Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia
Visiting Kinabalu Park and Kudat
📌 By Jakub Mikula | August 16, 2019
Thinking of travelling to Sabah on a solo budget trip? I visited Sabah for 4 days to explore Kinabalu Park and the town of Kudat.
The island of Borneo is shared by Malaysia (Sarawak, Labuan, Sabah), Brunei, and Indonesia (Kalimantan). The region of Sabah is located in the northern part of the island. This region is best known for Malaysia’s (and South-East Asia’s) highest mountain, Mount Kinabalu (4095m). Hiking to the summit of Mt. Kinabalu requires a permit. However, hiking in Kinabalu Park is free of charge. There are several trails you can take through the lush rainforest to the main gate (Timpohon Gate), beyond which a permit is required.
Another interesting place to visit is the town of Kudat, located in the northern part of the island. From there, you can visit the northern-most point of Borneo (Simpang Mengayau), with beautiful white-sand beaches stretching along the coast.
Transportation in Sabah
If you’re travelling solo, renting a car can be quite expensive. Fortunately, there are many (mini)bus connections that can take you to all parts of Sabah directly from the main bus terminal in Kota Kinabalu. Locals call it Padang Merdeka. There is no fixed departure or arrival schedule, but the minibus leaves once enough people have arrived.
Going to Kinabalu Park from Kota Kinabalu
Arrive at the Padang Merdeka bus terminal and ask for a minibus to Ranau. Tell the driver to drop you off at the Kinabalu Park Entrance (see figure below). The price for one person is 20 MYR, and the ride takes approximately 2 hours through a beautiful mountainous landscape.
As you ride up into the mountains, the sweltering morning heat of Kota Kinabalu turns into a comfortable, fresh breeze.
From the car park, proceed upstairs to the park headquarters to pay the entrance fee (15 MYR), register, and get a map of the Kinabalu Park trails. Remember to sign out when you leave the park. Kinabalu Park has a sprawling network of trails, many of which are interconnected. You can choose one based on your preferred difficulty level. I went for the Liwagu Trail (5620m - 120-150min), which follows a small river all the way up to the Timpohon Gate entrance, beyond which you would need a permit to continue hiking Mt. Kinabalu.
I met only one person along the entire trail (walking in the opposite direction). While many animals scurried back into the shadows as I passed by, I could see many birds in the sky above. The sound of the river was present the whole way. At the end of the trail, near the gate, there is a small shop where you can buy snacks and water.
There are lots of squirrels waiting for you to share a little bit of your food. They are very curious and not shy about getting close to you, or even touching you.
On the way back, I decided to walk along the main road, where I found some great viewpoints overlooking Mt. Kinabalu. You can also take a taxi to drive you down.
On the way back to Kota Kinabalu (the same day, in the late afternoon), I took a bus that stops on the opposite side of the road at the car park shown in the figure above. The bus was going to Surau Terminal Bas, from where I took a Grab to get back to the city centre.
Going to Kudat from Kota Kinabalu
Kudat is a small town located in the northern-most part of Borneo. It is quiet and has very few tourists. The (mini)bus ride from Kota Kinabalu takes 3 hours and costs 35 MYR per person. The minivan leaves from Padang Merdeka once it is full.
Transportation in Kudat is limited, and the only option is to take a taxi, which can be quite pricey.
Another option is to stay at one of the resorts near Simpang Mengayau (the tip of Borneo). There, a beautiful white-sand beach stretches along the coast, overlooking the South China Sea.
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