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/)