Destination Abroad: Borneo
With luscious rain forests, endangered wildlife and diverse culture, Borneo is the perfect destination for adventure and nature lovers. It is the world’s third-biggest island, boasts remote jungle beauty, tropical adventure, tribal cultures and is home to half of all known plant and animal species in the world.Things to See & Do
Mount Kinabalu & Kinabalu National Park is located in Sabah. The 4095m peak of Mt Kinabalu is Malaysia’s first Unesco World Heritage Site but is by no means an easy jaunt. The main trail up is essentially a very long walk up a very steep hill, past alpine jungle and sunlit moonscapes and will take two days and one night to reach the top. If you don’t feel up to reaching the mountain top, its base has some worthy attractions, including a large network of nature trails, a canopy walk and butterfly house. www.climbmtkinabalu.com
Mari Mari Cultural Village tour is located deep in the countryside about 25 minutes away from Kota Kinabalu city. The tour offers you the opportunity to see and experience the culture and lifestyle of how the indigenous ethnic groups of Borneo used to live. The village features five different ethnic tribes in one village including the famously feared headhunting tribe Murut. Grab the chance to see a blowpipe-making demonstration, fire-starting demonstration using bamboo, tattoo-making demonstration, and get an in-depth look at the mystical symbolisms behind them. There is also a small waterfall – Kiansom Waterfall – about 400m beyond the cultural village, which is easily accessible by private transport or on foot. The area around the cascade lends itself well to swimming and it’s a great place to cool off after a visit to Mari Mari. www.marimariculturalvillage.com
Read more in the June 2015 issue.
