Next place...Ranau

Ranau is a town located in West Coast Division, in the center of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo at an altitude of 1176m above sea level
(http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/1c048/138c75/?frdir=yes)



Its population was estimated to be around 70,649 in 2000, almost entirely ethnic Dusun. It is on the main road connecting Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. It is one of the gateways to Mount Kinabalu National Park and to Poring Hot Springs.

(up from the mountain)


The Kundasang War Memorial Display Garden has plants and flowers from Borneo, Australia and Great Britain. Ranau was the terminus of the infamous Sandakan Death Marches of World War II.


(a gesture of kindness and thought to all the victims)

Tambunan..Switzerland of the east?

(This is very near the town, probably taken from Kg. sandapak)

Tambunan is a town located in Interior Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Its population was estimated to be around 19,760 in 1991, almost entirely Kadazan-Dusun.



It is about 81 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu, and is located in a pleasant, Shangri-La setting at an altitude of around 1000 meters, in the Crocker Range.

The town is surrounded by terraced padi fields and 70 picturesque villages. The dense forests of bamboo around Tambunan are a legacy of the British colonial period, during which time an edict stated that 20 bamboo sprouts had to be planted for every bamboo cut.

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Malaysia/East/Sabah/Tambunan/

East of Tambunan is Sabah's second highest mountain, Trus Madi (2642 meters).

Just outside town is a monument to the Bajau hero Mat Salleh, who led a rebellion against the British North Borneo Company in the late 19th century. His agreement to a truce with the British so outraged his own people that he was forced to flee to Tambunan, where he was eventually besieged and killed.




Near the Mat Salleh's fort is the Tun Datu Mustapha Memorial the famous Sabah statesmen.
Tambunan is noted for the quality of its Lihing and Tapai, or rice wine.
Mat salleh fort

(http://www.sabahan.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=167)


Outside of Tambunan is the Tambunan Rafflesia Reserve, devoted to the world's largest flower, the rafflesia. There is a Rafflesia information centre on the way to Tambunan town which can be visited almost every day of the year..if u are lucky you will find a full grown rafflesia on site.
(http://www.parasiticplants.siu.edu/Rafflesiaceae/Raff.tengku.page.html)


 
(http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/destination/tambunan%20rafflesia%20centre.html)

the entrance signboard

As for the place to visit i prefer MAHUA waterfall located about 30 minutes drive from downtown..
(http://www.sabah.net.my/mahua/index.htm)


and i would recommend TVRC - Tambunan Village Resort Centre as a place to stay..and a sip of Lihing!

(http://tvrc.tripod.com/)

Kota Kinabalu..affectionately known as KK

http://www.ironwulf.net/2005/10/13/kk-adventure-06-city-strolling/

(a rather old setting of KK)

Kota Kinabalu, formerly Jesselton, is the state capital of Sabah, East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo; it is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah.

Facing the South China Sea and Tunku Abdul Rahman Park on one side, and with the mighty Mount Kinabalu in the background, Kota Kinabalu sprawls for kilometers along the coast and inland. The city is administered by Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu (Kota Kinabalu City Hall).
 

Tourist attractions




http://www.ironwulf.net/2005/10/13/kk-adventure-06-city-strolling/


 

Pulau Manukan, part of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park
http://www.malaysia-islands.com/html/tar-marine-park/beach/manukan/03.shtml


(http://www.sabah.edu.my/itsr031/Tunku%20Park.htm)

 

Atkinson Clock Tower - Built by Mary Edith Atkinson in 1905 in memory of her son Francis George Atkinson. It was formerly used as a navigation aid for ships until it was overshadowed by taller buildings.
(http://www.sabah.edu.my/itsr031/atkinson%20clock%20tower.htm)

(a very classic one)

Filipino Market - Handcrafts by the indigenous and non-indigenous people of Sabah can be found here. They produce a wide range of items which are mainly for functional rather than for decorative use.
http://p.vtourist.com/1/2999513-Buy_Crystal_or_Pearl_Accessories_in_KK-Kota_Kinabalu.jpg


http://p.vtourist.com/1/2979764-Cheap_and_Yummy-Kota_Kinabalu.jpg



Gaya Street sunday market - A gathering of local hawkers selling a wide range of items from traditional ethnic cultural souvenirs to pets and flowers. Worth a visit while in Kota Kinabalu.


Karamunsing Complex - The equivalent of Lowyat Plaza in Kuala Lumpur as it has more computer shops per capita than anywhere else in Sabah.
http://www.wtw.com.my/2005/components/com_hotproperty/img/std/942_10,%20Kompleks%20karamunsing.jpg



Kota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary - Located in Likas
http://www.sabah.org.my/kkcbs/gallery.htm



Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) - Located about 8 km from the city of Kota Kinabalu. It is the second busiest airport in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) with around 3.9 million passengers using this airport annually for domestic and international flights.
http://www.malaysiaairports.com.my/index.php?ch=18&pg=35&ac=115



Monsopiad Cultural Village - Situated in Penampang
http://www.monsopiad.com/Gallery.html



Kinabalu National Park - Kota Kinabalu is the gateway to one of the most popular national park in Malaysia. The park is a two hour drive away from the city. Mount Kinabalu has the highest peak in South East Asia. Beautiful Sceneries.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kinabalu#External_links)

(this is situated at kundasang, ranau)

North Borneo Railway
http://www.northborneorailway.com.my/




Sabah Museum
http://www.mzm.sabah.gov.my/intro.htm


State Mosque
http://www.trekkerslodge.com/sabah-state-mosque.aspx



Tun Mustapha Tower (formerly Sabah Foundation Building or Bangunan Yayasan Sabah) - About a 10-minute drive from Kota Kinabalu, this 30-storey glass building is supported by high-tensile steel rods, one of only four buildings in the world that is built with this method.
http://www.trekkerslodge.com/menara-tun-mustafa.aspx


Tanjung Aru Beach - Tanjung Aru has long stretches of sandy beaches. The most visited beach are Beach 1, Beach 2 and Beach 3. Food and drink stalls, Prince Phillip Botanical Park, night entertainment clubs, recreational clubs such as Tanjung Aru Golf Course and KK Yacht Club and a 5-star beach resort - Shangrila's Tanjung Aru Beach Resort can be found here. A popular family getaway place during the weekends.

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park - A National Park consisting of the beautiful islands of Sapi, Mamutik,Manukan, Sulug and Gaya. About 15 to 30 minutes boat ride away from KK jetty.

A popular spot for snorkeling.
http://www.cuti.com.my/Sub/Sabah/guide_tunku.htm




Rafflesia Forest Reserve - Located near Tambunan, the Reserve is an hour ride away from Kota Kinabalu. The world's largest flower species, the rafflesia, can be found here.( go to Tambunan)

Crocker Range National Park - Located just about 140 kilometres away from the city, near
Keningau. A nice place for jungle trekking and camping. (go to Keningau)

Sutera Harbour Golf & Country Club
http://www.malaysia-hotels.net/hotels/suteraharbour/images/megallan-1.jpg



Karambunai - A half an hour drive north of the city. It has a world-class beach and golf resort.
http://www.kinabalutravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/karambunai2.jpg


www.borneo.com.au/ sabah/accommodation/nexus



Some tips for you!
1. While Kota Kinabalu is a safe place do take care of your safety, particularly at night.
2. Travel by bus can be quite confusing. So ask the people first.
3. Most people can speak basic english here. so do not feel afraid to ask anyone. Sabahan people is quite shy so normally tourist will ask first instead of them greeting you.
4. Always be prepared for surprises.
5.The best time to come around is during festive season that is on May for the Kaamatan festival and August - September for the national day celebration.

Sabah..in Travelling

Sabah..How to go here

well first and foremost..if you want to go here..you,ve got to know how, rite?
ok, first the most popular gateway to sabah is through Kota Kinabalu
which is the capital city of Sabah.

Kota Kinabalu is easily reachable by Air and Sea
but its easier if u choose to go here by aeroplane.
Kota kinabalu (KK as its fondly known) is a relatively moderate city and it has an international airport
so if u can go direct to here from your country its good!

but otherwise u might have to go to Kuala Lumpur first and then book a ticket using local airplane
the two most popular are
airasia www.airasia.com
and Malaysia Airlines www.malaysiaairlines.com .
AirAsia is a cheaper alternative though.

(all contents in this blog are either taken from other websites, in cases where reference are forgotten to be written, the blogger would like to extend deepest apology to the owner)

Welcome to Sabah, Land Below the wind

  Sabah..or north borneo as it was previously known is located on top of the Borneo Island.. It is one of the states in Malaysia Federation and together with Sarawak is known as East Malaysia..It achieved freedom by merging with Malaysia in 1963. It has a rich collection of flora and fauna and boasts wonderful nature parks all throughout the state. it has beaches, seas, islands(remember the survivor series Pulau Tiga? it was done in one of Sabah islands), mountains, lakes, forests and parks.. so for those who enjoys travelling in an exquisite tropical country..Sabah has a lot to offer and for you to explore by yourselves.. this blog is dedicated to update information on the many availabilites of possible tourist attractions..