Sabah
Separated from Peninsular Malaysia by 950km (600 miles) of the South China Sea, Sabah, on the northern tip of Borneo, can be reached by direct flights from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Known as ‘The Land Below The Wind’, Sabah is an adventure playground, home of the world’s oldest jungles and one of South-East Asia’s highest peaks, Mount Kinabalu. Sabah also offers the unique opportunity to see orang-utans in their natural environment.
The capital and main gateway to Sabah, Kota Kinabalu does little justice to its spectacular natural surroundings. It is a new city built upon the ruins of Jesselton, which was badly damaged during the Second World War, and designed around the gold-domed State Mosque. From Signal Hill there is a good view of the city and the surrounding mountains and sea.
Just south of Kota Kinabalu is the resort of Tanjung Aru, where the recently opened beach complex has been designed with both business traveller and holidaymaker in mind. As well as conference and meeting facilities, there is also a ferry-shuttle service into the town. Tuaran is 30 minutes' drive northeast of Kota Kinabalu. The road runs through lush valleys, forested hills and rubber plantations. The town has a good ‘Tamu’ (market).
Nearly 400km (250 miles) from Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan is the old capital of Borneo. The Sandakan Orchid House displays a rare collection of wonderful orchids and is a must for green-fingered enthusiasts. Also of interest is the Crocodile Farm, located outside Sandakan along the seventh mile Labuk Road. Over 1000 crocodiles, of varying sizes inhabit the farm at any one time. 24km (15 miles) from the town is the Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Centre, home of the ‘wild men of Borneo’, the world’s largest orangutan population. The sanctuary is a rehabilitation centre where orangutans reap the benefits of inhabiting virgin rainforest in a protected environment. Now one of Sabah’s top tourist attractions, the centre is no flippant tourist site as it actively manages to take in injured or orphaned orangutans and return them to the wild once they are rehabilitated. There is no guarantee of seeing an orangutan, but they usually turn up for their twice-daily feedings.
40km (24 miles) north of Sandakan, Pulau Selingan, Pulau Bakungan Kecil and Pulau Gulisan collectively form the Turtle Islands. Visitors get the opportunity to witness the amazing sight of Hawksbill and Green turtles coming ashore in the evening to lay their eggs. The islands can be visited all year round but, from July to October, the number of turtles visiting the island increases. Accommodation is available but highly sought after.
The Tenom region can be reached from Kota Kinabalu by Sabah’s only railway line. A spectacular and thrilling experience, it follows the Padas River up through narrow jungle gorges in the Crocker Range. Tenom town is renowned for its style of longhouse building, unchanged in centuries, and for the traditional songs and dances performed there.
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