Mari Melancong Sabah

The Meaning of the Flag of Sabah
A silhoutte of Mount Kinabalu represents Sabah State. 
The colour zircon blue represents peace and calmness. 
The colour white represents purity and justice. 
The colour chilli red represents courage and determination. 
The colour icicle blue represents unity and prosperity. 
The colour royal blue represents strength and harmony. 

 Sabah - Often called the 'Land Below the Wind' because it lies below the typhoon belt. Sabah occupies the eastern part of North Borneo and is East Malaysia's second largest state with an area of 74,500sq km. Sabah has the South China Sea on the west and the Sulu and Celebes seas on the east and a coastline of some 1440km. Sabah's terrain is rugged, with Mt. Kinabalu, at 4,101 metres, dominating the surrounding landscape  Sabah is mountainous with lush tropical rain forests and its population of nearly two million is made up of 32 colourful ethnic communities. Access to Malaysia eastern gateway is through Sabah's capital, Kota Kinabalu, which receives flights from Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, Brunei, Jakarta, Seoul, and Taipei. Domestic travel in this vast state is via daily flights between Labuan, Sandakan, Lahad Datu, and Tawau, though large areas are still inaccessible. A rail network stretches from Kota Kinabalu to Tenom, and buses, taxis, and boats are also available.

Sabah is also endowed with a heterogenous population. The indigenous population are made up of some 30 groups using more than 50 indigenous languages and not less than 80 dialects.  The main ethnic groups are: the Dusun/Kadazan - the largest group who make up nearly one third of the population, the Murut, the Paitan and the Bajau. Other indigenous groups include the Bonggi, the Iranun, the Ida'an and the Brunei. In addition, the Chinese make up the main nonindigenous group. Therefore, the people of Sabah are varied in their respective cultural backgrounds.

Based on archaeological findings, Sabah was inhabited by people from as early as 28,000 years ago. Islam came to Sabah towards the end of the 15 and 16 centuries Ihrough the Arab and Indian traders and also as a result of the expansion of the Brunei Malay Sultanate.  It was another two centuries more before the Europeans came to Sabah. In 1775, the British East-India Company opened a trading base in Balembangan Island. However, it was the British North Borneo Chartered Company who effectively ruled Sabah from 1881 until 1942 when the Japanese occupied the state. After the devastation of the War, Sabah became a British Crown Colony until 31 August 1963 when it obtained self-government from the British. On 16 September 1963, Sabah together with Sarawak, Singapore and Malaya joined the Federation of Malaysia.

The People of Sabah

With around 32 indigenous groups in Sabah, one can expect to see tribal dresses of various styles. Most of these have retained much of their original design and color.

Many of these traditional costumes are of black material, and one of the reasons for using such a sombre color is that in the past, the people could rely on a few types of vegetables and plants from which to extract dye to color the cloth. If they needed to add color to the black, beads of red, orange, white and green were sewn on.

Traditional costumes also included antique bead necklaces and belts, antique hand-engraved silver jewellery, and belts of old silver dollar coins. Most of these accessories have been handed down from generation to generation. All are very valuable and priceless.

Mount Kinabalu

Mt Kinabalu (4095m) is one of the tallest mountains in South-East Asia and is situated in the Kinabalu National Park in the province of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. Thousands of tourists visit Kinabalu National Park each year and most come with the intention of climbing Mt Kinabalu.

Fortunately, Mt Kinabalu is one of the easiest peaks in the world to conquer. It takes just two days and climbers don't need any previous experience at mountain climbing. At sunrise, the views from the Mt Kinabalu's summit at Low's Peak are spectacular, making all the effort worthwhile.

Most climbers take two days to ascend and descend Mt Kinabalu. The eight-kilometre climb generally starts from the the Timpohon Gate near park headquarters (1800m), with an overnight stay at one of the guest houses at Laban Rata (3273m), before pushing on to the summit early next morning. Mt Kinabalu's summit is usually reached in time to view the sunrise, before returning to Laban Rata for breakfast. Climbers then descend the mountain, generally reaching the park headquarters by mid-afternoon.

Anyone with a reasonable level of fitness and the willpower to push through fatigue and discomfort can climb to the summit of Mt Kinabalu. It is achievable and incredibly rewarding.

This site contains all you need to know about climbing Mt Kinabalu: preparation, equipment, transport, costs, accommodation and a blow by blow account of the climb itself. Follow the links below to learn about climbing Mt Kinabalu - the climb of a lifetime.