Ohh to have been able to climb Mount Kinabalu would have been awesome! I would have collapsed half way, though. Halfway? Who am I kidding? With my stamina and non existent exercise routines, I wonder how far I'd have been able to make it..
When reading up about the Park, I found out several interesting facts from the Sabah Tourism website:
- UNESCO declared Kinabalu Park as Malaysia's 1st World Heritage Site in 2000
- it's 74,500 hectares
- it's larger than Singapore!
You have to pay a meagre conservation fee of RM3 to enter the park. Within the Park, you can find from budget to high end accommodation, the Natural History Gallery, the World Heritage Monument, and restaurants. You could opt to watch slide shows at the Visitor Centre Building or join guided walks, shop at the souvenir shop, check out the Exhibit Hall or hang out at the Mountain Garden. We did not do any of that as our next stop was the Tip of Borneo@Simpang Mengayau, Kudat. Oh and the park also has Mount Kinabalu!!!
When you enter, turn LEFT if you are driving as it's ONE WAY...and be alert on your way out or you'll have to make an entire round again!
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| Timpohon View (on the way to Timpohon Hut) |
To get to the Pondok Timpohon entrance you have to drive up a winding road. It's very narrow and it would be a really tight squeeze if a bus were to come the opposite way. Some oncoming vehicles were people who drove recklessly and came into our lane at high speed.
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| The Entrance |
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| Wow 2011 climbathon champions...(happens annually) |
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| Pondok means 'hut' in Malay |
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| The Summit Trail |
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| 'The Gates' |
As you can see above, we paid RM5 each to go up to Layang- Layang Hut but we only went as far as Carson Fall because after that it was all slippery, slippery rocks. A big no no when one parent has a baby in a sling and another is carrying a toddler. Besides, being able to come this far was an experience itself and quite a feat.. Here are snippets of our trail to Carson Fall. As soon as you pass 'the Gates' this greets you. Especially fun on the way up!
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| It was quite chilly here and the sound of the water was lovely... |
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| Looks like a 'Predator' right? |
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For those who do not wish to pass 'the gates'- they were quite daunting and gave a cagey feeling- there is an open area above the hut that provides a scenic aerial view. Here a couple attracted a squirrel from a nearby tree and we were amused by its antics. Here's a shot of our furry friend of the wild...
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| Say 'nutsss' lil' fella....*click |
I loved it here.. even if you don't plan to climb Mt Kinabalu you have to come here.. You just have to : )
For more information on the mountain guide and porter rates, climbing permit et cetera check out www.sabahtourism.com
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