Sabah, often referred to as the land below the wind, is a mesmerizing mountainous state in Malaysia. Its breathtaking landscapes are easily recognised from the planes soaring through the skies. Even on short flights from Kota Kinabalu City (KK) to destinations like Sandakan, Tawau, and Lahad Datu, which take less than an hour, the journey is an exhilarating experience from takeoff to landing, offering a plethora of sights to behold.
Route map of domestic flights in Sabah, from Kota Kinabalu City to Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Tawau, and the landmarks and towns that they pass through. The actual paths are not necessary a straight line.
The side of the plane you select, whether right or left, determines your in-flight views. Below are the routes starting from Kota Kinabalu City (KK), so consider this guide when choosing your window seat. If you’re heading to KK, opt for the opposite side for optimal views.
Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan
The left-side view of the KK to Sandakan flight provides the closest vantage point to Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia’s highest mountain, and the town of Kundasang at its foothill during domestic flights.
The best aerial view of Mount Kinabalu and Kundasang town can be seen from the planes flying between Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.
As your plane approaches Sandakan city, the left side also affords a superior view of the Kinabatangan floodplains, recognized as the largest RAMSAR site in Malaysia—a wetland celebrated for its ecological and biodiversity significance. On the return journey from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu, make sure to switch to the right side for the optimal view.
Kinabatangan River is the second longest river of Malaysia
Tawai Forest Reserve under the plane flying to Sandakan
Kinabatangan Floodplains of Sandakan
Sepangar (or Sapangar) Port and Bald Hill (a.k.a. Bukit Botak / Bukit Gundul / Bukit Gentisan)
For planes heading to east coast, you need to sit on the left side to see Mount Kinabalu. The plane passes by this majestic mountain in about 10 minutes.
Gayang Bridge and river in Tuaran
Sepangar / Sapangar Port and Navy Base in Menggatal
Kinabatangan River is the largest Ramsar site of Malaysia, a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Kinabatangan River is 560 KM in length, making it the second longest river of Malaysia
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Kota Kinabalu to Tawau
Though the KK to Tawau flight is farther away from Mount Kinabalu, this route offers much more to see. Passengers seated on the left side will still catch a glimpse of Mount Kinabalu. Additionally, as the plane passes by Tawau Hills Park, fortunate passengers on the left side may witness the ancient volcanic mouth of Mount Maria amidst the dense Borneo rainforest.
I once captured 20 panoramic photos of Maliau Basin and stitched them together to create this breathtaking panoramic shot, making it one of the best aerial photos I’ve taken.
For those frequent local travelers who might be accustomed to the sight of Mount Kinabalu, consider switching to the right side during the KK to Tawau flight. From this perspective, you might be treated to a view of Maliau Basin, also known as Sabah’s Lost World. This geological wonder resembles a vast meteorite crater when viewed from the sky. However, keep in mind that luck plays a role as Maliau Basin is often shrouded in clouds.
Oil Palm Vs Rainforest
Crocker Range in morning mist
View of Mount Kinabalu from the flight to Tawau
Maliau Basin, aka Sabah’s Lost World, encircled by cloud
Can you spot the volcanic crater in Tawau Hills Park?
Oil palm plantation of Tawau
Nypa swamp surrounded by oil palm
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No matter which side you sit on, as the plane approaches Tawau, you’ll see vast expanses of oil palm plantations, with pockets of forests nestled within them.
Kota Kinabalu to Lahad Datu
The view from the flight from KK to Lahad Datu is not bad at all. On clear days, passengers on the left side are treated to the majestic sight of Mount Kinabalu in the background, with the picturesque paddy fields of Tambunan, often referred to as the Switzerland of the East, in the foreground.
View of Mount Kinabalu and Tambunan from the plane. You can see the valley with green paddy fields.
However, if you find yourself seated on the right side, don’t be disappointed. You’ll have the privilege of gazing at the multi-peaked Mount Trus Madi, the second-highest mountain in Malaysia. Additionally, the right side offers a bird’s-eye view of Danum Valley, one of the oldest rainforests in the world.
Mount Trus Madi (or Trusmadi), the second highest mountain of Malaysia. It’s a bit difficult to spot this mountain.
The lush and hilly Tawai Forest Reserve in Telupid
Taking off from KKIA airport. You can see Mount Kinabalu at the right.
A small forest surrounded by oil palm in Lahad Datu
To Kota Kinabalu City
Planes destined to land at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) treat passengers to a scenic journey along the coastline of KK City. During this approach, travelers are afforded views of popular landmarks, including the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Jesselton Point, the bustling Waterfront, the iconic Sabah State Mosque, Sutera Harbour, and Tanjung Aru Beach.
Gaya Island is the largest island of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park off Kota Kinabalu City
For first-time visitors to Sabah, this aerial route along the coastline of KK city centre provides an excellent preview of the charm and vibrancy awaiting them in this captivating destination. It sets the tone for an exciting and memorable experience in Sabah.
Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur
For flights departing from Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) bound for destinations outside of Sabah (e.g. Kuala Lumpur), they often make a turn around Gaya Island. If you happen to be seated on the left side, you’ll have a higher chance of spotting the “Smiley Islands” formed by the arrangement of Manukan, Sulug, and Mamutik Islands.
The Smiley Islands, next to Gaya Island, is formed by a group of islands (i.e. Manukan, Mamutik and Sulug).
General Tips
Choose daytime flights for better lighting. There is no aurora borealis in Sabah so nothing for you to see in night flight.
For photography enthusiasts, pay a little fee for a window seat located near the front or rear of the aircraft to minimize wing obstructions.
Larger aircraft, such as the Boeing 737, offer better views compared to smaller ones like the turboprops commonly used by MASwings.
The multi-layered windowpane will impact the quality of your photos, resulting in haziness, blurriness, or distorted colors. Using a professional camera to shoot in RAW format will help you a lot in the post-processing.
Keep your expectation low. Just sit back, relax, and let the beauty of Sabah unfold beneath your wings.
You can see Mount Kinabalu clearly at KKIA (Kota Kinabalu International Airport) especially in the morning.
The Rainforest Discovery Center (RDC) is one of the most accessible natural rainforest parks in Sabah. It sits by a lake at the edge of the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve in Sandakan. RDC has been in operation since 1996 for environmental education purposes. Today, it is a 3-in-1 park (i.e. wildlife, bird and botanical) for nature lovers and bird watchers where they can see the unique flora and fauna of Borneo. To students, it’s the best outdoor classroom to learn the rich biodiversity of tropical rainforest.
Rainforest Discovery Center and the adjacent Sepilok-Kabili Forest, and its lake. Boat is available for rent (RM5)
Rainforest Discovery Center (RDC) is managed by the Sabah Forestry Department and one of the most popular Environmental Education (EE) centers in Sabah. A pristine lowland dipterocarp and Mangrove forest with astounding 300 species of birds are recorded in the area.
10 things you can do at Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC). RDC receives more than 30,000 visitors every year.
The 4,300-hectare Sepilok-Kabili Forest Reserve has gained birders recognition worldwide for its iconic Bornean Bristlehead, Black & Crimson Pitta, Blue-headed Pitta, Giant Pitta, Black Hornbill, Rhinoceros Hornbill and more. The forest of Sepilok is declared as an Important Birding Area (IBA) by Birdlife International in 2009.
Jungle and Nature Trails
Visitors can walk along the trails and become acquainted with green giants such as the 40-Meter-tall mengaris tree, one of the tallest tree in Borneo. Besides soaking up the sight and getting a good workout, visitors can refer to the interpretive panels along the trail, which has descriptions about the unique residents of the forest.
Interesting fruit and plant at RDC. Left: Giant aroid (Alocasia robusta), endemic to Borneo; Middle: an unknown fruit; Right: Elephant tree, locally known as Simpoh Gajah or Ubah Rusa (Species: Dillenia borneensis), endemic to Borneo
Alert the little ones to keep an eye out for darting civets and flying squirrels (which can glide up to 100 Meters)! And lucky visitors have also spotted animals such as the elusive red leaf monkey, gibbon (the fastest moving primate in tree canopy), mouse deer, civet cat and many odd looking insects such as stick insect and lantern bug.
Giant trees of Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok Giant (left) and Kabili Monster (right)
The giant trees that you must check out are Sepilok Giant, a Yellow Seraya tree (Shorea acatissima), which is about 65 Meters in height, with an estimated age of 800-1,000 years old, and the 75-Meter-tall Kabili Monster, an Obah Suluk tree (Shorea pauciflora).
Trail map of Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC)
Another tree worths a good look is Belian Borneo Ironwood (Eusideroxylon zwageri), the 7th hardest wood in the world. The main trails are gravel path, and some sections are networks of well-trodden nature (soil) trails for you to explore deeper.
Plant Discovery Garden
RDC also has a Plant Discovery Garden, which covers about 3 acres of land. This garden will make any botanist smile with its rich collection of hybrid orchids, arid land plants, aquatic plants, pitcher plants, economic crops and tropical American plants.
Orchid and carnivorous plant (from America) in the Plant Discovery Garden of RDC
There are colourful outdoor interpretive panels with descriptions of all the plants, which are available in English and Bahasa Malaysia languages and makes learning not only easy but fun as well.
Interpretation panels with photographs and interesting facts of fruits and herb, description is available in English and Malay languages.
For serious learners, there are just too many local and exotic plants (flowers, herbs, spices, crops) to look at, just to name a few, peach palm, vanilla, tongkat ali, rubber, cassava, cinnamon, fig, and cycad (a living fossil and food of dinosaur).
From left: Kelumpang Sarawak (Sterculia megistophylla), fig tree, and red fruit of achiote plant (used as lipstick in the past)
Rainforest Skywalk (Canopy Walk)
The main attraction of RDC is Rainforest Skywalk, the longest Canopy Walkway in Sabah. Visitors can climb to the top of the observation towers and take in the breathtaking view from the 620-Meter-long and 25-meter-high metal platforms and walkway.
Towers of RDC. From left: Bristlehead Tower, Trogon Tower, nature trail under the tower
The walkway is two meters wide, is very sturdy and can hold the weight of a large crowd. RDC has three main towers that are named after the Bristlehead, Hornbill and Trogon and a single-column shelter called the Sunbird. With a height of 26.5 Metres (87 ft), Trogon Tower is the highest tower of RDC.
Rainforest Skywalk of Rainforest Discovery Centre is tall but still lower than many trees. Some of the trees were planted in 1970s and 1980s.
The designers of the canopy walkway made sure that it was not only safe for adults, but also for young children who are at kindergarten-level.
Fruiting next to the Rainforest Skywalk. From left: Artocarpus elasticus (Terap togop), Dacryodes rostrata (or cuspidata), poisonous Lampada Fruit (Tabernaemontana macrocarpa)
To the team at RDC, the younger children are exposed to the wonders of Mother Nature, the more they will appreciate our rainforest. During weekends, some local retired people also come here for birding regularly.
Rainforest Skywalk of RDC is 620 Metres long after an extension of 250 Metres completed in early 2022.
The highest platform of towers is about 26.5 Meters (87 feet) above the ground. Many birds, wildlife, fruits and insects live high on the tree, so these towers provide a great viewing point for bird watching and wildlife sighting. I’ve seen mother orangutan with her baby there before (see video).
Orangutan and Macaque could be seen at RDC, especially during fruiting season. They are not friendly so keep a distance from them.
Bornean Bristlehead normally feeds up in the mid and upper layer of tree canopy, and best seen from Canopy Walkway. You have higher chance of seeing them near Bristlehead and Hornbill Towers in RDC. On the skywalk, you don’t need to look up so much that your neck cramps. I’m confident to say that RDC has one of the best setting for bird watching in the world.
Information board about the tall rainforest trees around this area, so you can do a self-guided tour.
Many trees here are very old and over 50 Meters tall, most of these emergent trees are from the family Dipterocarpaceae, the main timber family of Sabah. During fruiting season, you will see many birds and wildlife coming here for feeding.
Bird Watching
Due to the tourist-friendly canopy walkway and nearby virgin rainforest where over 300 lowland bird species reside, RDC is really a haven for nature photographers and birdwatchers.RDC is also the most promising spot to see Bornean Bristlehead, the trophy bird species of birders, but you still need some luck. I saw it only once after three visits.
Birdwatching and bird photography are popular activities at RDC. Do bring a binocular with you.
Many endemic (13 species are Borneo endemic), rare and colorful birds are active around RDC, for example, Bornean Bristlehead, Hornbills, Pittas, Kingfisher (8 species), Trogons, Malkohas, Leafbirds, Minivets, Spiderhunters (6 species), Crested Jay, Red-bearded Bee-eater, Broadbills, Woodpeckers, and Bulbuls. For full list, you may see this Checklist of Birds in Sepilok.
Endemic birds of Borneo in Sepilok. The red-headed bird in pictures is Bornean Bristlehead (Nickname: headphone bird)
Therefore, for visitors who don’t want to travel far, RDC is the best alternative birding sites to Danum Valley and Tabin Wildlife Reserve, the world-class birding sites in Lahad Datu.
Trail signages and interpretation panel of birds in RDC
Some forest birds spend most of their time on canopy and best to be observed from RDC Canopy Walkway, while some prefers habitat in understorey and forest ground, so you need to explore the jungle trails for such birds. (Note: leeches might present during wet season)
Interpretation panels of birds in RDC are placed at the spots where sighting of birds in the pictures are possible. Some are placed on Rainforest Skywalk for birds that are active on canopy.
According to birding community, the 1.9-KM Kingfisher Trail is very productive (many birds). There are many direction signages in the RDC trail network, so you should have no problem to get around. What I really like is – RDC also places many information panels in different spots to inform you what birds, trees and wildlife are (probable) nearby.
Birds of RDC. From left: Red-bearded bee eater, Racket-tailed drongo, White-crowned hornbill, Bornean black magpie
Inside the forest there are small ponds used by many birds as natural bird bath for bathing and drinking. Most birds only dip their wings to splash water on their backs. Parts of the bath is just about 2 inches deep, just enough for small birds. Keep an eye for Red-eyed Bulbul, Emerald Dove and Hairy-backed Bulbul there. Garden birds such as sunbirds, spiderhunters and flowerpeckers are common visitors too.
Borneo Bird Festival is packed with activities for birders, children, photographers and tourists.
RDC is a preferred venue for Borneo Bird Festival, which is usually held in Sep or Oct annually, the best visiting time for bird watchers who are looking forward for exciting activities such as bird race, talks, bird photography contest, latest birding gears, and exhibition.
Exhibition Hall
The main visitor building has an exhibition hall that features the unique flora found in Sabah, plus the various icons in our animal kingdom including the Bornean pygmy elephant, orangutan, proboscis monkey and many more.
The Exhibition Hall of RDC is great for learning the biodiversity of Borneo
Visitors can also find information on reptiles and the main groups of birds. The building also has a multi purpose hall, which is often used for talks, screenings and other activities.
Information about flora & fauna of Borneo (available in both English and Malay languages)
Besides animals, visitors can browse good collections of plant, fruit, tree and insect specimens in the hall. The information is presented in gallery style, with a lot of beautiful photographs with minimal text, available in English and Malay languages.
Left: One of the display item: Ghost Durian (Durian Hantu) has no spikes and inedible, though it’s under the same family of Durian fruit. Right: Crocodile specimen in exhibition hall of RDC
This Exhibition Hall is air-conditioned, so I love to come here after a long walk under hot sun outside LOL (and for the toilet too). I must say the Exhibition Hall does a very good job in giving visitors an interesting overview of Borneo’s nature.
Other Facilities
The infrastructure of RDC is quite well-thought, this makes RDC an excellent attraction, as well as a great location to organize mid-scale events. They also added a 180-Metre flying squirrel zipline at the lake area.
Left: Keruing Cafe of RDC is located at the starting point of Canopy Walk and it serves simple meals and drink. Right: Kabili Mini Theatre for seminar, talks and conferenceLeft: Exhibition about Borneo birds in Drongo House. Right: Birders Rest Complex (toilet available), Both places are good shelters when it rains.
Entrance Fee
Rainforest Discovery Center (RDC) is open from 8am to 5pm every day (include Public Holidays), but the trails and canopy walkway close at 8pm, so some visitors can do night walk and evening birding. RDC is a park opens to public, any walk-in visitor can buy a ticket to enter (see ticket prices below).
Malaysian
Foreigner
Adult (18 & above)
RM7
RM30
5-17 years old
RM3
RM20
Below 5 years old
FREE
FREE
Entrance Fee to RDC (Last updated on 1st April 2024)
All proceeds from ticket sales are used to organize environmental education programs for students, teacher training courses and other environment-related activities.
Night Walk
Most wildlife are nocturnal. You may not see a lot of wildlife during daytime in RDC, but a night walk there would probably give you some pleasant surprises. Depend on your luck, you would see civet, moonrat, Malay badger, sleeping birds, glow worm, owls, stick insect, firefly, frog, bearded pig, flying lemur, etc. You hit jackpot if you spot Bornean Tarsier or Slow Loris, the most mysterious primates of Sabah. Known as Ghost Monkey locally, Bornean Tarsier is the smallest primate of Borneo and has huge eyes bigger than its brain.
During dusk, people gather and wait for red giant flying squirrel to come out of the box. Far right: Tarsier
Night Walk is available (conducted between 6pm-8pm), you can register for the walk at ticketing counter (before they close at 5pm). The fee is RM30 (≈USD$8.50) per adult and RM15 (≈USD$4) per child (5-17 years old) for a minimum of 2 hours, RM15/person for each additional hour.
Starting from the 1st June 2024, RDC Night Walk Fee will be increased: Adult (16 years old & above): RM50 Child (5-15 years old): RM25 MAX 7 pax per group Private Group: RM350 (1-5 pax only)
A minimum of 4 visitors (but no more than 10) is required to form the night walking group, or you have to pay for the full amount RM120/group (≈USD$34). Do bring torch-light (flashlight) and raincoat with you. You can take photos but no camera flash is allowed for small animals.
How to get there
The Rainforest Discovery Center is located at Sepilok, Sandakan, Sabah, about 25 KM to the west of Sandakan City (see Location Map). Public transport to Sepilok is available readily and the journey takes about 45 to 50 minutes one way. You can hire a taxi for a return trip for about RM100 per car (≈USD$28)(negotiable).
RDC Shuttle Service (within Sepilok only) is available only when licensed taxi not around and depend on staff availability. It’s no guarantee but good to know this option anyway. The standard rate is RM10 (≈USD$2.50) per car. You can request for transport in following time: 9am-5pm: enquire for taxi or shuttle service at ticketing counter 5pm-8pm: enquire shuttle service at security hut
First time to Sabah and don’t know what to eat? Most travel guides would recommend famous Sabah cuisines such as Tuaran fried noodle, Ngiu Chap (mixed beef noodle) and Sang Yuk Mee (mixed pork noodle) but leave out fish noodle. Sabah is renowned for its seafood and its seafood noodle is probably one of the best in Malaysia.
Popular seafood noodle shops always use fresh seafood from the warm sea for the fish soup. Cold water fishes such as cod and pollock have strong fishy flavors because they are high in fat, so they are too oily and fishy for making noodle soup.
Reef fishes from the warm tropical ocean are the most delicious seafood in the world, and they are the preferred fishes in seafood noodles of Sabah. Depend on the restaurants, groupers, wrasse, snapper, amberjack (ikan tofu) and other seafood would be used. Though seafood noodles are more expensive than other noodles, you won’t get a 4-digit bill amount for having seafood noodle.
You can enjoy seafood at (left) Kopitiam or Kedai Kopi (cafe), and seafood restaurant (right) in Sabah.
There are variety of serving styles for seafood noodles in Sabah. I list the popular seafood noodles below, as well as the recommended Kedai Kopi (coffee shop). Most of them are served by Chinese shops so I post their Chinese names too, easier for Chinese readers.
1) Mixed Fish Noodle (鱼杂)
Mixed Fish Noodle is the favourite seafood noodle of Sabah people, to enjoy different parts and serving styles of fish. For first timers, fresh or fried fillets, fish cake, fish chunks and fish ball are good start. Some foodies would go for the fishy parts such as fish head, fish skin and fish maw. For noodles, you can choose between the mee hoon (rice vermicelli) and yellow noodle (and kuey teow flat noodle). You may have your noodle served in broth or a separate bowl. For broth, you can pick the savoury and sour tomato soup, or the spicy and milky tom-yam soup (or hamcoi, salty vegetable in soup).
Mixed fish noodles in Tom-yam soup and tomato soup at Kedai Kopi How Kee (好记茶室)
I prefer vermicelli in soup because the thin noodle absorbs the rich seafood flavours well. By Malaysian standard, our tom-yam soup is not really hot. I had an American friend who insisted on trying tom-yam and his whole face turned red and sweaty, but he still liked it.
Left: Sandakan fish cakes in tom-yam seafood noodle soup of Mr. Fish Restaurant. Right: fish noodle of Kedai Kopi Tien Hwa (天华茶室) in Keningau
Kedai Kopi Tien Hwa (天华茶室)
Location (View Map): Jalan Milimewa Lama, Keningau, Sabah
2) Giant Grouper Noodle
Giant grouper is the king of grouper (known as Ikan Keratang in Malay, 龙趸 in Chinese). It can grow to a massive size of nearly 200 Kg, which spooks the scuba divers sometimes. Huge giant grouper is a highly sought-after seafood here. The flesh of giant grouper is firm and its head is packed with collagen. For gourmet seafood lovers, it’s the ultimate delicacy.
Giant grouper in a fish farm. The wild one can reach nearly 200 Kg in weight.
You won’t forget the mouthfeel of eating the fried crispy noodle mixed with juicy seafood gravy. The aromatic noodle sucks the rich seafood flavours and you can’t stop once you start. The big prawns and squid look so good, but the most important thing is they are fresh.
Spring noodle is a Chinese-style yellow noodle that is named for its dense and chewy texture. This noodle from Sandakan goes well with seafood broth.
Spring noodle of Sandakan with seafood broth
Kampung Pukat Fishboat Street Sandakan (渔船街)
Location (View Map): Lorong 5, Kampung Pukat, Tanah Merah, Jalan Leila, Bandar Nam Tung, Sandakan Phone:+60 89-616510
Note: Though most, if not all the Chinese shops listed here don’t serve pork, they are not certified as Halal. Some Muslims feel ok to dine there, while some don’t, so decide at your own discretion.
Sandakan is a famous place for seafood feast. Left: a shop that sells seafood noodle. Right: Fishboat Street Sandakan (渔船街) at Kampung Pukat of Sandakan
Some of the shops accept online orders by Foodpanda or Grab Food, so you can avoid the long queue and have these seafood noodles delivered to your doorstep. Just a heads up, the seafood noodles by reputable shops are very likely sold out in the morning.
Our world changes so fast nowadays. We may not even remember or recognise something created 10 years old. In Sandakan, there is a Sabah temple that remains standing after 130 years. Built in 1887, Sam Sing Kung (Chinese Name: 三聖宮) Temple is the 3rd oldest Chinese temple in Sandakan. It was facing the sea in the beginning, and now it’s facing and blessing the Sandakan City.
Sam Sing Kung Temple (三聖宮), the third oldest Chinese temple of Sandakan. The oldest temple is Goddess of Mercy Temple (1868), followed by Tam-Kung Temple (譚公祖廟) built in 1876.
Sam Sing Kung witnesses the history of Sandakan, from the era of North Borneo (now Sabah) colony, formation of Malaysia in 1963, to a famous nature tourism destination of Borneo today. Sam Sing Kung is also one of the attractions in Sandakan Heritage Trail.
Entrance to Sam Sing Kung Temple (三聖宮)
The temple was built by the four Chinese communities, namely the Hakka, Cantonese, Hainanese and Teochew, mainly from the Guangdong Province of China. In late 19th century, thousands of Chinese admitted by British rulers to work as labourers, farmers, and merchants to develop Sabah. As the old saying goes, “wherever there is Chinese, there is temple,” naturally these Chinese immigrants also brought in their religions and established Sam Sing Kung as a religious centre in Sandakan, which is also known as the “Little Hong Kong” .
Altars of Lord Guan (关云长), Goddess of Tin Hou (天后 / 妈祖), and Min Cheong Emperor (文昌帝君)
Deities in Sam Sing Kung
Literally Sam Sing Kung means the Temple of the Three Saints, who are:
Lord Guan (关圣帝君) – Saint of Righteousness, a symbol of justice and loyalty
Mazu (天后妈祖) – Worshipped by fishermen (especially Hokkiens) and seafarers for protection
Wenchang Emperor (文昌帝君) – Wanna do well in exam, or your children are addicted to gaming? Let him helps
Left: tablet that records the history and story of Sam Sing Kung Temple. Right: Front door of Sam Sing Kung Temple
The three saints are great combination because they can answer prayers on prosperity, peace and protection, and health, which cover most wishes of their followers. There are other deities that serve more specific roles. For example, if you want to have a baby, you may ask the Gold Flower Goddess (金花娘娘 / 送子娘娘), or me.
Guanyin (观音), Buddha (佛祖), and the Bodhisattva of the Great Vow (地藏王菩萨)
Sam Sing Kung is a Taoist temple that practices polytheism, which believes that there are multiple gods or deities, they are like the officers of heaven and underworld. About 20 deities are sitting in Sam Sing Kung, to name a few, Confucius (孔夫子), God of Earth (福德), Protector of Carpenters and Construction (鲁班先师), and City God (城隍爷). Taoism and Buddhism have been influencing each other for thousand of year in China, so you can find altars of Buddha such as Guanyin in this temple.
Left: Lukang Shigandang (石敢当) that drives evil spirits away. Right: list of deities seated in the temple
Artifacts
Sam Sing Kung is truly a temple of memories and heritages. Many items, from desk, bell, calligraphy, pillar beam, divine poems board to plaques are artifacts with historical values. Even after a century, Sam Sing Kung is still a popular temple for local devotees, who visit this temple for blessing and divination, like what their great grandparents used to do.
In the middle is the palanquin of Mazu, which is as old as the temple. At the right is the time stamp of the palanquin.
When you enter the main door, you would see the palanquin of Mazu, which is used in Chingay parade and is as old as the temple. Another interesting antique is a bronze chime bell donated by the first Kapitan Cina of Sandakan, Fung Ming Shan (馮銘山) about 100 years ago. Kapitan is a leader officially appointed by British rulers to look after the local Chinese community.
The drawing of Qilin (Chinese Unicorn) on top of banner seems really old.
Feel free to tour around or light up some incense sticks to worship the deities (if you are a believer). The staffs there are accustomed to tourists and would share some stories with you. This temple seems like an ideal filming location of mid-twentieth century drama due to its nostalgia vibe.
How to get there
Sam Sing Kung Temple is located at the edge of the town field at Singapore Road (Jalan Singapura), in the city centre of Sandakan (see Location Map). e-Hailing service (e.g. Grab) is readily available in the city, in case you need one.
About 110 million years ago, when dinosaurs were ruling the Earth, a marine creature has existed in the ocean. They survived the predation of Megalodon (a 20-metre-long, the biggest extinct shark) and live until today. It’s the sea turtle, some species can live more than 100 years old.
You can see three stages of turtle life on Selingan Island
However, without any protection, human can wipe out this ancient animal in 20 years. Luckily, sea turtles are fully protected in Sabah, as well as their main nesting grounds in Sulu Sea, the Turtle Islands Park, which is about 40 kilometers to the north of Sandakan of Sabah (Malaysia).
Two sea turtle species of Sabah. Left: Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas). Right: Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). Can you spot their differences? (Photo Credit: Green turtle by Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble, Hawksbill Turtle by Tchami)
Turtle Islands Park comprises the islands of Selingan (8.1ha), Gulisaan (1.6ha) and Bakkungaan Kecil (8.5ha), covering a protected area of some 1,740 hectares, of which 18.2 hectares are on land while 1,721.8 hectares at sea.
Beach of Selingan Island protected by reef balls (to stop beach erosion)
Only Selingan Island, which provides accommodation and basic facilities, is open to tourists, who will witness three stages of a turtle life by looking at the hatchery for the eggs, releasing of hatchlings and nesting of mother turtles in close distance.
Why Protect Sea Turtles?
Turtles don’t beat up villains like what Ninja Turtles do, but they are unsung heroes of maintaining a healthy coral reef ecosystem and food chain balance in the ocean. For example, a Leatherback Sea Turtle can consume 200 kg of jellyfish a day. Green turtles graze on seagrass to stop the overgrown sea meadows that obstruct the sunlight to seabed.
Sea turtles have existed on earth for over 100 million years. But human can wipe them out in one or two generations. Then our children only can see this ancient animal in an aquarium.
Sea Turtles are also the important assets of tourism in Sabah. Diving with gentle sea turtles is one of the most exciting experience, and scuba divers can see more than 10 turtles whenever they dive at Sipadan Island, the top dive sites of Malaysia.
Sea turtles are also important for tourism because tourists love to see them, especially scuba divers
Unfortunately, all seven species of sea turtles are on the endangered list (IUCN Red List). Four of the seven extant species of marine turtles occur in Malaysia (leatherback, green turtle, hawksbill and olive ridley). Selingan Island is a safe haven for the endangered green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).
A Painful Lesson
In the 1950s, about 10,000 leatherback turtle nesting were recorded annually in Terengganu state. Nevertheless, in 1980s, I had been hearing bad things such as people turned the turtles over, sat on them to take pictures and even took their eggs. The mother turtles couldn’t lay their eggs in peace, the consequence is no more landing of leatherbacks there after 2006.
Nesting trends of sea turtles in Sabah and Terengganu. Left: Leatherback turtles in Terengganu. Right: Green and Hawksbill Turtles in Turtle Islands Park of Sabah. Without conservation, leatherback turtle is extinct in Peninsular Malaysia.
Terengganu government tried to curb the collection of turtle eggs in 2005 but it’s too late too little. Though leatherback is sighted occasionally after 2015, there is no hope to recover the past glory as one of the world’s largest nesting grounds of leatherback turtles. WWF Malaysia states that the leatherback turtle population in Malaysia has plummeted by more than 99 percent since the 1960s.
Four species of sea turtles found in Malaysia are Leatherback turtle, Green turtle, Hawksbill turtle and Olive ridley turtle. They are all endangered species. In Sabah, they are fully protected by laws (Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997). Offender could face a fine of up to RM250,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.
Therefore, it’s significant that Sabah gazetted Turtle Island Parks as a turtle sanctuary on 1 Oct 1977, which stops the declining trend of green and hawksbill turtles population in Sabah.
Visit Selingan Island
Selingan, the turtle island of Sabah, is the place where turtles and tourists meet. To visit Selingan Island, visitors need to contact Crystal Quest (Website: turtleisland.com.my, Facebook: Turtleislandresortsandakan, Phone (Whatsapp): +60 11-51665923) to book a 2-day-1-night tour, which is a full board package that covers land / sea transportation, permit, accommodation and meals.
Sabah Parks jetty in Sandakan City is the departure point to the Turtle Islands Park (Selingan)
Turtle Islands Park is managed by Sabah Parks, but they are focus on conservation and offload the tour booking and activities to Crystal Quest. The island sets a limit of maximum 50 tourists per day, so the tour to Selingan is always full. You better book this popular trip a few months in advance.
The main office and dining hall on Selingan Island
The Itinerary in Brief: 9:15am Register at Sabah Parks jetty 10:00am Depart to Selingan by boat 11:15am Arrive Selingan, check-in and have lunch 6:30pm Visit Exhibition Hall 7:30pm Dinner. After that wait for turtle landing and releasing of hatchlings Day 2 7:00am Check-out, breakfast and leave Selingan
Only Selingan Island has chalets for tourists
The peak nesting months for Green turtle are from April to August, and for the Hawksbill turtle is between January to June. Overall, for Selingan the peak time is during April – August. Turtle landing on Selingan is almost guaranteed every day, so you don’t really need to pick a best time to visit.
You can watch this video for a quick overview of the tour to Selingan
Note: It’s a family and muslim friendly tour. English is spoken for non-Malaysian tourists.
The Turtle Hatchery
The first thing that you would notice on Selingan Island is the turtle hatchery zones with thousand of turtle nests fenced by green mesh net, which keeps away the predators such as monitor lizards, rodents and crabs. A well-protected nest has a hatch rate of above 80%.
Turtle hatchery on Selingan Island. The temperature determines the gender of the hatchlings, so part of them are placed under the shade, which provides higher chance to hatch male turtles.
The first turtle hatchery was built on Pulau Selingaan in 1966, followed by Pulau Bakkungan Kecil and Pulau Gulisaan in 1968. But the hatchery on the smallest island, Gulisaan, closed in 2015 due to beach erosion.
The total number of turtle eggs collected in the Turtle Islands Park from 1979 to 2016 is 22,449,572 eggs, namely 10,428,711 (46%) on Selingan Island, 6,381,682 (28%) on Bakkungan Kecil Island, and 5,629,179 (25%) on Gulisaan Island.
Tourists looking at their adopted turtle nests. You can participate in the Turtle Nest Adoption Program by donating RM100 to adopt a turtle nest.
The sex of baby turtles depends on the nest temperature. Warmer nests can lead to hatching of more female babies, while cooler nests lead to more males, so you would see some hatcheries are placed under the cooler shade. Without such measure, overwhelming majority of the hatchlings would be female due to global warming.
You can adopt a turtle nest. Your name will be labelled on the nest that you adopt.
Turtle Nest Adoption Program
You can adopt a turtle nest at RM100 (about USD27). Each sponsor will receive the following as an appreciation:
Have your name displayed on the nest’s label
A certificate of adoption
A Turtle Nest Adoption T-Shirt
You will be informed via e-mail when the eggs in your adopted nest hatch.
Other Turtle Hatcheries in Sabah
The combined island size of Turtle Islands Park is only 18.2 hectares, which is smaller than Manukan Island (20.6 hectares). We can save more turtles if we build more hatcheries because Sabah has 394 islands and nearly 1,000 miles of coastline.
Turtle hatcheries of Lankayan (left) and Sipadan Island (right)
In fact, some Sabah islands such as Libaran, Lankayan, Mabul, Mataking, Sipadan and Dinawan have small turtle hatcheries built under the support of resorts, government and local communities. For example, Libaran Island has released more than 42,000 baby turtles since 2010.
Accommodation on Selingan
A few chalets are available for tourists. Most of the rooms are twin standard bed room, which is clean and comfortable, so is the attached bathroom cum toilet. Electricity is available 24 by 7 to power the air conditioning and ceiling fan. Towel and shower gel are provided.
Twin bedroom and attached bathroom of Selingan Turtle Island Chalet. Towel, shower gel, air-conditioning, ceiling fan and toilet are provided.
Beach of Selingan
The beautiful white sandy beach of Selingan is a bonus of the tour. The beach is kept in clean and pristine state, the way mother turtles love it. What turtles need is just a simple and natural beach for nesting. Sadly, nowadays most beaches are either having too many rubbish or people.
Left: site map of Selingan Island, Right: No nudity warning sign at the beach
After lunch you will have plenty of free and easy time until dinner time. It takes less than an hour to walk one around of the island. North side of the island is rocky shore, so I only explored the sandy beach. I saw hundred of holes dug by the turtles for laying eggs, and the tyre-like tracks they left on the beach.
Monitor lizard and Philippine megapode are two common residents on Selingan Island
Do apply mosquito repellent before you walk in the wood. The three most common animals on Selingan are the roaming monitor lizards (harmless unless provoked), Philippines megapodes (or Tabon scrubfowl) busy scratching soil for food, and hermit crabs (most active at night).
The sandy beach and rocky beach on Selingan Island
The favourite afternoon activity of tourists is snorkeling (gears available for rent on Selingan). Only the beach on the east side of Selingan is open for tourists to swim and snorkel because of the calm and shallow sea. There are life guards on duty at the beach from 8:30am to 5:30pm. You can sunbathe in sexy bikini, but no topless and nude please.
Left: snorkeling on Selingan Island. Right: sea cucumbers. There are probably thousand of sea cucumbers in the shallow sea of Selingan.
From the beach, you can see Lihiman and Great Bakkungaan Islands of the Philippines only 6 Kilometres away. They are the “Philippines side” of the turtle island park. Turtle island parks from Malaysia and Philippines establishes the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA), the world’s first transborder programme between two countries to conserve sea turtles and their habitats in the Sulu Sea since May 1996.
You can see the islands of Philippines from Selingan. They are also part of the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA), the world’s first trans-border protected area for marine turtle. Left: Lihiman Island, Right: Great Bakungan Island at the left and Pulau Bakkungaan Kecil (of Sabah) at the right
The sea water is crystal clear and inviting to beachgoers who want to swim between Malaysia and Philippines water. The sea floor is rocky so a pair of water shoes would help. I saw hundred of sea cucumbers near the shore. The corals and macro lives in deeper water are spectacular. During low tide, avoid snorkel too close to the sharp corals or you would risk getting cut.
The Exhibition Hall of Turtle Islands Park on Selingan Island. It is open from 6:30pm to 9pm.
Exhibition Hall
No walking on the beach is allowed after 6pm, as the turtles would land anytime. You may visit the small exhibition hall, which is open from 6:30pm to 9pm. Some photographs, specimens and skeleton of marine animals such as turtle, dolphin and giant seashells are displayed.
Items displayed in the exhibition hall of Selingan Island. Left: model of a turtle hatchery, Right: skeleton of Irrawaddy dolphins
The labels and information are written in Malaysian and English, for you to learn about the sea turtles and the conservation projects of Turtle Islands Park. This short visit is a good time filler before dinner. Halal / Muslim-friendly food is served. If you are a vegetarian, you can inform the operator of your food preference in advance.
Turtle Nesting
After dinner at 7:30pm, everyone was asked to sit and wait in the dining hall for the highlight activity. Based on the landing records from 1981 to 2016 of the Park, a total of 85,870 unique turtles have been marked involving 81,149 (94.5%) green turtles and 4,721 (5.5%) hawksbill turtles. The Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) rarely comes here (only 6 landing).
After dinner, tourists wait in the dining hall for the tour to see nesting turtle
The number of turtle landings at the Turtle Island Park has increased to between 6,000 to 15,000 annually since 1991. The highest number of turtle landing was 15,219 nests in 2011. It’s safe to say that Turtle Islands Park is one of the most important nesting sites for green turtles in the world.
Green Turtles lay about 120 eggs while a Hawksbill can lay up to 160 eggs on average. Batches of 50 – 80 eggs are the most common.
The wait took less than an hour. Around 8pm, the ranger brought us to the beach where mother turtle nested. It’s only a 10-minute walk, but we were so enthusiastic and brisk walking behind the dim flash light of the rangers. We were requested to keep quiet and turn off our torch, or the excessive noise and light would stress the sensitive mother turtle and turn it away.
Nesting pits dug by the sea turtles for laying their eggs on the beach. These holes are everywhere on the sandy beach of Selingan Island.
By the time we got there, a green turtle had already dug a 16-inch-deep hole in the sand near vegetation line (above high water mark) and started laying eggs. We gathered around the turtle and looking at clutch of ivory-color and perfectly round eggs being laid into the pit.
Tourists gather next to the nesting site of a mother turtle
Everyone was given turn to shoot photos (extra torch, flash light and video taking are prohibited) so we didn’t need to elbow others to move to the front for the best angle. But we still need to keep a distance from the turtle.
The nesting usually takes 30 to 60 minutes. The clutch size varies between 40 – 200 eggs but batches of 50 – 80 are the most common. After the mother turtle was done with nesting, the ranger collected her fresh eggs into a bucket.
The fresh turtle eggs look like ping-pong balls. They are transferred to the turtle hatchery for better protection.
We followed the ranger to the turtle hatchery, where he buried the new turtle eggs for incubation. The nest is labelled with date, clutch size and serial number. These are what rangers do until dawn when they find new nests during night patrol.
Releasing Baby Turtles
The next program is the releasing of baby turtles to the wild. Turtle eggs take about two months to hatch. Once they emerge from the sand, the ranger will put them in a basket ready for releasing at night later.
Newly hatched baby turtles got photographed by excited tourists before their release
Everyone walked to the beach. The baby turtles were so cute and we were in a photo frenzy. Before the release, we were instructed to stand still because the small turtles would run all over the beach and around our feet.
A sleeping sea turtle can remain underwater for 4 to 7 hours
The ranger pointed the torch to the sea, to guide the hatchlings to enter the water. Baby turtles normally use the brightest horizon as clues to find the ocean. Artificial lights would distract them from finding their way, so coastal reclamation is a threat to their habitat.
You might ask, isn’t it easier to pour them all into the water? Sea turtles can sense the Earth’s magnetic field and use it as an internal compass. Release them on the beach would help them to register the magnetic signature of their birthplace, so they will come back to lay eggs in future.
Releasing of baby turtles on the beach. The female turtles would come back to the same beach to lay eggs after 20 years.
During their lifetime, sea turtles will travel thousands of miles across the oceans. It’s remarkable that adult turtles can use the Earth’s magnetic field as a global GPS to navigate back home for laying eggs.
Daily scoreboard of records on turtle landing and number of eggs collected. (GT = Green Turtle, HB = Hawksbill Turtle)
About 22 million hatchlings from over 315,000 turtle nests have been released into the sea from 1979 up to 2023 (1st quarter) in Turtle Islands Park (94% are green turtles, 6% are Hawksbills). The number is impressive but only one in 1,000 hatchlings would survive to adulthood. Every egg counts.
Starry sky of Selingan Island, which is free of air and light pollution
The releasing is the last activity of our tour. Most of the light was off and we were not permitted to wander near the beach until 6am next day, to avoid disturbing the landing of turtles. Without light pollution, the starry sky on Selingan was stunning. Many hermit crabs crawled out in the night. It’s funny but worrying to see that many hermit crabs used plastic waste as their shelter instead of normal seashells.
Hermit crabs use plastic waste as their shelters. This bizarre adaptation is getting common as more beaches are polluted.
People told me that Selingan Island is haunted. The rangers also shared some paranormal activities that they experienced during night patrol. Sometimes they heard people whispering but there was nobody around. One of the most terrifying story is – they saw huge shadow of turtle stood up in the sea. I’m not sure if these are fake stories to discourage tourists from going to the beach at night. I’ll leave it to you to find out. I had a good sleep there anyway.
Beautiful sunrise at Selingan Island
Before we left Selingan next morning, we caught the nice sunrise view over the Philippines islands. Overall, this is a leisure and educational tour that I would highly recommend to someone who love turtles and tropical islands.
What to Bring
The following are some necessary or useful items for the trip:
Sunblock lotion / spray
Sunglasses & hat
Swimwear or beachwear (e.g. swimsuit, bikini, rough guard)
Beach mat
Cash
Passport / MyKad
Water in refillable bottle
Insect repellent
Light clothing (e.g. T-Shirt, short)
Slipper / Sandal
Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash, soap, shampoo, toilet paper)
Camera & spare batteries / memory cards
Mobile / Cell phone and charger
Portable power bank and charging cable
Torch / Flashlight
Optional: dry bag (water-proof), goggles, waterproof casing for phone / camera, snorkelling gears (mask, snorkel, fins, life vest), water shoes, personal medicines
Note: you can rent the snorkelling gears on Selingan.
Challenges
Having turtle hatcheries and conservation acts are not enough to stop sea turtles from extinction, unless the threats below are mitigated effectively.
Not all Malaysian states ban the consumption of turtle eggs
Poaching of turtle and its eggs
Between 2,000-3,000 turtles are trapped as bycatch of commercial fishing in Malaysia every year
At least half of all sea turtles have already consumed plastic, which is hazardous to their health
Coastal development destroys the nesting beach of turtles
Threats to marine turtles include poaching of turtle eggs, and thousands of turtles trapped and drowned in the net of fishing trawlers every year
Angry Bird was used to be the most popular “bird” in the world, but now most people forget it. Out of 660 bird species in Borneo, do you know which one is the most wanted bird by bird watchers? It’s Bornean Bristlehead (Species: Pityriasis gymnocephala), which is endemic to Borneo. It is so special that it should take over hornbill as the most iconic bird of Borneo. Birders from all over the world consider Bornean Bristlehead a trophy bird and pay thousand$ just to see it.
Group photo of Bornean Bristlehead mascot and Sabah natives at Borneo Bird Festival
In Borneo Bird Festival every year, foreign birders who visit the festival would take the opportunity to look for Bornean Bristlehead at the event site, i.e. Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) in Sepilok of Sandakan, one of the most promising places where Bornean Bristlehead shows up frequently.
The nickname of Bornean Bristlehead is Headphone Bird. I think you can see why. It’s also known as the bristled shrike, bald-headed crow or the bald-headed wood-shrike.
Bornean Bristlehead is classified as a Near Threatened rare bird species. Some people catch it and sell it as a pet bird in black market (of course it is illegal). This bird lives in rainforest from lowland to 1,200 Metres asl. It is usually seen foraging in flocks of 5 to 10 in the middle and upper canopy, generally feeding on insects. What makes Bornean Bristlehead so unique is – it is the sole representative of the family Pityriasis (scientific grouping).
Looking for Bornean Bristlehead at Rainforest Skywalk of Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sepilok forest
Where to see Bornean Bristlehead?
The Rainforest Skywalk and towers of Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) is the best location to see Bornean Bristlehead because it is usually active on middle and upper canopy of the trees in lowland primary or secondary rainforest. There are about 307 bird species in RDC, and 13 of them are endemic to Borneo Island.
Endemic birds of Borneo in Sepilok. The red-headed bird in pictures is Bornean Bristlehead (Nickname: headphone bird)
Bornean Bristlehead is generally scarce but a locally common resident. You need some luck to see it. Some bird watchers can spend hours waiting for Bornean Bristlehead on the canopy walk of Rainforest Discovery Centre. Sometimes Bornean Bristlehead is accompanied by other large forest birds (e.g. babblers, malkohaa, drongos, hornbills, woodpeckers) that form a hunting flock to feed on insects.
Bornean Bristlehead is the icon of Borneo birds. You can find its pictures in logos of birding community and events
You have to believe in the Law of Attraction. If you keep thinking about one thing, no matter it is good or bad, it will come to you. One day in Sandakan, some birders told me that they saw Bornean Bristlehead in the Sepilok forest nearby. When I rushed to the site, there were already a group of birders and photographers waiting for the bird.
Bornean Bristlehead on the tree at RDC. The first time I saw this superstar bird.
In a few minutes, a Bornean Bristlehead showed up on a tree about 15 Metres away from us. It is a fairly active and vocal bird and looks like a crow with head on fire. It was hopping from branch to branch for nearly a minute, until an approaching group of noisy students scared it away. Anyway, I was really happy and took a few photos of this superstar. Please pardon about the poor photo quality, as I didn’t own a bazooka lens like below.
Long camera lens for bird photography. The focal length is usually 500mm or above (about 25x optical zoom)
You just need the most expensive best lens for bird photography, like the lens in pictures above. A good 800mm lens can cost about RM73,000 (about USD17,500)!!! Would you buy a car or this lens?
Waiting for Bornean Bristlehead at canopy walk of Danum Valley, the primary rainforest of Borneo.
Besides RDC in Sandakan, another best place to see Bornean Bristlehead is at the canopy walk of Danum Valley in Lahad Datu. I saw it again there, and it was only 10 Metres from me this time. Bornean Bristlehead likes to perch on branches under big leaves, where it can find insects. We were waiting for it early in the morning for nearly an hour, luckily it showed up and checked us out.
Photos of Bornean Bristlehead I took at Danum Valley. I was using a 200mm Tamron lens with a 2x teleconverter.
After Bornean Bristlehead, another rising star is Bornean Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron schleiermacheri). It’s also an endemic bird of Borneo, and birders had to travel to Kalimantan to see it, before it was recently discovered in the centre of Sabah. I just got a 600mm long lens for bird photography. Hope I’ll get some good shots to show you in future.
This is a true ghost story happened to my friend. Since today is the start of hungry ghost month of Chinese, I guess a haunting story would serve as a great opening. Everything being said here is from the first-hand source. I didn’t make up anything. Let’s start by calling the three guys in this story as Robert, David and Yusof.
Agop Batu Tulug is about 40 metres high and houses about 125 log coffin of 600 to 900 years old. The highest caves look like the eyes of a skull.
In 2005 or 2006, Robert, David and Yusof were on a road trip to tour around East coast of Sabah. One of their stops is Agop Batu Tulug, which is located next to the highway between Sandakan and Lahad Datu. Agop Batu Tulug literally means Sleeping Rock Cave in local language. It’s a 40-metre-high limestone pinnacle with a few big caves that store about 125 wooden coffins from 600 to 900 years ago. Basically you can call it a coffin hill.
Information panel of Agop Batu Tulug. In local language, Agop = Cave, Batu = Rock, Tulug = Sleeping. Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / CC-BY-SA-3.0
As a burial site, Agop Batu Tulug doesn’t receive a lot of tourists. It’s under the care of Sabah State Museum and open to public. Anyway, it’s highly accessible and visible by the roadside, so these three guys decided to pay a visit. They bought the tickets, then walked up to the hill to explore the caves with old coffins.
At first they checked out the caves in lower level, which houses coffin of ordinary people. A staff on-duty told them that the human remains in the coffin were transferred to the museum, so they assumed all the coffins are empty, which is not true.
Agop Lintanga, the burial cave for ordinary people. Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / CC-BY-SA-3.0
Cave burial with log coffin was used to be a practice by Orang Sungai and Murut Tangara living in upstream of Kinabatangan plain. The reason why they did it still remains a mystery. Most wooden coffin are carved from one big chunk of Belian log (Borneo Ironwood). Belian wood is so dense and heavy that it sinks instead of floating on the water.
Later Robert reached the Agop Sawat, the highest cave that has the best collection of ancient coffins. The coffins in this cave belong to VIP such as village chief, upper-class and warriors. You can tell their status by looking at the buffalo head decoration and motif carving on the coffins.
Wooden Coffin in the Agop Sawat, the highest burial cave of Agop Batu Tulug for high status people. This was where Robert offended the deceased. Credit: Photo by Jacob Mojiwat (source)
David said, “The coffins seem heavy. I wonder why these people carried them all the way up to the hill for burial?” Being the strongest guy among them, Robert took it as a challenge. He walked to a short and wide coffin that laid on a raised platform at his waist level. He grabbed one end of the coffin with both hands, lifted it up and down a few times to weigh it. “Ok ba, I can lift it,” he said.
“How about the longer one next to it?” David said. Robert did the same again to that coffin, and smiled, “Can ba, not too heavy for me.” The guys were laughing and didn’t know that both coffins were not empty. Robert has disturbed something inside.
Burial in cave with log coffin was used to be the traditional practice of Orang Sungai and Murut Tangara in upstream area of Kinabatangan plain. Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / CC-BY-SA-3.0
After the visit, they continued their road trip and overnight in a hotel of Tawau. After taking shower, watching TV and chit chat, they went to bed around 11 PM. They all stayed in the same room with triple beds. Robert was sleeping in the middle, David at his right and Yusof at his left.
Feeling something, Robert waked up in midnight. Through his sleepy eyes, he saw two dark figures standing in front of his bed. The left one was a tall and thin figure, about 6 feet high, and the short one at the right was between 4 to 5 feet tall. Because of the bathroom light behind these figures, they appeared as silhouettes. Robert thought they were David and Yusof. He wondered why they were standing there in late night. He just ignored them and back to sleep.
The layout of the hotel room where Robert and his friends spent a night. Robert drew this diagram to tell his story.
Both figures came to his bed. The tall one went to the footboard and the short one to his right side. Then they shake the bed of Robert violently. Robert was annoyed and asked them to stop, but these two fellows didn’t quit. Robert turned his body to the right, and he saw David was sleeping on the bed. Shocked, he checked his left and saw a sleeping Yusof. Robert was terrified, “huh? Then who are these two guys shaking my bed?”
The ghosts stopped shaking and Robert could tell that they were giggling, as if they did something funny and naughty, though they made no sound. Before Robert could react, the tall ghost started crawling onto his bed and moving on top of him. The short ghost pressed his shoulder and waist, Robert couldn’t move and shout. He experienced sleep paralysis with open eyes. It’s not a dream!
The coffins with buffalo head and beautiful carving usually belong to people of high status such as aristocrat, village chief and warrior.
Soon the tall ghost was on top of his body and stared at the face of Robert. Robert only saw a translucent, smoke-like black humanoid shadow that had no face. The tall ghost pinned his hands to the bed and giggled again. Then it licked the face of Robert from chin to forehead. Robert remembers that it’s a huge tongue and he could even feel that wet and slimy tongue touching his face.
Finally Robert could sit up after struggling hard. Both ghosts leaped to the front of his bed and giggled again. Then they turned left and walked to the window and disappeared into the curtain. Robert was scared. He waked up his friends, but none of them had any idea what was happening. Robert decided not to talk about it until daytime. He only could pray and waited for the sunrise in fear.
Most log coffin are made of Belian wood (Borneo Ironwood). Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / CC-BY-SA-3.0
The next morning Robert told David and Yusof about his paranormal encounter. The size of the ghosts matched the coffins that they played with, so they realised that they may have done something disrespectful to the deceased at Agop Batu Tulug. The ghosts just reciprocated by shaking Robert’s bed, like what he did to their coffins.
This story ghost was featured in Mysterious Borneo (神秘的婆罗洲) series in Shuang Xing channel (双星) of Astro in April 2023. “Robert” was interviewed in the TV.
Therefore, before they returned to Kota Kinabalu City, they dropped by Agop Batu Tulug again. Robert parked the car at the roadside, opened the door and faced the coffin hill. He apologised sincerely to the ghosts and said they didn’t mean to offend them. He also requested the ghosts not to follow them. Fortunately, the haunting ended after his apology.
In fact, this is not the only case. In one incident, a girl in a student group was possessed after a visit at Agop Batu Tulug. She was made to tell the others that never disturb those living in coffin hill. Just be respectful when you enter their territory and you will be fine. To learn more taboos, you may check out my article about some Do and Don’t in Borneo forest.
If you visit Sandakan, just ask any local there, “Hi! I want to eat cow dung. Where to get one?” and they will recommend you to try Cow Dung Tart, the most famous dessert of Sandakan (or even Sabah). Cow Dung Tart is also known as UFO Tart because of its flying saucer shape. To sound more appetizing, the name UFO Tart is preferred on media.
UFO tart is made up of a biscuit base and with sweet custard and creamy meringue.
However, the local Chinese has been calling it Cow Dung Tart (牛屎挞) since day one and don’t want to change this, as they think the original name is cute and amusing. Personally I nickname UFO Tart as “Bull Shit Tart” lol.
Cow Dung Tart is also known as the UFO Tart because its shape resembles a flying saucer.
You can find UFO Tart easily in Sandakan. Many coffee shops (kopitiam), restaurants, even night market, are selling UFO tarts. Now you can buy this tart at a few shops in Kota Kinabalu City too.
Cow Dung Tart is a creation by accident. No cow (and UFO) is hurt in the process.
UFO Tart has a soft and butter-flavored cake base topped with sweet custard and fluffy meringue. You can gulp the whole tart in only two or three bites. For me, it tastes like an eggy cookie with rich aroma of vanilla. UFO Tart goes well with a cup of hot coffee. If you ask me, I enjoy UFO Tart more than egg tart.
UFO Tart (or Cow Dung Tart) is invented in 1955, the time Malaysia (and Borneo) was still ruled by the British. To some people, UFO tart is a taste of their childhood.
The born of UFO Tart is simply an accident happened over 60 years ago. No, it’s not a dessert introduced by the aliens from the outer space. In 1955, a Hainanese cake baker named Fu Ah On (符和安) was baking tarts as usual one day. While busy mingling, he over-baked his tarts. Surprisingly, the scorched tarts tasted good. Then he introduced this new tart and people loved it, hence it became a traditional cake unique to Sandakan until today.
Every bakers design the look of their UFO tarts. The left one looks like UFO and the right one looks like cow dung. You can find six designs in this article.
Today UFO Tart has become an iconic food of Sabah. To commemorate this popular Sandakan delicacy, 5 May is declared as the “UFO Tart Day” of Sabah.
May 5 is declared as a ‘UFO Tart Day’ in Sandakan
Where to Buy UFO Tart?
UFO tart costs about RM2.50 (≈USD0.60) each. It is not cheap because it takes many tedious steps to create this tart. Someone said the original recipe of UFO Tart is lost, so every bakers have their own formula to recreate the original flavours, then the tastes would be inconsistent. Anyway, the following are the shops that sell delicious UFO tarts, highly recommended by the local foodies.
Sandakan City
Kedai Kopi Wing Hup Lee (永合利): Lot 6, First Floor, Villa Permai, Mile, 5, Jalan Sibuga
