Sabah Travel Video Guide

Sabah Travel Itinerary

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Bordering Sarawak on the northwestern flank of Borneo, SABAH 's beauty lies in its natural resources, wildlife and intriguing mix of ethnic peoples. Until European powers began to gain a foothold here in the nineteenth century, the northern tip of this remote landmass was inhabited by tribal groups who had only minimal contact with the outside world, so that their costumes, traditions and languages were quite unique to the region. Today, the peoples of the Kadazan/Dusun tribes constitute the largest indigenous racial group, along with the Murut of the southwest, and Sabah's so-called "sea gypsies", the Bajau. Latterly, many economic migrants from the southern part of the Philippines and from neighbouring Kalimantan in Indonesia have made Sabah their home, further contributing to the state's rich ethnic mix.

Since joining the Malaysian Federation in 1963, Sabah has undergone rapid, if patchy modernization, not least because of the logging industry and oil palm plantation expansion, which together are substantially eating away at the remaining forests in the state. But environmentalists are optimistic, as plans are on the drawing board to protect a larger proportion of Sabah's remaining forests. The two most ecologically important areas which will gain from this policy are the Maliau Basin in the south of the state and much of the Kinabatangan river catchment to the east.

This is good news, as Sabah's swampy coasts, rainforests and spectacular high mountains host an astounding range of wildlife , the region's chief draw. Here, you can watch turtles hatch on Turtle Islands Park , see baby orang-utans at the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre , and marvel at forest-dwelling proboscis monkeys along the lower reaches of the Kinabatangan. And then there are the turtles, sharks, barracuda and reefs of Pulau Sipadan , which is rated as one of the top diving destinations in the world. Sabah's other huge attraction is the climb up the awesome granite shelves of 4101-metre-high Mount Kinabalu , its challenging but manageable slopes

seemingly tailor-made for amateur climbers.

Like Sarawak, travel in Sabah is pricey, not least because of the expensive flight from the mainland. But increasingly, travellers are getting to Sabah from the other direction. Indonesia's extensive ferry system now makes travelling from Sulawesi to Kalimantan easy and from there it's only a short step to the vibrant Sabah town of Tawau. Getting from Zamboanga in the southern Philippines to Sandakan by boat is also straightforward.

Your Tips For Sabah

• Interior Malaysia Travel Videos
  Malaysia Travel Itinerary
  Banjaran Titiwangsa (Main Range) forms the western boundary of the interior; to its east is an H-shaped range of steep, sandstone mountains and luxuriant valleys where small towns and kampung nestle. - Malaysia
  

• South Malaysia Travel Videos
  Malaysia Travel Itinerary
  The south of the Malaysian Peninsula, below Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan, has some of the most historically and culturally significant towns in the country. - Malaysia
  

• Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Travel Videos
  Malaysia Travel Itinerary
  Founded in the mid-nineteenth century, KUALA LUMPUR , or KL as it's popularly known, is the youngest Southeast Asian capital and the most economically successful after Singapore - and it's still growing: building sites abound and the city is awash with stunning examples of modern architecture, not least the famous Petronas Towers and the recently opened Museum of Islamic Arts. - Malaysia
  

• Sarawak Malaysia Travel Videos
  Malaysia Travel Itinerary
  Six hundred kilometres across the South China Sea from Peninsular Malaysia, the two East Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah occupy the northwest flank of the island of Borneo (the rest of which, save the enclave of Brunei, is Indonesian Kalimantan). - Malaysia
  

• East coast Malaysia Travel Videos
  Malaysia Travel Itinerary
  The four-hundred-kilometre stretch from the northeastern corner of the Peninsula to Kuantan, roughly halfway down the east coast, is the most "Malay" region in Malaysia, with strong cultural traditions - particularly in Kota Bharu , the last major town before the Thai border, whose inhabitants still practise ancient Malay crafts such as kite-making and top-spinning. - Malaysia
  

• West coast Malaysia Travel Videos
  Malaysia Travel Itinerary
  The west coast of the Malaysian Peninsula, from Kuala Lumpur north to the Thai border, is the most industrialized and densely populated part of the country. - Malaysia
  

• Sabah Malaysia Travel Videos
  Malaysia Travel Itinerary
  Bordering Sarawak on the northwestern flank of Borneo, SABAH 's beauty lies in its natural resources, wildlife and intriguing mix of ethnic peoples. - Malaysia
  

• Malaysia Interior Travel Videos
  Malaysia Travel Itinerary
  Banjaran Titiwangsa (Main Range) forms the western boundary of the interior; to its east is an H-shaped range of steep, sandstone mountains and luxuriant valleys where small towns and kampung nestle. - Malaysia
  

• East coast Malaysia Travel Videos
  Malaysia Travel Itinerary
  The four-hundred-kilometre stretch from the northeastern corner of the Peninsula to Kuantan, roughly halfway down the east coast, is the most "Malay" region in Malaysia, with strong cultural traditions - particularly in Kota Bharu , the last major town before the Thai border, whose inhabitants still practise ancient Malay crafts such as kite-making and top-spinning. - Malaysia
  

• South Malaysia Travel Videos
  Malaysia Travel Itinerary
  The south of the Malaysian Peninsula, below Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan, has some of the most historically and culturally significant towns in the country. - Malaysia
  

• West coast Malaysia Travel Videos
  Malaysia Travel Itinerary
  The west coast of the Malaysian Peninsula, from Kuala Lumpur north to the Thai border, is the most industrialized and densely populated part of the country. - Malaysia