Sabah Land below the Wind

Tourism Trivia 

By AV Latinggam

Sabah, land of the Sacred Mountain, is a land of adventure, of discovery. There are many lovely places to walk on in, to look at and to savour. There are mountains, hills, valleys and waterfalls to look at and explore.

There are plants, trees, flowers and shrubberies to scrutinize. These sights are in abundance and will take a person many, many good productive hours of enjoyment.

As we all know, tourism, particularly eco-tourism, is a major contributor to the economy of Sabah.

And with vigorous promotions by Sabah Tourism Board and the Malaysian Tourism Board, as well as stability and security in the region, Sabah with its six national parks will never fail to attract tourists.

The attractions that are the main focus at the moment are the parks. Of course the main pride of Sabah is Mount Kinabalu National Park, where the second highest mountain in Southeast Asia with an altitude of 4,095.2 metres is sited. The park is 54 square kilometers and one of the most popular tourist spot in the State as well as in Malaysia.

The trees and plants in this site is tremendously interesting as it contains a variety of flora and fauna that ranges over four climate zones; from rich lowland dipterocarp forest through the montane oak, rhododendron, to the coniferous forests, to the alpine meadow plants, and to the stunted bushes of summit zone.

Plants such as the nepenthes and orchids are always mentioned in the same breath with the park. However there are many and several of these plants are found in other parts of Sabah.

Besides that the park is also home to various members of the animal kingdom.

Turtle Islands National Park is a park administered by the Sabah Parks, located north of Sandakan in Sabah.

It consists of 3 islands; Selingan, Bakkungan Kechil and Gulisan, including the surrounding coral reefs and ocean.

Green turtles and hawksbill turtles come to these islands to lay their eggs on the 17 square kilometre islands.

The island’s claim to fame is the fact that it boasts the first turtle hatchery in Malaysia on Selingan, funded entirely by the Sabah State Government. Turtle hatcheries on the remaining two islands followed shortly after.

Selingan, Bakkungan Kechil and Gulisan are designated as a Marine Park where park staff monitor the turtles, protect the hatcheries and tag the turtles for research purposes.

The other park is the Pulau Tiga National Park, established in 1978. Located north of Kuala Penyu, it is opposite the swampy Klias Peninsula, which is being promoted as a tourism site.

The Pulau Tiga Park covers 158 square kilometres of mostly ocean, containing the three islands of Pulau Tiga, Pulau Kalampunian Besar and Pulau Kalampunian Damit.

Pulau Tiga is covered in dense vegetation while Pulau Kalampunian Besar is almost like a sandbar, eroded away by wave action. Known for its sugar-white sands and clear waters, it is popular for scuba diving and snorkelling. Its claim to fame is that it was the location of both the US and UK versions of the reality TV show Survivor.

Pulau Kalampunian Damit, a large rock, also called Pulau Ular, is famous as a mating location for highly poisonous sea snakes. Sights of interest, actually.

And then there is the Crocker Range National Park, of course.

The Park in 1984 covers the north-south Crocker Range, of 1200-1800 meter mountains, which separate the western coastal plain with the rest of the state.

The park covers 1399 square kilometres, of both hill and montane forest, with many species of flora and fauna endemic to Borneo.

Maintenance of this forest cover is necessary to ensuring a pure water supply for many of the towns and communities around the area.

The Tawau National Park, also known as Tawau Hills Park, established in 1979, is a protection for the water catchments area of Tawau.

Located 24 kilometres from Tawau, and comprising lowland dipterocarp rainforest, it is surrounded by oil palm and cocoa plantations. There are picnic areas and camping sites.

The Park contains rugged volcanic landscapes including a hot spring and spectacular waterfalls. The highest point in the park is Gunung Magdalena at 1310 metre.

Last but not least is the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park; five islands off the coast of Kota Kinabalu, that comprises 49 square kilometres of which two-thirds are sea, and the rest is coral reefs and the five islands. It is named after the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman and is accessible by ferry.