 day) 280 2 560
Insurance (RM7 x 4 days x 6 pax) 28 6 168
Food (RM20 x 5 day) 100 3 300
Accommodation (Monggis) 10 3 30
Certificate 5 3 15
GRAND TOTAL: 2,192

*Malaysian rate

So the basic fee is about RM731 (=RM2,192/3 pax) per climber. Please note that optional, individual and misc expenses are not included in this calculation, so the final cost will be more than this.

Step 5. Physical Training

Very Important! Ask your climbers to start physical training. Climbing Mt. Tambuyukon is a few times harder than Mt. Kinabalu, and it is no joking matter. Climbers who never exercise regularly is almost guaranteed failure. You just can’t hide your weakness from Mt. Tambuyukon. The climber must jog at least 15KM per week for consecutive 3 months, the more the merrier. The more pain you get in training, the more relaxing your climb will be. The most suitable training track is the hilly trail. Do exercise the muscles of arm and waist, because the extra strength will help you a lot on carrying bag and free climbing.

For elder climbers, you may advise them to take glucosamine daily supplement before the climb. That can help preventing serious knee pain after climb.

Step 6. Briefing & Discussion with Climbers

Have at least one meeting with all the climbers and do the following:

  • Briefing: Tell them what they should prepare (see “Things to Bring” below) and what to expect (better if you can show them my blog about Mt. Tambuyukon, haha).
  • Give them a copy of the itinerary and trail map.
  • You may start collecting money from all climbers, so you can start purchasing food & supplies for the group, also as a non-refundable “deposit” to avoid inconsiderate people withdraw in last minute.
  • Get the mobile phone number of everyone to keep in touch.
  • Assign one or more members to help you on food preparation.

Step 7. Booking Porters & 4WD Transport

Though it’s possible to carry the bags and supplies yourselves during the climb, hiring porters will greatly reduce your burden and the climbers will have better chance of reaching the summit. During emergency situation, porters will be the extra hands that save life. Besides your personal backpack, do not forget you also need someone to carry your camping tents, food & supplies, portable cooking stove, cooking utensils, etc.

You can contact Kinabalu Park to arrange for the porters and 4WD transport. Each porter can carry up to 20Kg of stuffs. Just call Kinabalu Park about 1 week before the climb and tell them how many porters you need. Most of them are villagers from Monggis Village near to the Substation. Usually they will wait for your group at Monggis Substation.

Step 8. Guidelines for Food

You may start buying food 1 or 2 weeks before the climb. Below are some tips:

  • Light & dry food is preferred: e.g. noodle, creamy soup pack, dry vegetables, cabbage, cucumber, onion, dried anchovy fishes (ikan bilis), salted fishes, dried shrimps, salt, pepper, sugar, instant oat meal, sausage, dried meat, chocolate bars, 3-in-1 drink (Tea/Coffee/Milo)
  • Our warm and humid climate causes food to spoil quickly and you can get food poisoning. Avoid bringing “wet” food (e.g. fresh meat & fish), which is prone to growth of bacteria.
  • Avoid food that needs a long time to cook coz it will consume more cooking gas.
  • You don’t need to prepare food for porters and rangers.
  • Instant noodle is a poor choice for breakfast (before the climb) coz the excessive salt dehydrates you. Personally I highly recommend Oat meal coz it releases energy for many hours. You may mix oat meal with sugar & milk powder to make it tastes better.
  • Avoid heavy or canned food. You also can’t dump the empty can in the camp. No, you can’t bury them.
  • You may bring frozen meat so you can have meat in day 1.
  • Remove food packing to reduce weight & size.
  • Every day the climb starts from morning and ends at evening, so you can’t stop to cook lunch. You need to prepare packed lunch in the morning.
  • Ration, organize, pack and label the food nicely in plastic bags (prevent getting wet).
  • Store all the food in a proper backpack for porter to carry.
  • Hang the food on air to prevent rats and civets having a buffet.
  • Prepare food menu list so you knows what to cook each day. It is taxing if you only start sorting out what to cook, after a long tiring climb.
  • You can refill water at the rivers / streams (KM5, KM6, KM8 & KM10.8), but bring a few bottles just in case.
  • Bring a few garbage bags for disposal of leftover food.
  • Please find out if anyone has any food preference (allergy, vegetarian and religion).
  • Control the weight of your food. Don’t bring tons of food!

Step 9. Final Check

To make sure everything is in place, you should do the following a few days before your climb:

  • Pack and weight your food to check if you have hired enough porters to carry it.
  • Remind Kinabalu Park again on the climbing date and number of porters you need.
  • Sabah Parks may send their Ranger from Poring. Confirm with them if the ranger will wait for you at Poring or Monggis.
  • Confirm with 4WD driver on the pick-up date & time.
  • Send a friendly reminder to all the climbers (e.g. date of departure & gathering time).

Things to Bring

  • MyKad/Passport: required for registration at Kinabalu Park
  • Camping tent
  • Sleeping bag (the temperature can drop to 10°C at night)
  • Floor mat / ground sheet
  • Clothing (jean, shirt, underwear, fleece/jacket, pant, socks)
  • Leech Socks
  • Raincoat / Poncho
  • Lunch box, spoon & cup
  • Backpack (with rain cover)
  • Toiletries (e.g. toilet paper, tooth brush & paste, soap)
  • LED Head Lamp & extra batteries
  • Camera & spare batteries
  • Water bottle
  • Personal medicines (e.g. allergy, pain killer)
  • Cash
  • Walking stick: some swears by it
  • Optional: energy bars, hand glove, pen & notepad, lighter, camping light

Tips & Advices

  • Keep your backpack light. I repeat, keep it LIGHT!
  • The temperature of Mt. Tambuyukon ranges from 6°C – 30°C (43°F – 86°F). of course, the higher the altitude, the colder. It’s quite windy near the summit.
  • If you hire a porter to carry your bag. Don’t let him carry everything. He might be very far ahead. Bring raincoat and water with you in a small bag.
  • If you plan to overnight in Monggis Substation in last day, you may leave a set of clean clothing (and some food) in their storeroom. Pointless to bring unused stuffs up and down the mountain.
  • Don’t bring too many clothing. Keep 1 set of clean clothing for bedtime
  • One of the best shoes for trekking in wet tropical forest trail is “Adidas Kampung” rubber shoes, available locally for RM6–7 a pair only and water-proof.
  • Hygiene: wash your hands before meal and try to drink only boiled water.
  • Drinking unboiled river water is quite unavoidable. Prepare some water purification tablets to sterilize river water. Available in outdoor shops.
  • Trim your fingernail & toenail before the climb.

Potential Problems / Dangers

Below are a list of issues you should prepare to prevent/rectify:

  • Diarrhea: use handwash sanitizer for cleaning before meal. Bring medicines just in case.
  • Leech Bites: wear leech socks
  • Wasp / Bee / Hornet: bring medicines if any climber allergy to bee stung
  • Deer Fly / Sandfly: apply insect repellent with DEET formula or burn mosquito coils
  • Thorny rattan & poisonous plant along the trail: look before you grab anything for support
  • Snake: just watch out under the rocks / log
  • Dehydration: bring enough water. Rehydration salt is useful.
  • Fall / Slip: be extra careful at slippery or steep trail
  • Sprained ankle: watch your steps
  • Blister & small cut: use anti-septic cream
  • Losing way: stick with the group
  • Falling tree branches: pray!

Tour Packages

Now you can see that it’s a lot of work and preparation. If you don’t want to do the tedious planning, you may hire TYK Adventure Tours (Tel: (6088) 232821, 238702 Email: tykadto@gmail.com) to arrange everything for you, from transport, meals, registration, porters, guides to camping tents. Of course it’ll be more costly.

More Photos

You may check out the photo album of Mt. Tambuyukon trip for more nice pictures:

References

  1. Mandalam, Ravi, “Mount Tambuyukon – Sabah’s Mystery Mountain”, Sabah Society Journal, 2002, Vol. 19, 65-77
  2. Clarke, Charles M., “The Nepenthes of Mount Tambuyukon, Kinabalu Park”, Sabah Parks Nature Journal, Jan 1998, Vol.1, ISSN 1511-1121

Photos taken in Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Climbing Mt. Tambuyukon (part 4 of 5), the 4th highest mountain of Malaysia

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Continued from Part 3…

(You may start reading from Part 1)

After spending 3 days of camping inside the forest, we go back to Monggis Substation (starting point of the climb) today. Please refer to trail map for the location.

DAY 4. Back to Starting Point

Descending to Monggis Substation

We are going home. When we worried that we needed to go through the same dreadful 10KM undulating trail again, Maik said we would use the old 13KM trail (some says 15KM), which is longer but mostly flat and descending route. We packed our stuffs and left Musang Campsite at 7:30am.

Maik was right, the walk on old trail is a heaven compared to previous 3 days. We only climbed over a few mildly steep slopes and hardly called these a challenge.



In contrast to the dim new trail, there are more sunlight came in from the open canopy.

You may watch the 2.5-min video below to see the jungle trekking via old trail:

Track marks and footprints of wild boars and deers are found along the way. I could hear hornbills flied over the canopy too.



Above: hole dug by wild boar

Camp 1

By 11:30am, we arrived Camp 1 (altitude 578M), a large flat ground that can accommodate 6 camping tents and under a canopy of tall oak trees. There is a stream nearby for refilling our water. We had some fried rice as lunch there, rest a while then moving again.



Above: Camp 1 on old trail


Not a single signage is found along this 13KM old trail, so we had no idea how far we went. After Camp 1, the trail is narrower and nearly unrecognizable. The old trail is poorly maintained and flanked by dense undergrowth. During rainy season, the climbers will harvest dozens of leeches while walking and brushing through the dense shrubs. On the way, we saw a wild Agarwood (gaharu) has been cut and left to dry by thief. Gaharu is a highly precious fragrant wood, which can fetch for RM5,000 per Kg.


Above: Agarwood cut down by thief

By 2:30pm, we reached the Kinabalu Park boundary which means we are only 2-hour away from Monggis Substation.


Above: Boundary of Kinabalu Park

After this point, we were walking on private land and passed through rubber plantation, farm land and orchards. The trail is inside private land and not maintained at all. We trekked inside bushes and occasionally moved around the fallen trees that blocked our way. All of us made it to Monggis Substation around 4:30pm, right before the pouring heavy rain.


Above: heavy rain coming

Overnight in Monggis Substation

Most of us have been wearing the same trekking outfit since day 1 and didn’t take shower, so everyone smells funny. We took a shower in Monggis Substation and put on clean clothing.

We are also glad that we can sit on a proper chair to rest our exhausted legs and bodies. After I settled the payment for porters and guides, I submitted the name list of climbers to Justin, manager of substation, for printing of certificates.

You may watch the 40-sec video below to see Monggis Substation:

Monggis Substation is a two-storey administration building and accommodation of Sabah Parks. In ground floor, there is a bathroom, toilet, park office, kitchen, living room (with TV) and a bedroom.


Above: standard room with bunk beds

In first floor, there is a living room (with TV), 3 bedrooms with bunk beds and one VIP room with two beds. Electricity is only available from 6pm to 11pm and powered by generator. The accommodation can accommodate up to 20 visitors for a small fee. My room has a ceiling fan, wardrobe and bunk beds come with pillow. To us, this is a 5-star accommodation compared to camping. By the way, you better close the windows, otherwise your room will be full with hundreds of insects attracted by the room light.


Above: VIP room of Monggis Substation

No, there is no restaurant here and neighborhood, so you need to prepare your own meals. The kitchen in substation is quite well-equipped, common items such as refrigerator, cooking stove, gas, cooking utensils, dining table and tableware are available. Visitor is required to pay a fee of RM50 for using the gas and cooking facilities. We had rice, chicken, curry, sardine and mixed vegetables as dinner, reminisced about our experience, then crawled to our beds.


Above: kitchen

DAY 5. Going Home

Back to Kota Kinabalu

Last day is a happy day for everyone. Climbers are happy that they will be back to civilization soon; guides and porters are happy to receive their tips. After a few rounds of photo sessions, we say good bye to Monggis and Mt. Tambuyukon. Despite the muddy road caused by heavy rain last night, it was a smooth ride to head back home.


Bye bye Mt. Tambuyukon!!!


Above: Exhausted climbers. Better not showing their faces or I’ll be skinned alive. :p

Mt. Tambuyukon Vs. Mt. Kinabalu

Many ask me, “Mt. Kinabalu and Mt. Tambuyukon, which one is harder to climb?”
I can tell you, though Mt. Tambuyukon is about half the height of Mt. Kinabalu, it’s 3 times harder (multiply 2 if the weather is bad) to climb. IMHO, “Mt. Kinabalu is for kids, Mt. Tambuyukon is for men.” After the climb, whenever I see online travelogue that says climbing Mt. Kinabalu is “extremely challenging”, I laugh my ass off. One advice – do not try Mt. Tambuyukon if you think climbing Mt. Kinabalu is hard!

You may watch the 5-min video below to see our climb from the start to the summit:

In contrast to Mt. Kinabalu, Mt. Tambuyukon is a forested mountain. The climbing route is pure nature trail, full of leeches and no boardwalk, rope, hand rail and other support. In our team, one member stung by wasp, two got swollen finger/arm caused by poisonous plant, one suffered altitude sickness, and one got sore knees. Overall, it’s impossible to came back from Mt. Tambuyukon without any cut, wound, bruise, pain and leech / sandfly bites on our bodies.


Above: Now I have climbing certificates of Malaysia’s top 3 mountains. From left to right: Mt. Kinabalu, Mt. Trus Madi & Mt. Tambuyukon.

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More Photos

You may check out the photo album of Mt. Tambuyukon trip for more nice pictures:

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Photos taken in Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Climbing Mt. Tambuyukon (part 3 of 5), the 4th highest mountain of Malaysia

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Continued from Part 2…

(You may start reading from Part 1)

Today is the BIG day because we will go to the summit. Please refer to trail map for the location.

DAY 3. To the Summit!

All climbers wake up and had oat meal / Maggi instant noodle as breakfast at 3:30am and headed to the summit at 4am. In the briefing, our tour guide, Maik, says today will be the most challenging day and he is right. As difficulty multiple, the so-called 4 KM distance to summit looks more like a longish 8 KM trek.

Climb to Summit

For safety reason, we target to reach the summit before 11am. All climbers must return to Musang camp at 11am, no matter how far they make. As there is no water point along the way, a few porters will carry some water and follow the climbers.

Under a mixed feeling of apprehensive and excitement, we climbed slowly and quietly in the dark. The first 1.5 KM is steep and narrow ascending trail and many parts need to climb over by hands. Besides, the overhanging tree trunks always blocked our way that we have to move over or under them. My head bang on a tree and bleed when I struggle to move up in the dark.



Above: Mind your head and feet!

After KM12, we were awarded by a few hundred Meters of relatively flat trail to the Jeneral Camp (named after General Poon, who led a team of Royal Malaysian army on this route years ago) at KM12.6.


Above: climbing over network of slippery entangled roots

Jeneral Camp is a small open area which can setup 3 small camps. I checked my watch and it was 6:40am, but the summit is still a long way ahead.


Above: Jeneral Camp (KM12.6). Still a long way ahead…

You can watch 10-sec video below to see the Jeneral Camp:

Though it didn’t rain, after the morning shower by mist, the cloud forest was wet all over the place, and I can even feel the moist filling my nose. Most of the time, I had to hold the trees and roots to move up, actually I like it coz climbing by hands saves a lot of leg work.

Nepenthes Garden (KM11.5 – KM14)

When the day turns brighter, I can see clumps of pitcher plant along the trail after KM11.5. The most spectacular Nepenthes edwardsiana is hard to be missed due to their bright color and huge size (20 to 40 CM, and known to reach 50CM). Nepenthes edwardsiana is characterized by highly developed ribs and teeth peristome. They are most abundant between KM11.5 and KM13, where a few small colonies of Nepenthes villosa and lowii are also found in this mossy environment.


Above: Nepenthes edwardsiana (left) and rajah (right)


Above: Nepenthes lowii (left) and villosa (right)


Above: Nepenthes burbidgeae (left) and tentaculata (right)

After KM13, colonies of Nepenthes rajah, the largest pitcher plant species in the world, takes over. Botanists also record the presence of N. burbidgeae, N. tentaculata, N. fusca, N. stenophylla and various hybrids such as N. xKinabaluensis (N. villosa x N. rajah), N. harryna (N. villosa x N. edwardsiana), N. tentaculata x N. burbidgeae and N. edwardsiana x N. burbidgeae in Mt. Tambuyukon.


Above: pitcher plant from 1CM to 40CM

KM13

The summit trail is relatively less steep after KM13. Shortly the luxuriant mossy forest thin out and we came to a long rocky ridge with clearing to sky. If you turn around, you can have a panoramic view of neighboring ridges of Tambuyukon converging towards the summit. I feel like walking on the backbone of a gigantic dinosaur.

When the mist clears, I can see Nambuyukon (second highest peak of Tambuyukon Range) in Kota Marudu. I have to put on my jacket when it gets cold and windy in open area.


Above: Nambuyukon Peak, 2nd highest peak of Tambuyukon Range

An author (Clarke, Charles M.) has the best description of the mountain relief:

“The summit sits at the top of a number of very long ridges which drop away gradually over several Kilometers. The sides of these ridges plunge steeply down into deep and similarly long gullies. These gullies funnel strong winds up towards the summit. The winds rush over the summit at tremendous speeds, the result being that the vegetation can only grow up to 1 Meter high in places. The upper parts after 2,100M of mountain are covered with low, scrubby vegetation, punctuated by large ultramafic boulders.”

You can watch 1-min video below for panoramic view of Tambuyukon Range:

Ultramafic Boulders

We moved carefully along the rocky ridge and conquer a series of hillocks. At this point, we know the true meaning of Tambuyukon, which always cheats us with a number of “faked summits”. And DON’T believe those milestones as they lie too. My experience and gut feeling tell me that the distance between KM13 and KM14 is not 1KM, but 3KM!!!

The huge yellowish-grey boulders near the summit are ultramafic rocks. Ultramafic rock derived from the Earth’s mantle, the layer of the Earth below the crust and above the core, formed billions years ago from melted rock when the Earth first solidified. Such rock consists of heavy minerals (Magnesium, Iron, Nikel) and its soil is poor in nutrients, which promotes the growth of endemic and highly specialized plants adapted to this environment. Ultramafic rock was pushed to Earth’s surface mostly during tectonic movement and Mt. Tambuyukon has the highest concentration of ultramafic rocks in Sabah. Sound cool but watch out for snake under the rock.

After 9am, we reached the last and smallest camp, Rajah Camp (KM13.6), which can hold only one camping tent. More N. rajah is seen around this area.



Above: Rajah Camp (KM13.6)

The last 400 Meters to the summit is a narrow and rocky passage under the leptospermum recurvatum dwarf trees and dense with underbrush.


Above: see the summit at the right?

The Summit (KM14)

Finally, all of us reached the summit at 10:10am. The summit has no beacon or survey landmark, but only a signage that shows the trail distance and height of Mt. Tambuyukon.



Above: group photo on the summit. WE MADE IT!!!

The summit area is no wider than 20M across and densely surrounded by leptospermum trees. Frankly, it is not an impressive peak, but we are still happy about the victorious moment. We had an early lunch on the summit. The guides and porters have brought some rice with dried anchovy fishes, biscuit and 3-in-1 hot drink.

You can watch 5-min video below to see the climb from the start to the summit:

Behind the signage is a narrow trail that takes us to the side (very windy!) facing Mt. Kinabalu. Many say we can get the nearest and best view of Mt. Kinabalu from Mt. Tambuyukon. Too bad Mt. Kinabalu was covered by thick mist and refused to show her face.


Above: Mt. Kinabalu refused to show her face..

The temperature was about 20°C but the chilling strong wind makes us feel like 10°C. I notice there is a vast camping area that can house more than 5 tents behind the summit.


Above: camping ground behind the summit

You can watch 1-min video below to see the surrounding of the summit:

Return to Musang Camp

We need to be back to Musang Camp before 5pm, so we must leave the summit by 11am. By coincidence, today (24/6) is the birthday of Joimis, so all of us gave him a surprise by singing a birthday song to him on the summit. This might be the first time ever a birthday song echoes on the peak of Mt. Tambuyukon.


Above: The end is also the beginning. Now we are 0KM on the way back to the starting point.

The descending route is not easier than ascending. On the way down, I spotted a few N. tentaculata and N. burbidgeae. We arrived Musang Campsite around 4:30pm. The climb is considered over. Everyone was in relaxing mood and shared their joyful stories. We also prepared a birthday fruit cake for Joimis to celebrate his birthday.


Above: you do not want to fall from here….

Though extremely tired coming back from the summit, I took a shower at the small stream nearby. A leech bites me. Anyway, I feel fresh and clean after the cold shower. Because of humid environment, our cloth is always damp and “sticky”, making us uncomfortable. Tonight is still a warm night, but free of stress.

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More Photos

You may check out the photo album of Mt. Tambuyukon trip for more nice pictures:

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Photos taken in Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Climbing Mt. Tambuyukon (part 2 of 5), the 4th highest mountain of Malaysia

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Continued from Part 1…

DAY 2. From KM5 to KM10.8

We wake up at 7am to have chicken porridge as our breakfast and trekked 5KM to Musang Campsite (KM10.8) at 7:45am for day 2. Please refer to trail map for the location.

Wuluh Campsite (KM6)

KM5 to KM6 is mainly steep descending trail and we reached Wuluh Campsite (KM6) after an hour. Wuluh Campsite is next to Wuluh River and has large clearing that can house 4 to 5 camps.

If the mobile toilet and water tank there are not in bad shape, Wuluh Campsite can be the best camping spot on summit trail. We continued our climb after a brief stop at Wuluh Camp.


Above: Camping ground of Wuluh Campsite

Below: Wuluh River next to the camp



You can watch 1.5-min video below to see the surrounding of Wuluh Camp:

The undulating terrain between KM6 and KM7 was punishing and I was told that the narrow walk along the hillside at KM6.5 took a life of a foreigner who fell. We rest a while on a high point at KM7, then descended one hour to Kepuakan Campsite (KM8).



Above: probably an ant-snatching assassin bug that likes to pile stuffs behind its back to confuse preys and predators

Kepuakan Campsite (KM8)

Around 11:30am, we arrived Kepuakan Campsite, where we had Maggi instant noodle and fried rice as our lunch.

You can watch 1-min video below to see the surrounding of Kepuakan Camp:



Above: Kepuakan River next to the camp


The Kepuakan River next to the campsite is bigger than Wuluh River, but the camping ground is a smaller area which can fit only 3 camping tents. Mobile toilet and water tank are available in the site. Gaining more energy from lunch and rest, we crossed Kepuakan River to head to Musang Campsite (KM10.8) at 12:30pm.


Above: Crossing Kepuakan River

Tough! KM8 – KM10

80% of the trail between KM8 and KM10 is over 50 degrees of steepness and the worst part for day two. The climb is twice the difficulty of previous day.

Things got better after KM10. The trail is relatively flat and the air is cooling and refreshing, as we reach 1,400M above sea level. From the misty air, mossy carpet and slimmer trees around, we can see the switch of hill forest to montane vegetation. 10 minutes later, we came to a junction that can take us to Serinsim Substation in Kota Marudu. According to the ranger, the journey to Serinsim takes 5 days.


Above: Junction to Serinsim substation in Kota Marudu

We knew Musang Campsite was only a few hundreds Meters away so we speed up, then the ranger advised us to be cautious and stick to the right. Because a few steps to the left of the narrow trail is a sheer drop. A lady from Peninsular Malaysia fell here just a month ago and luckily stopped by trees from a fatal plunge.


Above: Entering lower montane forest (above 1,000M)


Above: I’m only one step away from the cliff at the left

About 200M before Musang Camp, we were surrounded by 3 to 4 species of birds. Probably they never seen a human before, so they perched on the trees and made calls to us, as if they were asking who we were. I only can tell there were an Ashy Drongo and a Magpie Robin among them.

Musang Campsite (KM10.8)

Situated at 1,445M above sea level, Musang Campsite gets its name from the presence of civets around the site. Though the ground is not so wide and flat, Musang Campsite is quite spacious and able to host more than 4 camping tents on a long ridge that overlooks deep valley at both sides.

We overnight here on day 2 and 3. The canopy of montane forest is thinner, allowing more light to enter, so the surrounding is brighter here.

You can watch 1-min video below to see the surrounding of Musang Camp:

However, the only available water source is a small stream that requires 5 minutes walk on a steep descending trail (10 minutes to come back). I checked out the stream and found that its volume is only slightly better than tap water.

Climbers can take shower there by scooping water from a small pond, though icy cold but still bearable. May be leeches exist in this wetter area, so few are keen to come here. I also saw an abandoned mobile toilet and shower area not far from the stream.


Above: small stream for taking shower (icy cold water)

You can watch 40-sec video below to see the stream:



Above: check if any girl taking shower

Our makeshift toilet is 15-second walk from our camp. Basically it is just a deep hole with rotten wood plank cover on top, and 3-side surrounded by canvas as wall. The toilet is really smelly after everyone “contributes” their bit for 2 days.

For dinner, we had rice served with dried anchovy fishes and mixed vegetables. It was a bit warm tonight and we were bitten by tiny sandflies (agas). The bites are very itchy and can last for days (The itches worsen if you scratch). There were a few leeches in the campsite, presumably brought in by porters who took water from the stream.

Tomorrow is the day to climb to the summit, so we went to bed earlier. The late night was windy, we heard loud rustling leaves and felt the howling strong wind shaking our tents. Mt. Tambuyukon is like a living monster that breathes.


Above: someone bitten by leech and bleed inside the camp

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Photos taken in Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Climbing Mt. Tambuyukon (part 1 of 5), the 4th highest mountain of Malaysia

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Top 5 highest mountains of Malaysia are all in Sabah. After conquering the Mt. Kinabalu (4,095M) and Mt. Trus Madi (2,642M), last month I climbed Mt. Tambuyukon (2,579M), which is the 4th highest mountain and the hardest one. I’ll share my experience in 5 articles, 300 photos and 16 videos here, so you know what I went through in this 5-day trip.

Below is the structure of my blog on Mt. Tambuyukon trip:

About Mt. Tambuyukon (Gunung Tambuyukon)

With a height of 2,579.22 Meters (8,462 Feet) and lies northeast of Mount Kinabalu, Mt. Tambuyukon is the 4th highest mountain of Sabah and Malaysia. It is part of the Kinabalu Park and managed by Sabah Parks. Tambuyukon means “cheating” in Dusun language. The origin of the name is – during the climb, a guide named Tam keeps on cheating other climbers that the summit is not far ahead but it is still a long way.

There are two climbing routes to Mt. Tambuyukon, namely, the northern entry from Serinsim Substation in Kota Marudu, and southern entry in Monggis Substation, situated about 35 KM from Poring. We started our climb at Monggis as the summit trail is 14KM (Kilometers) and shorter than northern trail (over 20KM).

DAY 1. Start of Climb

Register at Kinabalu Park HQ

On day 1, we departed from Kota Kinabalu at 6:30am and reached Kinabalu Park HQ (Kundasang) at 7:45am. Even though we have booked the climb 1 month earlier, we still need to register in Kinabalu Park administration office before the climb, and fill up the indemnity form (MyKad / Passport is required for identification).


Above: Sabah Parks administration office (Kinabalu Park)


Above: Visitor Center of Kinabalu Park

Then we proceeded to Kinabalu Park visitor center to pay for climb permit and insurance, and collect our climber tags. We met our tour guides and transferred our luggage and supplies to their 4-Wheel drives (4WD). After having breakfast and buying packed lunch (fried rice) at a restaurant nearby, we headed to Monggis Substation at 10am. We stopped briefly at G*Mart Supermarket at 10:30am to purchase last-minute supply.

Road to Monggis Substation

The road journey from Kinabalu Park to Monggis Substation takes 1.5 to 2 hours (for 60KM). At first we drove on an asphalt road. After a roundabout near Poring Hot Springs (13KM from Ranau), we turned to Bongkud, the start of a long and dusty gravel road and the point we are about 35KM from Monggis Substation. We saw dozens of heavy trucks and dozers busy building this Ranau – Kota Marudu highway.




The gravel road can turn muddy and slippery during rainy season. With heavy trucks moving around, it is dangerous for vehicles to lose control on slippery surface. You must use 4WD to go to Monggis. The highway is supposed to be ready by April 2011, but it seems like it is far from completion and less than 5KM of this highway is paved (as of June 2011).




Then we passed through Kampung Pinawantai (village) on a narrower and bumpy gravel road. We crossed 3 small streams on the way. According to the guide, the streams would flood and become big rivers during rainy season, and only 4WD can cross them. We drove through a few single-lane bridges and saw two new bridges under construction.




About 10KM before Monggis substation, we came to a small countryside track of Kampung Monggis (Monggis Village). Finally, we arrived Monggis Substation (of Kinabalu Park) at 12pm, about an hour late to our planned schedule.


You may watch the 3-min video below to see the overall road condition:

Start of Climb

Our Sabah Parks rangers and porters already waited for us at the substation. We unloaded our bags and supplies, and did the final packing. Since it is noon time, we decided to have our lunch before the climb.


At 1pm, everyone put on their leech socks and joined the short briefing by Sabah Park ranger, Mr. Wasidi Wasli. The starting point is just next to the substation, which is 267M above sea level. The total distance to the summit is 14KM, and we plan to arrive Wuluh Camp at KM6 before 5pm today. You may check out the trail map. You will need to refer to this trail map again for the rest of the articles.


Below is the summit trail map of Mt. Tambuyukon. Click it for bigger picture:


We walked slowly under the tall and dense canopy of lowland and hill dipterocarp rainforests. Even though the climb just began, the air was so warm and humid that we felt a bit short of breath during jungle trekking. Then the rain showers came on and off, fortunately they were blocked by dense canopy. We didn’t see any big animals but we know the presence of sun bear, wild boar and deers from the claw marks on the tree trunk, or the footprint. Hornbills and monkey are also spotted or heard on the way. If we are lucky, we might see orangutan before KM11, the ranger said.


Above: Now I know bear also knows how to write ABC

KM0 – KM4

To experienced hikers, the first 4KM of the trail is not tough (and thanks to our porters who carried over 100Kg of our bags & supplies). But due to the warm environment, we sweated a lot, so we ran out of water very soon. You can refill water at two shelters, i.e. (1) Kulat Shelter (at KM2.2), and (2) Kera Shelter (at KM4), but the water tanks may not have water sometimes. There are small mobile toilets next to both shelters too.

Kulat Shelter (KM2.2). We reached Kulat Shelter (Pondok Kulat) at 2:30pm. Climbers may explore a trail that takes them to Kikulat Waterfall about 800M away. Due to time constraint, we didn’t visit the waterfall.



You may watch the 45-sec video of Kulat Hut:

Kera Shelter (KM4). The 2nd and also the last shelter. A shower area surrounded by canvas is found next to the water tank, but its pipe is not working. A wide and flat open space beside Kera Shelter is big enough to fit 3 to 4 camping tents, making this area a suitable camping site.


You may watch the 40-sec video of Kera Hut:

It’s dry season so we didn’t see many leeches, the little blood suckers that live in wet environment of rainforest. The trees are tall (30+ Meters) and many have huge buttress. The most interesting tree is the Seraya Putih trees with white-color trunk.

You may watch the 2-min video of the rainforest trees in Mt. Tambuyukon:

Camping at KM5

It is after KM4 where our hardship starts, the trail doubles in steepness and we were slowing down. We were supposed to camp at Wuluh Campsite (KM6), but had to stay at KM5 at 5pm, due to the vanishing daylight.


Above: view from KM5. The climbers are crossing a small stream

KM5 campsite is an irregular slope area with lot of shrubs and heavily foliaged ground. The area has less clearing and less suitable for camping. The only good thing is – a small stream is only a 30-second descending walk from the campsite, so most of us can take a shower that evening.

You may watch the 30-sec video of KM5 camp:

Our tour guides setup 3 dome camps for us and also cooked our dinner. Wood cutting is not allowed so they cooked with portable cooking stove. We had rice and porridge as dinner. No bench is available so we have to sit on the forest floor to enjoy our meals.


Without toilet, we have to do our business a distance away from our camp and river. This is the first time I digging a hole to do my number 2. I covered my “stuff” with soil and leaves, put a tissue paper on top as a marker, so others won’t step on it. Luckily, leech is not around here during dry season, so my private part is safe from leech attack, haha.

This is only day 1 so we went to sleep very early, hoping to fully recharge for the next 3 days. Due to painful toes and the loud snores in the camp, I didn’t sleep well. In midnight, I heard my friend sleeping next to me talking in his dream. I turned over to other side, trying to ignore the noise. Then he talked louder and louder, to the level that he’s like shouting and struggling. I quickly turned on the torchlight and he stopped shouting, opened his eyes and said “shit!”. Seemed like he was having a nightmare. After the trip, he told us that he experienced incubus and he couldn’t move his body, as if “someone” was pressing him. Spooky… many had told me that Mt. Tambuyukon is a place full of spirits.

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Photos taken in Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Klias Peat Swamp Field Center

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Before I introduce this place, I want to show you two photos below. 1st one (below) is the photo of afternoon sun blocked by haze. You can tell the haze is really dense.

Next one is the photo of our city attacked by haze. The haze from Kalimantan every year is really a nuisance. Such pollution not only affecting our economy, it also damages our health. Don’t you hate it?

The place that I’ll talk about has very close relationship with haze. The title has said it. It’s Klias Peat Swamp Field Center (KPSFC), 10 KM south-west of Beaufort. When you drive pass Beaufort toward the direction of Sipitang town, a few minutes later, turn right to the junction with the sign “Kg Luagan”, follow the main road, then you need to turn to two junctions again, to Jalan Luagan and Jalan Sanginan (see Location Map).

Soon you will see the sign “Hutan Paya Gambut Klias” (means Klias peat swamp forest), drive another 3.5 KM on a gravel road and you will reach Klias Peat Swamp Field Center.


>> Click Here to see more photos of Klias Peat Swamp Field Center (KPSFC)

What is Peat Swamp Forest?

Peat swamp forest is wetland with a layer of decomposing organic matters, such as dead leaves and plant material, up to 20 Meters thick. Waterlogged soils prevent dead leaves and wood from fully decomposing, which over time forming acidic peat (pH 2.9 – 4), giving a typically dark brown to black colour to the water – hence the name ‘blackwater swamps’. An estimated 1.54 million hectares of peat swamp forest still remain in Malaysia (but going fast!). More than 70% are in Sarawak, less than 20% in Peninsular Malaysia and the rest (over 2/3 are in Klias) in Sabah.

Importance of Peat Swamp

Peat swamp forest is highly diverse with as many as 927 species of flowering plants and ferns recorded in Borneo. It provides sanctuary for migratory birds and home to more than 60 endangered animal species such as Orangutan, Proboscis Monkey, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Asian Elephant, Tiger, Civet Otter, Storm’s Stork and Wrinkled Hornbill. Arowana, a very expensive aquarium fish, also lives in peat swamp. Peat swamp forest is also very important for our nature tourism, as many tourists want to see proboscis monkey and fireflies, which live in our peat swamp forest such as Klias, Weston and Garama

That’s why Sabah Forestry Department gazetted 3,630 ha of peat swamp in Klias as Class I protected forest reserve. They also open KPSFC in 2006 for conservation and research of peat swamp forest. FYI, the peat swamp of Klias is over 5,400 years old and the peat can be as deep as 13 Meters!


Above: the reception building of KPSFC.

Opening Hours & Contact

GPS Location: 5.325683, 115.673054 (see Location Map)
Mon – Thu: 9am-1pm, 2pm-4:30pm
Friday: 9-11am, 2pm-4:30pm
Closed on weekends
Tel: +60 87-208101, +60 87-208102 (Note: If the phone numbers don’t work, you may call the mobile phone of Center Manager, Mr. Christopher Matunjau at +60 17-8101070)
Facebook: kliaspeatswamp.fieldcentre


Above: the hostel in KPSFC can accommodate 16 to 30 people. Of course tourists can visit this place, but it’ll be better if they can bring a very knowledgeable tour guide, someone who can give them very good interpretation talk. Sadly, most tour guides in Sabah have 0 or poor knowledge on wetlands ecology.


Above: our bedroom in the hostel. The room is quite comfortable and equipped with air-conditioning. There is a big male and female washrooms in the building. Overall, the place is clean but the toilet is poorly constructed. Not only that it is very small, a few doors also can’t be closed properly, making you wondering why those people didn’t monitor the quality of the construction.

You can watch the 1-minute video below if you want to get a feel of the surrounding of Field Center:


Then we were shown a short video briefing in the reception building. The vegetation of Klias is a mix of peat forests, mangroves, nipah swamps, freshwater swamp forests, open marshes, heath forest and dryland forests, one of the most diversified and outstanding examples of peat swamp forest in Borneo. Klias is the largest peat swamp forest of Sabah, located on the delta of the Padas and Bukau rivers. At first glance, it does not look like an impressive attraction. Unlike a lively and flowing river, what you will see is a stalled brackish river with unpleasant smell.


You may click the picture above to see the layout of the Field Center. All necessary facilities are in place, except a restaurant.


Above: the peat swamp forest behind the Field Center.
>> Click Here to see more photos of Klias Peat Swamp Field Center (KPSFC)

Luckily visitors do not need to step into the mud and swamp to explore the peat swamp forest. You can walk on 2.7 KM of wooden boardwalk to get close to peat swamp. The walk takes about 2 hours and the starting point is just behind the reception building.



>> Click Here to see more photos of Klias Peat Swamp Field Center (KPSFC)

In early morning and late afternoon, the boardwalk is a nice place for bird-watching. You would see hornbills and woodpeckers. A rare Hook-billed Bulbul bird can be found here. Sometimes the bird watching guides bring tourists to look for birds here. I only saw glossy starling, dollar bird, kingfisher, imperial green pigeon and Hill Myna. Do bring a binocular if you plan to see birds.





They also have a bird watching tower.
>> Click Here to see more photos of Klias Peat Swamp Field Center (KPSFC)

You may spot interesting plant or insect next to the boardwalk. Some look weird. 4 species of pitcher plant live in peat swamp.



>> Click Here to see more photos of Klias Peat Swamp Field Center (KPSFC)

To my surprise, there are many tall trees in this area. Like the Kapur Paya (Dryobalanops rappa) in photo below. It is endemic to Borneo and can grow up to 55 Meters tall. It is a threatened species due to its value as a commercial hardwood “Kapur”. Kapur Paya was not the favorite timber in the past coz its log sinks in the water. But when timber price goes up today, it becomes the feasible target of logging.


Above: there are many interpretation signs (in English) along the boardwalk for tourists to self-educate themselves.

Haze from Peat

Ok, let’s come back to the haze and peat swamp things. How are both related? Heavily packed with centuries of decaying organic material (i.e. dead wood & trees), peat swamp stores a huge quantity of carbon. A 10-Meter deep peat swamp can store about 5,800 tonnes of carbon per hectare, compared to 300-500 tonnes per hectare for other types of tropical forest. When peatlands are drained, dried, and burned for opening up new land for plantation such as oil palm every year, they emit over 3 billion tons of CO2, more than 10 percent of annual CO2 emissions, contributing to global warming!

What is shocking – dry peat swamp forests are very vulnerable to fire and produce the most carcinogenic haze. Fires in peat swamps are extremely difficult to extinguish because the fire can smolder deeply underground for YEARS, even after surface fires are put off by rains, creating haze that regularly haunts Southeast Asia. By now you should know why Indonesia has problem to stop haze.

After the planters drain and dry the peat swamp, they will burn it to clear the land for oil palm plantation. Imagine tons of carbon, which was locked under the ground for thousand of years, suddenly free and escape into the atmosphere as Carbon Dioxide… DISASTER!!!

There is only a self-catering kitchen in the Field Center, but that’s not a problem for our wonderful ladies who can cook. We had a great BBQ dinner! But I need to warn you that there are many mosquitoes in the evening and they can bite through my thin socks! Remember to bring insect repellent.




>> Click Here to see more photos of Klias Peat Swamp Field Center (KPSFC)

After heavy meal, a few of us decided to do a night walk. FYI, you may request the ranger to turn on the light along the boardwalk (but we didn’t). With the aid of torchlight, we walked quietly and saw termites, bats, frog and big millipede. The starry night is also a great feature here.

You would see wild animals such as wild boar, civet and badger at night, but you have to be very lucky. Guess that was not our night, though we could sense that this forest was very lively in the dark.. No wonder there are some old stories that warn children not to play till dark because the “tembuakar” which roams swamps and rivers on Sabah’s southwest coast will subdue them. Indigenous communities claim the creature takes on 44 life forms, appears after a heavy storm, is capable of uprooting bridges and can overnight “eat” grasses that clog rivers.

However, this monster has more reason to be afraid of human because new studies by Netherlands-based Wetlands International conclude that 20 percent of all Malaysian palm oil is produced on drained peatlands. They even say peat swamp will disappear from Sarawak state by the end of the decade if the destruction does not cease.

Conclusion

In Sabah, I see blue sky almost every day. I thought the beautiful sky would be there for me forever, until the haze from open burning turns our sky into grey color. Only then I realize that we should not take our environment for granted, or we will lose it forever.

Photos taken in Beaufort, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

The Green Connection

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The Green Connection Aquarium is an eco theme park which showcases the remarkable biodiversity of Sabah. At first I thought it was just another new mini-zoo, until I saw its first-class facilities that are not found elsewhere in Sabah. This park combines zoo, aquarium and science discovery centre into one great environmental education experience.


Click Here to see more photos of The Green Connection >>

A Walk into Sabah’s Biodiversity

Operated by conservationists, the Green Connection houses over 500 native species of animals from 9 major habitats. A friendly staff will guide you for an interpretation walk into different ecology zones: through limestone caves, dense jungle, muddy mangroves, magnificent reefs, coastlines and out into the open ocean.


Cave Zone: a cave-like environment for you to see some creepy cave dwellers such as scorpion and spider in the dark.


Rainforest Zone: information of status and threats of our Borneo jungle. A few big pythons wait to take photo with you.


River Zone: a collection of native freshwater lives such as blade fishes, terrapins, catfish and pig-nosed turtle. Say Hi to reptiles such as monitor lizard, crocodile and snake.


Coastal Zone: see feeding of turtle and stingray. There is a fish tank with a hollow in middle, where you can “pop” your head in and see yourself surrounded by corals and fishes. It is so fun!

The coral garden tanks show various hard and soft corals, sea anemone and giant clams in close distance, without making you wet. You will see highly venomous marine creatures such as sea snakes, stone fish and scorpion fishes.


Ocean Zone: the aquarium tank with 8-inch thick glass is the highlight as it is the largest in South East Asia. During feeding time, you will see cowtail stingray, black-tipped reef sharks, striped catfishes, guitar shark, blue-spotted ray and bat fishes in a frenzy for food.


Above: these bat fishes change color almost every minute.

An Outdoor Classroom

I remember one day I was in Sabah Museum, a boy complained to his parents, “I’m so bored. Can we leave now?” If you ask the children what impresses them in the zoo, they might answer that is the parrot that they touch earlier, not the charismatic animals such as lions and giraffe. Kids are more interested in Nemo than clown fishes. Kids see and learn the world differently.


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Therefore, that is why I think the Green Connection is more than a tourist attraction. It is a great outdoor classroom that stimulates learning because it encourages kids to see, touch, feel and smell things in fun way. For example, the Touch Pools allows them to touch starfishes, bamboo sharks and horse-shoe crabs. This should work very well because Malaysians have very itchy hands and want to touch everything.

The science and discovery centre with creative and interactive hands-on modules which are not only fun but an interesting demonstration of oceanography, biology, chemistry, physics, maths, technology & engineering concepts. Even adults find them fun. When you can make the children open their mouths to ask WHY and HOW, you know it’s great chance to educate them. My favourite is a 3D frog illusion projected by manipulation of reflection of light. The frog looks so real and solid but you cannot touch it.

Kids nowadays seldom get in touch with nature. I recall my childhood that is filled with memories of fishing, cycling, tree climbing and “loitering”. But when I look out the window, there are no children plays outside their house. Probably they are busy with computer, video game and TV? How do we expect the younger generation to conserve the environment if they do not love it? The Green Connection does an outstanding job to “connect” them to the nature and learn to love and protect it.

Click Here to see more photos of The Green Connection >>


Above: not everything is touchable. Like the stone fish above. A victim says, “the sting made my hand felt like inside the boiling water for 3 days. It’s so…. hurt.” Its venom can be fatal.

Contact & Info

The Green Connection is situated at 5 KM Tuaran Road, Likas (see Location Map). Just make a turn to the junction near Wisma Wanita, follow the sign and you will see it next to St. John Ambulance. The entrance fee is RM25 for adult and RM15 for children (2 to 16 years old). Please note that they have discount for Family and School groups.

Opening Hours: 9:30am-5:30pm every day (last entry 4:30pm)
Feeding Show: Weekdays: 11:30am & 4:00pm, Weekend & Holidays: 11:30am, 2:00pm & 4:00pm
Address (see Location Map): The Green Connection, Badan Sukarela Complex, Mile 2, Tuaran Road, Lorong Bunga Matahari 2, 88450 Likas, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Website: aadcgreenconnection.com
E-mail: Enquiry@aadcgreenconnection.com
Facebook: Green-Connection-Aquatica-Aquarium-Discovery-Centre-Sdn-Bhd-OFFICIAL
Phone: +60 13-8978005, +60 88-263326


Click Here to see more photos of The Green Connection >>

Green Connection is quite big. I only show the photos of part of (not all) The Green Connection here, as a teaser. Personally I call it a must-visit place to family and recommend it to my friends. After they visit this place, they also become a fan and tell others about the exciting experience.

Photos taken in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia

Tawau Hills Park (Taman Bukit Tawau)

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Last time I blogged that Tawau is an ecology desert and its ecotourism is over. Actually Tawau still has the last remaining natural heritage, Tawau Hills Park (Taman Bukit Tawau). After a few days of exploring this park, it turns out to be one of my favourite sites, and I will go there every week if I live in Tawau, which is so near to the park. Gazetted as a State Park in 1979 and 24KM away from Tawau town, Tawau Hills Park is an important water catchment area consists of five major rivers, i.e. Tawau River, Merotai River, Kinabutan River, Mantri River and Balung River. The park covers an area of 27,972 ha (about 280 sq. KM).


Click Here to see more photos of Tawau Hills Park >>

Last month I took an express long-distance bus from Kota Kinabalu to Tawau, which was an 8-hour journey (one way ticket costs RM45, about USD12). Taking a flight will only take 45 minutes. But sum up all the fees such as flight ticket, baggage charge, airport tax and transport from airport to Tawau town, it will cost over RM100 one way, too much for a poor traveller like me. From Tawau town, you need to get a taxi to the park, which costs RM30 one way, and there is no bus going there. The taxi driver may offer RM50 to pick you up for returning to Tawau. FYI, you can book such transport for RM30 at the counter of the park. Don’t waste your money.


Click Here to see more photos of Tawau Hills Park >>

By the time I reached Tawau Hills Park, it was about 5PM. I saw many long-tailed macaque monkeys were moving from the nearby oil palm plantation to the park. The park became their playground and they were free to loiter around. They screamed, they f**ked, they fought, they chased one another, and they swam in the river. For unknown reason, I hate long-tailed macaque, probably it bite me before.


Click Here to see more photos of Tawau Hills Park >>

The photo above looks like a happy monkey enjoying soaking in the cool water. In fact, it was screaming and beg for forgiveness from alpha male, after he lost the fight and escaped into the water.


Click Here to see more photos of Tawau Hills Park >>

My late grandfather was used to keep a pig-tailed macaque as pet in his house in countryside. Though also wild, pig-tailed macaque is friendlier than long-tailed macaque. Villagers seldom keep long-tailed monkey as pet as they are more aggressive and tend to bite people. If you are lucky, you will see red-leaf monkey (maroon langurs) in the park. Further inside the jungle, you would see other primates such as Borneon gibbon, grey-leaf monkey and slow loris. Rangers say they spot orangutan very deep inside the hill forest. The rare white leaf-fronted monkey is only found here (too bad I didn’t see any, though a sighting was reported during my stay).


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Ok, enough with the monkey, just to let you know you can see them in morning and evening. I was staying in a 4-bed room in a chalet in the park. It was only RM20 a bed/night for a room with 4 beds, 2 small tables and a fan. The toilet and bathroom are at the end of the walkway outside. That time was not peak season, so I could have the whole room, and even the whole chalet! At night you could see many small animals such as frogs and lizards around the area, which is what I like.


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During my 4-day stay in Tawau Hills Park, I tried the trails to Sulphur Springs (3.2 KM) and Bukit Gelas Waterfall (2.5 KM). Each trail took only 1 hour+ of walking. Since I walked slowly and looked for photography subjects, I took more than 6 hours to go back and forth (it would take longer if it didn’t rain in the afternoon). Due to prolong drought caused by El Nino, the trails were dry and leech-free. As this park is a water catchment area, the trails could be flooded by rivers during heavy rain. The Park HQ even has siren to warn swimmers, if the upstream station detects any flash flood.


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Tawau Hills Park is a mix of primary lowland and hill dipterocarp rainforests, 60% of them is virgin forest and the remaining is secondary forest. Along the trails, you will see many giant commercial timbers such as seraya, selangan, keruing and belian. Some trees have huge buttress roots. I was told that if you were lost in a jungle, just hit the buttress with a wood, and the rescuer can hear you 1KM away. This is more effective than shouting for help. The trails are along the rivers, so it is quite refreshing.


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Wildlife you would see here are leopard cats, wild boar, giant tree squirrel, clouded leopard, forest tortoise, giant river toad, etc. Sighting is not guaranteed. Sadly, I didn’t see any of the above. The first bird you will notice is the noisy hornbill. Out of 8 species of hornbills in Sabah, you can find six of them here (black, bushy-crested, helmeted, rhinocerous, white-crowned and wreathed hornbills). Three rare species of pheasants (crested-fireback, great argus, Malayan peacock pheasants) also live in this park. I saw the very beautiful Asian Paradise Flycatcher that has an extremely long tail like paradise bird. At first I thought it was a “flying towel”. When my camera struggled to auto-focus it via the leaves and tree branches, it flied away, sigh…


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In the park, there are three main peaks in the form of extinct volcanoes, namely, Mt. Magdalena (1,310M), Mt. Lucia (1,189M) and Mt. Maria (1,067M). It takes 2 days to conquer the highest peak, Mt. Magdalena. The trail is 17 KM long and you will spend a night in Mt. Lucia Hostel (at 10.55 KM). After 1,000 M above sea level, you will enter mossy forest, a totally different vegetation from lowland forest. It is far more challenging than climbing Mt. Kinabalu. If this is too adventurous for you, you may try the 1.9 KM trail to Bombalai Hill (530M), which is a a remain of an ancient crater. The rugged volcanic landscape of the park is abundant with volcano rocks ranging in age from Middle Miocene to Quaternary. I save Mt. Magdalena for the future.


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Most part of the trail is next to a river. It is an ideal spot for nude swimming, coz I didn’t see anyone tried jungle trekking. The water is unpolluted and is piped to the households in Tawau and Semporna. Ever wonder why the rivers here still flow in dry season? The rainforest serves as a water retention system for the rain water. The forest ground can hold the water and slowly releasing it to the stream, even after month of drought. If the trees in this park are sold by greedy politicians to lumbering companies, the rivers here will be polluted by eroded soil and run dry. Most Sabahans underestimate the importance of rainforest. That’s why whenever there is any serious flood and landslide, the politicians can get away easily by saying these are the Act of God and has nothing to do with the forest clearance that is approved by them. Crocker Range Park and Maliau Basin are under threat now. So, just protect our forest and stop blaming God / Allah.


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Pay attention to the small stream and you would find something interesting, like the green sucker fish below. Before that, I thought all sucker fishes were dark in color.


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The water volume of Gelas Waterfall was so small during dry season. I lost my mood to photograph it when I also saw two big logs lean on the waterfall, spoiling the whole view. Anyway, my photo album has a few nice close-up of the waterfall. It is very tempting to jump into the clean and cold water under this waterfall. But be warned that there were many cases of drowning here, especially students. Their bodies couldn’t be found until they floated on top. No survivor can live to tell how they were dragged into the water. Don’t swim there alone. As a matter of fact, all waterfall is a beautiful dead trap.


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You would find the butterfly below sipping water in the river bank of Gelas Waterfall. They moved so fast and I only managed to get one shot. It looks like a Green Dragontail butterfly (lamproptera meges virescens).


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Frankly speaking, I felt very strong presence of spirits in the remaining 400 M to Gelas Waterfall. One of my photo even shows something like a ghost orb. Well, it could be reflection of dust or moist. After I heard the tragedy stories from my aunty later, then I confirmed there were probably unseen entity lingering nearby the waterfall area. I always had such goose-bump experience in certain jungle trails, but I don’t quite bother as I can’t see “them”.


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The thing bothers me the most is a flying blood sucker called Deer Fly. Its bite is worse than leech as the wound can stay itchy for week. The itch is under the skin, scratching also can’t help much. I encounter deer fly in almost every jungle trekking. They can follow you a long way, land on your exposed skin to look for opportunity to suck blood. I kept sweeping them away with hand but they never wanted to give up. If I sweated heavily, the smell would overexcite them and even attracted more deer flies, and I ended up having 3 or more of them following me. The only way to stop them is to kill them. I just waited for them to land on my face or hand, then hit them by palm. I don’t want to kill anything in the wild but I have no choice..


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Besides tall trees, you will be amazed by the rich variety of fungi, lichens, shrubs and undergrowth vegetation. Despite my visit in dry month, I saw many types of fungus and mushroom in different sizes, shapes and colours. I think this park really can open a Fungus + Mushroom Garden, no kidding. Previous scientific field trips found that Tawau Hills Park has over 150 species of orchid, include the rare elephant-ear orchid. Most of the forest is yet to be explored, and the researchers believe many new plant species are waited to be discovered and given a name.


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There are some big fungus that I’ve ever seen. Fungus decompose dead trees and recycle the carbonic substances, so they are very important for the forest. The humid and dim rainforest is suitable for their growth.


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One fungi also looks like hair.


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Everytime I went to Tawau Hills Park, I saw different lizard. This time I spotted a comb-crested agamid. Later I spotted a gliding lizard. It thought it did a very good job to blend into the tree, so I could go very near for more close-up photos.


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Just slow down and observe the surrounding, you will see some interesting bugs in the park. Even cricket can be so pretty. Is it a “tiger cricket” below?


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When threaten, pill millipede can roll its body into ball. This time I waited and saw how long it would stay rolled. It opened up bit by bit, kept watchful eyes outside, and started moving after 20 minutes.


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The photo below is a feather bug. I passed by a tree and saw a few “bird feathers” on the trunk. A closely look revealed that it’s a bug. A few of them even mimic the movement of feather in the wind. Amazing bug…


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The funniest bug of all is the ant-snatching assassin bug (Acanthaspis sp). It collects dust, sand and soil particles, plant parts and even empty ant corpses, and stick those stuffs on their abdomen. Such heavy “backpack” is a camouflage to confuse their predators. Can you see it in the photo below? I spotted 3 of them in the park.


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Most animals come out at night, so I joined the night walk (costs RM30) guided by a ranger. We toured around between the forest and a nearby oil palm plantation, also the Bombalai trail for two hours. I hoped to see the king cobra and big ular sawa snake that the ranger told me. Too bad I did not see any, but I spotted Malayan civets, fat porcupine and firefly.

The time between 6:30pm to 11pm is the best time to look for anurans (frogs & toads), especially after rain. There are 64 species of anurans in Tawau Hills Park, 31 species are endemic to Borneo and 3 are endemic to Sabah (research by Mr. Kueh Boon Hee, University Malaysia Sabah). That means for every frog/toad that you see here, more than 50% chance it is found in Borneo only!


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Basically that’s all about my trip. Luckily the weather was good. Now I can’t wait to have another trip to climb Mt. Magdalena. Do expect me to blog about Tawau Hills Park in the future. This park has sulphur springs, lowland rainforest, montane forest, mountains, waterfalls, volcano remain, etc. The tour operators should create a package and promote it.


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Most Sabah travel agents are still lacking some creativities as they only know to demand more quota to climb Mt. Kinabalu and dive in Sipadan, as if there is nowhere else is worth to visit in Sabah. They only wait for others to develop and promote a new tourism product, when it becomes famous, only then they try to offer the same package, trying to get an easy share of the profit. They should learn more about Blue Ocean Strategy, so we can have both monkey and gold.

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Photos taken in Tawau, Sabah Malaysia