Kinabalu Park

About Kinabalu Park

It’s no surprise that Kinabalu National Park has been acclaimed as Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and Global Geopark, and with good reason. The area covers a total of 754 sq. km (bigger than the island of Singapore!) where unique tropical flora and fauna reside in a harmonious ecosystem with each one playing a vital role in sustaining astonishing natural landscapes as a whole. Different elevations of the park provide 4 distinct climates to support over 4,500 species of flora and fauna, 326 bird species, and over 100 mammalian wildlife, making it one of the most revered biological sites in the world.

Kinabalu Park, an easy 2 hours scenic drive from Kota Kinabalu, is a popular getaway and one of the must visit places in Sabah, where travellers can get to enjoy the cool invigorating air (16- 21 degree Celsius) and witness the majestic view of Mt Kinabalu. The park offers a variety of activities perfect for chilled travellers looking for a walk in the park and for the more adventurous who seek to conquer Kinabalu Park’s centrepiece, Mount Kinabalu. Fondly nicknamed Aki Nabalu, mountaineers flock to take on this majestic cloud buster.

Travellers can also choose to visit to taste fresh gelato at Desa Dairy Cow Farm, sip on organic tea at Sabah Tea Gardens, hike the many available trails, take a dip in Poring Hot Springs, walk a treetop canopy or have a little history lesson at the Kundasang War Memorial.

Kinabalu Park Attractions

Kinabalu Park Headquarters

Kinabalu Park Headquarters, on an elevation of 1,563m (5,000ft) above sea level, is the administrative office of Sabah Parks, where climbers must register and get a permit for their Mt. Kinabalu climb. Most of the Parks’s facilities are located here including the visitor’s exhibition centre, restaurants and different types of accommodations. All visitors must pay a minimal entrance fee when entering Kinabalu Park.

Trails around Kinabalu Park

For simple short trekking, one may find the numerous guided nature trails around Kinabalu Park a wonderland, as you may stumble upon rare botanical species and who knows, be the first to make new new discoveries of rare and endemic plants.

Mt Kinabalu Botanical Garden

Mt Kinabalu Botanical Garden (Mountain Garden), a 5-acre Garden, is one of the biggest attractions at Kinabalu Park. Flora from all over the Park has been replanted here, making it an excellent diverse plant garden exhibit. Learn about the medicinal values of some of the plants from our local guide during the tour with us!

Poring Hot Springs

An hour drive (40 km) from Kinabalu Park HQ, in the lowlands, lies the Poring Hot Springs attraction. “Poring” is the local dialect word for the bamboo plant specie growing in the vicinity. Visitor can choose to soak in the individual bathtubs filled with the hot sulphuric minerals of the nearby spring, claimed to have therapeutic powers, or venture into the Butterfly Farm in search of colourful and striking butterflies of different species. If you are curious about the 1,200 species of orchids found in Kinabalu Park, visit the Poring Orchid Conversation Centre.

Finally, a must visit to the treetop canopy walk. Trek for 20 minutes and set foot amidst the canopy of the Menggaris tree - the King of the Forest, the walkway is 157.8 m long and 41 m high! Definitely not for the faint-hearted. If the day is in your favour, spot the world’s biggest flower, Rafflesia. This rare and exotic parasitic flowering plant takes up to 15 months to bud and only bloom for 5-7 days. The Park will post a notice if there a Rafflesia in bloom or bud and a minimal entrance fee will be collected, which goes to the local villagers of that garden.

Kinabalu Park Accommodation

There are hotels, lodges, chalets and hostels at Kinabalu Park, Kundasang, Ranau and Poring to suit ones budget. Staying inside the Park itself can costs you more than double or triple the cost of staying in the towns of Kundasang or Ranau. This is because the accommodation in the Park itself is better managed and has limited rooms in order to limit population size, so as to protect the UNESCO World Heritage Site and Global Geopark.