Kota Kinabalu (KK) is truly a leading tourist destination, not just for its local culture and friendly people, but also for the Kinabalu National Park and other KK parks. One of Malaysia’s first national parks, established in 1964, is the Kinabalu National Park or Taman Negara Kinabalu. It was designated by UNESCO as Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site in December 2000 for its “outstanding universal values”. It is home to more than 4,500 exotic and unique species of flora and fauna. More importantly, it hosts the mighty Mount Kinabalu.
Kota Kinabalu used to be called Jesselton but was eventually named after the popular mountain. Mount Kinabalu is 4,095 meters high, which makes it the highest peak in Southeast Asia and one of the tallest in the world. Scaling it is very rewarding, needless to say.
Located about 88 kilometers from the city center, Kinabalu National Park is easily the most important park in KK. Some of its top attractions, aside from Mount Kinabalu, are the Sutera Harbour (where mountain climbers lodge and prepare to scale Mount Kinabalu), Low’s Gully (a 1.6-kilometer deep ravine), and botanical site containing a variety of flora and fauna. Kinabalu National Park is situated on the western coast of Sabah, and is often confused with the nearby Crocker Range National Park.
Established in 1984, Crocker Range National Park is a 1,800-meter wide forest reserve that covers north-south Crocker Mountain Range. It is the largest park in Sabah, and it contains hills and forests that host several species that are endemic to Borneo. Also living within the park are gibbons, orangutans, tarsiers and macaques. Crocker Range National Park supplies water to many Sabah towns and communities. There are no facilities inside the park to entertain guests.
Another KK park is the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, a marine park that includes a cluster of islands including Pulau Gaya, Pulau Sapi, Pulau Mamutik, Pulau Manukan and Pulau Sulug. These five islands boast of amazing white-sand beaches, colorful coral gardens and calm shallow waters. Divers, nature lovers, and underwater photographers come to these islands for the rare marine creatures that thrive in the waters. Usually spotted here are scorpion fish, mantis shrimps blue-spotted rays, cuttlefish, and hawksbill turtles, as well as the rare mandarin fish and harlequin ghost pipefish. There are also sightings of whale sharks from November to February. The marine paradise, Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park is 15-20 minutes by speedboat from Kota Kinabalu. Boat transfers are available at the Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The marine park is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day.
Meanwhile, the Rafflesia Forest Reserve was established in 1984 primarily to protect and preserve the unique Rafflesia flowers that grow in abundance within the park. Located along the way from KK to Tambunan, it’s not easy getting to this park since the roads leading to it are winding up and down the mountains for nearly two hours.
Visitors will definitely get an amazing adventure checking out Kinabalu National Park and other KK parks. Taken together, they truly make KK one of the most important and intriguing tourist destinations in the world.