Sabah Stuff

Make sure to step outside the tourist areas - even if it's only for half a day - so that you'll get to see a side of Malaysia that's very different from that of the resorts.

Selingaan Island is the only island in Turtle Islands park which is open to the public. Green Turtles and Hawksbill Turtles visit the beaches year round to lay their eggs.

Sepilok Nature Resort & Orang Utan Sanctuary. Irrespective of the orangutans, Sepilok Nature Resort offers the chance to see the real rainforest before all of Sabah's rainforest is swallowed up by consumerism.

Quick Tips:

If you have the opportunity, do the 2-day trek up Mount Kinabalu. Unfortunately, I damaged my arm partway through the trip and so was unable to make it, but it's on my must- do list for next time.
As the tallest mountain in South East Asia, it offers unrivalled views of the countryside (on a clear day at least!)...and it's visible on the horizon even as far east as Selingan Island. With such a presence, it's no wonder Sabahians are so proud of their mountain.

Best Way To Get Around:

Unfortunately, even in the main cities, walking is not easy with pavements crumbling or being rebuilt and open manholes and sewers where there are paths.

Likewise, the main historical and cultural attractions seem to be located too far from the resorts for a comfortable walk. Best way to get to these is by taxi (teksi).

If you're more of a shopper than a historian, use the resort shuttle bus or the local buses to take you into the town/city centre and then walk from plaza to market to plaza.

The quickest route from one side of Sabah to the other is by air...however, I feel we missed out on a lot of 'real' Malaysia by not driving.

First impression was 'astounding'!

The Magellan has more than 400 rooms, each with its own private balcony (most overlooking the sea). The rooms are airy and spacious... We stayed in deluxe rooms and deluxe is surely the word. I joined the group at the last minute and was expecting low-budget roach motels. This was such a pleasant surprise.

As the hotel is part of the resort, most anything you could wish to do or wish to eat is located within the resort itself.

There's a 10 pin bowling centre, a billiards room, movie theatre, karaoke, kids' club, games centre, daily classes in things like pottery or Bahasa (the native tongue), 18-hole golf course, 2 gyms, watersports...and of course...a spa.

There are 3 main pools - and the sea too don't forget. The pool at the Magellan featured a swim-up bar.

And if you're feeling peckish stop off at one of the 16 cafes, bars or restaurants for a quick bite to eat.

It's not a place designed for explorers. There is a shuttle bus into the town centre which is supposed to run every hour on the hour however it was invariably late. If you enjoy culture, the resort is located just beyond a comfortable walk to the State Mosque and State Museum.

However, if you are after rest and relaxation the Magellan Sutera is ideal. Everything you could possibly wish for. A little like a tropical Butlins!

Oh! How to describe?

Kyros Kebab...chicken, beef or lamb wrapped in Lebanese bread with salad and sweet chilli sauce. Or in a croissant...or with side dishes...

We discovered Kyros whilst in Kuala Lumpur, and fell in love with it, but had no idea there would be one in Kota Kinabalu.

I could eat a Kyros every day.

Healthy food at the perfect price.

At Selingaan Island, it feels like the world has fallen away. On a clear day you can see Mount Kinabalu but otherwise there is just sea, sky and the occasional island. So close to the edge of the world you feel you'll fall off... and yet such a beautiful outpost. Turtle Islands Park was set up to provide Green and Hawksbill Turtles with a refuge to lay their eggs. They have both become endangered species through the illegal sale of their eggs... and of themselves - their carapace, their bones, their flesh. The park rangers take the clutch of eggs from the nest hole as quickly as possible and transfer them to a special nesting site towards the centre of the island. Half the clutches at this site are shaded as temperature affects the gender of the baby turtles. When the baby turtles hatch they are counted and then taken to the beach. They must crawl down the beach to 'imprint' it for when they return. Only 3% of each clutch are expected to survive. Other than swimming and snorkelling there's little else to do at Selingaan until evening so if you're a particularly restless type be sure to take a book or similar with you. There's a useful exhibition hall and video on the reason behind Turtle Islands park and on the nature of both the Green Turtle and the Hawksbill Turtle. After dinner we remained in the dining area awaiting a call from the park rangers to let us know the first visitor of the night has arrived. As it had rained we weren't expecting a call until 10.30 p.m. earliest. A Green Turtle began laying at 8.30 p.m. Once on the beach it's torches off so as not to disturb the mother turtle. We were blessed with the opportunity of witnessing a new mother. The rangers estimated her age as being between 25 and 30 years old. She had a clutch of 89 eggs, which were immediately transferred to one of the 'female' nest holes. In theory, in a handful of weeks 89 little girls will hatch. As the mother turtle was new to the island she was measured (95.1 cm x 84 cm) and tagged so her movements in future can be tracked. It was surprisingly more humane than I had expected, with all torches being shut off bar the ranger's torch in the nest hole, and with our requirement to stand at the mother's back so she would not see us. Nevertheless I did feel like an intruder into her world. She did not give us permission to be there nor to take photographs of her (there is an additional charge of 10RM to take photos of the turtles themselves). Selingaan is a great learning experience and necessary to the survival of these two species of turtle... however, we should not have been there for that sacred moment. Memorable as this visit was I would not do it again.

Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary was built to try and heal some of the damage caused by the destruction of Sabah's rainforest. As much of the rainforest has been replaced by palm plantations, orang utans have had less of their natural habitat in which to live and forage. At Sepilok they try to help displaced/orphaned orang utans and to renaturalise orang utans who have been taken from the wild to be sold as pets or similar. Twice a day visitors are allowed into the park for feeding time. Walkways above the ground lead to Feeding Platform A. The newly released orang utans are not always fully skilled at foraging and so their diet is supplemented with bananas and milk. There is also the opportunity to go for either a day trek or night trek on the forest floor itself. An additional charge of 10RM per camera is applicable at the sanctuary should you wish to take photographs. Plus, visitors are not allowed to take food, drink or insect repellant into the forest. The Nature Resort is a series of cabins set around a lake next to the sanctuary. Each cabin is reached via a long wooden walkway which crosses and leads round the edge of the lake. It's almost like staying in a swamp. At night, you feel as though you aren't even sleeping in a cabin. The wooden walls allow through every tiny insect and animal sound. It's worth returning to the resort just for those sounds.

In one word... eclectic. It contains history, culture, a natural history section, an islamic museum, a chinese gallery, art gallery, science centre and art gallery. Plus, in the grounds are the gardens - which look like a miniature rainforest paradise - and examples of traditional Malaysian longhouses. Entrance is only 5RM but photos cannot be taken inside the main building.