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| | | Mount Kinabalu is the main attraction in Kinabalu Park, which is less than 2 hours’ drive from Kota Kinabalu. The road cuts and winds through lush countryside dotted with traditional village houses to give you an unforgettable scenic journey. Once in the Park, rejuvenate your body and mind at the Poring Hot Springs, a natural health spa where you can relax in open-air Japanese-style baths amidst a tropical rainforest setting. | | | 
| ADVENTUROUS ON THE GROUND | | | The rainforests in Sabah are some of the oldest in the world. Exotic flora and fauna abound. Wild orchids of every imaginable hue. Pitcher plants that gulp down insects and flies. And of course, there’s the Rafflesia, the largest flower in the world. Jungle trekking here is an opportunity of a lifetime to marvel at rare flora and fauna. Take a river boat ride and catch the unique Proboscis monkey with its long pendulous red nose calling out to its mates. But the star of the rainforest here is undoubtedly the Orang Utan, also known as the “wild man of Borneo”. You will find them swinging through the forest in Sepilok, the worlds largest Orang Utan sanctuary. Sepilok is only 30 minutes drive from the east coast town of Sandakan. In this sanctuary, Orang Utans that have been abandoned by their mothers, or were formerly in captivity, are rehabilitated until fit enough to be returned to the wild. Watching these charming and entertaining mammals during feeding time is a sheer delight. From Sandakan too, you can take a two to three hour boat ride to the Turtle Islands Park where you marvel at rare turtles laying their eggs. You can even stay in comfort in modern chalets at these islands if you yearn to explore them further. | | | | | | | | SPECTACULAR AT THE BOTTOM | | | For those who like to swim, snorkel or laze all day on a quiet, uncrowded beach of .pure white sand under bright blue tropical skies, the five outlying islands of Kota Kinabalu await to capture your heart completely. Only about 15 minutes away by boat from KK, these off-shore islands have crystal-clear waters, sunny beaches and beautiful corals. If you go island hopping, you will find the beach of your dreams in one of them. Back on mainland Sabah, you can explore many stretches of white, sandy beaches where the glorious tropical sunset with its riot of colours is something not to be missed. For the true diving enthusiast, the island of Sipadan, located off the east coast of Sabah, needs no introduction. Praised by the internationally renowned diver and filmmaker Jacques Cousteau as one of the best diving spots in the world, Sipadan is the only oceanic island (meaning not connected to the continental shelf) in Malaysia rising 2,000 ft (600 m) on a limestone pinnacle that “mushrooms” out near the surface. The abundant and stunning marine life will thrill and amaze you no end. | | |
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| | | Another diver’ favorites, The Layang Layang Atoll, are located 165 miles north west of Kota Kinabalu. Oval-shaped and blessed with clear blue waters, you can also windsurf, sail a catamaran, dive, snorkel, fish to your heart’s content, then climb back on land and watch the thousands of migratory birds nesting there in this nature lover’s paradise. Other islands that have equally enchanted the diving fraternity are Mabul island, known as home to the world’s best muck diving”, a discovery that is gaining in popularity, and Langkayan Island, for its colourful world of macro marine life in over 20 dive sites that never cease to fascinate all visitors. | | | | | | | SABAH - Malaysian Borneo | Amazing Sabah |
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