MERRY CHRISTMAS !

 Sunset on Christmas eve.

 Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

Wishing you all the best and may your Christmas sparkle with moments of love, laughter and goodwill and may the year ahead be full of contentment and joy! 

THE WONDERS OF BORNEO - SIPADAN

The only oceanic island rising 600 metres (2,000 ft) from the seabed in Borneo is Sipadan. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Borneo Sabah. The island was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct valcano cone that took thousands of years to develop. It is the centre of one of the richest marine habitats in the world. More than 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this ecosystem. It is one of the "Top Dive Destinations" in the World.

 

Green and hawks-bill turtles, schools of barracuda in the tonado-like formations as well as large schools of big eye trevally and bum head parrot fish are frequently seen in the waters around Sipadan.

Other marine species like manta rays, eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks and whale sharks often visit the water of Sipadan.

 

 

An underwater limestone cave with tunnels and chambers lies underneath the column of the island has been discovered as a turtle tomb as many skeletal remains of turtles were found.

 

 The underwater limestone cave.

The gate way to Sipadan is TAWAU which is accessible by flights from KOTA KINABALU and  KUALA LUMPUR. From TAWAU, it's about an hour drive to SEMPORNA where it's 40 minutes or so to the dive accommodation.

There are a number of luxury Resorts in the area. The popular ones are, The Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort, The Sepadan Mabul Resort, Sipadan Water village, Pom Pom Island Resort, Seaventures Dive Rigs and Mataking Island Resort.

 

 

 

Some of the luxury Resorts.

If you plan to go Sipadan, advance booking is necessary. Diving and non-diving packages including land and sea transfers, accommodation, scuba diving, snorkeling, meals and refreshment are available. Packages from 3D/2N - 6D/5N or more start from RM2,500 more or less pending on your selection of accommodation. Go to the websites of the Resorts to find out more.  

THE WONDERS OF BORNEO - MALIAU BASIN, THE LOST WORLD

The conservation Area of Maliau Basin is 58,840 ha, also known as Sabah’s Lost World. It is a huge bowl of pristine forests described as one of the few remaining relatively untouched wilderness areas in the world.

Bounded by a formidable escarpment reaching over 1,675m above sea level, the almost circular Basin, one of Malaysia’s finest remaining wilderness areas, encompasses 390 km² of pristine forest, a virtually self-contained ecosystem, never permanently inhabited and with large areas still remaining to be explored and documented.

The whole Basin is a large water catchment area. Water is drained by one river, the Maliau River, which flows out through a gorge in the southeast of the Basin and eventually towards the Kinabatangan river, the longest and largest river in Sabah.

 

The Majestic 7 tiers Maliau Falls.

Maliau Basin was designated conservation area, for the purposes of research, education and training, along with Danum Valley Conservation Area further to the east in 1981. Later, the Sabah State Government upgraded the whole area into a Class 1 protection forest reserve.

 

Nature explorers will love the Maliau Basin as it is an excellent site for jungle activities, like  tropical forest trekking, wildlife, bird watching. The basin contains an unusual assemblage of 12 forest types, comprising mainly of lower montane forest dominated by majestic Agathis trees, rare montane heath forest and lowland, and hill diperocarp forest. The highlight of the adventure is to trek the majestic 7 tiers Maliau Falls.

 Pitcher plants are common in the Basin

 Many Huge trees.

A trail in the Basin.

 

If you are lucky!

Maliau Basin conservation area is reachable by road from either Kota Kinabalu or Tawau. It is a leisure drive for the first 5-6 hours on the tarred country road to the gate of the "Basin". To reach the base camp, a 4WD vehicle is recommended and depending on the weather and most the way will be on the jungle road.

 

 

Our team faced some very difficult challenge during the last outing as the weather was not in our favour.  

The other option is flying if you have extra allocations for such luxury. There are several helipads in the conservation area.

It's worthwhile to explore this Maliau Basin if you are a nature   

Some Tour operators do have 5D/4N or 6D/5N package or more to Maliau Basin. It is quite costly from RM5000 +. The package is value for money to such a destination, the lost world.      

THE WONDERS OF BORNEO - Mount Kinabalu

Mount. Kinabalu is the iconic mountain of Sabah in Borneo and it's located within the Kinabalu National Park, a World Heritage Site. The summit is known as Low's Peak at the height of 4,096 metres (13,438 ft) above sea level and It's the highest peak in South East Asia and also the 20th most prominent mountain in the world. The original height was 4,101 metres (13,455 ft) as previously published.

Mount Kinabalu includes the Kinabalu montane alpine meadows ecoregion in the montane grasslands and shrublands biome.

The mountain and its surrounding areas are the most important biological sites in the world, with between 5,000 and 6,000 species of plants, 326 species of birds, and more than 100 mammalian species identified. Among this rich collection of wildlife are famous species such as the Rafflesia plants and orangutans.

Magnificent view of Mount Kinabalu in the morning.

This spectacular mountain is opened for anyone, both local and foreigner who is interested to challenge the summit. It's the best way to discover the breathtaking wonders during climb.

 

 

 

 

 The breathtaking views near the summit.     

Low's Peak can be climbed quite easily by a person in good physical condition and there is no need for mountaineering equipment at any point on the main route. Other peaks along the massif, however, require some rock climbing skills.

The common climb tour is the 2D/1N or the 3D/2N package which is inclusive of transfer from the city,  climb permit, Mountain guide, food and accommodation at Laban Rata located at  3,270 metres or 10,730 ft. The package price is around RM1350 per person more or less basing a minimum 2-3 persons.

No specialized mountain climbing skills are required to climb, though along some sections on the summit trail, you need to rely on guide ropes to make the ascent and descent. Definitely, one will enjoy the climb depending how fit you are and how well you acclimate to thin air at the higher levels.

Just a precaution, this mountain can be a dangerous place, especially during the rain or when there is mist. The higher slopes can be very slippery when it rains and dense fog reduces visibility to a few feet. Following strictly to the instructions of the mountain guides, the climb can be a piece of cake.

 

 

Trekking up to Laban Rata.(average 6 hours)

The final climb to the summit from Laban Rata usually is from 2:00-2:30am in complete darkness in order to catch the sunrise when reaching the summit. These pictures, taken after 06:00am show a clearer view of the rope climb as our team started the climb after 05:30AM.    

Returning to Laban Rata.

Descending to Park HQ

Just before the sunset - view from the mountain.

For those who are to the climb of Mount Kinabalu, I wish you all the best and success in challenging this spectacular mountain.  

THE WONDERS OF BORNEO - klias wetland.

Borneo - Sabah is my home. Located just south of the typhoon-prone region of the Philippines, is often refer to as "the land below the wind".

  The "Tourist" map of Sabah.

Sabah is blessed with a diverse landscape of tropical rain forests, mountain ranges, lowlands with    indigenous flora and fauna - some of which can only be found in Borneo. Sabah is also gifted with  beautiful beaches and islands, an ideal destination for sea sport especially scuba diving.

Sabah has a population of 3.5 million consisting of Malay, Chinese and 42 ethnic groups with over 200 sub-ethnic groups with their own language, culture and beliefs.

As a retired travel & tour industry player, I wish to share my experience and give some insight of the "wonders" in my home country.

Klias wetland is one of the biggest wetland reserve in Sabah known as the Klias Wetland Mangrove Forest Reserve. It is the home to a diverse range of tropical plants, birds, fish, reptiles and some rare mammals like the Proboscis monkeys. Over the years, this wetland has been developed into one of the top tourist spots for Jungle river adventure. It's an escape to the wilderness and for a thrilling afternoon jungle river safari cruise in search for the rare Proboscis monkeys, macaques, the Silver leaf monkeys and some species of birds that inhabit in the unique wetland environment.  

The rare Proboscis - only found in Borneo

 

 Beautiful jungle wetland river.

There are at least 6 river operators offering 2-4 hours cruise in search for wildlife and in the evening, catch a glimpse of the fireflies blinking around the mangrove trees after dark. The package is inclusive of a traditional Malay buffet dinner.   

Long boats are used for the cruise. It's a fun and exciting. The cruise will return to jetty just before sunset for dinner at the jetty restaurant. Fireflies encounter will be after dinner. 

Many prefer the (all in one) double Decker cruise. Refreshment and buffet dinner are served on-board. After sunset, enjoy the glow of thousands of fireflies dancing on the mangrove trees while the boat is cruising back to jetty.   

 

Sunset over the river

Buffet dinner 

Image of the fireflies! In the event of bad weather, sighting is not guarantee.

Distance from city to the wetland is about 2 hours drive. Pick up time is normally from 14;30-14;30. The tour will end at about 19:30 at the river jetty. Guests should arrive back in the city by 22:30. 
The Klias wetland safari package can be easily booked through the many websites available. The package price is from RM180 per person for a combine tour.