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The Trip
Our flight from KL took us to Kota Kinabalu where we stayed the night.
The next day we headed to Kinabalu Park where Mount Kinabalu is located. Climbing & descending the mountain took the whole of two days.
Manukan Island followed next which gave us some good time to rest and recover. Whitewater rafting at Padas River was an excellent adventure, and we ended the trip at Labuan Island.
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Kota Kinabalu
Touchdown: Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It's a quaint little city, where the pace of life seems a lot more relaxed than those in KL's. | | Base Camp: Kinabalu Park
To climb Mt Kinabalu, we made our way to Kinabalu Park. The park covers an area of over 750 sq km, and is one of the world's most important biological sites. It is home to many flora and fauna that are extremely rare or unique to only the area. Hence, the park has been designated as a "World Heritage" by UNESCO in December 2000. |
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Mt Kinabalu: Day 1
We started our ascent of Mt Kinabalu at 8am. The first few kilometres were nice - we totally absorbed the whole "relaxing nature" thing.
It wasn't long before our limbs started feeling the strain. Slowly, painfully, slowly, we dragged our sorry asses up until we reached Gunting Lagadan, our accommodation for the evening. | | Mt Kinabalu: Day 2
After a short rest, the climbing began again at 2.30am. We had to start early to make it to the peak for sunrise.
As we made progress in pitch black, the landscape made way to a vast land of granite rock. In the darkness the stars shone brightly, and the cold wind bit deep into the bones. |
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Manukan Island
Armed with a set of aching limbs from the torturous climb the days before, we headed for some sun, sand and sea at Manukan Island.
Manukan is one of five islands classified under the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. The island is 1.5km long, and is blessed with crystal clear waters and a long stretch of white sandy beach. It's perfect for beach activities, although I spent the entire two days there hibernating in bed and recuperating from the exhaustion. | | Whitewater Rafting at Padas River
Whitewater Rafting at Padas River was easily the most fun-filled 3-hours we'd ever had throughout the trip. Floating into the rapids, getting thrown into the water, doing the "rodeo" and splashing water at other rafts made for an exhilirating ride.
Heck - even the train journey towards the river made an experience by itself. |
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Labuan Island
Our final journey ended at Labuan Island. Located 8km off the western coast of Borneo and accessible by air and sea, Labuan has been designated as an International Offshore Financial Centre (IOFC). As a duty-free port, Labuan is a haven for shopping, especially chocolates, alcohol and cigarettes. | |
