Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Spring 神山与波令温泉

I can still remember the day 29th November,2000. Headlines over most of the newspapers in Malaysia "KINABALU PARK, MALAYSIA'S FIRST WORLD HERITAGE SITE"

Gosh, was I thrilled with this news!!!! I have been bringing hundreds of tourists to Kinabalu Park (KNP) all these years and really love the place and its cool mountain air. It sure deserved the recognition. However, lots of people do not know how all this started.

Thanks to Sir Roland Turnbull, the Governor of British North Borneo. He came here in 1954 and became the most achieving Governor of North Borneo, setting up the Legislative Assembly and looked into conservation of the forest. He instructed George Carson, then the Conservator of Forest to conserve the 754sq km of forest surrounding the magnificent Mt. Kinabalu. George Carson subsequently became the Park first warden. If only Sir Turnbull had lived till the day when KNP bacame World Heritage Site, I am pretty sure he would be really thrilled and proud of it.! My due respect to this respectable Governor.

There was a time when I was really down and depressed and I took off to the mountain and stayed for a night at a hotel with the full view of the mountain in my room. I gazed at the mountain in the evening and at early dawn and mind you, it really helped to take away all my sorrows. Till now, I am never tired of taking pictures of the mountain and its many different faces everytime. To describe the mountain : Strong! majestic! wonderful ! Amazing! Why not! This huge granite rock has taken 150 million years to surface from the ground to its present height of 4095.2m and many believe it is still growing.

It has allowed 4 different types of vegetation to grow at its lower surface right upto more than 3,000 over metre, namely, Tropical Dipterocarp forest, montane forest, sub-alpine forest and moss/scrub forest, having more than half of the world's different species of flora. Not to mention the more than 1200 species of wild orchids ( including the native beautiful Queen of Slipper Orchid), more than 29 species of rhododendrons, 10 species of pitcher plants and more than 600 over species of ferns. And so much more...............

The nature trails walk at the Park are a sure nice experience for anyone who loves nature, well, especially the trails at the administration centre at 1520m. At the east is Poring Hot Spring, where there are limited bath tubs to soothe one's aching muscles or just for relaxation. Remember, it is a Park and not supposed to be too commercialised. So, do not take on the Park authorities for not making more tubs. But, one must try the Canopy Walkway. It takes about 15 minutes to go up the trail but it is a truly amazing experience once again. The Canopy walkway is 41 metre high and is about 170m long (5 sections) and hanged onto tropical trees namely, Seraya Emas(golden tree) and Mengaris(king of trees which can grow upto 90 over metre high). Enjoy the scenery around you and forget about height phobia..........phobia? what phobia?

Do not worry or disappointed if your health or stamina would not let you go all the way up the Canopy, cos, the Park authorities is constructing another canopy nearer the entrance (about 5 minutes, I think) and should be completed soon. Of course, it is not as thrilling as the original canopy which is much higher and longer but.............at least you get to try walking across A CONOPY! Your friends back home won't see the difference from the photos you show them anyway.

If you have enough time, take a walk to the Kipungit waterfall (15 minutes also)from the hot Spring area and enjoy the quiet and cool breeze of the waterfall. If you stay overnight at the Hot Spring area, don't miss the chance to trek up to the Langaggan Waterfall(1 1/2 hr), of course, you'll need the stamina to do so, cos, it is all the way up, up, up , and....................up!

Will talk about climbing the mountain in my next posting! Read on..............