Take a leisurely cruise down Klias River and see if you can spot the proboscis monkeys hiding among the mangrove trees. — HANIS MAKETAB
At the mere mention of Sabah, most travellers will imagine Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Kinabatangan or Sipadan. While these are indeed wonderful spots to visit, there’s so much more to explore in the Land Below The Wind.
For those who prefer to visit places that are off the beaten path, where you can immerse yourself in the wilds and wonders of Sabah without having to fight crowds, join us on a quick tour of Sabah’s interior districts.
Visitors trying to take photos of the (often shy) proboscis monkeys at Klias river.
Mangrove wonderland
Located about 100km southwest of KK is the Klias Peninsula, just east of Labuan. Here, you can hop on a boat for a relaxing cruise down Klias River in the late afternoon, surrounded by lush mangrove forests.
Three species of monkeys can be found sitting in the trees by the riverside – the silvery lutung, the long-tailed macaque and Borneo’s famed endemic monkey species, the proboscis, known for its prominent nose. If you’re lucky, you’ll get the chance to see the alpha male with his long, bulbous nose.
Native to Borneo, the sweet and Tangy kesusu is related to the jackfruit.
Once the sun has gone down, it’s time for another species to shine: the firefly.
“Technically they’re not a fly, but a type of beetle,” says Devenin Ismail, manager of the Only In Borneo Klias Base Camp.
“In Sabah, you can find five out of the eight species of firefly that exist in Malaysia. The most common species found here in Klias River is the Pteroptyx tener, which prefer to gather on pokok berembang, commonly known as the mangrove apple tree,” he adds.
We keep an eye out for trees that sparkle like they’re covered in fairy lights and are able to spot some, but the moonlight manages to outshine the tiny creatures.
“The best time to look out for fireflies is on a moonless night, with no rain,” Devenin advises. For those planning to make a visit, take note!
De Green Farm is an agrotourism farm in Keningau that has many types of fruits for visitors to try.
A lesser-known coastal gem
Near the northernmost tip of the Klias Peninsula is Kuala Penyu, a serene beachside town that offers gorgeous panoramic views over the South China Sea, scenic sandy beaches, exciting outdoor activities and water sports, as well as some of the freshest seafood around.
If you’re looking for eye-catching backgrounds for your Instagram or TikTok, Sawangan Beach has a lovely jetty that fits the bill. Batu Luang Beach is another must-visit – the pebbly beach and smattering of rocky outcrops and caves offer spectacular photo opportunities, especially during the golden hour before sunset.
There are plenty of seaside accommodations to choose from for you to enjoy a sun-soaked weekend. During our visit, we stayed at Kontena Coastal View that is right by Sawangan Beach, where we were treated to a merry bonfire on the beach at night, accompanied by the breeze and roar of the waves nearby.
For the more adventurous, take a boat to Pulau Tiga Park, which is managed by Sabah Parks. After a 30-minute boat ride, you’ll arrive at the Pulau Tiga jetty, where you will spot the sign: “Survivor Island”. That’s right – Pulau Tiga was the island where they filmed the first season of the iconic reality TV show, Survivor.
Contrary to the bare basic amenities offered to the Survivor cast, visitors can enjoy clean and comfortable facilities at the Pulau Tiga Resort, such as chalets, dorms, picnic tables and bathrooms equipped with showers and changing rooms. There is also one other private resort located on the island.
Hop (or more accurately, plop) into the mud volcano on Pulau Tiga.
The island’s main attraction is the natural mud volcano, a 30-minute walk from the jetty. You may expect the mud’s temperature to be hot, but it’s actually cooling – just the thing to fight the heat!
Water buffaloes may have had the right idea about wallowing in mud pools to keep cool.
Though the pool releases gas bubbles from time to time, you won’t get a “rotten egg”, sulphur-y smell like at a hot spring. (Tip: To avoid getting your legs stuck in the mud, you’ll have to adopt a commando-like crawl to move through the mud.) Locals say the minerals in the mud are beneficial to the skin, so be sure to really slather it on and let it dry before showering it off.
And trust us, it’s going to take some elbow grease to get all the mud out!
Pulau Tiga Park actually consists of three islands – Pulau Tiga, Pulau Kalampunian Besar and Pulau Kalampunian Damit (also known as Snake Island). The clear, turquoise waters and coral reefs surrounding the islands make them perfect for kayaking, snorkelling and scuba diving, while the islands’ lush forests are great for jungle trekking.
Conservation fees to access the park and entry fees for the mud volcano are applicable. You can check the latest rates at the Sabah Parks website (sabahparks.org.my).
Beaded accessories at Sabah Handicraft centre’s Galleria artisan in Keningau.
Tenom coffee
Travel south and you’ll enter Tenom, famous for its coffee and fruits, thanks to the district’s dry climate and fertile soil.
Nestled at the foothills of the Crocker Range is Naluyan Jungle Lodge, one of the newest additions to the area’s accommodation options. Featuring wooden lodges fitted with modern touches, a natural waterfall and nightly cultural performances, you’re sure to enjoy the best that Tenom has to offer. A particular favourite of ours was waking up to trilling birdsong and misty mountains at dawn.
One of Tenom’s biggest exports is Tenom coffee – mainly of the robusta variety. The coffee is known for its strong aroma and deep taste. The three main producers of Tenom coffee are Yit Foh, Fatt Choi and Tong Fah.
Yit Foh, the largest producer and the oldest of the three, has a coffee factory and park that you can visit for either a day trip or an overnight stay – they have charming cottages named after coffee drinks, such as Americano and cafe au lait. For coffee lovers, you’re sure to love the heavenly smell of coffee beans being roasted permeating the air.
At the coffee factory, you’ll get to watch the workers in action as they pack up the coffee grounds into its packaging, producing at least 9,000 packets daily to be distributed and sold across Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore.
Yit Foh managing director Alex Yong, son of its founder Yong Loong Vun, tells us that as a family-run business, they still use the traditional method of drum-roasting the coffee beans that was used by his father when he first established the company in 1960.
It’s all fun and games playing in the mud... until you have to wash it off your hair and clothes!
“But what gives our beans its unique aroma and flavour is the rubber wood that we use for the fire when roasting,” he shares, adding that they hope to expand to other Asian regions in the near future.
Nature’s bounty
Beyond coffee, another highlight of Tenom is a sheer variety of exotic fruits that you can eat to your heart’s content. If you’re interested in learning more about the many endemic fruit and plant species you can find in Sabah, check out Sabah Agriculture Park.
Sprawling over 200ha, the park has over 20 mini gardens to walk around, categorised by plant family or characteristics. Overall, the park’s impressive collection comprises over 2,000 plants, including at least 350 orchid species, many of which rare and endangered, such as the elephant ear orchid, the rat-tail orchid and the Sumazau orchid, the state’s official orchid.
The Crop Museum is a 3ha living museum of crop plants, where you can try fruits unique to Sabah, such as bambangan and kesusu. For those with a green thumb, you may find the Model Garden of interest – it houses five smaller themed gardens to illustrate the different styles in which a garden can be modelled.
Natanel atum of Marais centre making the ‘babaru puputul’, a traditional Murut vest made from the bark of the puputul tree.
In the neighbouring district of Keningau, De Green Farm is one of many agritourism farms you can visit to sample fresh fruits and vegetables.
According to Tracey Liew, general manager of De Green Farm, the family-run organic farm practises sustainable and natural farming methods. “In 2017, my father was becoming more health-conscious, so he wanted to grow his own produce and built a small greenhouse. Soon, it was producing more fruits and vegetables than we could eat, so that’s how we started selling our produce,” she shares.
Though the farm only distributes its produce within Sabah, the farm itself receives international visitors from Singapore, Brunei, Macau, Australia and the United States – all eager to taste exotic fruits that would be difficult to find elsewhere, such as the Brazilian longan (Matoa), Florida avocado, and not forgetting Sabahan varieties of durian, such as Tenom Beauty.
“Due to the hot weather we’ve been having lately, our durian crop has been plentiful,” says Liew with a laugh. “Our durian trees have been fruiting since May until now!”
About 80% of the farm’s durian crop is Musang King, but they also have Black Thorn, D24, D88 and many more. Liew advises to call ahead before planning a visit, as the fruiting season often varies, depending on the weather. So make sure to check before planning your durian feast!
The Healing Garden is one of the many spots you can explore at the Sabah agriculture Park.
Support local communities
Around half of Tenom’s population is made up of the Murut peopel, an indigenous ethnic group that typically resides in hill areas – hence their name, which literally translates to “hill people”. If you wish to truly immerse yourself in Tenom’s local culture, a homestay is one of the best ways to do so, while ensuring that locals benefit from your stay.
Marais Centre, located in the picturesque Marais village, is operated by the village residents, who are Murut. The village welcomes around 500 visitors a year, offering fun activities and cultural experiences such as cycling through the padi fields, crafting your own traditional Murut vest and learning how to cook delicious Murut dishes.
No visit to Sabah is complete without savouring a cup of tenom coffee!
“We only have just over 600 people in the community and our main sources of income have traditionally been padi, rubber and oil palm. But since Marais Centre’s launch in 2019, we’ve been able to find another source of income through community-based tourism,” says James Rangi, one of the villagers involved in running the centre.
“Besides generating income for the community, Marais Centre also provides job opportunities to our youth, who can stay in their community rather than being forced to seek work in cities far away,” he adds.
Similarly, the Sabah Handicraft Centre (SHC) in Keningau was built to support the development of Sabah’s ethnic heritage handicraft industry by providing training and upskilling opportunities for those from local ethnic communities, as well as a platform for rural craft entrepreneurs to market their handicrafts.
Ansapi Pawan showing how the puputul tree bark is extracted to make a traditional Murut vest.
Run by Yayasan Sabah Group, the centre offers courses in textile (batik, cloth-weaving), forest-based (furniture-making, bamboo and rattan weaving) and earthen-based (ceramic and fibreglass) handicrafts.
Not only can visitors observe students as they produce handicrafts, you can also visit the centre’s gallery and gift shop to view and purchase the painstakingly crafted finished works to bring home. SHC is the sole certified producer of batik in Sabah, while its Galleria Artisan is an accredited Fair Trade Tourism outlet.
As you can see, there’s far more to Sabah’s interior districts than meets the eye – experience it for yourself in your next visit to Sabah!
