Taman Negara Kinabalu Travel Guide
Land Below the Wind; Heads Above the...
Land Below the Wind; Heads Above the...
The hill lodge at Kinabalu National Park
The view of Mount Kinabalu from the hill...
A view seen on one of the trails.
Mt. Kinabalu from Kg. Mengkabong
At 1:34 pm, I finally reached Laban Rata. That's about 5.5 hours after the bus dropped us off at Timpohon Gate. The blob on the balcony to the left is my cousin who arrived waaay ahead of me.Laban Rata resthouse is located at 3272m above sea level. It's the biggest...
Register yourself at park headquarters
First thing to do before climbing is to take care of registration, hire climbing guide, and check-in for your accomodation (yes, it is done here before your climb!) at the headquarters. After all these, you will be transported by a van to Timpohon or Mesilau gate to begin...
Most climbers start climbing from Timpohon Gate (4km from Park HQ). From the park headquarters, minivans (they are considered the "shuttle service") will transfer climbers here. It is the beginning of the Summit Trail. There is a check point at the gate. There is a place...
Hike in the dark
The second part of the hike which is 2.7km long, begins at 02:30am in the morning. I spent 2hours and 30 minutes to reach the top. I don't think I was the slowest this time. Dress warm, bring your torch light (or flash light), drink a cup of warm water before you start your...
Laban Rata to Low's Peak
The road up to the summit is more difficult from Laban Rata onwards. After about 500m, there is no more vegetation. You will start to hike/ climb on granite rocks surface. You will start to see ropes to guide you. At some parts of the climb, especially after Sayat-sayat, I...
Take many many many pictures!!
Finally, I made it to the top!!! Yes, the highest point of the whole southeast asia!!Once you reach the top of Low's Peak, take as many pictures as possible. Just snap it away!! With digital camera, you can always choose to delete the bad ones. But I bet you won't delete...
Plants along the way
Along the way, you will see different types of plants. They change as you go up higher and higher. At the begining, you are surrounded by rain forest type tall trees. After Layang-layang, the plants become low trees and foggy.
The trail from Timpohon Gate to Laban Rata is 6km long. I started at 11:30am, and arrived at Laban Rata at about 5:30pm! Gosh! It might be the slowest record in the history of Kinabalu N.P.! Haha! Along the way, there are rest area along the way. Each rest area has a...
Laban Rata Guesthouse Cafe: Cafe
When I was there in Oct 2007, the price of Buffet Dinner was RM33, Buffet Breakfast (Light) was RM16. Buffet looks nice with variety of dishes (about 5 dishes if I remember corretly) to choose from. But don't expect anything like your typical buffet in a hotel. Remember, you...
Air Asia to Kota Kinabalu from Johor Bahru
Airasia has flights to Kota Kinabalu twice a day, often much cheaper than Malaysia Airlines because they are budget airline.A rule of thumb, the earlier you book, the cheaper it is (prices varies for weekdays and weekends)!
Van from Kota Kinabalu
From KK, the best option I found was the UNSER van. Take the UNSER minivan (to Ranau) from the bus station at Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman (near Merdeka Field). It cost RM15 (same as the non-aircond minivan) and it only takes 7 passengers. The journey to Kinabalu Prak HQ takes...
Laban Rata Guesthouse: Shop at Laban Rata
Surprise surprise! Yes, you can get some souvenir at the Cafe. They sell t-shirts, key chians, snacks, and etc. Just want to point out that climbers can buy postcards from the counter and they can mail it for you at the cost of RM5 for international mailing.
Start Climbing Early, Reach Laban Rata before dark
I don't think there is a time limit as when to start the climb. However, the earlier you start, the better because you should allow yourself enough time to arrive at Laban Rata before dark. And if you are not staying at the main heated hotel(Laban Rata Guesthouse), it is...
Dont start runnning even if you're too excited you have reach the top. It just like driving a car downhill using 5th gear. Hard to stop.Few tips. If your tour guide is good. As him if he knows any route that easier to go up and down. Mine, he show me a route which far a bit...
Hike on a raining day
If unfortunately it rains heavily during your hike, be careful! Chances are you might not be able to climb beyond Sayat-sayat because heavy rain will create a few strong waterfalls on the granite surface. It will be too dangerous to cross them. You have no way to go around...
Travel light. You don't need much at the top.
layers of clothes, from t-shirt, to long sleeve shirt, jacket (better be waterproof), and rain coat (poncho). I was there on a raining day, I used my umbrella, wrapped my backpack with my rain coat.
I suggest you bring these...
Conquering Mt Kinabalu
It is a 2.510m climb that is 8.72 km long trek. I would breakdown the climb to 3 stages - Stage 1 - Kinabalu Park HQ (1,585m) to Laban Rata Resthouse (3,272m) - 6km trekClothing should be light - cotton T-shirt and shorts. Have a poncho on standby, as rain can be frequent...
Very Informative Brochure
Try to get your hands on a copy of the brochure from tourist information center. I got mine when I touched down at Kota Kinabalu Airport (Terminal 2). It has detail information about the Park, time of Guided Tour, explainations of the trail, shelters information, map of...
As told by my climbing guide, the best time to climb Mt Kinabalu is March and April. The rainy season falls from August until early October. (I went there at the end of October and it is still raining!) However, weather in the mountain is unpredictable. So, it really depends...
Yes, everyone who reaches the summit and check-in at Sayat-sayat Check Point is entitle to buy this certificate. Ths coloured certificate costs RM10 and it is a proof that you have made it to the top. The guard at Sayat-sayat checkpoint will ask you if you would like to...
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