Kinabalu National Park

After the Borneo Challenge, Sari Timur will stay in Sutera Harbour Marina till we leave for the Philippines in November 2010.

view of mountain at sunset

view of mountain at sunrise

In August, we visited the Kinabalu National Park with our friends Walt and Jane LeCompte of SY Callisto.  We hired a car and drove to the Park.  We stayed at the Kinabalu Pine Resort, with a fantastic view of Mount Kinabalu.

The name Kinabalu is derived from the Kadazan words, Aki Nabalu, meaning ‘the revered place of the dead’. The local Kadazan people believe that spirits dwell on the mountaintop.

a pitcher plant

We hired a guide and went on a hike along one of the longest trails in the park.  There were plenty of plants and birds and insects and we had a good time.  The area is also known for its many carnivorous plant, most notably the pitcher plants and orchid species, especially the Rothschild Slipper Orchid.  The largest flower, the Rafflesia is also found in these parts.

the Rothschild Slipper orchid

The Rafflesia

We visited the Poring Hot Springs, which is part of the Park.  Poring is named after a species of giant bamboo that grows abundantly in the area.

On our way back to the marina, we visited the Kundasang War Memorial.  Established in 1962, this was one of the first memorials to commemorate the brave Australian and British Prisoners of War who died in Sandakan and during the infamous death marches to Ranau during World War II.  The memorial also remembers the people of North Borneo who risked their lives to help the POWs.

the Australian Garden

the Borneo Garden

the English Garden

The Memorial is made up of four beautiful gardens - the Australian Garden, the English Garden, the Borneo Garden and the Contemplation Garden and Pool - to represent the different nationalities. The serene atmosphere makes the Kundasang War Memorial an ideal place to contemplate and remember the heroes of the war. We also viewed a brief video on the history of the Sandakan Death March.