Sabah - Borneo - page 220

road across from the Shell station. Minivans and share taxis operate from several places in
town, including a stop just north of the express bus stop; they all leave when full. There
are services to/from KK (RM44, 2½ hours), Ranau (RM25, three hours) and Tenom
(RM10, one hour).
TENOM
This sleepy little town at the southern end of the Crocker Range has seen better days but
still manages to be more attractive than traffic-choked Keningau. Tenom was closely in-
volved in uprisings against the British in 1915, led by the famous Murut chief Ontoros
Antonom, and there's a memorial to the tribe's fallen warriors off the main road. Most
people pass through Tenom on their way to the nearby Sabah Agricultural Park.
If you somehow get stuck in town, spend the night at Orchid Hotel ( 087-737600;
Jln Tun Mustapha; s/d RM40/50; ) Rooms are clean and well kept and good value for
money. There are cheaper hotels in the vicinity, but they're all a bit musty.
Minivans operate from the padang (field) in front of the Hotel Sri Perdana. Destina-
tions include Keningau (RM10, one hour) and KK (RM42, two to four hours depending
on stops). There are also regular services to Tambunan (RM15, two hours). Taxis congreg-
ate at a rank on the west side of the padang .
SABAH AGRICULTURAL PARK
Heaven on earth for horticulturists: the vast Sabah Agricultural Park (Taman Pertanian
Sabah; 087-737952; www.sabah.net.my/agripark ; adult/child RM25/10;
9am-4.30pm Tue-Sun) , about 15km northeast of Tenom, is run by the Department of
Agriculture and covers about 6 sq km. Originally set up as an orchid centre, the park has
expanded to become a major research facility, tourist attraction and offbeat campsite
(RM10), building up superb collections of rare plants such as hoyas, and developing new
techniques for use in agriculture, agroforestry and domestic cultivation.
Flower gardens and nature paths abound and a minizoo lets you get up close and per-
sonal with some farm animals and deer. Exploring by bicycle would be a good idea, but
the fleet of rental bikes here has just about rusted to the point of immobility; if they've re-
placed them by the time you arrive, rentals cost RM3. There is a free 'train' (it's actually
more like a bus) that does a 1½-hour loop of the park, leaving from outside the reception
hourly from 9.30am to 3.30pm. If you're truly taken with the park, there's a bare bones
on-site hostel (dm RM25) , which is sometimes taken up by visiting school groups.
Take a minivan from Tenom heading to Lagud Seberang (RM5). Services run
throughout the morning, but dry up in the late afternoon. Tell the driver you're going to