Sabah; ideas & things to do

Often called the 'Land Below the Wind' because it lies below the typhoon belt, Sabah occupies the eastern part of North Borneo and is East Malaysia's second largest state with an area of 74,500 sq.km. Sabah has the South China Sea on the west and the Sulu and Celebes Seas on the east.

Mountainous and largely carpeted by lush tropical rainforests, its population of nearly two million is made up of 32 colourful ethnic communities.

Kota Kinabalu, the capital, lies in a fertile lowland plain where most commercial and administrative activities are concentrated. But the 'real' Sabah can best be found in its contryside.

Kinabalu Park has been listed as a UNESCO Heritage Site, due to the diversity of plant life and wildlife there. It provides a challenging climb amidst a lush virgin rainforest, where you can find hidden hot springs in cool high altitudes.

Sipadan island off the south eastern coast of Sabah, has been one of the top five dive sites in the world for years. This is attributed to unique underwater goegraphy that encourages proliferation of wildlife. Leatherback turtles, barracuda and white tipped sharks are a common sight while diving in Sipadan.

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Kinabalu Park

The Kinabalu Park covers an area of 754 sq km and is made up of Mount Kinabalu, Mount Tambayukon and the foothills. It was gazetted to preserve this valuable natural environment. The mountains have a fascinating geological history, taking 'just' a million years to form. The mighty Mount Kinabalu is actually a granite massif that was later thrust upwards through the crust of the surface.

Subsequent erosion removed thousands of feet of the overlying sand and mud stone, exposing this massif. During the Ice Age, glaciers running across the summit smoothed it out, but the jagged peaks that stood out above the ice surface remained unaffected, retaining the extremely ragged surfaces. This rugged mountain is the focal point of the National Park.

Key Tips If you plan to climb the mountain, be sure to bring a head torch for the early morning climb to the summit which starts in utter darkness and cold weather gear. The summit temperatures have been known to dip to below freezing!

How to get there

By Taxi Car rentals can be arranged through major hotels in Kota Kinabalu. Taxis go to Park HQ at Ranau and take a maximum of four passengers. You can negotiate for the taxi to pick you up from Park HQ for your return if you hire the whole taxi.
By Bus All express and minibuses between Kota Kinabalu and Ranau or Sandakan pass the park turn-off, from where it is just 100m to the Park HQ.

Who to contact

For more information once you're in Malaysia, contact the Sabah Tourism Office Tel: +6088-248 698 / 211 732

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Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary

The Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary is a fascinating place where visitors can observe trainers teaching orphaned or displaced orangutan apes to climb in their natural habitat. At this rehabilitation centre, captive animals are retrained for life in the jungle.The centre allows a close-up view of these arboreal creatures.

The best time to visit is at 10.00 am and again at 2.30 pm when the primates emerge from the forest for their daily ration of bananas and milk. You can see the orang utans being fed from a platform in the centre. Nicknamed the 'Wild Man of Borneo', the orang utans are returned to the forest when they can fend for themselves.

Aside from the orang utan, over 200 species of birds and a variety of wild plants can be found within the 5.666 hectares of forest reserve.

Key Tips

As flash photography is not allowed during feeding times, make sure you set your camera to ASA 400 or higher, as it's quite dim in the jungle.

How to get there

By Bus From the local bus stand next to the Sandakan waterfront market, board the blue bus marked 'Sepilok Batu 14' (Sepilok - 14th Mile). The 30-minute bus ride will take you directly to the rehabilitation centre. Regular buses, marked 'Batu 14' or higher, will drop you at the turn-off to Jalan Sepilok. However, you'll have to walk 1.5km to get to the Orangutan Centre.The last bus leaves Sepilok to Sandakan at 4:30 pm.

Who to contact

For more information, you can call Sabah Tourist Office on +6088-248 698 / 211 732

Accommodation Overview

This destination is less than an hour away from the biggest town on the east coast of Sabah - Sandakan. As such, a wide range of accommodation is available, from basic backpacker's hostels to 4-star hotels.

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Sipadan Island

The late Jacques Cousteau, the world-renowned oceanographer, described Sipadan Island as ‘an untouched piece of art’, while divers around the world voted it as one of the top five dive sites in the world.

Malaysia’s only oceanic island, it is very small - only 12ha. in size. A 25-minute walk is all that is required to circle the island on foot. As an oceanic island, it rises about 700 metres from the sea floor, attracting diverse marine life from the blackness of the open sea. Surrounded by crystal clear waters, this crown jewel is a treasure trove of some of the most amazing marine animals.

Declared a bird sanctuary in 1933 by the Colonial Government of North Borneo and re-gazetted in 1963 by the Malaysian Government, the dense vegetation on Sipadan Island supports a large variety of tropical birds which include sea eagles, kingfishers, sunbirds, starlings and wood pigeons. Exotic crustaceans including the amazing coconut crab roam the beaches and scurry among the undergrowth.

When diving here, encounters with turtles, resident schools of jacks, bumphead parrotfish and barracudas are almost assured around the tiny coral island.

Key Tips

Try to be part of an early-morning dive to Sipadan at the famous Barracuda Point. In the early hours of the morning, you are most likely to swim amongst big schools of swirling barracuda...

How to get there

By Air The jump off point to Sipadan Island is Kota Kinabalu or Tawau.

By Car Continue the journey by a 1-hour drive to Semporna town.

By Sea A 30-minute speedboat will take you to Mabul, which is the jump off point for Sipadan Island explorations.

Who to contact

For more information, you can call Sabah Tourist Office on +6088-248 698 / 211 732

Accommodation Overview

Since last year, Sipadan has been turned into a sanctuary so accommodation is now only available on nearby islands like Mabul.