Borneo 2026 – 9. Kinabalu National Park

*Mount Kinabalu* *seen from the viewpoint*

We drove from Kota Kinabalu along the ridges of the mist shrouded Crocker Range to Kinabalu National Park at the foot of Mount Kinabalu to explore Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 90 km, 2-hour scenic and winding, uphill drive via the Kota Kinabalu-Ranau Highway, provided stunning views of Mount Kinabalu.

The Crocker Range, named after the 19th-century British administrator William Maunder Crocker, is a 1,200–1,800 metre tall mountain range in Sabah forming the largest protected park in the state and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It separates Sabah’s western coastal plain from the interior, featuring tropical hill forests, endemic birds, stick insects, and the rare Rafflesia flower with a cool climate at high elevations.

Mount Kinabalu is the highest peak in Southeast Asia at 4,095 metres (13,435 feet) and is a challenging 2-day/1-night climb. It was first ascended by Sir Hugh Low – a British administrator in the Malay Peninsula, in 1851. The Kadazan Dusun people – the largest indigenous grouping in Sabah, consider the mountain a revered resting place for spirits.

*The Crocker range* *with a waterfall* *seen from the Kota Kinabalu-Ranau Highway*

We had a morning coffee break and bought fresh fruit for snacks at the shopping area near the Kinabalu View Point before proceeding to the 75,370 ha Kinabalu National Park for a walking tour with our local guide. The Park was established in 1964 and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 2000 for its “outstanding universal values” and the role as one of the most important biological sites in the world with more than 4,500 species of flora and fauna, including 326 bird and around 100 mammal species and over 110 species of the 40,000 odd land snail species of the world.

*At the Botanical Garden of the Kinabalu National Park* *with our local guide*

Walkways arches of the park

Plant species admired during the walk:

It was only a short drive to the delightful Kinabalu National Park Restaurant. From its balcony, we watched frolicking birds in the forest canopy before lunch and the drive back to the Horizon Hotel in Kota Kinabalu. Food and service at the restaurant were excellent and the wine list was good.