National Park Vacation at Kinabalu National Park

For a unique national park vacation in Borneo, you must make sure that you drop by at Kinabalu National Park, about 90 km or about 2-hour drive from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. In fact, a vacation in Sabah or Borneo will be incomplete without a visit to Kinabalu National Park. Kinabalu National Park gives you an opportunity to escape from the hot tropical sun and enjoy the cool and refreshing mountain air as it is in the heart of the montane oak-chestnut-conifer forest.

Gazetted since 1964, Kinabalu National Park is well protected with one of the richest diversity of plant, animal, insect and bird life in the world. It carries lowland, montane and alphine vegetation on a scale that is not seen between the Himalayas and the New Guinea. The world’s largest pitcher plant (Rajah Brooke) and the world's biggest flower (the Rafflesia) can also be found here.

Given its uniqueness and richness in biodiversity, Kinabalu National Park was the first site in Malaysia to be designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, in December 2000 for its “outstanding universal values and role as one of the world’s most important biological sites." Kinabalu National Park boasts an estimated 4,500 species of plants which includes 1,500 species of orchids, 77 of which are endemic to Kinabalu. The National Park also supports 289 species of birds and 290 different types of butterflies.

The Kinabalu Park Headquarter is the main entry point to Kinabalu National Park. It is located at the National Park's southern boundary, more than 1,500 metres (~5,000 feet) above sea level. You will need to pay a minimal entrance fee before entering the National Park. A sealed one-way road loops around the Park Headquarters. There are many modern facilities within the Park such as reception center for accommodation and summit climb arrangement, two restaurants, sundry shop, picnic facilities, shelters, and so forth.

Don't forget to stop by at the Visitors' Center (i.e., World Heritage Site Conservation Center) where you can view multimedia presentations and exhibitions. You will need to walk (or drive) up a steep road to the Center just to the right of the Park's reception area.

Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in South East Asia, resides majestically in the heart of the National Park. The mountain is easily the icon of Sabah tourism. Climbing (or rather hiking up) the mountain is an extremely popular tourist activity since the mountain is a relatively easy mountain to conquer. No special climbing skill or mountaineering gears are needed.

But if you are not into mountain climbing, a national park or leisure vacation at Kinabalu National Park will be more than satisfying once you get a breathtaking view of Mount Kinabalu. Make sure that you arrive at the National Park early in the morning and on a clear day so that you can be entralled by the finely-detailed "topography" of the mountain. Better still, stay a night at the National Park. You will have more time to explore the National Park and enjoy the numerous nature trails around the Park.