Sabah - Borneo - page 142

RANAU
Ranau is a collection of concrete shop blocks on the road between KK and Sandakan.
There's a busy Saturday night market , but otherwise this a good town for passing
through: rampant construction is scarring the lovely valley it sits in. That said, there is a
podiatry experience here you don't want to miss (we don't often use those words). After
your epic Kinabalu climb, head to Tagal Sungai Moroli (admission RM10) in Kampung
Luanti for a truly unique massage experience. The term tagal means 'no fishing' in the
local Kadazan-Dusun language, as the fish in the river (a species known locally as ikan
pelian ) are not to be captured - they are special massage fish. The townsfolk claim that
they've trained the little swimmers to gently nibble at weary feet.

Sabah Tea Garden
( 440882; www.sabahtea.net ; factory tour RM12, with set lunch RM34, 2-day, 1-night
package from RM190) A pretty tea plantation that looks like a cluster of giant mossy tus-
socks huddles in the mountains near Ranau. Contact the tea garden to arrange tours of
both the plantation and surrounding rainforests and river valleys. Overnight packages are
available; you get to sleep in an on-site property in a tarted-up version of a traditional
longhouse. Also offers tours of the facilities coupled with a trip to the fish foot massage
(RM110).

TEA PLANTATION

PORING HOT SPRINGS
One of the few positive contributions the Japanese made to Borneo during WWII, Poring
Hot Springs (adult/child RM15/10) has become a popular weekend retreat for locals. The
complex is actually part of the Kinabalu National Park, but it's 43km away from the park
headquarters, on the other side of Ranau.
The hot springs are located in a well-maintained forest park that does a fine job of giv-
ing casual visitors a small slice of the jungle - there's various nature paths and the like
that the elderly and children can enjoy. But the springs themselves are not natural puddles.
Steaming (seriously, it's hot), sulphurous water is channelled into man-made pools and
tubs, some of which feel a little rundown. For some, it's a huge anticlimax, but others en-
joy it. Don't forget a towel and your swimming trunks.
For our ringgit, the highlight of the place is actually way above the springs: a Canopy
Walkway (admission RM15; 9am-4pm) that consists of a series of walkways suspen-
ded from trees, up to 40m above the jungle floor, providing unique views of the surround-
ing forest.
Get there early if you want to see birds or other wildlife. A tropical garden (adult/child
RM3/1.50; 9am-4pm) , butterfly farm (adult/child RM4/2; 9am-4pm Tue-Sun) and