{"id":94,"date":"2020-12-19T00:12:25","date_gmt":"2020-12-18T16:12:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mysabah.com\/wordpress\/?p=94"},"modified":"2024-05-13T20:48:54","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T12:48:54","slug":"sugud-stargazing-kota-kinabalu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mysabah.com\/wordpress\/sugud-stargazing-kota-kinabalu\/","title":{"rendered":"Sugud, the stargazing spot nearest to Kota Kinabalu City"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Starry sky and firefly aren’t part of the childhood of younger generation in Sabah. We can’t relate when our grandparents tell us about the beautiful night of their home villages. Though Sabahans are really proud of their stunning sunset<\/a>, nobody from Kota Kinabalu City (KK) would stare at the sky after dusk. Because they would only see cloud, faked stars (satellites) and a handful of dim stars. The stars never leave us, they are just blinded by the city light.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Looking<\/a>
\u201cGood friends are like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there.\u201d \u2015 Christy Evans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What if I tell that you can see the starry sky close to KK? It’s in Sugud of Penampang district and highly accessible by paved road. The stargazing spot is only 27 Kilometres from KK and takes 40 minutes drive one way. This is so convenient because most stargazing sites are more than 100 Km away from cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Stargazing<\/a>
The magical moment with the stars at Sugud<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This location is just an open space near Kampung Timpangoh Laut (Kampung means Village) in Sugud and has no name and address. Local stargazers just call it Sugud Milky Way Plain<\/strong> (I’ll just call it Sugud in this article). There is no street light and residential house there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"An<\/a>
An abandoned lorry at Sugud covered by crawler vines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sugud is 352 Metres (1,155 feet) above sea level<\/strong>, so it’s a bit cooling at night. Besides the starry sky, you can see KK city at the west too. In the dark from Sugud, you can see that KK is engulfed by a large “light dome” that can even illuminates the cloud. Due to the light pollution, everyone inside that dome can’t see many stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Photo<\/a>
A dozer at Sugud becomes a prop for photo shooting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once your eyes adapted to the darkness in Sugud, you will find the “childhood companions” of your grandparents high up. Then you understand why their favourite nighttime activity in old day is sky-watching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Starry
Starry sky of Sugud. Photo taken in May 2024.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The site has nothing (no toilet!) except a small hut and an abandoned lorry. You would find a dozer there. Seem like someone is trying to clear this area to build something. Hope it’ll be a camping ground or lodge that is catered for stargazing. It only takes one lamp post to destroy this special spot.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"A<\/a>
A dead tree with beautiful branches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

You can sit around and chill, enjoy the breeze, contemplating the stars or KK city light. And you should take some photos with the stars. The photos that I show here are not taken during the best time, but still there are plenty of stars. The best months for stargazing in Sabah are between March and September, when the brightest part of Milky Way appears.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"City<\/a>
City light of Kota Kinabalu City. The excessive light spills everywhere and even reach the cloud.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You might be interested in exploring the place but avoid stepping into the grass area (near lorry). I was bitten by a leech last time. I’m more concern about snakes. Frogs like to hide in the grass after rain and they attract snake. Anyway, you will be totally safe if you stay on the exposed soil ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Looking<\/a>
Staring Into the Unknown. The light from KK is visible at the right.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the stars can be a life-changing skill. In the past, sailors used stars for navigation, and the king would believe every bullshit a prophet said if he claimed he could read the stars to predict the future. Even nowadays, horoscope guru can make good money, and we have Nobel prize winners who prove the existence of black hole. If you can recognise constellations and tell some romantic stories about Greek mythology, you can date any girl LOL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For best stargazing experience at Sugud, here are some useful tips for beginners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n