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 The Malysian state of Sabah occupies the north of the island of Borneo in the South China Sea, Known as the "Land below the Wind" because it lies just outside the typhoon belt, it is a vast and mountainous territory with rich tropical rain forests leading up to Mount Kinabalu, South-East Asia's highest mountain at 4,100 metres. For those with the stamina, it's a two-day steep walk to Mount Kinabalu's summit, the reward being- if there is no cloud-one of the finest views in Asia.
Kota Kinabalu, the state capital, is a fast growing town built along the shore and surrounded by productive farmland. The Sabah Museum, housed in a splendid building constructed in a traditional style, contains a fascinating collection of local artifacts.
Further inland, at Poring, are hot springs where the baths are set in well trimmed gardens dotted by swallow-tail butterflies and hedged about by rain forest. Nearby, if you are very fortunate, you may see orang-utans in the wild, and even if not, you may console yourself with sightings of mouse mouse deer, barking deer,bearded pigs or grey monkeys. The birdlife here is prolific, with more than 200 species regularly seen, including hornbills,mynahs and honey buzzards.
Our recommended sightseeing includes a half-day Kota Kinabalu City Tour which takes you through the city center to places of interest including the Sabah Foundation Building, the Poh Toh Tze temple, Sabah State mosque and the Sabah Museum. Fly from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan for full-day tour to Sandakan City and Sepilok Orang-utans.
Visit the city's busy local markets before moving on to the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Sanctuary. Here, you take a jungle walk during feeding time before returning to town for lunch via the Sim-Sim water village. In the afternoon you visit Sabah's largest Buddhist temple and other sights before taking your return flight to Kota Kinabalu.
Our full-day tour takes you to the 754 square kilometer Kinabalu National Park. You will be able to walk through the jungle and tropical mountain forest- harbouring more than 1,000 varities of orchids, 300 species of birds and nature's largest flower, the ungainly "raffelsia" which yields an orange blossom up to a metre in diameter when in bloom (and looks disappointingly like a withered cabbage when not). Lunch is included.
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