Why You Should Visit Kinabalu Park from Kota Kinabalu
Are you looking for day trips in Sabah, specifically from Kota Kinabalu? I wrote this post to share my day trip and provide enough information on why you should visit Kinabalu Park from Kota Kinabalu. It’s a must visit destination in Borneo.
Visiting Kinabalu Park from Kota Kinabalu is an easy and rewarding excursion. Just a short journey from Kota Kinabalu, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to Mount Kinabalu, cool mountain air, amazing hikes, and incredible biodiversity.
Whether you are planning for a relaxed day trip or adding to a longer Sabah itinerary, Kinabalu Park makes for a great escape from Kota Kinabalu and offers scenic views, easy hikes, and so much more!
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Kinabalu Park is one of Malaysia’s first national parks, established in 1964. It became Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site in 2000.
Kinabalu Park surrounds Mount Kinabalu. Mount Kinabalu is the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia at 4,095 meters (13,435 feet). It’s the tallest mountain between the Himalayas and Punak Jaya in New Guinea, Indonesia.
Kinabalu Park is around 754 square kilometers and protects a range of habitats, from lowland tropical rainforests to alpine meadows.
I learned that there are around 5,000 to6,000 plant species in the park including several species of orchids and pitcher plants.
Wildlife wise, clouded leopards, macaques, hornbills, shrews, and a variety of insects, birds, and reptiles, call Kinabalu Park home.
Many visitors to Borneo will come to Kinabalu Park to hike Mount Kinabalu. It’s a 2 day and 1 night hike and is considered challenging, more on that later!
Kinabalu Park is also known for its cooler mountain climate. Although parts of it are in the rainforest, I felt it got pretty chilly in certain areas. The climate and temperatures can drastically change.
Booking a Day Tour to Kinabalu Park from Kota Kinabalu
If you are staying in Kota Kinabalu, one of the best ways to explore Kinabalu Park is by booking a day tour. I book day tours online through Get Your Guide, Klook, or Viator.
The pros on booking a tour include pickup/drop off from hotel, the guides are knowledgeable, and the tours usually include other stops and a meal.
Based on what I wanted to see, I booked this Kinabalu Park tour and highly recommend it.
Although the Poring Hot Springs were closed at the time, our guide gave us more time at Kinabalu Park to explore.
If you want to explore other Kinabalu Park options, here are other tours:
2 Days 1 Night Mount Kinabalu Climb
Sabah: Kinabalu Park, Hot Springs, and Cow Farm Day Tour
Kinabalu Park & Poring Hot Spring Tour
Kinabalu Park & Poring Hot Spring & Canopy Walk
Why You Should Visit Kinabalu Park
Kinabalu Park in Borneo in one of the top places to visit in Sabah, Malaysia and an easy day trip from Kota Kinabalu. Visiting Kinabalu Park offers a mix of nature, adventure, and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kinabalu Park is home to Mount Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in Southeast. Visitors from around the world come to Borneo just to hike this famous mountain.
Although I did not hike Mount Kinabalu, I took a day tour to Kinabalu Park from Kota Kinabalu and want to share my itinerary and why visiting Kinabalu Park is an absolute must!
UNESCO World Heritage Site
There are so many reasons why you should visit Kinabalu Park, but I think one of the main reasons is because it is Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kinabalu Park was designated as a UNESCO site in December, 2000. It’s a UNESCO site because of its extraordinary biodiversity and diverse ecosystems.
Views of Mount Kinabalu
Let’s be honest, when hiking a mountain, sure you are on the mountain but you can’t really see it. But from multiple advantage points around Kinabalu Park and the road from Kota Kinabalu, there are phenomenal viewing points of this beautiful mountain.
The road between Kota Kinabalu and Kinabalu Park offers some of the best viewing points on Mount Kinabalu. I highly recommend the viewing platform at the Pekan Nabalu Weekly Market and the Peranggi View Point.
There are also viewing parks at the Kinabalu Conservation Centre.
Just keep in mind, the clouds around the mountain are constantly changing. So you might get lucky and see it one moment, five-minutes later it can be completely covered, so make that stop and take that photo whenever you see Mount Kinabalu.
Nature Trails and Scenic Hikes
There are many nature trails within Kinabalu Park. The trails range from challenging multi-day hikes to short strolls through the rainforest.
Our tour included a hike along the Silau-Silau Trail. We took this trail, about 30-minutes to the Botanical Gardens. Along the way our guide pointed out unique flowers and other flora.
Kinabalu Park Botanical Garden
The Kinabalu Park Botanical Gardens is a unique garden as it is a curated living collection of plants native to Kinabalu Park.
The botanical gardens function as an educational garden and conservation showcase. Our guide pointed out many different types of orchids, pitcher plants, and medicinal plants.
Information on Climbing Mount Kinabalu
Mount Kinabalu, 4,095 meters (13,435 feet) is one of Southeast Asia’s mots accessible high-altitude climbs. It is a challenging hike but doesn’t require technical or mountaineering skills.
The typical duration to climb Mount Kinabalu is 2 days and 1 night. Climbing the mountain is only possible with a licensed guide, you cannot climb Mount Kinabalu on your own.
I did not hike Mount Kinabalu, I just want to provide you with information I learned from my guide and the visitor centre.
But the hike looks something like this.
Day 1: Start at the Timpohon Gate and hike roughly 6 kilometers to Laban Rata and stay the night.
Day 2: Wake up early and begin the push to the summit. Hike back to Timpohon Gate.
Feel free to check out this tour by Get Your Guide that offers a 2 Days 1 Night Mount Kinabalu Climb.
Conclsuion
Visiting Kinabalu Park as a day tour from Kota Kinabalu is an easy and educational experience. You get several opportunities to see beautiful Mount Kinabalu and learn about the biodiversity and ecosystems of the park.
If you are like me and want to see more of Borneo and get views of Mount Kinabalu without actually climbing the mountain, a day trip to Kinabalu is a must!
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Plan Your Trip: 🗺️✈️🇲🇾
Booking Accommodations ⛺️🛖
For booking recommendations on the best deals and locations, check out Agoda or Booking.com
Activities and Tours 🏖️🚁
Find fun activities and things to do through Tripadvisor. If you are looking for tours and day trips, Viator and Get Your Guide have a lot of great options.
In need of a car rental? 🚗🚘
I recommend checking with Rental Cars.
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