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 Asian Continent |
Sabah:A Land Below the Wind |
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It is one of the more interesting and accessible ecotourism destinations in Southeast Asia.
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 BaNegri Dewa Angin is the native Malaysian term for Borneo. It means, the land below the wind. The name comes from Borneo's geographic location below the typhoon belt and outside the volcanic Pacific rim of fire. It is a place that still can stir the imagination: towering jungle clad mountain ranges, headhunting indigenous tribes living communally in longhouses, painted warriors wielding poison dart blowguns, nearly impenetrable rainforests, wild orangutans, bat caves big enough to accommodate several Hindu temples with room to spare, chittering bulbous-nosed proboscis monkeys and Technicolor birds. It's all still there, and that makes it one of the more interesting and accessible ecotourism destinations in Southeast Asia. |
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...the country's capital, is a handsome, spotlessly clean, crime-safe, park-filled metropolis... There is religious freedom, with Moslem mosques, Buddhist and Hindu temples and Christian churches side-by-side.  |
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Kuala Lumpur The separation between peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia is more than geographical. The peninsular half is one of Southeast Asia's most vigorous economies. Kuala Lumpur, the country's capital, is a handsome, spotlessly clean, crime-safe, park-filled metropolis of daring glass and concrete towers (two of them now the tallest in the world), office buildings, superior hotel accommodations, shopping centers and American fast-food restaurants.  For a major metropolis of more than one million predominantly Moslem inhabitants, there is remarkable religious freedom, with Moslem mosques, Buddhist and Hindu temples and Christian churches sometimes sit side-by-side. The only place of worship you will not find in this city or anywhere in this land is a synagogue. A short drive from the capital are the Batu caves, a remarkable Hindu temple built inside an awesome cave with a 300-ft-high ceiling and a huge bat population. On feast days, as many as 80,000 Hindu faithful climb the steep stairs to the temple, many penitents carrying decorated frames actually attached to their flesh with hooks and skewers. You won't have to do this, but it is a good idea to pick a non-feast day to visit Batu. |
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...there are good roads, air-conditioned touring buses, and elegant hotels in Kota Kinabalu The smaller, more centrally located city of Sandakan also is known as the gateway to Borneo's wildlife. |
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Sabah Adventure East Malaysia, the other half of the country, rapidly is catching up with the mainland as a tourism destination. In Sabah in the northeast corner of Borneo, there are good roads, air-conditioned touring buses, an elegant Hyatt Hotel in Kota Kinabalu, the state's major city, and much more, a developing tourism infrastructure that makes Sabah one of the more promising destinations in the world for soft adventure ecotourism.  The state of Sabah is roughly the size of South Carolina. Once there, using the cosmopolitan city of Kota Kinabalu (KK for short) or the smaller, more centrally located city of Sandakan--also known as the gateway to Borneo's wildlife--as home bases, the adventurous ecotourist can sample most of the attractions of the area in about ten days time. This can include exhilarating mountain hiking, jungle trekking, whitewater rafting, exploring primitive rivers, staying in rainforest lodges, overnight visits with former headhunters, and scuba diving in offshore reefs rated as some of the world's most spectacular. There are many ground operators in Kota Kinabalu, with good credentials who can help you plan your adventure. While in Sandakan, it is interesting to visit the quayside public market where everything under the Asian sun may be found as well as many crawly items that never saw sunshine, all intended for the cooking pot.  Another interesting stop is the home of Agnes Newton Keith, an American married to a British colonial administrator in 1940's Borneo. Caught by World War II, she and her young son spent three years in Sandakan's notorious Japanese prisoner of war camp. Her story became a best seller and later the film, "Three Came Home" with Claudette Colbert playing Mrs. Keith. |
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Mt. Kinabalu's 13,450-foot granite massif looms over the state of Sabah like a guardian dragon. |
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Mount Kinabalu One of the highest mountains in Southeast Asia, Mt. Kinabalu's 13,450-foot granite massif looms over the state of Sabah like a guardian dragon. It is not a fire-breather. Non volcanic in origin, it is one of the great attractions in the area for hikers and is a two-hour scenic drive away from KK, past mountain villages and hillside farms of the Kadazan Duzun tribes. Within the boundaries of the park surrounding it are lowland rainforests with more than 1,200 kinds of orchids; temperate zones of oak, rhododendron and chestnut; a cloud forest, an Alpine forest; and, finally a frost-covered rocky summit. The trail to the top, starting from the parking and reception center at the 6,000-foot elevation, is outstandingly beautiful, not dangerous, but strenuous, basically equivalent to climbing a 7,450-foot staircase. There are seven rest shelters along the way and the new Laban Rata mountain hut at 10,700 feet with private rooms, a restaurant and central heating for the majority of climbers, who do the mountain in two days. For the really competitive, there is an annual run up the mountain. For less vigorous climbers, guides fluent in English are available and, if lucky, you may draw one that is a Kadazan Duzun local and who will give an extra dimension to the adventure. |
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Sabah's whitewater rivers reportedly provide some of the best rafting in the region. |
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Whitewater Rafting From August to January is the best period to sample, Sabah's whitewater rivers that reportedly provide some of the best rafting in the region. The Papar River flows through a rustic rainforest setting. The Kedamaian River has class II and III runs and flows past mountain villages and down a series of cascades that prepare aficionados for the really big experience on the Padas River (grade IV.) Getting to the Padas River requires a ride on Borneo's only narrow-gauge railway from Beaufort to Tenom where the entry point is located. For the next two to four hours the grade IV ride includes a heart-pounding ride through ten-foot-high waves in the Padas gorge and placid recovery pools between rapids. The Mulau River provides a pleasant ride for beginners. |
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An interesting place to stay is the Sipadan Water Village Resort |
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Diving and turtle watching One of Southeast Asia's noted diving sites is located on the Island of Sipadan off the east coast of Sabah. It is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, and it rises from the ocean depth on a limestone pinnacle that provides 2,000-foot wall dives just 50 feet from the beach. Its rich variety of corals, healthy abundance of marine life and, from April to September, the nesting site of Green and Hawkbill turtles, make this a spectacular site rated by Jacques Cousteau as one of the world's finest. An interesting place to stay is the Sipadan Water Village Resort, located on Mabul Island in the Celebes Sea and a 35-minute boat ride from the mainland. The resort has 35 rooms and a restaurant as well as all diving equipment and supplies. Twin share, per person rates for 2001 can range anywhere from $342 for a 2-day, 1-night stay in a Junior Cottage to $513 for the same in a Grand Deluxe Cottage. It's a bit pricey, but the cost includes airport transfers and three buffet meals a day. There are many other options for accommodations, but most are pretty basic. The Turtle Islands Park, about 25 miles north of Sandakan, Sabah's second largest city, includes a group of three lush tropical islands: Pulau Selingaan, Pulau Bakkungan Kechil and Pulau Gulsaan. From July to October, the Green and Hawksbill turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. The first of these islands has accommodations for up to 20 persons per night for in-depth turtle-watching. |
 This red-haired creature also was once called the "wild man of Borneo." |
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Orang Utan watching In Malay, Orang Utan means Jungle Man, and it's easy to see the relationship. This red-haired creature also was once called the "wild man of Borneo" because of its "disturbingly human" ways, but in reality is far gentler than its distant cousins: us. A short drive from Sandakan is the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary, a 43-square-mile rehabilitation preserve of lowland rainforest established to rehabilitate orphaned or wounded animals. There they are protected from logging, allowed to roam free, and infants are trained to live in the wild again. A nicely done visitor center and an interesting film welcome visitors from all over the world. A series of boardwalks allow visitors to walk a short way into the forest and to wait at the feeding stations where, around 10:00 am and 2:30 pm, keepers call the Orang Utans in for a snack. The rest of the time, the apes forage for themselves, and the whole objective is to encourage them to learn to look after themselves. |
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...this interesting old city remains a visible testament to its previous Chinese, Dutch, British and Portuguese colonizers. |
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Malacca Back on mainland Malaysia, the country's colonial history is still on display in such cities as Malacca. Once seat of an independent sultanate, this interesting old city remains a visible testament to its previous Chinese, Dutch, British and Portuguese colonizers. A residential neighborhood of Portuguese descendants still names its streets after ones "back home," and residents speak an ancient Portuguese dialect called Cristao. In another district, a park with windmills and gardens recalls the days under Dutch rule. There is much to see there, and interesting antique stores abound with eclectic offerings from the area's multi-cultural past. |
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The country is concentrating on promoting tourism as part of its economic recovery program.
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Malaysia is a stable land atmospherically, seismically and politically--one of the "little tigers" of Southeast Asia--but its vigorous and expanding economy was hit hard by the downturn a few years ago. The country is concentrating on promoting tourism as part of its vigorous recovery program. This is a good time to visit, and your tourist dollar will go far in this welcoming climate. Malaysia is a fascinating land. Its cities are modern, clean and safe, and the possibilities offered in East Malaysia for soft adventure tourism are well worth the trip half-way around the world. Getting there Malaysia Airlines offers daily direct flights from the U. S. westbound from Los Angeles to KL and three weekly eastbound flights from New York to KL, with one intermediate stop in Dubai. Malaysia Airlines = http://www.malaysiaairlines.com.my
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Photo Credits: Rod Lopez-Fabrega, Sabah Tourism Promotion Board, Sipadan Water Village Resort, Map courtesy of About.com |
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© 2001 ROMAR TRAVEL GUIDES
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