Tag Archives: waterfall

Madai Waterfall and Tongkat Ali Hill of Kunak, Sabah

Waterfall is a delightful view and always be part of the painting about paradise. The bigger it is, the happier the visitors. That’s how the 40-Meter Madai Waterfall drew me to Kunak, a small town in Lahad Datu district. In fact, many European and Asian tourists had come for it. I have visited many waterfalls of Sabah, and Madai Fall is one of the most impressive.

The 5-storey high Madai Waterfall is located in 3,436.50-Hectare Madai Baturong Virgin Forest Reserve Nature Center, which is managed by the Sabah Forestry Department and opened to the public since 1999. Madai Cave is also part of this reserve.

Pic: Madai Waterfall is inside Pusat Sejadi Hutan Simpan Madai Baturong (Madai Baturong Forest Reserve Nature Center) of Kunak.

As Madai-Baturong Forest Reserve Nature Center is a public park, anyone can pay a small entrance fee to enjoy Madai Waterfall. Below is the ticket rate:

Malaysian: Adult: MYR2.00 (≈USD0.66); Below 18: MYR1 (≈USD0.33)
Foreigner: Adult: MYR5.00 (≈USD1.66); Below 18: MYR2 (≈USD0.66)

Madai Waterfall

Madai Waterfall is very accessible. It is so near that you can hear it, once you walk into the park. Remember to bring insect repellent, as mosquitoes might be around.

Pic: the wooden staircase to Madai Fall.

It is only a 1-minute walk. The boardwalk is quite steep, be careful..

Pic: huge Alocasia odora next to staircase. This plant has the largest undivided leaf in the world.

Pic: Madai Waterfall in the sight!

Pic: the “twin” Madai Waterfall. After heavy rain, both will merge into one huge vertical fall. Though the water is murky, it is clean and cooling.

Due to the powerful splash, the air was filled with flying droplets. When the morning light shined through them, it created fascinating rays of light. Such a lovely view.

Pic: the warning sign near the Madai Fall.

Any water activity such as swimming is prohibited, because the waterfall pond is deep. Basically, this waterfall is meant to be watched only. Anyway, you can soak your feet in the shallow water, like most people do. Anything beyond that is on your own risk. There is no lifeguard around to stop you or to save you.

However, some visitors can’t resist to take a swim under this beautiful waterfall. A ranger told me that he saw a very deep hole in the center of waterfall pond after a 8-month drought. Madai is in a limestone area, so I wonder if this hole connects to an underground cave or river. Well, I’m just guessing.

Want to see Madai Waterfall in motion? You may watch the 90-sec video below:

During weekends and holiday, many locals come here to swim and picnic. Some of them taking bath (with soap) or washing their dirty plates in the stream, which flows to Tingkayu River. It’s not right.. 🙁

Pic: dense moss behind the Madai Fall.

The park opens from 8am to 5pm every day. The waterfall is quite crowded afternoon.

Pic: gold found at Madai Fall?

Wishing Tree

Besides Madai Waterfall, I found an interesting tree in Madai-Baturong Nature Center. The local calls it a “Wishing Tree” (Pokok Hajat).

Pic: the wishing tree is standing near the entrance of canopy walk.

It is a tall tree, which is locally known as “Kayu Ara” (Ficus species, Moraceae). Many birds will gather on this tree during its fruiting season.

Every ribbon on the tree root is a wish of the asker. Probably it works, so there are hundred of ribbons on this wishing tree.

Whatever, it is a tall and magnificent tree to look at. I wish it will stay strong and healthy forever.

Bukit Tongkat Ali

Bukit Tongkat Ali (Tongkat Ali Hill) is another attraction in Madai Baturong Forest Reserve. This hill is named after a herb Tongkat Ali (species: Eurycoma longifolia, Nicknamed “Asian Viagra”), which is famous for the medicinal properties of its root that can increase testosterone level and treat erectile dysfunction.

Pic: Tongkat Ali tree

Visitors can hike to Bukit Tongkat Ali via a 1 KM trail in the park. When you enter the park, just turn right and follow a small road that leads you to a small bridge and rest shelter. The trail starts at a paved path behind the shelter.

Though the trail is less than 1 KM, it is steep and tiring. The trail is paved with cement. It is supposed to be a good idea. However, the moss cover on the cement becomes so slippery that, after rain, the trail turns into a skating route. In some sections of the trail, I had to hug the hand rail to descend carefully.

Pic: the last shelter on top of Bukit Tongkat Ali (Height: 169 Meters).

I was told that Bukit Tongkat Ali was abundant with wild Tongkat Ali, but I only saw one or two. Probably some impotent visitors pluck it. I was also told that I could see Madai Hill from the top of Bukit Tongkat Ali, but such view was obstructed by dense trees.

Sorry to say, spending nearly 2 hours walking up and down Bukit Tongkat Ali is simply a waste of time.

Public Amenities

Madai Baturong Nature Center have some basic amenities in place for visitors.

Currently (as of Nov 2012), the canopy walk is closed for maintenance until further notice. Too bad, this 119-Meter long and 40-Meter high canopy walk, which is connected to three giant rainforest trees (Seraya Urat Mata, Oba Suluk and Merbau species), is a main attraction of the park, besides Madai Waterfall.

Pic: public toilet

The toilet is very clean and deserves MYR0.30 (≈USD0.10) per entry.

Pic: the Canteen (named Kantin Sri Baturong Madai) in the park

This canteen sells common food items such as fried rice and noodles, as well as cold and hot drink. It was closed for holiday during my visit.

Pic: there is another small food stall near the gate, but they are selling drink and light snack only.

Pic: (left) shower and changing room, (right) Muslim prayer rooms or Surau

Pic: ample parking space for 20 to 30 cars.

Their rest house is closed and the Exhibition Hall is not ready (as of Nov 2012). You still can camp in the park for a small fee (MYR3 for Malaysian, MYR5 for foreigner). I hope they will upgrade the facilities and amenities there ASAP to attract more tourists.

Wildlife

I heard hornbill near Madai Waterfall. At night, there are mouse deer wandering in the park too. The rangers mentioned a bird with a funny local name “Burung Kopi Susu” (Milk Coffee Bird). According to them, this is a small black bird with white stripes on its wings. This bird is common there and can be seen around 5pm. It sings very well, so people trap and trade them as pet. I wonder what bird it is. Magpie Robin?

Pic: Is Magpie Robin the “Milk Coffee Bird”?

How to Get There

Going to Madai-Baturong Forest Reserve Nature Center is easy but far. Madai Waterfall is 15 KM north of Kunak town and 71 KM southwest of Lahad Datu.

Pic: Madai-Baturong Nature Center is just next to the Lahad Datu↔Tawau highway.

By Bus: If you take Long-Distance Bus from Kota Kinabalu city to Kunak or Tawau, you can ask your bus driver to drop you right in front of the park, which is at the roadside (15 KM before Kunak). The bus fare is MYR50 (≈USD16.67) one way and the ride takes 8 hours.

By Flight: Take a 45-minute flight from Kota Kinabalu to Lahad Datu, then spend an hour on taxi to reach the park.

Below is the location map of the park:

View My Sabah Map in a larger map

For more information, you may contact Kunak Regional Forestry Office:
Address: P.O.Box No 2, 91207 Kunak, Sabah, Malaysia.
Tel: +60 89-851863

Photos taken in Kunak, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Imbak Canyon, the Green Canyon of Borneo

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Most tourists and researchers, who have visited Danum Valley or Maliau Basin, agree that Sabah has the best Borneo rainforests. Both forest reserves are so pristine that they would become our next UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You will be happy to know that Imbak Canyon, a Class-1 30,000-Ha Forest Reserve in the Heart of Sabah, is as high quality as them.

As seen in the map above, Imbak Canyon is a 3-KM-wide valley about 150 Meters above sea level (asl), flanked by ridges running parallel 25 KM from west to east, which are mainly sandstone cliffs with a height up to 1,500 Meters asl. This impressive landscape is formed by 750 Meters carving of the Sungai Imbak (Imbak River) over thousands of years. Though Imbak Canyon is not as majestic as Grand Canyon, it has dense forest that is over 100 million years old. It is a “Green Canyon”!

Pic: Imbak Canyon is just at the north of Maliau Basin.

Road Trip to Imbak Canyon

However, to get there, you need to drive nearly 300 KM for more than 6 hours from Kota Kinabalu (KK) to this remote forest. The 3.5-hour drive from KK to Telupid town is on paved road, the rest on gravel & muddy road, which can be steep and muddy. Probably that’s why it isn’t a popular destination for ordinary tourists.

Pic: the junction to Imbak Canyon at Tongod. This marks the start of our 3-hour bumpy ride.

Though Imbak Canyon is only accessible by 4-Wheel Drive (4WD), some loves this and call this an adventure. Trust me, this is the most “violent” ride that I ever followed. The feeling is like sitting on the wild horse that tries to throw you out of its back. Thrilling though.

The 4WD needs to be equipped with snorkel (to cross river), locker and jungle trekker tyres (with costs RM1,000 each). Besides, you need a skillful 4WD driver, not those middle-aged uncles who drive 4WD in city street. We are glad to have Gilbert, a North Borneo Safari driver to come with us. His 4WD is unstoppable and he also helped to pull out a few 4WDs stranded in mud during the course.

You can watch the following 2-min video of our 4WD trip:

Click Here for wider video

We stopped by Kampung Imbak (Imbak Village) in Tongod for a short break and buying supplies. This village is the last civilization on the way to Imbak Canyon.

Pic: funny signage that translated as “Attention. Please don’t drive too fast if you know the law. Be careful, this is village area, or else.” Probably the villagers are unhappy of the dust created by passing vehicles.

Pic: red BBQ chicken wing of Kg. Imbak. They apply coloring that looks like roasted pork (??).

Pic: grocery shop that sells chicken meat and seafood.

We continued our journey after shopping. About 13 KM before Imbak Canyon, we need to cross a wide river, which is the biggest obstacle. There is a bridge under construction. Once the bridge is complete in future, Imbak Canyon will be more ready for tourism.

Update (Nov 2012)!

The bridge is completed and can be used now. However, some may still prefer to cross the river for fun.

Luckily the river is not deep so our 4WDs can cross it without problem. Our trip was cancelled once, because this river was flooded during rainy season. Before the bridge is complete, if it rained, we would needed to wait 3 to 4 hours for the flood to subside before crossing.

In worst case, the water level can reach the window of 4WD.

The bumpy ride can freak out faint-hearted passengers. The trick is not to sit stiff and counter the momentum. Just relax your body and let your weight “stick” you to your seat like soft mud. You will find that your fat is so useful in this case.

We passed by oil palm plantation and saw some electric fences that prevent pygmy elephants from entering.

Finally, we arrive Tampoi Base Camp (or Tampoi Research Station) of Imbak Canyon at 12:30pm. Tampoi is the name of a Borneo fruit. We check-in at Tampoi Camp and have our lunch there. The forest and campsites of Imbak Canyon are managed by Yayasan Sabah Foundation.

Imbak Waterfall

After feeding our stomach, we proceeded to the most famous attraction of Imbak Canyon – the Imbak Waterfall. Imbak Waterfall is only 10 KM away from Tampoi Camp, but it took us more than an hour to get there, due to the steep and slippery road. We were told that we would need to walk, if there was any landslide or fallen tree blocking the way.

Pic: the entrance of Big Belian Camp (BBC Camp), where Imbak Waterfall is located. At the right is a wooden staircase to Imbak Waterfall. Our cars can park near the entrance, so it’s only a short walk to the waterfall, very convenient. The Kangkawat suspension bridge at the left leads you to the jungle trail.

Pic: the view of Imbak Waterfall from the viewing platform. Note the man is so small.

Pic: the front view of Imbak Waterfall and Imbak River. The water is in light tea color but it is very clean. The color is caused by the tannins leaching out from the plant growing in Imbak Canyon.

Imbak Waterfall is a must-see if you visit Imbak Canyon. I would say it is one of the most beautiful waterfalls of Sabah.

Imbak Canyon is an important water catchment area. This Imbak River is one of the sources of Kinabatangan, the longest river of Sabah. More than 30 species of amphibians and reptiles live in this river.

Imbak Waterfall is about 80 Meters in wide and 8 Meters in height. The photo above will give you an idea of its scale. It’s very slippery on top. My friend saw a Sambar Deer (largest deer of Sabah) there.

Pic: close-up of Imbak Waterfall

Look closely and you will see hundreds of cascading “miniature waterfalls” on the sandstone or mudstone layers of Imbak Waterfall, a very interesting feature. Yes, I took a bath at the waterfall. The water is so cooling and refreshing. I didn’t use soap b’coz I don’t want to pollute the river.

Pic: piles of sandstone and mudstone rocks next to Imbak Waterfall

Can you spot the man on the waterfall?

Besides Imbak Waterfall, there are other waterfalls such as Kuli Falls, Majau Falls and Pandan Falls in the canyon. Imbak Canyon is a mountainous region so there are many waterfalls to be discovered.

To see more of Imbak Waterfall, you may watch the 1.5-min video below:

Click Here for wider video

Forest of Imbak Canyon

Imbak Waterall is the most popular attraction of Imbak Canyon, but the real gem is the virgin forest there. In short, Imbak Canyon consists of two main vegetation, i.e., Lowland Dipterocarp Rainforest in the valley (Dipterocarp is the most important tree family of Borneo) and Montane Heath Forest (a.k.a. Kerangas, abundant with native orchids and endemic pitcher plants) on the ridges of higher altitude. Over 70% of the forest is unexplored.

Pic: a tree with huge buttress in BBC Camp. The ranger told me there is a tree with buttress that looks like crocodile in Kuli Camp.

There are a few forest trails in the canyon, ranging from 1 KM to 17 KM in distance, for those who want to do jungle trekking. Even though I stayed in Imbak Canyon for a day, I have seen or heard Serpent eagle, Helmeted hornbill and Gibbon. Many wildlife such as pygmy elephant, sambar deer, leopard, sun bear, mouse deer, orangutan, proboscis monkey and Sumatran rhinoceros also live here.

Pic: a dead tree with big hole that can house 3 to 4 people inside.

Tall trees such as Kapur and Keruing are common in the canyon, and Kapur Merah is the “iconic” tree of Imbak. To scientists, this virgin forest is a “botanical gene bank” where we can source for the seeds of rare and endangered plant species, which are considered high in pharmaceutical and biotechnological potential.

Like other primary rainforest, you can see a lot of fungus, mushroom and termite nest along the nature trails. They play an important ecological role in decomposing rotten dead wood/leaf, to recycle the organic nutrients.

Pic: a huge Ironwood (Belian) tree which is about 800 to 900 years old.

For birders, you will be pleased to know that over 200 bird species are found in Imbak. 5 of them are endemic to Borneo, namely, Borneon Bristlehead, Blue-headed Pitta, Black-throated Wren-Babbler, Borneon Blue Flycatcher and White-browed Shama.

Night walk here is fun as you may find vine snake and scorpion. But be careful of the hornet that is attracted by your torchlight, I was stung twice. It’s so painful that I thought it was snake bite.

Pic: a fully-fed Tiger Leech resting on a twig. It’s so fat and full that it ignored me.

Many are afraid of this blood sucker. Anyway, tiger leech is not a tiger, and its bite is not harmful, so no need to get panic if you see one on your skin. The presence of leech means the forest is healthy and full of wildlife (food source).

Pic: the leeches bypass my anti-leech socks and feast on my leg.

After the leeches are full and drop off my skin, they start to get horny and mate. I’m proud to say that my blood donation contributes to the birth of more baby leeches, haha..

Their mating process is so “intense”. You may watch 30-sec of them in video below:

Click Here for wider video

Tampoi Base Camp

Visitors can overnight in Tampoi Base Camp, which provides basic accommodation and facilities. A 3-day-2-night or longer stay is recommended. They also have camping ground for big student or researcher group. Though no mobile phone coverage, they have Wifi and public phone (i-Talk) in camp. For me, that’s really impressive for a campsite deep in the jungle.

Below is the location of Tampoi Camp and Imbak Waterfall:

View My Sabah Map in a larger map

Pic: Dining & Activity Hall of Tampoi Camp

You would see orangutan wandering around the camp in early morning.

Pic: accommodation of Tampoi Camp. It’s divided into male and female sections.

Pic: bunk beds with mosquito net.

It can be chilling at night, so it’s advisable to bring your sleeping bag for extra warmth. However, the night was warm during my stay. The electricity is cut off between 12am to 3am daily.

Pic: bathroom and toilet in Tampoi Camp

More Photos & Info

You can check out my photo album, to know more about what to expect in the trip. If you decide to visit Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA), you can book the tour with North Borneo Safari, the tour operator who is experienced in adventure tour and provides everything from 4WD transport, tour guide and meals in the tour.

Photos taken in Tongod, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Things to do in Telupid, the Heart of Sabah

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Telupid is a small town in the central of Sabah. I’ve stopped by Telupid for meals many times, when I was taking long-distance bus to East Coast. In the past, I didn’t care about Telupid, because it looked like another undeveloped remote area in Sabah. However, a few pioneers in tourism sector start to uncover the astonishing nature and historical values of Telupid in recent years.

Most tourists visit Kinabalu Park at the west and Kinabatangan at the east. The Heart of Sabah remains unexplored for decades.

Our State-Level Unduk Ngadau 2012 (Harvest Festival Queen), Melinda Louis, is also from Telupid. That makes me want to see her hometown too, hehe..

Though Telupid is not big, it has turned from a few shoplots to a scale of town over the years. It is a peaceful area surrounded by forested mountains. Probably Telupid is far from sea, it is hotter than Kota Kinabalu in sunny days. Below are a few activities that you can do nearby Telupid.

Microwave Hill (Bukit Microwave)

The sunrise and sunset views in Telupid are spectacular. The best location to see these is on the forest fire observation tower (Menara Api Jabatan Perhutanan Sabah) of Microwave Hill (Bukit Microwave), only 20 minutes by car from Telupid town.

Please note that this tower is locked and managed by Telupid Forestry Department. The tower is meant for monitoring forest fire and not for public access. You need to contact Telupid Forestry Department (Tel: +60 89 521743) during office hours to get the permission to access.

The Microwave Hill is about 422 Meters above sea level and the observation tower is about 20 Meters in height. It takes quite a bit of effort to climb up there.

Pic: a nerve-wracking view for height phobia
Don’t worry, the tower is made of steel and concrete, rock solid enough to support 10 people.

Pic: I saw a poisonous green viper on the tower. It’s a myth how and why it got there. It is locally known as “Ular Kapak” (Axe Snake), a deadly snake.

You can get a breathe-taking view of mountain, forest, river, plantation and Telupid town on the tower. However, if you come in early morning, the surrounding might be too misty for you to see anything.

Pic: misty Ultramafic forest of Tawai in the morning.
Enjoy the view. Sabah has more forest than you think.

The reason this hill is named Microwave Hill is because there are a few telecommunication towers here. 3G broadband is available for Celcom and Maxis network subscribers.

Photos of Telupid during sunset:

Pic: thunderstorm approaching Telupid

Pic: rain in Telupid

Pic: sunset at Telupid

Meliau River (Sungai Meliau), the Cleanest River of Sabah

The Tawai forest near Telupid is a protected water catchment area free of pollution, and the clean mountain streams flow into Meliau River (Sungai Meliau).

Last week I followed the tour organized by North Borneo Safari to get wet in the cleanest river of Sabah. The starting point is only 10 minute drive from Telupid town.

Pic: briefing before the river walk. You can see two photographers at the right busy looking for pitcher plant, which is abundant on the slope.

Pic: Mirwan our guide found a Nepenthes.

Pic: a big Nepenthes rafflesiana. Pitcher plant is everywhere around this area due to the infertile ultramafic soil.

Pic: a heart-shaped pitcher plant. Be careful when handling pitcher plant, its lid (cover) is very fragile.

At this point, you may think this place has no big deal. However, foreigners appreciate this pristine river earlier than we do. The Meliau River is chosen as one of the filming sites for Danish reality show titled “Girls Off The Beaten Track” and broadcasted by Tv2, Denmark’s biggest television network. Basically, 7 spoiled high school Danish girls were sent to this area to test their jungle survival skills, something far beyond their comfort zone.

Pic: river walk along Meliau River
If I’m an advertiser, I’ll surely pick this river for any mineral water ad, as it’s sooooo…… clean.

Pic: crossing the river
Everyone didn’t really want to get wet first. After soaking our body in the cooling water during hot day, we felt great about it and minding no more. The river can be up to 1 Meter in depth, so bring a waterproof bag for your stuffs.

We had a bit of fun at the “No Name” waterfall near to the river. From the smiles of those ladies, you know they enjoy it.

The emerald-color is the sign of clean river, unlike the milk tea color of other Sabah rivers.

I feel the urge to drink the water right away.

Pic: this shot is perfect if they are in bikini
They say there are small fishes biting them.

Pic: SPLASH!!! An ad by Spritzer LOL.

What? Call me for another date at this river?

After the refreshing shower, we walked back to starting point.

The next best thing – cold drink after cooling ourselves in river. You may contact North Borneo Safari at www.northborneosafari.com for a river tour.

Below is the location map of all the places I mention:

View My Sabah Map in a larger map

Other Activities

Above are leisure activities that you can do nearby Telupid town. If you want an adventure, you may try the following:

1. Tawai Waterfall

Visit the 95-Meter Tawai Waterfall and ultramafic forest in Tawai Forest Reserve. Click Here for more info.

2. Death March

Walking the trail used by World War II Prisoner-of-War in Bukit Taviu Forest Reserve. Over 2,000 Australian and British soldiers died in Death March. Contact TYK Adventures Tours for details.

3. Center of Sabah

Visit the exact Center of Sabah mapped by GPS. The point is located in forest reserve of Tongod, so you need to get a permit to enter. Click Here for more info

4. Climbing Mt. Tawai

Take a 5-hour hike from the base of Meliau River to the peak of Mt. Tawai (1,273 Meters). So far I haven’t heard anyone has tried this.

More Photos

You may check out my photo album if you want to see more nice pictures:

Photos taken in Telupid, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Gigantic Tawai Waterfall in Telupid, the Heart of Sabah

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I love waterfall and I couldn’t wait to see the 95-Meter tall Tawai Waterfall, the biggest waterfall in the Heart of Sabah, after my friend told me about it. Tawai Waterfall is located inside the 22,697-ha Tawai Forest Reserve, a 1st-class protected forest managed by Telupid Forestry Department. You must apply a permit from Sabah Forestry Department HQ before entering this protected area.

To reach this destination, first I needed to drive 200 KM from Kota Kinabalu city to Telupid town, which took me about 4 hours driving on a paved road. There is no gasoline station after Ranau, so make sure you fill up your oil tank. To go to Tawai Waterfall from Telupid, you need 4-wheel drive, as it is only accessible via gravel and muddy road.

Luckily it was weekday and the forestry officers also planned to collect seedling and patrol in Tawai forest, so I just followed their vehicle. Otherwise I had to pay nearly RM1,000 to charter a 4WD and guide. The journey is nearly 3 hours one way and part of the road is steep and muddy. We departed in the morning so we could get back before dark.

Our 4WD crossed 3 rivers easily, as they are not deep during dry season. According to the forestry staffs, the old route to Tawai Waterfall took less than an hour, but a bridge was collapsed and they waited for the fund to repair it. Therefore, we had to take the alternative longer route, like a big U-turn, to enter the place from behind.

I had travelled to almost every corner of Sabah, so nothing in Sabah is really new to me. However, during this long ride, I found that I was in a totally strange environment. The vegetation is so different and the “rusty” soil is reddish in color, so I joked to others, “Are we on Mars planet now?”

The forest is blanketed by ferns and dominated by shrubs shorter than 10 Meters, with low number of tall trees scattered around. They told me these are the characteristics of Ultramafic Forest. More on this topic later.

The new and long route passed through other forest reserves such as Deramakot, Tangkulap and Pinangah. Tawai forest is somewhat connected to Kinabatangan, the wildlife sanctuary in Sandakan, so we saw many fresh elephant dropping along our way. I saw a big wild boar and another car spotted a king cobra. The ranger says orangutan also exists in Tawai, I’m so happy to know that.

Pic: starting point of the walk to Tawai Waterfall.

Finally we reached the starting point of the walk before noon. We parked our cars there and walked to the waterfall. I could hear that it is very near and hidden behind the dense wood.

Once I stepped out of my car, my eyes and camera were getting very busy, because I was dearly amazed by what I saw.

Pitcher Plant Garden

There are pitcher plant (Nepenthes) everywhere! They grow among the dense fern plant, on the ground and shrubs.

Every step I took, I saw a new pitcher plant, so I kept stopping and taking photos while the rest had to wait for me. That’s so crazy.

Tawai also has very high density of nepenthes like the heath forest (Kerangas) of Maliau Basin, but both sites have different variety.

In a few minutes, I saw Nepenthes rafflesiana, Nepenthes ampullaria, Nepenthes gracilis, and other probable hybrids. Next time I want to camp here to see more!

Hello… Tawai Waterfall!

Though I was so obsessed with the pitcher plant, I had to catch up with the rest to Tawai Waterfall.

At first, we went to see the top of Tawai Waterfall.

The walk to the top of Tawai Waterfall is only 5 minutes away. There is a shelter near the waterfall.

There is another smaller waterfall (Meliau Waterfall) about 1-hour trekking from here, but we were short of time (and energy) to explore it. Actually Forestry department calls Tawai as Waterfall A and Meliau as Waterfall B.

What I saw was just a river flew to a cliff. From this location, you can’t see the end and tell that it’s a huge waterfall ahead. The edge is so steep and dangerous to explore.

After the “sneak peek”, we took another 300-Meter trail that descends 70 Meters to a viewing point where we could see the whole waterfall.

The climb only takes 20 minutes, but the trail is very steep with uneven surface. I can’t make it without the rope support. The rangers warned me that the rope is nearly 10 years old and it might snap. We just proceeded slowly and cautiously. Luckily the rope is still very strong.

The rope is so old that, over time it slowly embedded into the tree that it lean against, as if someone drills a hole on the tree to install the rope railing. Once the budget is available, they want to build proper facilities such as stairway and toilet for visitors. For now, it is not ready for normal tourists.

Tawai Waterfall in the view. See how small the people are?

So here is the moment, the gigantic Tawai Waterfall right in front of my eyes!

The splash is so strong that it creates a rainbow.

Tons of unpolluted water flowing through pristine forest, what a view! You can watch the 1-min video below to get a feel of it:

Click Here to watch wider video

Pic: Mr. Ismailey, the Telupid District Forestry Officer, with the Tawai Waterfall.

Mr. Ismailey is a nice and adventurous gentleman. He has a vision to turn Tawai into a new nature attraction. Thank you for sharing the beauty of Tawai with me. I also want to thank other Sabah forestry staffs, Bonaventure, Matthew, Micheal, James, Awang and Mohammad for their hospitality. Thank you Datuk Sam (Director of Sabah Forestry Department) for the permit.

Below is the location map of Tawai Waterfall:

View My Sabah Map in a larger map

Ultramafic Forest

Ok, now come back to Ultramafic Forest. After the visit, I think the ultramafic forest is more significant than the waterfall. We can find bigger waterfalls all over the world, but our ultramafic forest is more unique and one of the least studied terrestrial ecosystems in Borneo.

Ultramafic rocks are formed at very high temperatures and pressures in the absence of water, during the process of upwelling of magma and the cooling of the oceanic crust. The soils of ultramafic zone contain magnesium, chromium, cobalt and nickel, which are toxic to most plant and infertile for agricultural purposes. That explains why pitcher plant, which grows well on soils poor of nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium and calcium, flourishes here.

The ultramafic forest occupies about 3,500 Sq. KM, or 4.6 % of the total land area of Sabah. As a result of the soil conditions, the trees in ultramafic forest are relatively shorter than rainforest. The lack of tall timbers allows this forest gets away from logging, and over 60% of the Tawai Forest Reserve in Telupid is still in pristine condition.

Only certain plant species adapt to such soil. 11 unique plants that are endemic to the ultramafic areas are found in Tawai Forest Reserve, and five are recorded only from Tawai and nowhere else in the world.

The ultramafic forest of Tawai can be sub-divided to Lowland Ultramafic Forest (23%), Upland Ultramafic Forest (49%), Lower Montane Ultramafic Forest (5%) and Ultramafic Heath Forest. This may sound meaningless to you, but it is an exciting playground for naturalists and researchers who love to see unique vegetation of Borneo.

Pic: Sembilu, is endemic to Borneo and abundant in Tawai.

Besides the special forest, more than 100 bird species are found in Tawai and bird watchers have started exploring this area and hope to rediscover birds not documented in Sabah. 26 mammals such as wild boars, barking deer (payau), mouse deer, Red leaf monkeys, clouded leopards and gibbons live in Tawai.

I’m glad that Sabah Forestry Department has gazetted Tawai Forest Reserve as protected forest. Otherwise it would have been engulfed by oil palm plantation.

To visit Tawai Forest Reserve, you need to get a permit from Sabah Forestry Department. The tourist infrastructure there is not ready and they are limiting access to this forest, to avoid any damage caused by recreational activities. In other words, no guarantee they will grant you the entry.

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Photos taken in Telupid, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Kiansom Waterall Park

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Kiansom (or Kionsom) is a familiar picnic spot to people of Kota Kinabalu (KK). I call Kiansom a “Waterfall Park” because it has 7 waterfalls! This recreational park is only 20 KM away from KK and highly accessible by paved road. Kiansom is known as “??” in Chinese and sometimes misspelled as “Kionsam”.

When you reach the big roundabout of Inanam town, just turn to the junction where you will pass by Yick Nam SJK (C) School, and follow the main road. You will see village houses and Mari-Mari Cultural Village on the way. After 10 minutes, you will see Kiansom Waterfall Centre (Pusat Air Terjun Kiansom) at the end of the road. See the map below:

View My Sabah Map in a larger map

Above: ticket counter & entrance of Kiansom
Once you step out of your car, you will sense the fresh air packed with negative ions. Kiansom Park is at the foot of hilly terrain covered with lush forest and next to Kiansom River. The entrance fee for adult is only RM1.50 (USD0.45), RM0.50 (USD0.15) for child. The opening hours are:
Mon – Fri: 6am – 5pm
Sat – Sun: 6am – 6pm

Important: there are a lot of mosquitoes in Kiansom. Do bring Mosquito Repellent with you.

First 3 Waterfalls

You can see 3 waterfalls of Kiansom in less than 10 minutes. FYI, there is no lifeguard in Kiansom, so you swim at your own risk.

At the right of the entrance is cement walkway that leads you to first 3 waterfalls of Kiansom, where 90% of the visitors congregate for picnic and swimming.

Above: the first Kiansom Waterfall. It’s so small..

The small pond of 1st waterfall. The water is not too deep, so most parents bring their kids swimming here.

Above: a bit further upstream is the 2nd Kiansom Waterfall, not very big either..
The water here is deep and is known for drowning people occassionally. Many fearless youngsters like to jump into this pond from top.

Above: 3rd Kiansom Waterfall
At the end of cement walkway, just walk forward a few Meters on the rock surface and you will find the 3rd waterfall. To me, this so-called waterfall looks more like a stream flowing on a slope. I’m not impressed.

You see nobody in my photos b’coz I came here early morning. This place is crowded in afternoon, especially on weekends and holiday, as most visitors are students and family group. If you want quiet place with bigger waterfalls, you can enter the jungle.

Jungle Trail to Bigger Waterfalls

Not far from the park entrance, there is a hilly trail at the left that leads you further upstream for bigger waterfalls. The route is not so inviting and the trail is mostly steep and uphill path. Be careful when you walk on boulders as they can be VERY slippery. The trail is obvious but there is no signage at all. Forest leeches may present in wet season, but they are tiny brown leeches and small in number.

I didn’t feel really warm during jungle trekking b’coz the trail is next to the Kiansom River. There are quite a number of waterfalls and ponds along this cascading river. The water looks so clean and fresh that I was tempted to take a dip (and let those at downstream enjoying my bath water LOL).

I was not alone in the river. I can see many tadpoles and sucker fishes in the water. The Black-spotted rock frog (see photo above) is quite common here.

Flora of Kiansom

Since I was walking on jungle trail, I saw some flowers and fruits along the way. Like the “red-nosed” flower above.

The flowers are quite small in the wood. Can you name them?

Above: unknown blue fruit

Above: Poisonous Plant!!!
Then I saw a very interesting tree next to the river. It has pink flowers and translucent fruits, so cute… The fruits are above my head, so I grabbed their hairy stems to pull down for a closer look. A few seconds later, my fingers felt like being poked by many needles continuously, really hurt… the nasty pain lasted for over 10 minutes then subsided gradually, but the tingling sensation remained for hours. I used sticky plaster to stamp on my fingers to pull the venomous hairs out of my skin and that really worked.

Tallest Kiansom Waterfall

After 15 minutes on the trail, I saw a big waterfall far below. That must be the tallest waterfall of Kiansom. Climbing downhill to this waterfall is quite dangerous as it is steep (more than 50° inclination).

Anyway, I struggled climbing down 30 Meters for 10 minutes and reached the waterfall finally.

This waterfall is over 20 feet high, though it looks small in photos.

There is a smaller waterfall downstream that makes a lovely shot with the big waterfall behind.

You can click photo above for bigger picture. The cliff of this waterfall has very interesting rock face.

Another close-up shot.

You can watch this waterfall in 40-sec video below:

Click Here for wider video

Other Waterfalls

Below are a few other waterfalls that I saw along this 1-KM jungle trail.

Above: 4th waterfall

Above: 6th waterfall (5th is the tallest)

Above: 7th and last waterfall of Kiansom.

Warning: Everyone loves waterfall and can’t wait to dash into it when they see one. However, waterfall is a beautiful death trap even for experienced swimmers. Be extra cautious not to swim right under waterfall, as the water can be deep and swift. The falling rock from top can cause serious injury too. Stay away from waterfall during heavy rain, due to possible occurrence of flash flood. A small boy was washed away by flood here in 2010.

Fauna of Kiansom

The jungle trail is flanked by dense wood and shrubs, and you can spot interesting bugs among them. The variety is not as good as primary forest, but you still can find cool creatures.

Mantis and Stick Insect.

Millipede that mimicking Centipede.

Pill millipede from forest floor

Note the mating Stalk-eyed Flies at the right in photo above. The wider the eyestalks of the males, the sexier they look to females hence better chance to mate.

Above: a swallowtail butterfly caterpillar (species: Papilio polytes) tries to look less tasty with its bird dropping appearance.

I saw Rajah Brooke Birdwing Butterfly and Green Tree Lizard, but they fled before I took picture.

Facilities of Kiansom

Kiansom Park is open for everyone and it has basic public facilities. However, they don’t seem to have electricity supply.

Kiansom Park has a public toilets (male & female). It’s only RM0.20 per entry, RM0.50 if you take a shower.

The toilet is reasonably clean, but the floor is always wet. No toilet paper is provided so you need to bring your own.

There are a few small stalls that sell drink and snacks in the park. They usually open after 8am during weekends. Food stalls that sell simple food such as burgers and Nasi Lemak (rice with anchovy fishes) are open after 9am during weekends.

Kiansom is important as it is the nearest place where KK folks can enjoy waterfalls and nature view. However, the rubbish is such an eyesore to those who come here to enjoy the clean air and water. Sabah has the most beautiful nature in Malaysia, but we also have the most Litter Bugs in Malaysia. I also saw many candy wrappers and mineral water bottles along the jungle trail. I believe most garbage are from school kids. What did your schools teach you huh? Do they fill your brain with junk? Throwing rubbish is an act of low life. Keep our environment clean and don’t be “kurang ajar” (lack of upbringing).

Photos taken in Inanam, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Waterfalls of Poring

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How does it feel to stand in front of the majestic 120-Meter Langanan Waterfall in Poring? Langanan Waterfall is one of the tallest waterfalls in Sabah. On the way to this huge waterfall, you will pass by the smaller Kipungit Waterfall and a bat cave, and enjoy nearly 4 Kilometers of nature trail in rainforest. Below is a walk-through for you.

Above: this is the signage at park entrance and where you start your jungle trekking.
As you can see, your first stop Kipungit Waterfall is only 665 Meters away. Please register at the Ticket Counter before you go to Langanan Waterfall.

Kipungit Waterfall

Just follow the path and you will reach Kipungit Recreation Area after 20 minutes. It’s only a relaxing short walk and you are not really in a forest yet.

You would see some tourists playing with water near the Kipungit Waterfall. This is an area for picnic and swimming, and there are a toilet and camping ground nearby. As you are near the river and under the tree shade, the air is more cooling and refreshing.

Kipungit is the most accessible waterfall of Poring. I saw a few girls soaking their feet in calm water, giggling and pull their feet out of water. I tried to do the same and saw many tiny fishes nibble the skin of my feet. Kind of fun, haha.

With a height of only 10 or 12 Meters, Kipungit is nothing if compared to the 120-Meter gigantic Langanan Waterfall. Most tourists are happy with this little waterfall, but I decide to see the bigger Langanan 3.3 KM away.

You may watch the following 40-sec video of Kipungit Waterfall:

One of the birds you would see here is White-crowned shama (see photo above), which is endemic to Borneo and considered as the best singer of rainforest. You could see a dozen of them around the park in early morning. The surrounding rainforest of Poring has over 300 bird species and great for bird watching. Personally I had seen Asian Fairy-bluebird, Yellow-rumped flowerpecker (endemic) and a few types of bulbuls in Poring. Prevost’s Squirrel is also common here.

You will see the signage to Langanan Waterfall near Kipungit Waterfall. At normal walking pace, most people can reach Langanan Waterfall in 2 hours. Before you go, you should have registered first at the Ticket Counter. For safety reason, the Park won’t allow you to go to Langanan Waterfall after 2pm. Do bring water (600-1,000ML), raincoat and snacks (e.g. chocolate, cereal food bar) with you. There are leeches on the jungle trail, so you better put on your anti-leech socks.

After this point, you enter the rainforest and the surrounding won’t be tourist-friendly. The jungle trail to Langanan is quite steep in the first half. Poring is about 400-500 Meters above sea level, and the forest is mainly lowland rainforest and mixed dipterocarp hill forest, characterized by tall and dense tropical trees (20 to 70 Meters high), warm and humid air, and abundant liana and strangler fig tree.

Bat Cave (Gua Kelawar)

After walking for 360 Meters, you will see Bat Cave next to the trail.

There is a broken warning notice sign reads “Visitors are not encouraging to enter the cave” (the grammar sounds funny).

Actually the cave is a deep crevice formed by a few huge boulders that stacked together. The dark and humid space in the cave becomes the ideal roosting spot for bats. You can smell guano from outside.

I tried to go deeper inside the cave. The rock surface is covered with green moss and very slippery, so I don’t recommend you to go in.

There are hundred of bats clinging on the rock wall. The smell of guano was getting stronger so I only stayed shortly.

To see what’s inside Bat Cave, you may watch the 1min-27sec video below:

Rainforest of Poring

I continued my jungle trekking after visiting Bat Cave. The first 1.5 KM of the trail is steepness with 20� to 40� of inclination, like climbing a hill. There is no boardwalk, hand-rail and shelter hut. Part of the trail turned muddy after rain.

You can see some bug along the forested trail, like the 9-inch long millipede above.

I played with a pill millipede that foraged on forest floor.

You can watch the 46-sec video below to see why it is called “Pill” Millipede:

Strangler fig tree is a common sight in Poring rainforest. The host tree is killed by parasitic strangler fig tree that wrap around it.

There is a small stream to cross. The water is shallow with some rocks above water, I can walk on them to cross the river without getting wet.

I saw many burrows on the exposed soil of the slopes. I think they are belong to hornet or wolf spider.

Animal dropping next to a water hole, probably belong to small mammal such as civet.

Shed skin of cicada, can be used as cooling agent for Chinese medicine.

Above: daddy longlegs (harvestmen spider) are everywhere.

Surprisingly, I only saw 3 leeches, far less than I expected. Probably the Park clear the trail twice a month, and leech dislikes ground surface that has no grass and foliage. The buzzing deer flies are more of a concern. They cut a small wound on your skin to suck your blood. The bite will become very itchy for next few days.

Langanan Waterfall

The milestones along the trail have worn out and I had no idea how far I walked. On the way, I saw 2 groups of high school students and 1 group of tourists returning from Langanan. I was dismayed by their answers “the waterfall is still very far away” when I checked my progress with them. 🙁

Anyway, I just kept walking and felt relief to see the signage above. Though I was only half-way there, the trail is not steep anymore from this point on and there are more descending trail.

After long hours of jungle trekking, I heard the thundering sound of Langanan Waterfall not far away. I speed up and finally I reached Langanan Waterfall!!!

This 120-Meter Langanan Waterfall is the tallest waterfall that I’ve ever seen. Before that, the tallest fall I saw was the 38-Meter Takob-Akob Waterfall in Maliau Basin. The huge water volume creates a micro-climate, it was windy there and I was shower by the droplets from splashing water high above.

It’s such a rewarding experience. This huge waterfall really worth my long hours of hiking.

You may watch the 1-min video of Langanan Waterfall below:

Btw, before you leave the Park, don’t forget to sign-off at Ticket Counter to inform the Park that you are back from Langanan safely. Otherwise they will send a search and rescue team to look for you.

More Photos

You may check out my photo album on Poring rainforest for more nice pictures:

Other articles about Poring Hot Springs Park:

Photos taken in Poring, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Tambunan, Switzerland of the East

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You may check out my photo album if you want to see more nice pictures:

Photos taken in Tambunan, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Crocker Range Park (part 2 of 4)

Continued from Part 1…

Crocker Range Park is one of the most important national parks of Sabah, due to its rich biodiversity and ecology values. About 500 plant species (1/3 of Borneo’s species), 107 mammal, 67 amphibian, 52 reptile and 26 species of freshwater fishes are found in this Park. There are two nature trails in the Park.

Please refer to the layout map below for the location of both trails:

Crocker Trail (2.036 KM)

Nature lovers should talk a walk in the 2.036-Kilometer Crocker Range. The starting point is just next to the Administration Office. It’s quite a leisure jungle trekking for less than 3 hours and ends at a point which is 500 Meters from accommodation area (hostels/chalets). You also can start the trekking from opposite direction (i.e. from ending to starting point).

The trail is a nature route but in fairly good condition, so you won’t lose your way. The terrain is not challenging though there are a few mildly steep path.

In the begining of the trail is a waterfall and small stream.

There is a signage in every 100 Meters. You should bring raincoat, insect repellent and a bottle of water with you. There might be forest leeches around in wet season, so you may put on your leech socks. It was very dry during my visit, so I didn’t see any leech.

The first half of the trail is inside old secondary forest, which was used to be a plantation, so you will see rubber, bamboo and banana trees.

Then you will come to the zone between secondary and primary rainforests. At night, if you are lucky, you would see wildlife such as sambar deer, sun bear, barking deer, mouse deers, wild boar or civets around this area. In daytime, I’m afraid you won’t see any big animal. I only saw a few birds, squirrels and treeshrews. You can pay attention to the shrubs along the trail, you might spot some interesting insects and plant.

Above: the moult skin of cicada. Cicada spends 12 to 13 years underground. If your child is as old as this cicada, he is in high school already.

Above: At 1,150th Meter, about halfway of the trail, there is a shelter for you to rest.

Above: the ending point of the Crocker trail. Just follow the gravel road and you will see your accommodation in 10 minutes. To be honest, this trail is less impressive than other forest trails I try in other national parks. But in night time, this trail offers so much to see. Read the next article to find out.

Pine Trail

The second trail, which I don’t recommend, is the Pine Trail near the ticket counter (refer to map for location). It is very poorly maintained and look more like an abandoned trail.

The dense pine woods look so beautiful from a distance. That’s why I decide to check out the Pine Trail. The pine trees were planted by the previous land owner. The Sabah Parks staff did advise me that the pine trail is in less than ideal condition and he doesn’t encourage me to explore.

The 1st 150 Meters walk to the Rusa Shelter (Pondok Rusa) is quite ok. I had a good opening view of Crocker Range and Keningau valley from the shelter.

Driven by curiosity, I proceed deeper to the pine trail, where the trail condition gets quite uninviting. The trail was almost unrecognizable and covered by long grass and dense shrubs, and some parts are so narrow. I feel very uncomfortable walking on grass stack with shrubs so near to me, coz that’s where the snakes like to lurk. Though I was hesitating, I was still moving in and I had no idea where is the end.

You also need to be very careful not to trip and fall on the sharp incisions of Acasia shrubs. Such “trap” is everywhere on the trail.

Above: the needle-like pine leaves
It took me more than 30 minutes to reach the pine tree area.

The trail disappears, so I assume I have reached the ending point.

You may watch the 1-min video of pine trail below:

Click Here to see bigger video

Above: anyone can read what is written on the signage?

Here I am, under the pine trees and surrounded by dense undergrowth. But what’s the point? What am I doing here?

Well, there are a lot of pine fruits on the ground. Someone like to collect this, but not me. Now you know what is the pine trail about.

On the way back to my cabin, I passed by a soccer field, which is worth a mention here.

Soccer Field

The football/soccer field is quite near the camping ground. The Sabah Parks guides tell me that I can see deers playing soccer here at night. Just kidding.

Yes, you can see Sambar Deers (Payau) and Barking Deers (Kijang) wandering in this field at night. Sabah Parks is trying to plant fruit and food crop to attract more deers. In future, they will open a new “Deer Trail” as a new attraction for deer sighting.

If you walk around, you would see deer dropping on the field, an evidence of their visit.

Observatory Tower

Another point of interest you should check out is the 20-Meter observatory tower next to the restaurant in Crocker Range Park. It is just a stone throw from the Crocker Nature Center.

Above: the restaurant (Cinnamon Cafe) next to the tower, opens from 8am to 9pm daily.

Above: having dinner in Cinnamon Cafe

Above: Cinnamon Cafe doesn’t have many choices of food but it tastes ok.

The notice says the tower only allows a maximum of 8 visitors at a time and use it at your own risk.

The structure of the tower is mainly steel and very solid.

You may watch the 2-min video of observatory tower below:

Click Here to see bigger video

The feature of this tower is – you can get a very nice view of Keningau town from the top. I took the following photos on the tower. You can see the Juta Hotel clearly, the highest building of Keningau.

Above: Keningau in daytime

Above: sunrise of Keningau

Above: Keningau after sunset

Click Here for Next Article (part 3)

More Photos

You may check out the photo album of Crocker Range Park for more nice pictures:

All Articles

Part 1: Crocker Nature Center, Insectarium, Fern Garden & Rafflesia Plot
Part 2: Crocker Trail, Pine Trail & Observatory Tower (this article)
Part 3: Night Walk
Part 4: Accommodation in the Park

Photos taken in Keningau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo