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Sabah & Sarawak: Stepping into the Eden of Malaysia

Via Ferrata at Mount Kinabalu
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Via Ferrata at Mount Kinabalu
Via Ferrata at Mount Kinabalu

Venture into East Malaysia and see the stunning natural wonders of Sabah and Sarawak

There is much more to Malaysia than just Kuala Lumpur and Genting Highlands.

If you would like to get in touch with nature, try visiting the lush and almost untouched lands of Sabah and Sarawak. You might well be surprised by their raw beauty.

Sarawak is known as the Land of the Hornbills while Sabah is the Land Below the Wind. These Eastern Malaysian states are nature’s playgrounds, with so much pulsating action for eco-adventurers.

Be it a primeval rainforest, a mystical cave, a winding river or even a majestic mountain, Sabah and Sarawak have it all.

Sarawak is full of natural wonders
Sarawak is full of natural wonders

Eden in the East

The vast wilderness and UNESCO World Heritage sites in Sarawak have drawn visitors from far and wide. One of these UNESCO World Heritage sites is the Mount Mulu National Park.

Famous for being Sarawak’s largest national park at 544 sq. km., it is also home to the Sarawak Chamber, the world’s largest cave chamber, Deer Cave, the world’s largest cave passage, as well as Clearwater Cave, one of the longest caves in Asia and a treasure trove of 2,000 varieties of plants and animals.

See up to eight different types of hornbills, 170 species of orchids and ten species of pitcher plants. Other attractions include a bar observatory, a 480m long rainforest canopy skywalk, a spectacular limestone pinnacle trail, a historic Headhunters’ Trail and white-water rafting.

Headhunters & Jungle Folk

The Headhunters’ Trail traces the route of the ancient Kayan tribesman who overcame the challenges of the mountain valleys, hills and rivers. Also, every year in July, the Rainforest World Music Festival will play ethnic music against the backdrop of the 300-million-year-old rainforest.

For a more relaxing trail, drop by the Semenggoh Nature Reserve and cosy up to a cute orang utan. The young orang utans who have been orphaned or rescued from captivity are well taken care of in the reserve before being reintroduced into the wild.
There are also dozens of other national parks, such as Bako National Park, Kuching Wetland National Park and Niah National Park, should you want to see more.

The famous yet elusive Rafflesia can be  found in East Malaysia
The famous yet elusive Rafflesia can be found in East Malaysia

Heart of Borneo

Sabah is known for being home to one of Southeast Asia’s highest peaks, Mount Kinabalu. The Kinabalu Park, that was established in 1964, is Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site awarded by UNESCO in the year 2000, with over 4,000 species of flora and fauna, 326 birds and about 100 mammals.

The main attraction of the park is the mountain. Standing at 4,095.2m, it attracts thousands of climbers from around the world every year and is also the venue of the annual Mount Kinabalu Climbathon.

Apart from that, Sabah is also known for the world’s smallest orchid, Podochillius, and the world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia. Sabah further bolsters its image as the world’s eco-tourism haven with the recent discovery of more wildlife species.

The Heart of Borneo project of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature found 123 exotic species, 67 plants, 29 invertebrates, 17 fish, five frogs, three snakes and two lizards in the Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah’s largest expanse of lowland dipterocarp forest.

For a different kind of eco-adventure, enjoy the taste of bird’s nest and see how it is harvested at the Gomantong Caves and Simud Hitam Caves.

With all these natural wonders, be sure to put the Eden of East Malaysia on your next itinerary.

Visit www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my

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