Sabah, how on earth to unleash your inner beauty?! Standing as the leader of our team Maliau for our Sabah Borneo Malaysian Backpacker’s Adventure (whew, that’s a mouthful) I had one plan set for our last day: To ditch the MAP. We also skipped climbing Sabah’s Mount Kinabalu as we were obviously limited with time.
Me and my fellow writer, Sam wanted to prove something, that Sabah’s Kota Kinabalu has something MORE. We wanted to search for an ultimate travel destination in Sabah .. isolated, without a single soul if possible! C’mon Mr. Sabah, show us what you got! With that burning spirit intact, we found ourselves heading to Kudat and want to set foot on Tanjung Simpang Mengayau aka the Tip of Borneo.
A foggy morning it was but the Kota Kinabalu’s Atkinson Tower gave us a warm greeting! Its hands seemed to like wave at us and says, Break a leg and find that tip! haha!
“So you’re the team who went all the way to Kudat?!” We’ve heard this countless of times from the mouths of the Sabah Tourism Board Officials. Recalled the officer who recom’d the Mari Mari Tour? He even said, “I myself haven’t been to Kudat and the two of you went there by foot, impressive!”
Can’t blame ‘em…the place was beyond spectacular. Travelling northward bound from KK to Kudat was our greatest challenge in Sabah. The travel to Kudat took us around 3 hours, though our bums hurt from sitting too long, the scenery definitely became more picturesque. Kudat is about 190 kilometres north of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. On the west, it faces the South China Sea, and on the east the Sulu Sea. We survived the travel just by asking, though there were a few locals who were unable to speak to us in English, my adaptation of the Malay language was abused err …used! Thank God we reached Kudat’s soil safely.
We somehow gate crashed to the Kudat Golf & Marina Resort before going to the TIP haha! This alone is magnificent but then we got no budget so we just feasted our eyes on their panoramic views, lol. Sabah indeed has a lot of hidden destinations, all waiting to be tapped. Sabah is most popularly known for their Mt. Kinabalu but once asked about Kudat in Sabah? Expect to see blank faces!
Located on the Northern Tip of Borneo, Kudat was first capital city of Sabah. Our journey to Kudat took us through picturesque scenery of villages, paddy rice fields and the tranquillity of our unspoiled country charm. Long, white sandy beaches that stretch for miles are what sparkles the northern belt of Borneo. Not only is Thailand abundant with nice beaches, Sabah too!
We walked down a flight of trail to be able to reach the tip of Borneo in Sabah, the world’s third largest island after Greenland and New Guinea.
Thing is , this is not yet the very TIP of Borneo, Sabah.
After walking down the long trail, we climbed down….and no stairs this time! The place was actually barricaded due to the strong current of the seas that time, but we wouldn’t let that spoil our fun right? We wanted to reach the VERY TIP ‘yo!!! Nothing and no one can stop us hahaha!
It is here where two seas meet, the South China Sea from the west and the Sulu Sea from the east.
It’s like being in two places at one time right?! You can see the breath-taking view of the wide and open coastline here. It is considered one of the most beautiful spots in Sabah, and all the work is done by Mother Nature herself. See, I wasn’t mistaken at all. Sabah must be truly proud of this paradise!
The TIP of Borneo in Sabah is indescribably amazing with those steep rocky structures and low-lying rocks where the sea rushes in and gets trapped, creating warm shallow pools. The ocean waves and currents were insanely strong that day. Reaching the tip myself? I’m even more lost for words.
It was a picturesque spot where waves crashed against the rocks and into our faces. There’s also a dense forest landscape lurking behind as well as a little island with a lighthouse in sight! I wanted to stay there and never go back… for real. I left my heart in Kudat, Sabah!
Us doing the KK Sign! Mission Accomplished partner!
There is only one more thing I have to see here, the sunset! It‘s going to be breathtakingly world class for sure. Worth a visit, worth a stay, worth a return.
If you’re a bookworm or is familiar with Wuthering Heights, then you’d probably know the scenery wherein Heathcliff was carrying his great love Catherine’s remains. It was exactly like that, how I pictured it and how I watched a few plays depicted that certain moment.
Majestic place and it’s a real toughie to leave.
Next we headed to the villages where they have different walks of life; the Rungus longhouses, gong making factory at Bavangazo, and the Honey bee farm at Gombizau. Sabah’s locals are warm and hospitable and they seemed really proud of their indigenous culture. Every village in Sabah is like dedicated to one craft, isn’t that so classic? 🙂
Rungus Longhouses
They make accessories on a daily basis plus this longhouse is similar to an Inn, welcoming tourists who wanted to stay up to their liking ..some more with free Wi-Fi! Whoaaaaa!!!
Gong making factory at Bavangazo
Honey bee farm at Gombizau
Enjoying the sea breeze as well as the knowledge that we were actually at the Tip of Borneo in Sabah was definitely the highlight of this adventure. With that being said, Sam & Charles bagged the Best Sabah Discovery Award from the Sabah Tourism Board.
As how the two seas meet at the Borneo’s tip, we only had our brave souls & burning hearts of desire that met to be able to acquire this once in a lifetime achievement. Surreal indeed. Thank you Sabah!
Stay tuned for the last part of this series. You’re going to see more of Sabah, Malaysia’s hidden beauty!:)
