Kinabalu
National Park
The
main attraction of the park is of course Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain
in South-East Asia at over 4100 metres. The granite massif dominates the
surrounding landscape. The park is a paradise for naturalists, botanists
bird watchers and those who admire nature. There are 11 km of marked and
graded trails at the Park Headquarters, many of which cut across the mountain
forest vegetation. The higher you climb, the less dense the forest becomes.
The Silau Silau trail is the easiest and perhaps the most beautiful.
Guided tours to the summit of Mt Kinabalu take two days for the average
tourist to the area. On a clear morning it is possible to see to the Philippines
from the summit. Be warned - the second day begins at 03.00 hrs!!
• Please
visit Mount
Kinabalu under Highlands and Kinabalu
Park under National Parks.
Poring
Hot Spring
Poring Hot
Springs is one of the best places to visit after a climb of Mt Kinabalu,
or after a trip into the Sabah jungles. The steaming sulphuric water is
an excellent tonic for tired limbs. Between hot and cold baths, you can
trek through the dipterocarp forests of Poring which are rich in fruit
trees, kanas and rotan palms. The baths were originally built during the
Japanese occupation and set in a lush green setting. It is called "Poring"
because it is named after a species of bamboo abundant here.
Experience
too, the canopy walkway (not for the faint hearted) where you are able
to walk through the forest canopy of a suspended walkway. It is definitely
worth the effort.
The vegetation
in the area is lowland rainforest
Padas Gorge And The Beaufort Train
The train
which runs between Beaufort and Tenom is the last remaining train in Sabah.
The trip passes across the scenic Padas Gorge. The spectacular view of
the swift flowing river flanked by high hills and mountains makes the
journey an interesting one. The rail often disappears into the jungle
growth, and the view from the window often has you wondering just where
the track might be heading. The journey also passes tropical rainforest,
rubber estates and villages along the Padas River. The Tenom Pangi Hydroelectric
project is also a very impressive sight from the train. The Padas River
is also the site of white-water rafting adventures which shoot through
rapids up to Grade 4
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