Sabah Holidays

Kota Kinabalu Part IV

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:54:00 +0000

TOURS

Kota Kinabalu is abound with tour operators that can suit to your every every taste and budget. It is likely that you will encounter many of these travel agencies at Wisma Sabah. More established companies include the following:

Borneo Adventure (Tel: 238731; www.borneoadventure .com; 5th fl, 509-512 Gaya Centre, Jln Tun Fuad Stephens) Award-winning Sarawak-based company with very professional staff, imaginative sightseeing and activity itineraries and a genuine interest in local people and the environment.

Borneo Biking Adventures (Tel:552 7313; www.borneobikingadventures.com) This specialist company offers motorcycle tours in the Crocker Range and other parts of Sabah, starting at RM700 for half-day tours or RM1000 per day with accommodation. Wives, kids and girlfriends' seem to count as extra baggage!

Borneo Divers (Tel: 222226; www.borneodivers.info; 9th fl, Menara Jubili, 53 Jln. Gaya) Longest-established Borneo dive outfit; can arrange courses and dives just about anywhere and has its own dive shop. It's possible to get discounted rates as a walk-in.

Borneo Eco Tours (Tel: 438300; http://www.borneoecotours.com; Pusat Perindustrian Kolombong Jaya, Mile 5.5 Jln Kolombong is a place with a good reputation, arranging tours throughout Malaysian Borneo, including travel to the Kinabatangan area. Multiday tours start around US$140 per person.

Borneo Sea Adventures (Tel: 230000; www.bornsea.com;1st fl, 8A Karamunsing Karamunsing Godown) Runs dive tours to Sipadan and has the only resort on the beautiful Mantanani Islands, off Kota Belud, where dugongs can be seen.

Borneo Wildlife Adventure (Tel: 213668; www.borneo-wildlife.com; Lot F, 1st fl, GPO Bldg, Jln Tun Razak) Arranges a variety of tours and travel services throughout Sabah, including day trips; good for the midrange budget.

Intra Travel Service (Tel:261558; www.intra-travel.com.my; Level 1, No 5 Airport Terminal 2, An Old Airport) Sandakan-based company specialising in inland tours, including the only trips to Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Also runs Sabah Air sightseeing flights (from US$44 per person).

Tanjung Aru Tours & Travel (Tel:222210; www.tanjungarutourstravel.net; Wisma Sabah, Jln. Haji Saman) Based at the luxury Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort, TATT incorporates Sabah Sightseeing, Beachbums Borneo and Absolute Scuba, offering everything from KK city tours (RM95) to full-day diving trips (RM285), plus some more unusual options like kitesurfing (three-day course RM800).

Wildlife Expeditions (Tel:246000; www.wildlife-expeditions.com; Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort) Specialises in wildlife and rainforest trips across Malaysian Borneo, with offices in KL and Sandakan.

LODGING

Budget

Kota Kinabalu has a varied range of backpacker's hostels, mostly centered around Jln Gaya. Competition guarantees low rates, adding to that, basic toast and tea breakfast is usually included.

Hostels are also often the best places to find information and seek out fellow travelers to go dutch on tours, treks and the like, especially to Mt Kinabalu.

Gaya Hotel (137A Jln Gaya; s/d/tr RM15/20/25) The cheapest private rooms in town, but a million miles from hostel standards.

Akinabalu Youth Hostel (Tel:272188; www.akinabaluyh.com; 133 Jln Gaya; dm RM20-23, r RM50-56) Friendly staff, snazzy decor and copious freebies make this a premier option among KK's hostels, particularly if you find a quiet time to take advantage of the gratis internet and VCD movies. Accommodation is mostly in four-bed rooms.

North Borneo Cabin (Tel:272800; www.northborneo cabin.com; 74 Jln Gaya; dm RM20-23, r RM50; The Akinabalu's sister hostel has a smaller a lounge and larger dorms (eight to 10 beds) but offers all the same facilities, and often manages to feel more sociable.

Borneo Backpackers (Tel:234009; www.borneo backpackers.com; 24 Lg Dewan, Australia PI; dm 20-25, r RM40-124) The larger dorms here can feel a bit crowded, but it's clean and popular with budget travellers. It's run by Borneo Eco Tours, and there's a cafe-museum downstairs commemorating the liberation of KK by Allied forces in 1945.

Borneo Global Backpackers (Tel:270976; http://www.bgbackpackers.com; 29 Karamunsing Godown, An Karamunsing; dm RM22-25, r RM45-58) Fervently recommended by backpackers, Global is a bit out of the way at the southern end of town, but free airport transfers, sociable staff and good standards compensate nicely.

11117

Step-In Lodge (Tel:233519; www.stepin lodge.com; Lot 1, Block L, Kompleks Sinsuran, Jln Tun Fuad Stephens; dm RM25-3S, r RM60-80) Step-In Lodge is a new arrival, and is so far awaiting discovery by the backpacker hordes. It is a spotless paragon of good hostelry, with a big 'TV lounge, kitchenette, laundry service, cheap internet, proper mattresses and plenty of other plus points. Most rooms have four beds, with one large eight-bed `family room'. Even the bedclothes look friendly!

MIDRANGE

Most of KK's hotels fall into this price range (RM70 to RM250), and it's possible to find some good bargains. TV, International Direct Dialling (IDD) phone and private bathroom generally come as standard, with some places oftering extras such as minibars in deluxe or suite rooms. Most hotels listed here also have lifts, though not always with step-free access.

Pantai Inn (Tel:217095; 56-57 Jln Pantai; s/tw/tr RM67.20/72.45/88.20) This great-value central hotel is so popular with bargain-minded Chinese businesspeople that it's a good idea to book in advance. You can't fault it for cleanliness, and the shiny lobby sets the tone nicely.

Zaharah Hotel (Tel: 012-803 0387; www.zaharah hotelsb.com; Block 3, Api-Api Centre; apt from RM75; I%) ) Tucked away inside the shopping centre, keen self-caterers could have a butchers' at these small but neat kitchenette apartment rooms.

Mandarin Hotel (Tel:225222; jw3333@hotmail.com; 138 Jln Gaya; r RM78-140; (-.'J) The flagship in a chain of four properties around town, the Mandarin's reception hints at a Chinese theme that never manifests itself in (ho rooms. Comfort levels are OK, especially if you go `deluxe'.

Kinabalu Daya Hotel (Tel:240000; www.kkdayd hotel.com; Lot 3-4, Block 9, Jln Pantai; r RM95-230, str RM210-270, with breakfast) The rooms he rr aren't huge but plenty of travellers swear by this central midrange stalwart, which offers wood floors, nonsmoking rooms and full Astro satellite TV (not controlled by rc ception!). There's a popular bar-restaurant, with karaoke of course. Ask here about trips to Sungai Labuk, a little-visited alternative to the Kinabatangan.

Hotel Capital (Tel:231999; 23 Jln Haji Saman; i RM144-173, ste 230-294)The capital's location is its second-best feature, with adequate accommodation let down by sonic borderline grotty showers. The hotel's best feature is of course the Little Italy restaurant on the ground floor.

D'Borneo Hotel (Tel:266999; www.dbornen hotel.com; Lot 6, Block L, Kompleks Sinsuran, Jln Tun Fuad Stephens; r with breakfast RM145-175) Newly opened and still immaculate, D'Borneo offers excellent quality accommodation near the waterfront, aiming for boutiquehotel style across 24 rooms. Discounts of RM25 are often available; breakfast is in the lobby cafe (complete with quirky designer chairs).

Hotel Shangri-La (Tel:212800; www.kkshang.com.my; 75 Bandaran Berjaya Complex, Jln Berjaya 5; r RM258.75-293.25, ste from RM632.50) Three storeys of business-class sheen, creeping into the midrange category as discounts consistently knock a full RM100 or so off the rack rates. Despite the name, this hotel is not connected to the luxury Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort.

TOP END

Central KK has several full-facility hotels vying for the lucrative top-end trade, though many tour companies prefer resorts such as the Shangri-La and Magellan

Kota Kinabalu Part III

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:54:00 +0000

SIGHTS AND PLACES

Sabah Musuem

A large complex, the Sabah Museum (Tel:253199; mailto: jmuzium@tm .net,my; Muzium; admission RM15; 9am-Spm Sat-Thu) is centred on a modern four-storey structure inspired by the longhouses of the Rungus and Murut tribes. It's a little south of the city centre, on a hill on the corner of Jln Tunku Abdul Rahman and Jln Penampang, and could easily occupy a half day or so.

At the main building there are good permanent collections of tribal and historical artifacts, including ceramics, and some nicely presented exhibits of flora and fauna. The prehistory gallery even has a replica limestone cave, in case you don't make it to Gomantong, Madai or any of the other real ones!

In the gardens, the Heritage Village offers the chance to wander round examples of traditional tribal dwellings, including Kadazan bamboo houses and a Chinese farmhouse, all nicely set on a lily-pad lake.

The adjoining Science & Education Centre has an informative exhibition on the petroleum industry, from drilling to refining and processing. The Sabah Art Gallery features regular shows and exhibitions by local artists.

A short walk towards town is another annexed, the Museum of Islamic Civilisation (Tel: 538234; admission included in the Sabah Museum ticket; (9am-5pm Sat-Thu), devoted to Muslim culture and history.

If you're heading east after KK, keep hold of your admission ticket - it will also allow you entry to Agnes Keith House in Sandakan. To get to the museum complex, catch a bus (50 sen) along Jln Tunku Abdul Rahman and get off Just before the mosque. Bus 13 also goes right round past the hospital and stops near Jln Muzium.

State Mosque

A fine example of contemporary Islamic architecture, this mosque (Jln Tunku Abdul Rahman) is set some distance from the heat and noise of central KK. It's south of the city center past the Kampung Air stilt village, not far from the Sabah Museum; you'll see the striped minaret and Octopussy-style doiur on your way to or from the airport.

Built in 1977, the mosque has since been upstaged by the massive new City Mosque at Likas Bay; nonetheless, it's still an impressive building, accommodating 5000 male worshippers inside and 500 women on the balcony. Non-Muslim visitors are allowed inside, but must dress appropriately and remove their shoes before entering.

Kota Kinabalu Bird Sanctuary

Opened in 2000, this sanctuary (Tel: 246955); kkcbs@tm.net.my; Jln Bukit Bendera Upper; adult/child RM10/5; 8am-6pm Tue-Sun) covers 24 hectares of mangrove swamp in the northeastern Suburb of Likas.

Kota Kinabalu Bird Sanctuary

Being so near the city it's not exactly overrun with birdlife, but the 1.5km boardwalk offers plenty of sightings and there are some rare treats, like the majestic purple herons visible from a blind in the northwest section of the reserve.

Run by the local Likas Wetlands Society in association with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the sanctuary reception has a small library and you can rent binoculars for RMS. It's best to visit early in the morning or late afternoon from September to April.

North Borneo Railway

Founded in 1896 and restored in 2000 to celebrate KK's new city status, the North Borneo Railway ( Tel: 263933; www.northborneorailway.com.my; adult/child RM180/130) offers visitors the chance to travel in fine colonial style with a refurbished wood-burning 1954 Vulcan steam locomotive, one of the last of its kind.

North Borneo Railway

The train runs from Tanjung Aru train station to Papar on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, departing KK at l0am and returning around 2pm. The fare includes a boxed `tiffin' lunch.

Other Attractions

You can wander up to the UFO-like observation pavilion on Signal Hill, at the eastern edge of the city centre, to escape the traffic and to get another take on the squatters' stilt village at Pulau Gaya.

The view atop Signal Hill

The view is best as the sun sets over the islands. From the top, it's also possible to hike down to the bird sanctuary on the other side.

The modest timepiece at the foot of the bill is the Atkinson Clock Tower, one of the only structures to survive the Allied bombing of Jesselton in 1945. It's a square, 15.7m-high wooden structure that was completed in 1905 and named after the first district officer of the town, FG Atkinson, who died of malaria aged 28. The tower was once visible from the sea, though there's now quite a few buildings in the way!

There's a busy food market (Jln Tun Fuad Stephens) on the waterfront adjacent to the Filipino market (Jln Tun Fuad Stephens) handicrafts centre, with numerous vendors selling souvenirs,
snacks and seafood.

Filipino Market

On Sunday a very lively Chinese street market takes over the entire length of Jln Gaya, with all kinds of food and goods (including some great pancakes). On Chinese New Year it goes completely crazy - you'll hear the gongs and dances starting around 7am!

This post is part of a series. Your are now at Part II
Go to Part I III IV

Kota Kinabalu Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:52:00 +0000

This post is part of a series. Your are now at Part II
Go to Part I III IV

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar

IMPORTANT PLACES

Bookshops

Borneo Books (Tel:538077; www.borneobooks.com; Wisma Merdeka, Jln. Haji Saman) Now with two outlets, offering English-language and Borneo-related titles, cafe, free wi-fi Internet and secondhand book scheme.

Iwase Bookshop (Tel: 233757; Wisma Merdeka, Jln. Haji Saman) Has a more general selection.

Immigration

Immigration office (Tel: 280700; 4th floor, Wisma Dang Bandang, Jln. Tunku Abdul Rahman; 8am-1pm & 2-4.30pm Mon-Thu, 8am-11.30am & 2pm-4.30pm Fri, 8am-lpm Sat)

Internet Access

Borneo Net (311 Jln. Haji Saman; per hr RM3; 9pm-lam)

Exchange (Tel:389860; Centre Point; per hr RM4; 8am-10.30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-11pm Sat & Sun) Fast, efficient business centre.

Print Shop (Tel:248399; Jln. Gaya; per hr RM4;8am-7pm Mon-Sat) Digital photo shop with good Internet access.

Laundry
Hostels and hotels usually have laundry services available, but it's often cheaper to use an outside service.
Mega Laundry (Tel:238970; Lg Sinsuran 2)

Library

State Library (Tel:254333; Jln.Tunku Abdul Rahman; 9am-9pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat, 9am-1 pm Sun) The library has an English periodicals section for those wanting to catch up on the news from home, and it's a good place to cool down and get some peace and quiet. Internet access is available for RM2 per hour.

Medical Services

Dial 999 in an emergency.

Permai Polyclinic (Tel: 232100; www.permaipolyclinics .com; 4 Jln Pantai; 24hr) Private outpatients clinic.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Tel: 218166; Jln Penampang) Past the Sabah Museum.

Currency and Money

Most major banks, such as HSBC and Standard Chartered, have branches at the northern end of town. Moneychangers are plentiful in KK, particularly in the Wisma Merdeka and Centre Point malls; they are more convenient than banks, and sometimes have better rates.

HSBC (Tel:1300-880181; Jln. Gaya)

Maybank (Tel:215030; Jln. Pantai)

Standard Chartered (Tel:258746; Jln. Pantai)

Postal Service

Main post office on Jln. Tun Razak; (8am-5pm Mon-Sat) Has an efficient poste restante counter. Parcels are weighed and sent from the offices to the left of the main entrance.

Telecommunication

You can make international calls from public Celcom and Uniphone phones around town with the relevant phonecard or calling card. Telekom office (Jln Tunku Abdul Rahman) A 10-minute walk south of the city centre, this has international Telephone booths.

Tourist Information

Sabah Parks (Tel: 088-211881; www.sabahparks.org .my; Lot 1-3, Block K, Kompleks Sinsuran, Jln. Tun Fuad Stephens; 8am-fpm & 2-Spm Mon-Thu, 8-11.30am & 2-5pm Fri)

Sabah Tourism Board (Tel:212121; www.sabahtourism.com; 51 An Gaya; 8am-Spm Mon-Fri, 8am-2pm Sat) Housed in the historic post office building, KK's main tourist office has helpful staff and a wide range of brochures, pamphlets and other information covering every aspect of independent and tour travel in Sabah.

Tourism Malaysia (Tel: 211732; www.tourism.gov.my; Api-Api Centre, Lg Api-Api 1; 8am 8pm Mon-Fri) Geared more for travel throughout

Malaysia

DANGERS AND ANNOYANCES

When the usual precautions are taken, KK is a reasonably safe city. Late at night, streets and alleys near the waterfront are probably best avoided if you are alone, and locals often advise caution around the Filipino market.

Women travelers are wise to be cautious about walking around on their own after dark, though it's probably safer than most Western cities.

This post is part of a series. Your are now at Part II
Go to Part I III IV

Kota Kinabalu Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:24:00 +0000

This post is part of a series. Your are now at Part I
Go to Part II III IV

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar

GENERAL

(Tel : 088 / Pop 350,000)

Detailed map with legends

WikiMapia Maps

Google Maps

Kota Kinabalu often simply known as K.K. within Malaysia, and to an extent, internationally, as a tourism getaway and a major gateway into Sabah and Borneo. Kinabalu National Park is located about 90km from the city, and besides this, it also features a number of tourist attractions in and around the city itself. The city is also one of the major industrial and commercial centers in East Malaysia.

KK Waterfront

These two factors combine to make Kota Kinabalu one of the fastest growing cities in the country. KK is an engaging, if not exactly distinguished, city with a handful of prestige buildings, excellent budget accommodation, lots of shopping and the best leisure and nightlife facilities outside Kuching.

Manukan Island

The islands of the TAR National Park are also right on its doorstep, providing a perfect excuse to tune out and chill out for a day or so. You'll end up in KK at least a couple of times if you're aiming to cover a number of attractions in Sabah, so eat, drink, dance and make the most of it.

ORIENTATION

Downtown KK is a dense grid of concrete buildings nestled between the waterfront and a range of low, forested hills to the east. It's compact and walkable - most of the restaurants, accommodation, tourist offices, tour operators, the main post office and transport centres are located here.

Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Beach Resort

KK's main shopping complexes line the main road, which changes name four times in a relatively short distance. On the western side of Jln Tun Razak there are two sprawling, grid-like blocks of dilapidated two- and three-storey shophouses, Kompleks Segama and Kompleks Sinsuran. Between Jln Haji Saman and the waterfront is Wisma Merdeka and at the opposite end, on the way to the airport, are the huge Centre Point and Api-Api Centre.

Tanjung Aru

The international airport and the train station are at 'Tanjung Aru, 7km south of the city centre, which is bounded on the north by the upmarket bayside suburb of Likes. Between town and the airport the massive reclamation project, Sutera Harbour, is a luxury resort development.

Sutera Harbour Resort

The new northbound bus station is at Inanam, 9km north from the centre; other public transport congregates around three main sites in town. Taxis are common in the city centre. Ferries leave for the islands of TAR National Park, as well as for Pulau Labuan, from the terminal at the northern end of town.

This post is part of a series. Your are now at Part I
Go to Part II III IV

Getting Around

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:17:00 +0000

Malaysia Airlines' domestic network was completely revamped in 2006, and most domestic flights have been transferred to Air Asia or its rural-air subsidiary Fly Asian Xpress (PAX) - fares are expected to rise considerably, and it remains to be seen which legs will Survive in the long term.

Sabah has a good road system and most major roads are sealed, including the highway Irom KK to Sandakan and "I'awau. If you're planning to rent a car, it's a good idea to ask tourist information centres which ruads are paved, depending on your destination. Probably the worst stretch is between Ranau and Keningau, where minivans sometimes have to turn back because the p_erilous cliffside gravel road is impassable aller heavy rain.

Subsidence and washouts frequently put stretches of highway under repair and can slow down a trip considerably - the route between Ranau and Sandakan can be unreliable in wet weather. The route from Tawau to Keningau is unsealed for most of the way, though it's possible to get through on 4WD Land Cruisers, usually crammed with passengers. Express buses, inibuses and minivans run between KK and most major centres, including Mt Kinabalu. The big state-of the-art express buses are all air-conditioned; the smaller, often older, minibuses may or may not be.

Minivans are small, eight seater vans (usually white), often stuffed with as many passengers and as much of their gear as the laws of physics permit. Express buses are relatively punctual and usually cost only a few ringgit more than minivans. Minivans only leave when full, but once under way they are quick and efficient. They don't have air-conditioning and can get crowded; on the other hand, they generally run more frequently than buses, and if you want to travel like the locals, this is the way to do it.

Minivans have rough schedules, but don't commit yourself to any vehicle until you see how many people are on board. If you get to the bus stand and there isn't a minivan with even one passenger going Your way, hang back for a few minutes; chances are there's one that's nearly full doing a lap of the town trying to fill the last couple of seats.

There are frequent departures of buses and minivans from most centres until around noon; afternoon departures can be scarce. See individual entries for more information.

Sabah's only railway runs between KK and Tenom via Papar and Beaufort

Tours and Travels

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:05:00 +0000

Independent travel in Sabah is limited compared to neighbouring Sarawak, and most travellers will have to rely on tour outfits at some point, though Sabah does have a huge number of tour operators, mostly based in Kota Kinabalu. A good operator can make life easier if you’re short on time, and some places are simply too expensive or too much hassle to visit independently.

If you run into problems with a tour agency, take your complaint to the Sabah Tourism Board (088 212121; www.sabahtourism.com; 51 Jln Gaya, Kota Kinabalu; 8am-Spm Mon-Fri, 8am-2pm Sat).

Popular itineraries include any combina tion of the Mt Kinabalu trek, the Sepilok orang-utan sanctuary, diving at Tun Sakaran National Park and jungle trekking in the Danum Valley. Attractions promoted individually by tour companies include the Tip of Borneo, jungle camps along the Kinabatangan and the remote Maliau Basin, while you can only visit Turtle Islands National Park and 'Cabin Wildlife Sanctuary as part of a tour. Homestay and cultural options are possible on most standard itineraries.

Accommodation

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:04:00 +0000

Depending on where you're coming from in the region, Sabah may seem an expensive place to travel around. It’s still possible, however, to find a whole range of acceptable budget and midrange accommodation options, particularly in KK, Sepilok, Mt Kinabalu and the national parks. However, keep in mind that cheaper city hotels might also be brothels. B&Bs are popular and economical alternatives to hotels but are often located outside city centres (and don't necessarily include breakfast!). At the other end of the spectrum, on many of the islands (such as the Turtle Islands) accommodation choices are limited and usually only available as part of a tour package.

National Parks and Reserves

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:24:00 +0000

Sabah's national parks and their inhabitants are among the main reasons tourists visit the state; they feature beautiful scenery and an astonishing variety of plant and animal life. Budget accommodation is available in or near the major reserves and, depending on the area and weather, camping is also possible. The parks are generally well maintained and accessible. Sabah's major parks:

Crocker Range National Park (139 sq km) Preserving a huge swathe of forested escarpment overlooking the coast, this park has no facilities.

Kinabalu National Park (754 sq km) Easily accessible from Kota Kinabalu (KK), this is the state's largest and most popular national park. It offers mountain trekking at Mt Kinabalu, forest walks at the headquarters and Mesilau, and the hot springs at Poring.

Pulau Tiga National Park (15 sq km) Three islands 50km southwest of KK: one formed by volcanic mud eruptions, one famous for sea snakes and the third virtually washed away by wave action.

Tawau Hills Park (29 sq km) Near Tawau in the state's southeast, this park has forested volcanic hills, waterfalls and hot springs.

Tun Sakaran Marine Park (325 sq km) Protects some of the best reef dive sites in the world, including the renowned Pulau Sipadan.

Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) National Park (49 sq km) A group of five islands, one quite large, a few kilometres west of the capital. Features include beaches, snorkelling and hiking

Turtle Islands National Park (17 sq km) Three tiny islands 40km north of Sandakan, protecting the nesting ground of green and hawksbill sea turtles.

The Wildlife Department administers two cave systems, Gomantong and Madai. Reserves run by the Sabah Foundation include the Danum Valley Conservation Area and the Malian Basin. The Tabin Wildlife Reserve is managed by both the Forestry and the Wildlife Department, though visitor facilities are run by a private company.

Park Fees and Accomodation

Accommodation in Kinabalu National Park (including the lodges at Laban Rata, Poring Hot Springs and Mesilau) and on Manukan Island in Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) National Park is privately run. Bookings are handled by Sutera Sanctuary Lodges Tel: 088243629; wwwsuterasanctuarylodges.com; Lot G15, Wisma Sabah, Jln Haji Saman, Kota Kinabalu; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Sat, 8.30am-12.30pm Sun). You can book your guide and accommodation for Mt Kinabalu here, online or by phone; it's not necessary to make a special trip to KK just to make a booking.

Sabah Parks 088-211881; www.sabahparks.org .my; Lot 1-3, Block K, Kompleks Sinsuran, Jln Tun Fuad Stephens, Kota Kinabalu; 8am-lpm & Z-Spm Mon-Thu, 8am-11.30am & 2-Spm Fri) handles reservations for park accommodation at Pulau Tiga National Park and camping permits for'Cunku Abdul Rahman National Park.

Bookings and permits for the Danum Valley Conservation Area and Maliau Basin can be arranged through Innoprise 088243245; outthere@streamyx com; Menara Tun Mustafa,Jln Sulaman, Kota Kinabalu).

Visas and Permits

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:57:00 +0000

Sabah is semi-autonomous, and like Sarawak it has its own immigration controls. On arrival most nationalities are likely to be given a visa for three months' stay and it is rare to be asked to show money or onward tickets:

Visas can be renewed at immigration offices at or near most points of arrival, even at small places like Merapok near Beaufort. If you miss the expiry date, it's not a problem - just report to another immigration office, even if it's several days later, and explain your situation to the officials. Apart from entry to national parks and other reserves, permits are required to visit Pulau Sipadan (Sipadan Island), the Danum Valley Conservation Area and the Maliau Basin. With the exception of the Maliau Basin, you can obtain these permits at each destination upon arrival.

Sabah, Land Below the Wind

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 21:15:00 +0000

Sabah is known as Sabah, negeri di bawah bayu, which means 'Sabah, land below the wind', because of its location being just south of the typhoon prone region around the Philippines.

Most visitors to Sabah come here for one thing: to trek up the mighty Mt Kinabalu. Or is it to dive around the Sipadan reef? Or to see the orang-utans at Sepilok? Or to explore the forest around Sungai Kinabatangan? Or to get lost in the remote Maliau Basin?

The trouble is, Borneo's northernmost state is so rich in treasures that it's hard to know where to start, and once you get stuck in there's always just that one more thing you want to see. As well as its host of natural features, Sabah has an equally fascinating ethnic heritage, visibly distinct from the indigenous peoples further south.

The largest group is made up of the Kadazan and Dusun tribes, known as the 'Latin lovers' of Borneo thanks to their healthy appetite for music and life in general, and visitors can also enjoy close encounters with friendly Rungus, Murut and Bajau communities around the state.

If you're coming from Sarawak, Sabah's rigid infrastructure may come as a bit of a culture hock - the tourist board has put a lot into promoting key destinations, and tour companies have a stranglehold on certain attractions, making life much trickier for independent travelers. he trade-off, however, is an unparalleled range of leisure and adventure activities, from homestays, wetlands and night drives to seawalking, water sports and nightlife. Dubbed 'Asia's solar powered theme park', this is one playground where it's well worth queuing for the rides.

Historical Sabah

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 21:14:00 +0000

Sabah or North Borneo was part of the Sultanate of Brunei around the early 16th century. This was during the period when the Sultanate's influence was at its peak. In 1658 the Sultanate of Brunei ceded the north-east portion of Borneo to the Sultan of Sulu in compensation for the latter's help in settling a civil war in the Brunei Sultanate. In 1761 an officer of the British East India Company, Alexander Dalrymple, concluded an agreement with the Sultan of Sulu to allow him to set up a trading post in the region. This together with other attempts to build a settlement and a military station centering around Pulau Balambangan proved to be a failure. There was minimal foreign interest in this region afterward and control over most parts of north Borneo seems to have remained under the Sultanate of Brunei.

After centuries as a pawn in various Indonesian and Southeast Asian power games, Sabah was neatly carved up by enterprising British business in the late 19th century, when it was known as North Borneo and administered by the British North Borneo Company. After WWII Sabah and Sarawak were handed over to the British government, and both decided to merge with the peninsular states to form the new nation of Malaysia in 1963.

However, Sabah's natural wealth attracted other prospectors and its existence as a state was disputed by two powerful neighbours - Indonesia and the Philippines. There are still close cultural ties between the people of Sabah and the Filipinos of the nearby Sulu Archipelago and Mindanao, not always manifested positively: several small islands to the north of Sabah are disputed by the Philippines, there's a busy smuggling trade, Muslim rebels often retreat down towards Sabah when pursued by government forces, and pirates based in the Sulu Sea continue to raid parts of Sabah's coast.

After independence, Sabah was governed for a time by Tun Mustapha, who ran the state almost as a private fiefdom and was often at odds with the federal goverment in Kuala Lumpur (KL). Even when the Kadazan-controlled Sabah United Party (Parti Bersatu Sabah; PBS) came into power in 1985 and joined Barisan National (National Front), Malaysia's ruling coalition party, tensions with the federal government were rife.

In 1990 the PBS pulled out of the alliance with the National Front just days before the general election. The PBS claimed that the federal government was not equitably returning the wealth that the state generated, and in 1993 it banned the export of logs from Sabah, largely to reinforce this point. The federal government used its powers to overturn the ban, and despite ongoing discussions, to this day nothing has changed - a mere 5% of revenue trickles back into state coffers.

As a result of this imbalance and its bad relations with the federal government, Sabah is the poorest of Malaysia's states, with an unemployment rate of twice the national average. Although it's rich in natural resources, 16% of the population lives below the poverty line. Part of the problem is a bizarre rotation system that forces a change of political administration every two years.

Just to compound the economic difficulties, Sabah has experienced an extraordinary population boom over the last couple of decades - in 1970 the total number of inhabitants was under 50,000, whereas today it's a staggering three million. The government puts the blame squarely on illegal immigrants, claiming there are around 1.5 million foreigners in the state, but whatever the truth, a solution will need to be found in the next few years for Sabah's stretched resources.

Geography and Weather

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 21:00:00 +0000

Like the rest of Malaysia, Sabah's climate is hot and humid. Expect temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s throughout the lowlands. The state's rainfall averages about 300an annually and though it can rain any time during the year, the heaviest rainfall generally occurs between November and April. At higher elevations, the temperature is refreshingly cool and downright cold at night. Mt Kinabalu has its own climate and, above 3500m, temperatures can drop to freezing .

The western part of Sabah is generally mountainous, containing the three highest mountains in Malaysia. The most prominent range is the Crocker Range which houses several mountains of varying height from about 1,000 metres to 4,000 metres. At the height of 4,095 metres, Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Malaysia and the second highest in Southeast Asia after Puncak Jaya in Indonesia. While the government of Malaysia officially considers it the highest mountain in Southeast Asia, there are counterclaims that Puncak Jaya is the highest mountain. The argument centres around whether New Guinea could be considered a part of Southeast Asia. So far there is no precise consensus on this, and the view that Mount Kinabalu is indeed the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia is more prevalent. The jungles of Sabah are classified as rainforests and host a diverse array of plant and animal species. Kinabalu National Park was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2000 because of its richness in plant diversity combined with its unique geological, topographical, and climatic conditions.

Lying nearby Mount Kinabalu is Mount Tambuyukon. At a height of 2,579 metres, it is the third highest peak in the country. Adjacent to the Crocker Range is the Trus Madi Range which houses the second highest peak in the country, Mount Trus Madi, at a height of 2,642 metres. There are lower ranges of hills extending towards the western coasts, southern plains, and the interior or central part of Sabah. These mountains and hills are traversed by an extensive network of river valleys and are in most cases covered with dense rainforest.

The central and eastern portion of Sabah are generally lower mountain ranges and plains with occasional hills. Kinabatangan River begins from the western ranges and snakes its way through the central region towards the east coast out into the Sulu Sea. It is the second longest river in Malaysia after Rejang River at a length of 560 kilometres. The forests surrounding the river valley also contains an array of wildlife habitats, and is the largest forest-covered floodplain in Malaysia.

Other important wildlife regions in Sabah include Maliau Basin, Danum Valley, Tabin, and Sepilok. These places are either designated as national parks, wildlife reserves, virgin jungle reserves, or protection forest reserve.

Over three quarters of the human population inhabit the coastal plains. Major towns and urban centers have sprouted along the coasts of Sabah. The interior region remains sparsely populated with only villages, and the occasional small towns or townships.

Beyond the coasts of Sabah lies a number of islands and coral reefs, including the largest island in Malaysia, Pulau Banggi. Other larger islands include, Pulau Jambonganr, Pulau Balambangan, Pulau Timbun Mata, Pulau Bumbun, and Pulau Sebatikr. Other popular island mainly for tourism are, Pulau Sipadan, Pulau Selingan, Pulau Gaya, Pulau Tiga, Pulau Layang-Layang, and many more.

Shop @ Amazon.com

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:58:00 +0000

Shop @ Amazon.com

Thanks!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:09:00 +0000

Thanks again for your message. I'll get back to you soon.

In the mean time, do stick around. I'm sure there's tons of information right here for you.

Error

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:05:00 +0000

Oppss! There seems to be some error whilst your message was being processed.

I guess you'll have to retry and make sure that everything's ok.

Sorry for that!

Contact

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:01:00 +0000

Any suggestions, questions or anything in mind? Just fill in the form below.
Thanks!

About

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 19:58:00 +0000

About