Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 498

TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN PARK
Situated within an 8km radius of
downtown KK, the five islands of
TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN PARK ( TAR Park )
represent the most westerly ripples of the
undulating Crocker mountain range. he
largest of the park's islands is Pulau Gaya ,
where a 20km system of trails snakes
across the lowland rainforest. Most of
these trails start on the southern side of
the island at Camp Bay, which also offers
pleasant enough swimming, but a more
alluring alternative is Police Beach, on the
north coast. Boatmen demand extra for
circling round to this side of Gaya
(RM30 return), but it's money well
spent: the white-sand bay is pretty idyllic.
Wildlife on Gaya includes hornbills, wild
pigs, lizards, snakes and macaques, which
have been known to swim over to nearby
Pulau Sapi , a 25-acre islet off the
northwestern coast of Gaya that's linked
by a sand bar at low tide. Pulau Sapi has
several short hiking trails, a kiosk selling
snacks, and decent snorkelling.
he park's other islands cluster together
2.5km west of Gaya. he largest of the
three, banana-shaped Pulau Manukan , is
the most popular island with KK residents
and offers a number of hiking trails, as well
as good snorkelling, a couple of restaurants
and a snack joint - it's the best choice for
lunch. Across a channel to the southeast is
tiny Pulau Mamutik , which can be crossed
on foot in fifteen minutes and has excellent
sands on either side of its jetty, not to
mention the best snorkelling of all the
islands and a small café/snack bar.

On Manukan, Mamutik and Sapi it's
possible to organize water activities such
as banana-boat rides and parasailing. It's
cheaper to rent snorkelling equipment at
Jesselton Point, though.

THE RAFFLESIA RESERVE
Southeast from Kota Kinabalu, paddy
fields give way to the rolling foothills of
the Crocker mountain range. A 58km
ride up to the 1649m-high Sinsuron Pass
takes you onto the Ra esia Reserve
(daily 8am-3pm; free; T 088 898500). In
the reserve you can see the world's largest
flower, the cabbage-like ra esia: a smelly,
parasitic plant whose rubbery, orange-red
blooms can reach up to 1m in diameter.
It was first catalogued in Sumatra in
1818, by Sir Stamford Ra es and the
naturalist Dr Joseph Arnold. Phone the
visitor centre before leaving KK, as the
flowers bloom unpredictably and each
flower only lasts a few days before dying.
To get here, take any Tembunan-bound
bus (regular services from 7am to 4pm
daily from the long-distance bus station
in KK; 2hr; RM15).

6

THE NORTHWEST COAST
Sabah's northwest coast which ends in the
beaches and headland of the picturesque
northernmost tip of Borneo, is one of
the few parts of Sabah that is not firmly
on the backpacker trail. he coastal
Rungus villages around Tampat do Aman ,
connected by dirt-and-gravel tracks, are

VISITING TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN PARK
Several boat companies ply the route between KK's Jesselton Ferry Terminal and the islands.
Choose which company you're going to go with and decide if you want to visit just one island
(RM30 return) or whether you want to sign up for multi-island hopping (RM42/48 for two/
three islands). Boats leave from 8.30am until 4pm, returning between 1pm and 5pm. Since
they depart when full, it's better to go earlier in the day when there are more people going.
Choose which island you want to go to first, and, once you get there, tell the representative of
your boat company when you wish to go on to your next island and they'll arrange pick-up
(boats tend to leave hourly). You have to pay a RM7.20 departure tax when leaving Jesselton
Point, and a RM10 Environmental Conservation Fee is payable upon arrival at your first island
(hold on to your receipt). All boat companies can arrange snorkel-rental at Jesselton Point
(RM10), which is cheaper than renting the gear on the islands.
It is possible to camp on Gaya, Manukan and Mamutik for RM5 (bring your own tent); it's
worth it to enjoy the islands without the crowds.