Kinabalu Park

The gateway to the top of Borneo ! Kinabalu Park is located at 1, 558 metres above sea level and is approximately 2 hours bus ride from the State Capital. The park covers an area of about 754 sq. km with altitudes ranging from 600 metres up to the summit of Mount Kinabalu at 4,095.2 metres.Popular for its cool climate among the local people, Kinabalu promises to enchant naturalists with its rich flora and fauna. It carries lowland, mountain and alpine vegetation on a scale that is not seen elsewhere between the Himalayas and the New Guinea. It boasts to having the largest flower in the world - Rafflesia and more than 1500 species of orchids in its vicinity.

Mount Kinabalu is the majestic center piece of Kinabalu Park and is also the highest mountain in Southeast Asia. The majestic mountain has a fascinating geological history. It began approximately a million years ago when the granite core lying beneath the earth’s crust was solidifying. This granite massif was later thrust upwards through the crust to the surface. Subsequent erosion removed thousands of feet of overlying sand and mud stone, thus exposing this massif. During the Ice-Age, glaciers running through the summit plateau smoothed it out, but jagged peaks that stood out above the ice surface remained unaffected by these cosmetic touches and retained their extremely ragged surfaces. Today, the allure of this awe inspiring mountain and its great heights act like a powerful magnet and challenge, which attracts eager climbers from all corners of the world. About 30,000 people scale the mountain each year, including more than 10,000 foreigners. Despite its intimidating size, Mt. Kinabalu is the one of the easiest mountains in the world to climb. No special skills or equipment are needed and each year, thousand of visitors climb to the summit of Mt. Kinabalu’s Low Peak. Keep in mind, however, that the ascent is a physically tough and challenging climb, requiring a minimum of two days to reach the summit.