Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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It's already halfway through 2014 which means I have already written almost 26 entries on places to go in Malaysia. Hurray me! Granted, the entries on the past two months were rather insipid and short but what to do? I'm currently in Warsaw and I can't get to explore around the country. But, I will be back soon and there will be better written posts then.

A lot of walking in Labuk Bay sanctuary

As of now, let us shift our focus back to Sabah. Or, to be precise, Sandakan. This town is well known for its two main attractions. One of them is the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre (which was already featured here) while the other being Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary.

Proboscis monkeys

Proboscis monkeys, which coincidentally is the mascot for the Visit Malaysia Year 2014, are endangered animals. Also known as the long-nosed monkeys, this species of primates can only be found in the Borneo island. Hence, when you are in Sabah, chances are you will see at least one of them if you visit the national parks.

You can also go to the sanctuary, located about an hour from Sandakan town, for an up close and personal time with them. A former palm tree plantation (and still a functioning one), this piece of estate was turned into an animal shelter when the owner of the plantation witnessed the destruction of their habitats when he was deforesting the land and decided to keep a part of it remained untouched. 

Watching them so close can be such a worthwhile and educative experience. We were told that it is the males that are with the long noses and that the noses are what attract the females. The longer the noses they have, the more females will swoon over and fall head over heels for them. 

They usually live in a group, with one male and his many wives. Other male monkeys are not allowed in the group as the leader often fears that he will be ousted by the other competitors. Even their own sons will be kicked out of the tribes once reached maturity. 

They usually come in a group

Besides proboscis monkeys, you can also find other types of animals here such as silver-leaf monkeys, hornbills, and so on. The silver-leaf monkeys are really adorable and they usually hang around the platforms so you get to interact with them. 

Hornbill

Silver leaf monkeys

They really like her as they kept dangling around her hair

Be sure to make it in time for the feeding time which is at 9.30 am and 2.30 pm for Platform A and 11.30 am and 4.30 pm for Platform B. You would want to attend both as the locations of these two platforms are different. 

During feeding time, they would all come out from their habitats

Info Box

Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary,
Off Jalan Labuk, Sandakan.
Open daily.
Entrance fee is at RM 15 for adult (RM 60 for non-Malaysian) and RM 5 for child (RM 30 for non-Malaysian). There is a RM 10 charge on cameras.
For more information, you can go to Sabah Tourism Board here.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Sunday Market, Sabah

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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Pasar malam (night market) is something that we Malaysians are quite used to. Almost every area has its own night market once every week. In fact, a visit to pasar malam is quite a tourist attraction by itself. However, when it comes to sunday market, there can't be that many around the country and if so, none as big as the one on Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu.

Gaya Street

No cars are allowed during this period

My first visit to the morning market took me by surprise by its massive size. The whole street, which is a backpacker haven and where I was based at when I was in the capital city, was closed from vehicles to accommodate the many makeshift hawker stalls opening just for that day. From one end to another, the whole road was decorated with large, colourful umbrellas, protecting them from the merciless sun.

 

The locals are doing shopping in the market as well

There are surprisingly many things to see and buy here in Sunday Market. I was expecting something along the line of souvenir stalls targeting guillible tourists but instead, there are more locals traversing along the street, looking for some bargain buys or locally produced products. In fact, it reminded me more of the famous weekend market in Bangkok, Chatuchak Market.

Handmade soaps

Unfortunately, these adorable dogs are for sale too

This is definitely one market not to be missed when in Kota Kinabalu.

Info Box

Sunday Market,
Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
The market starts from 5.30 a.m. and most likely open until 1.00 p.m. Vehicles are not allowed to use the street from 5.00 a.m. onwards.
For more information, click here.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Mount Kinabalu, Sabah

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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My detailed journey up to Mount Kinabalu has been documented here in Virtual Malaysia. Do have a read at it.

You tend to be very proud of the works you did if you had poured in all your efforts and it came out exactly as you imagined it to be. Put in a bit of hardship and obstacles along the way and when you pulled through, there is a sense of pride in it. That is how I felt when I was at the top of Mount Kinabalu and this is why I can say quite certainly that this will be my greatest achievement for 2014 even though we're barely halfway past the year.

After all the hard works, you'll be rewarded with these awesome views

The breath-taking view from Mount Kinabalu

Me at the eighth kilometre

Once you reached to the peak, you sort of forget all the struggles you faced along the journey. Or perhaps, the views just somehow make the whole hike worthwhile. While you can't really stand at Low's Peak for long - there's a long queue of peoples waiting to have their photos taken with the sign - you can definitely enjoy the breath-taking views even after the eighth kilometre. 

The long line of peoples heading to Low's Peak

The last 200 metres or so

It really amazed me, looking at how pillows of clouds, with the sky in different layers of colours, served such an awe-inspiring background to the mountain. Words failed to describe the beauty. Only when witnessed with your own eyes you can truly appreciate the wonders of Mother Nature. 

At the highest park of the mountain

Climbing Mount Kinabalu seems like a daunting task upon hearing its mighty name but it is definitely doable. Hard, but doable. In fact, Mount Kinabalu is the most accessible mountain in the world and the fact that it is right in our own backyard means we have to take the opportunity to climb it at least once in your lifetime. I already did mine. What are you waiting for?

Mount Kinabalu from afar

The many shots from Mount Kinabalu

Info Box

Kinabalu National Park,
Sabah, Malaysia.
The easiest way of climbing Mount Kinabalu is through tour agency. Travel agencies will help arrange everything from hiking permits to accommodations at Laban Rata. Prices depend on which agencies you consult with.

As Mount Kinabalu is a popular destination and there are limited rooms available up at Laban Rata, it is best to book in advance to avoid disappointment. It is advisable to book at least 6 months in advance.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, Sandakan

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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It was feeding time and there was a large crowd all standing at the viewing platform, waiting for their arrivals. One by one they slowly came, although I was told the numbers were diminishing over the years. It was a good sign, the decreasing figures, for it shows that the rehabilitation program worked and these fragile creatures are assimilating back to their natural habitats and are able to find their own foods.

Welcome to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is a popular attraction in Sandakan, one that you should not miss on any reason. This centre is more than just a sanctuary for orangutans but also a learning centre to the public on all things about this gentle primates and the efforts showered into the program.

Entrance fee

Feeding time and video schedules

There is a scheduled screening of a documentary on orangutan every day that should not be missed as it will give a better insight into the works being done to save the animals. However, the main spotlight is the orangutans and there is no better way to see them than to visit them during feeding hours.

One by one came right on time for their meals

We were only allowed to see from afar as they are shy animals. The caretaker put their meals - mostly fruits - on a platform and waited for them to come and eat. There are times when only one or two of them will be there for the fruits. During my visit, there were more than that.

Some even hide among the leaves due to shyness

The feeding hour lasted as long as they were still there. As the orangutans began to leave, so too were the public. It was indeed a wonderful experience, to be seeing them in a natural habitat and not a zoo.

The jungle is their playground

One of the few times being up close and personal

Info Box

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre,
Sepilok Rd, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah.
Open daily from  9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. with the exception on Friday which opens from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Entrance fee is at RM 5 for adult (RM 30 for non-Malaysian) and RM 2 for child (RM 15 for non-Malaysian). There is a RM 10 charge on cameras.
You can read about Orangutan Appeal UK, the organisation that supports the centre, and how you can help out here in the website. You can learn more about the centre here in Sabah Tourism Board.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Rumah Terbalik (Upside Down House), Tamparuli

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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Have you ever see a house turned upside down? Can you imagine living in such a house? I bet you will have trouble getting yourself oriented. While the idea of living there is not appealing for me, I definitely would be interested to have a look at such a unique house and luckily for us Malaysians, we have an upside down house just around the corner.

Rumah Terbalik or Upside Down House

Located along the road to Tamparuli town, you can easily hop on town bus from Wawasan Terminal to Tamparuli and indicate to the bus driver to drop you right outside the Rumah Terbalik, which will be on your left. However, direct buses to Kota Kinabalu are not so frequent so you are advised to take a bus to Tuaran town before changing to another one back to the city centre. It takes about 40 to 50 minutes one way.

RM 10 for adult

Taxis and self-drive are two other options you can consider. Do ask the taxi driver to wait for you to finish your tour as it might be hard to catch another one.

You have to wait for your turns to enter as visitors enter by groups. There are tour guides who will lead the way, giving information regarding the house as we move inside the house.

Friendly tour guide

No photography allowed inside the house but you can take photos of its upside down porch, garden and toilet which are outside the building. I believe with this no photography rule, visitors will not be spoiled of the surprises the house has in store for you. The interior of the house is decorated according to the traditional Sabah kampung (village) house, fully equipped with living room, bedrooms, kitchen, and so on.

Inverted porch

Garden upside down

Imagine doing business here

There are cafe and gift shop at the end of the tour for you to recharge yourself or take back a piece of Rumah Terbalik with you. This Upside Down House is definitely a unique experience that can challenge your perceptions and definitely worth a trip.

Here's another take on Rumah Terbalik in Virtual Malaysia. Do have a look and comments away.

Info Box

Rumah Terbalik (Upside Down House),

Kampung Telibong, Batu 21, Jalan Telibong, Tamparuli, Sabah.

Opens daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Adult RM 10 (RM 18 for foreigners), child RM 5, free entry for children below 3 years old.

Website.

I'm Back!

Wow, I have deserted my blog for more than 3 months already! I better start updating it or otherwise, people will begin to think that this blog is dead for good.

These past few months had been an exciting one for me, especially from end of July 2013 to early September 2013 as I have been on the move most of the time. My first destination was Pulau Perhentian. It was a spontaneous, last minute trip, as my last day in the company came a week earlier than expected. I took a bus from Putra bus terminal to Kuala Besut and from the small town, took a speedboat ride to the island. I spent about 3 days there doing nothing but lazed around the white sandy beach, went out into the sea to snorkel, and read a book or two. It was a truly simple life.

The beautiful beach of Perhentian Kecil

After that, my next stop was Vientiane, Laos. I went with a fellow blogger, Diana, and we spent a good one week exploring the capital city and its charming countrysides up north like Vang Vieng, Phosavonh and Luang Prabang. With Laos done, I have finished with the Southeast Asian countries, excluding Timor Leste.

Patoxai or the Victory Monument in Vientiane

Plain of Jars, a mysterious occurance in Phosavonh

I then crossed border to Thai side from Vientiane to Udon Thani, a city in northern Thailand only to take a train ride to Bangkok to meet up with my family. Somehow, it has become an annual thing with my family to go for an overseas trip even though after the disastrous Singapore trip. Luckily, this time in Bangkok, it fared much better.

When the week was over, my family flew back to Malaysia while I took a bus ride to Phuket. I spent roughly 3 days in the island, exploring its quaint old town as well as hopping around its surrounding islands. Even though it was supposed to be low season, the crowd there is still large and most of them are Chinese tourists. I followed Phuket with a quick stop in Hat Yai to catch a train back to Malaysia.

Rows of umbrellas in Patong Beach

Next, I continued with a 2 week stay in Sabah. I concentrated mostly in Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu. While Sandakan is more of a small town, it is much easier to navigate around its attractions as there are public buses and transportation to bring you around while in Kota Kinabalu, the famous sites are almost 2 hours away from city centre.

These two shots of old buildings, can you tell which is Luang Prabang and Phuket Old Town?

Well, at least for these past one month plus, I have a wonderful time, seeing new things and meeting new friends. I can't wait for another long-term vacation like this again. More about it soon.

*TO BE CONTINUED*