{"id":100,"date":"2021-05-16T00:21:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-15T16:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mysabah.com\/wordpress\/?p=100"},"modified":"2021-05-17T09:36:57","modified_gmt":"2021-05-17T01:36:57","slug":"bukit-nuluh-lapai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mysabah.com\/wordpress\/bukit-nuluh-lapai\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazing Sunrise at Nuluh Lapai Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You are a lucky one if you wake up every morning excited about going to work. Well I can’t offer you a dream job, but I can share a gorgeous sunrise view that is worth waking up for. Make an appointment with Nuluh Lapai, a small hill of only 186 Meters (610 ft) high<\/strong> in Tuaran. In Sabah native language, Nuluh means hill, and Lapai means going up and down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Misty<\/a>
Misty forest of Tuaran in the morning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nuluh Lapai is easy to hike, the only difficulty is to get off your bed early in the morning, before sun does. As Nuluh Lapai viewpoint is facing the morning sun, everything in front of you will be painted golden by sun ray during sunrise. For now, only some locals and photographers know about Nuluh Lapai, so it is not a tourist attraction yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The sunrise view of Mount Kinabalu from Nuluh Lapai hilltop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

(Note: some articles say Nuluh Lapai is 1,164 Meters (3,819 ft) in height. That’s definitely incorrect. No normal human can conquer a 1,000-Meter peak in 30 minutes.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Group
Fun hike to Nuluh Lapai with friends. The guy in red shirt is me. (Photo by Chin Lee Ling)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Best Time for Sunrise Viewing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Tuaran district, sunrise begins between 5:58am and 6:32am<\/strong>. You can find out the exact time of sunrise in this web site<\/a> or your favorite weather forecast apps. 30 minutes before the sunrise, the horizon already starts to light up, so you are better be there as early as possible so you won’t miss the beginning of the magic moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The rolling hills near Mount Kinabalu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nuluh Lapai is a 32-minute drive away from Kota Kinabalu City (KK), and you need about 30 to 40 minutes to hike to the peak<\/strong>. To catch the sunrise (assume it starts at 6am), you have to depart from KK before 5am, reach Nuluh Lapai entrance by 5:30am, then walk up to the peak for another 30 minutes. For those who don’t want to work out or wake up too early, Mengkabong Bridge<\/a>, which is only 3.8 KM away from Nuluh Lapai, is an alternative spot for a breathtaking sunrise view (no hiking required).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Group<\/a>
Group photo with tyre landmark of Nuluh Lapai (Photo by Chin Lee Ling)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClimb up on some hill at sunrise. Everybody needs perspective once in a while, and you\u2019ll find it there.\u201d \u2013 Robb Sagendorph<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Trails<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Depend on your fitness, it takes about 30 to 40 minutes to reach the top of Nuluh Lapai<\/strong>. There are two jungle trails lead to the peak:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Short Trail<\/strong> at the left, only 980 Meters, shorter but steeper<\/li>
  2. Long Trail<\/strong> at the right (behind the hut), 1.2 Kilometers, farther but easier<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"Trail<\/a>
    Trail mark of Nuluh Lapai. Left is the short but steep route (980 Meters), right is the long and easy route (1.2 Kilometer)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    You can have more fun exploring by doing loop trail, i.e. ascend and descend via different trail. The trail is narrow soil path flanked by dense shrubs, trees, and fern. You will pass by some rubber and fruit trees and hear loud 3D surround sound by cicada. There are more morning hikers during weekends if you need more people around to feel safe. No leech (pacat<\/em>) is present in the trails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"The<\/a>
    The hiking trail of Nuluh Lapai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    The steep sections are just tiring instead of challenging. The overall feeling is like climbing the staircase of a 30-floor building, but with flat ground in between. A pair of good hiking shoes will help. You will sweat a lot so carry a bottle of drinking water with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"The<\/a>
    The peak of Nuluh Lapai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    LED Headlamp or torchlight is a must for the sunrise hike in the dark. Hands-free headlamp is convenient but the light would attract bugs flying to your face and mouth. You would need insect repellent, as mosquitoes are active during dawn. The walk-through video below will show you everything in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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