National Parks and Reserves

Sabah's national parks and their inhabitants are among the main reasons tourists visit the state; they feature beautiful scenery and an astonishing variety of plant and animal life. Budget accommodation is available in or near the major reserves and, depend­ing on the area and weather, camping is also possible. The parks are generally well maintained and accessible. Sabah's major parks:

Crocker Range National Park (139 sq km) Preserving a huge swathe of forested escarpment overlooking the coast, this park has no facilities.

Kinabalu National Park (754 sq km) Easily accessible from Kota Kinabalu (KK), this is the state's largest and most popular national park. It offers mountain trekking at Mt Kinabalu, forest walks at the headquarters and Mesilau, and the hot springs at Poring.

Pulau Tiga National Park (15 sq km) Three islands 50km southwest of KK: one formed by volcanic mud erup­tions, one famous for sea snakes and the third virtually washed away by wave action.

Tawau Hills Park (29 sq km) Near Tawau in the state's southeast, this park has forested volcanic hills, waterfalls and hot springs.

Tun Sakaran Marine Park (325 sq km) Protects some of the best reef dive sites in the world, including the renowned Pulau Sipadan.

Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) National Park (49 sq km) A group of five islands, one quite large, a few kilome­tres west of the capital. Features include beaches, snorkel­ling and hiking

Turtle Islands National Park (17 sq km) Three tiny islands 40km north of Sandakan, protecting the nesting ground of green and hawksbill sea turtles.

The Wildlife Department administers two cave systems, Gomantong and Madai. Reserves run by the Sabah Foundation include the Danum Valley Conservation Area and the Malian Basin. The Tabin Wildlife Reserve is managed by both the Forestry and the Wildlife Department, though visitor facilities are run by a pri­vate company.

Park Fees and Accomodation

Accommodation in Kinabalu National Park (including the lodges at Laban Rata, Poring Hot Springs and Mesilau) and on Manukan Island in Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) Na­tional Park is privately run. Bookings are handled by Sutera Sanctuary Lodges Tel: 088­243629; wwwsuterasanctuarylodges.com; Lot G15, Wisma Sabah, Jln Haji Saman, Kota Kinabalu; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Sat, 8.30am-12.30pm Sun). You can book your guide and accommodation for Mt Kinabalu here, online or by phone; it's not necessary to make a special trip to KK just to make a booking.

Sabah Parks 088-211881; www.sabahparks.org .my; Lot 1-3, Block K, Kompleks Sinsuran, Jln Tun Fuad Stephens, Kota Kinabalu; 8am-lpm & Z-Spm Mon-Thu, 8am-11.30am & 2-Spm Fri) handles reservations for park accommodation at Pulau Tiga Na­tional Park and camping permits for'Cunku Abdul Rahman National Park.

Bookings and permits for the Danum Valley Conservation Area and Maliau Basin can be arranged through Innoprise 088­243245; outthere@streamyx com; Menara Tun Mustafa,Jln Sulaman, Kota Kinabalu).