Kota
Kinabalu National Park in Malaysian North Borneo is
a
forest reserve covering 754 sq km of rugged mountains covered with
pristine jungle. Vegetation in the park is diverse ranging from
lowland rainforest to temperate mountain oaks to alpine conifers.
More than 1,200 species of wild orchids and 40 species of oaks can
be found in the park. The world's largest flower, the Rafflesia,
is found from 600 to 1,000 metres
above sea level on the primary forest floor. Other unusual
flora include the nepenthes pitcher plant which captures and digests insects; the Dawsonia; the worlds largest moss and Low’s Rhododendron, whose
flowers can reach 30cm in width.
Mountain
ground squirrels and tree shrews can often be seen in the scrub
vegetation. Along mountain trails, an occasional rednecked keelback
snake can be seen sunning itself. Fro the bird watching
enthusiast the variety of birds in
the park include mountain black eye, mountain black bird, Borneo
eye bright, pale-faced bulbul,
and the Kinabalu warbler.
Popular activities in the park are to trek up Mt. Kinabalu or
along the jungle trails around the Park Headquarters. The
headquarters has an Exhibit Centre and screens a show daily
at 1:30 pm. Nearby is the Mountain Garden which features labeled
plants.
Open:
Mon to Fri (8 am – 4.30 pm), Sat (8 am – 5 pm) and
Sun (9 am – 4 pm)
The
road journey from K. Kinabalu to the Park Headquarters, which is
1,558 metres, takes two hours. Here daily temperatures range
from 13 to 20 degrees Centigrade. Accommodation available
includes hostel, chalets and cabins.
It
is advisable to book a place to stay before one enters the park.
During the months of April, July, August and December, visits to the
park are popular and early bookings are necessary.
Poring
Hot Springs,
natural health Spa, has open-air Japanese style sulphur baths
and is set amidst a landscaped tropical garden. Part of the Kinabalu
National Park, there are tubs for soaking in, walking trails,
and a jungle canopy walk for a monkey’s eye view of the
forest. Nearby is the 60 metre high canopy walk, the Langanan
Waterfall and the Kepungit Waterfall. For accommodation, it has
four chalets, a hostel, and a camp site.
Location:
19 km north from Ranau
|