About Sabah - Borneo




Many books have been written about Sabah's fascinating people, wildlife, land, sea and history, so to condense this into a one-page document will obviously require some thought. This country offers the visitor such a wide variety of choice for things to do that most leave planning their next trip.

For a more detailed map of Sabah please view our map at the bottom of this page.
 
A bit of HISTORY
 
Sabah is Malaysia's northernmost state and together with Sarawak makes up Malaysian Borneo. Known mostly for its two Mountains; Mt Kinabalu and the underwater mountain of Sipadan it still remains something of a frontier.

Before its independence in 1963 the British North Borneo Company administered the country as a protectorate of the British Empire. For centuries prior to this there were many bloody disputes over the countries riches drawing raiders and traders from afar and with the Philippines and Indonesia claiming parts of the territory as their own. 

Fortunately nowadays over 30 different ethnic groups live here in harmony while at the same time preserving their own culture, traditions, festivals and custom.

The PEOPLE.
 
The three million people of Sabah are as diverse as the ecology. There are three main groups of indigenous people. The largest group is the Kadazandusun, making up one third of the population. They live mainly on the West Coast to the interior and were formerly the main rice producers. They have souls and spirits that must be appeased from time to time through specific rituals. In these modern times, some of the rituals are less performed accept during certain festivities.
 
Along with the Suluk, Irranun, Binadan and Obian people, the Bajau landed on Sabah's shores around 200 years ago. Once regarded as sea gypsies because of their seafaring ways in the past, many have settled down to a more sedentary life of rice farming and cattle breeding. Their riding skills on ponies have earned these Bajau the nickname "Cowboys of the East" and their colourful costumes (as well as those of their ponies) are greatly admired.
 
The Murut (meaning hill people) inhabit the interior and southeastern parts of Sabah and the territory straddling the Kalimantan and Sarawak borders. Many still occupy the traditional Longhouses. Once feared as fearless headhunters the Murut these days have abandoned much of their age-old traditions especially headhunting. They are also very skilled in hunting with blowpipe.
 
The Chinese, who migrated in great numbers to Sabah during the early years of the North Borneo Chartered Company era, make up a large portion of the non-indigenous people. Living mostly in and around city areas, they engaged themselves primarily in the commercial sectors of the economy. Unofficially, Sabah is also home to an estimated 700,000 strong Filipino population due to lax immigration controls and poor policing of the Malaysia-Philippines national border
 
Resulting from this multicultural society is a year full of festivals and colourful ceremonies.
 
A bit of GEOGRAPHY.
 
Situated on the northeast side of the island of Borneo, Sabah is smaller than its sister state, Sarawak. The southern part of the island, called Kalimantan, belongs to Indonesia. The state capital is Kota Kinabalu, formerly known as Jesselton. Sabah is generally mountainous, with the Crocker range of central mountains varying in height from about 1,000 meters to 3,000 meters, which at its peak of Mount Kinabalu rises up to 4095 meters, and with several lower ranges of hills near the coasts.
 
Things to do and Getting Around.

For those interested in tropical rainforest with diverse flora and fauna, stunning islands and beaches, superb diving with rare and abundant macro and pelagic life, Sabah has much to offer.

On the doorstep of Kota Kinabalu City lies the 49sq km National Park commonly known as TARP. Five beautiful tropical islands make up the land mass. Surrounding waters are a magnet for nature and marine lovers.

The wildlife of the Lower Kinabatangan River is acknowledged by experts to be the most varied and easily accessible in all of Southeast Asia.

The Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre, near Sandakan was established to return orphaned apes back to the wild and is well worth a visit.

Gomantong Caves, made famous by the edible bird nests of Swiftlets living in the limestone cave system on the North East side of Borneo have made this area incredibly valuable and world famous.

Please peruse our sidebar links for a more detailed look at some of the highlights that have interested us. For Images of Sabah please visit our Photo Collections section.

Independent travel is fairly straightforward and very safe. People are very helpful and don't be put off by stories of Headhunters and Pirates. The long distant buses, which are very comfortable air conditioned coaches run frequently from KK to Tawau via Sandakan and stop at all major towns where you can get smaller minibuses to take you further. The buses and coaches usually run when full so timetables are generally only a rough guide but if you wait at a main road, one will soon pass by. Flights are also quite cheap, the Malaysia Airlines System MAS and Airasia have daily flights from KK to Tawau and Sandakan.

Please feel free to drop us a line and we'll endeavor to help with your travel plans or at least put you in touch with someone who can !