Tours and Travels

Independent travel in Sabah is limited compared to neighbouring Sarawak, and most travellers will have to rely on tour outfits at some point, though Sabah does have a huge number of tour operators, mostly based in Kota Kinabalu. A good operator can make life easier if you’re short on time, and some places are simply too expensive or too much hassle to visit independently.

If you run into problems with a tour agency, take your complaint to the Sabah Tourism Board (088 212121; www.sabahtourism.com; 51 Jln Gaya, Kota Kinabalu; 8am-Spm Mon-Fri, 8am-2pm Sat).

Popular itineraries include any combina tion of the Mt Kinabalu trek, the Sepilok orang-utan sanctuary, diving at Tun Sakaran National Park and jungle trekking in the Danum Valley. Attractions promoted individually by tour companies include the Tip of Borneo, jungle camps along the Kinabatangan and the remote Maliau Basin, while you can only visit Turtle Islands National Park and 'Cabin Wildlife Sanctuary as part of a tour. Homestay and cultural options are possible on most standard itineraries.

Accommodation

Depending on where you're coming from in the region, Sabah may seem an expen­sive place to travel around. It’s still pos­sible, however, to find a whole range of acceptable budget and midrange accom­modation options, particularly in KK, Se­pilok, Mt Kinabalu and the national parks. However, keep in mind that cheaper city hotels might also be brothels. B&Bs are popular and economical alternatives to hotels but are often located outside city centres (and don't necessarily include breakfast!). At the other end of the spec­trum, on many of the islands (such as the Turtle Islands) accommodation choices are limited and usually only available as part of a tour package.

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).

Visas and Permits

Sabah is semi-autonomous, and like Sara­wak it has its own immigration controls. On arrival most nationalities are likely to be given a visa for three months' stay and it is rare to be asked to show money or onward tickets:

Visas can be renewed at immigration offices at or near most points of arrival, even at small places like Merapok near Beaufort. If you miss the expiry date, it's not a problem - just report to another im­migration office, even if it's several days later, and explain your situation to the of­ficials. Apart from entry to national parks and other reserves, permits are required to visit Pulau Sipadan (Sipadan Island), the Danum Valley Conservation Area and the Maliau Basin. With the exception of the Maliau Basin, you can obtain these permits at each destination upon arrival.

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.