KINABALU Park is Malaysia's first World Heritage site designated by UNESCO for its outstanding universal value and role as one of the world's most important biological sites. It is BORNEO'S botanical paradise which covers a staggering area of 754 sq. km (300 sq. mile). It is bigger than Singapore Island! KINABALU PARK is an easy 3-hour scenic drive from KOTA KINABALU and is a popular getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city where visitors can enjoy the cool invigorating air. MT. KINABALU, the majestic summit of Borneo, is the focal point of the Park and the whole of Sabah. This magnificent granite massif stands at 4,095.2m (13,435-ft) tall and is one of the few mega-mountains where you don't need any particular mountaineering skills. Just be fit and strong and you can reach the summit in a span of two days.
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Mount Kinabalu Botanical Garden
For our tour, we went to the MT. KINABALU BOTANICAL GARDEN where our guide pointed out the different species of plants on the marked trail. This 5-acre Garden is an excellent showcase of the diverse plant life on the mountain, as flora from all over the Park has been replanted here. Amid the lush greenery and the gurgling of small streams you can feel that this is how nature should be appreciated. This botanical paradise has continually attracted top naturalists and botanists from around the world and has been proclaimed an area with the richest diversity of flora and fauna, most of them endemic.It is home to about 1,200 species of orchids, 26 species of rhododendrons, 9 species of pitcher plants, over 80 species of fig trees, over 60 species of oaks and chestnut trees, 100 species of mammals, 326 species of birds – the list goes on! I snapped pictures of the kerosene fruit, rabbit orchids, sexy orchids, smallest pitcher plants, spiral tree, etc… which abound in the area.
From the Botanical Garden, we drove a few more kilometers to reach the PORING TREETOP CANOPY WALKWAY. The canopy walk is a 370-meter (1,213-ft) climb up the foot of MT. KOTA KINABALU – a tough walk if you are not fit. At the top, the walkway consisted of a set of short hanging bridges of 157.8-meter (516-ft) long and 41-meter (134-ft) high in the air! We strolled amidst the canopy of the Menggaris tree which is considered the King of the Forest. We capped the day by soaking in the hot sulfuric minerals of PORING HOT SPRINGS to ease our tired muscles. If nature's finest luxury and exhilarating adventure is your passion, sensational KINABALU PARK is your destination.
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