Mount Kinabalu, Sabah
Mount Kinabalu, Sabah
Gunung Kinabalu
Gunung Kinabalu or Mount Kinabalu is the most famous national park of Sabah. It
is over 4,100 m high. The mountain can be climbed relatively easily
provided one follows the right trail.
Mt. Kinabalu is the pride and soul of Sabah.
Bursting through the famed "Spine of Sabah",
the Crocker Range that is, it soars aloft spectacularly into the Borneo sky. Its
awesome height prompted reverence from mortals living in its shadow, in bygone
ages. In fact, it figures centrally in the traditional belief systems of the
once animistic Dusuns in its foothills and the Kadazans in the plains and
valleys beyond, who for centuries had regarded it as the resting place of their
dead - their version of heaven. Until today, Dusun high priests dutifully
perform the annual sacrificial rite of killing seven white chickens, near the
summit, to appease the spirits.
It is cherished and raved about as the highest
peak in South East Asia, which towers 4,101 m (13,455 ft) above a tangle of
mountains. Not surprisingly, one visitor who saw the spectacle in 1990,
exclaimed tauntingly: " If you haven't seen Mt. Kinabalu, you haven't seen
South East Asia." The imposing, snow-free and bald top granite massif
rouses man's instinctive yearning to get to the top the feeling of being in the
top of the world.
Park Headquarters at 1,588 m (5,000 ft) is well
organized with accommodations ranging from hostels to classy chalets but they
are so popular, booking well in advance is advised. Daily temperature here vary
from 20 degrees centigrade to 13 degrees at night.
Many of the annual 170,000 visitors simply
enjoy the cool climate here strolling around trail walking or simply doing
nothing.
Located at the Southern boundary, Park's
headquarters is 83 km from capital city Kota Kinabalu with good, paved roads.
Poring Hot springs is 43 km further to the
North East where natural open air sulphur health spas, a canopy walkway through
the rainforest tree crowns and perhaps a chance to see the Rafflesia (if one is
lucky) are possible, in addition to reasonable accommodation facilities. with
thanks to Sabah Tourism Promotion Corporation)
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