Sabah, Land Below the Wind

Sabah is known as Sabah, negeri di bawah bayu, which means 'Sabah, land below the wind', because of its location being just south of the typhoon prone region around the Philippines.

Most visitors to Sabah come here for one thing: to trek up the mighty Mt Kinabalu. Or is it to dive around the Sipadan reef? Or to see the orang-utans at Sepilok? Or to explore the forest around Sungai Kinabatangan? Or to get lost in the remote Maliau Basin?

The trouble is, Borneo's northernmost state is so rich in treasures that it's hard to know where to start, and once you get stuck in there's always just that one more thing you want to see. As well as its host of natural features, Sabah has an equally fascinating ethnic heritage, visibly distinct from the indigenous peoples further south.

The largest group is made up of the Kadazan and Dusun tribes, known as the 'Latin lovers' of Borneo thanks to their healthy appetite for music and life in general, and visitors can also enjoy close encounters with friendly Rungus, Murut and Bajau communities around the state.

If you're coming from Sarawak, Sabah's rigid infrastructure may come as a bit of a culture hock - the tourist board has put a lot into promoting key destinations, and tour companies have a stranglehold on certain attractions, making life much trickier for independent travelers. he trade-off, however, is an unparalleled range of leisure and adventure activities, from homes­tays, wetlands and night drives to seawalking, water sports and nightlife. Dubbed 'Asia's solar p­owered theme park', this is one playground where it's well worth queuing for the rides.