We returned to the Kinabatagan River for the second time to complete a journey that got disrupted five years earlier when I had an accident and had to be evacuated from the rainforest.
Malaysia: Sabah – Kinabalu National Park
One of the places I wanted to visit during our stay in Kota Kinabalu (KK) was Kinabalu Park, home to the mighty Mount Kinabalu, (4,095.2 m), the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea and is the 20th most prominent peak in the world. Its slopes are home to a rich assemblage of plants and animal species. It is a hot spot for plant biodiversity with affinities to flora from the Himalayas, China, Australia, the Malay Peninsula, as well as the pan-tropical region.
The Park, Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site was gazetted by UNESCO in December 2000 for its ‘outstanding universal values’ and its role as one of the most important biological sites in the world. With four climatic zones, the Park boasts one of the richest collections of biodiversity in the world, housing and protecting more than 4,500 species of flora and fauna – including 326 bird species, an estimated of over 100 mammal species, over 110 land snail species, and its biggest attraction, Mount Kinabalu.
I had arranged for us to have a full-day tour of Kinabalu Park and the surrounding areas. After breakfast, we headed to the hotel lobby where we were met by Jean, who was going to be our driver and guide for the day.
It was about a 90-minute drive from KK to reach Kinabalu Park, and Jean kept us entertained all the way. We made one stop at a small village in the mountains that had a fantastic view of Mount Kinabalu. It was a clear day, so we got a wonderful view of the mountain. We were lucky as it is often shrouded in clouds.
About 20 minutes later we stopped again to get a different view of the mountain. The clouds were starting to roll in, but we still got to see the peak of Kinabalu. At the stopping point, there were quite several international tourists from other countries. One group from Pakistan accosted me and seemed as interested in having their photo taken with me as they were in capturing the mountain!
It was not too far from the viewpoints to the entrance to Kinabalu Park. Many people who come here plan to climb the mountain, but this was beyond our current level of fitness, so our destination was the mountain botanical garden at the Park headquarters. The garden is very secluded and shaded, and not much visited, but for over an hour, Jean led us through the narrow paths. The undoubted highlights of the botanical garden are the orchids, some of which are minuscule. Jean’s knowledge of these delicate plants was incredible and more to the point she knew exactly where to look to find them. It was fascinating!
From the botanical garden, we left the Park and headed towards Poring which is named after a species of giant bamboo that grows abundantly in the area. It lies in the eastern boundaries and is situated some 40km (25 miles) from the Kinabalu Park Headquarters. Poring is known for its hot sulphur spring bath which was first developed by the Japanese during World War II. The hot waters of the spring are piped into open-air baths. An indoor bathtub is also available for those who prefer privacy.
When we arrived at Poring Hot Springs it was packed, as it was still the Hari Raya holidays and a Sunday. We decided not to bother with soaking in the hot springs, which are essentially outdoor bathtubs. Coming from Oregon there are plenty of hot springs soaking opportunities in much more natural environments! The second most popular activity at Poring is the canopy walk, so we took the steep pathway up to where the walk started. It was very different to the canopy walk we’d done at Danum Valley, where the ‘bridges’ had been suspended from massive towers, here the bridges were narrow and more prone to swinging. As soon as I stepped on, I knew this was not for me, so I retreated and walked back down the hill, while Karen and Jean went on. Apparently, there were some obnoxious people who were deliberately making the bridges swing, so I am glad I didn’t push through.
Once we were all reunited, we headed back to the car and drove a couple of minutes to a small café where had a delicious vegetarian lunch, while Jean tucked into a plate full of meat.
Our final visit of the day was to a local farm where the owners, as a side-line, invited visitors to view rafflesia flowers. Often called the corpse flower, Rafflesia arnoldii blooms into the single largest individual flower in the world. Rafflesia arnoldii lives inside Tetrastigma vines as a mass of fleshy strands which absorb water and nutrients from the host. It grows out of the host plant’s bark as brown, cabbage-like buds called knops which bloom over several days. The flowers have five lobes, are reddish-brown with white spots, and grow up to 1m across. They appear for a week, releasing a scent of rotting meat.
The farm had set up a display panel on the side of the road, where we pulled over and paid our entry fee. From here we wandered through the rustic gardens to where they had a single Rafflesia in bloom, which was fenced off to protect it from visitors. As well as this one in bloom, there were several Rafflesia that would be blooming in the coming days. Despite having the reputation of smelling like rotting flesh, I did not smell much at all. After about 10 minutes of looking around, we set off back to the car to begin our journey back to Kota Kinabalu.
Planning your visit Kinabalu National Park
Getting there
By bus
The Kinabalu Park entrance is very easy to reach from Kota Kinabalu. The first option is to catch a minivan from the Long Distance Bus station near the Night Market in the city centre, which will drive directly to the Park HQ. Minivans leave when full, cost RM15 each way and the journey takes 1.5 hours.
The second option is to catch a bus from the Kota Kinabalu North Bus Terminal in Inanam, 10km to the northeast of the city centre. The journey takes 1-2 hours and costs RM10-15. Buses going to Ranau, Sandakan or Tawau will pass by the park entrance. Also in case you want to spot a beautiful view of the mountain when approaching it, it’s best to leave before 08:00 and sit at the left side of a bus.
Buses from Sandakan make this trip in less than 5 hours.
By taxi
An alternative is to take a long-distance shared taxi at a taxi station near Jalan Padang. A ride between Kota Kinabalu and the park should cost RM15-18 each way. Taxis will only depart once they are full, which usually means they have seven passengers (Toyota Unser), so you may have to wait a while. OR you can pay for the missing passengers and leave immediately.
Regular (i.e. non-shared) taxis in Kota Kinabalu try to offer their services for RM150-200 or more for one-day drives to the park and back. Given the ease with which one can travel by public bus or shared taxi, however, this is an unnecessary option for budget visitors.
By car
Self-drive is another option with car hire readily available at Kota Kinabalu airport. Car hire rates are negotiable so compare rates on offer from the various companies. The distance to the park entrance is just under 100 km from Kota Kinabalu centre, with the last 40 or so km being a sparsely populated mountain road. There is very little road signage directing you to Kinabalu Park, and there are a number of highway intersections en route (despite the fact that the route appears very simple on the map). The best option is to buy a fold-out road map at one of the bookshops in Kota Kinabalu, note down the towns en route to the park, and follow the road signs past those towns.
By tour
There are many tour companies that run day tours from Kota Kinabalu for RM150-200. Tours usually include admission fees and hotel pickup, sometimes stop at Poring Hot Spring and may include lunch.
The best time to visit Kinabalu National Park
The best time to visit Kinabalu National Park in Malaysia is between March and September, when there’s less rain and more sunshine. This period is also known as the dry season, but even then, you should expect some rainfall. Temperatures are also higher during this time.
If you want to climb Mount Kinabalu, March to September is also the best time to go because of the dry season. However, you might want to consider visiting between October and January if you prefer to avoid crowds and have more options for climbing dates.
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