Train in Borneo

Currently, the only rail transport system on the Island of Borneo is the Sabah State Railway (SSR). Sabah State Railway is a railway system and operator in Sabah which have railway that consists of a single 134 km line from Tanjung Aru , Kota Kinabalu to Tenom, in the Interior Division. Formerly, it was known as North Borneo Railway.

Sabah State Railway

This railway system is very historic. It was first opened in 1898 when it was known as North Borneo Railway. It was originally intended primarily for the transport of tobacco from the interior to the coast for export. Now, is used as public transportation and has 14 stations from Sembulan to Tenom. The trip will take 2 hours and 15 minutes and the coaches will run at speed of 80 km per hour.

Opening of North Borneo Railway on 1898

passenger car interior

train stations

The Tip of Borneo

Tanjung Simpang Mengayau is the northernmost tip of Borneo Island, the third largest island in the world after Greenland and New Guinea. It is a tourism destination located at Kudat peninsula. It is also a network of high hills which extend facing the Sulu Sea that show scenic panorama when the sun began to rise and sunset.

Simpang Mengayau means “lingering junction” as it is here that the South China Sea lingers and meets the Sulu Sea flowing from the east.  Simpang Mengayau actually got its name from the native language, Rungus. The word “simpang” or “sampang” means meeting someone after waiting because of an appointment. The word “mengayau” which come from the word “mangazou” means a group of people who want to show their inner knowledge by war. Therefore, Simpang Mengayau actually means meeting someone to fight and show inner knowledge.

'Tagal' Kampung Luanti - Fish Massage at Ranau

Located in Kampung Luanti, Ranau, 131 km from Kota Kinabalu, this fish spa is managed by the Kampung Luanti JKK lead by Mr. Jeffrin Majangki.

In the Local Kadazan Dusun dialect, tagal means no fishing and the main purposes for tagal is to preserve the environment as well as the ecosystem to benefit the future generation. 'Ikan Pelian' or Malaysian Mahseer comes from family of Cyprinidae. These fishes are especially trained by the villagers to perform the healing massage activities.

The fish massage have curative effect on those who suffers from psoriasis. Come to Kampun Luanti for regular fish massages and you will enjoy smoother and suppler skin. If the idea of fishes nibbling off your dead skin does not thrill you, try some other activities such as jungle trekking and camping. Kampung Luanti also equipped with a homestay programme to make visitors feel at home every time.

One Borneo HyperMall at Kota Kinabalu

One Borneo HyperMall or '1B' as the locals love to call it, is the largest  lifestyle hypermall in east Malaysia and even on Borneo Island. This complex, spread over a 10 ha site with 4 hotels, 4 condominium blocks and 13 345 sq. metres of shopping ground, has 3 floors of shops to offer visitors.

Construction of the mall first began back in 2007, and the halfway completed mall had its soft opening on May 31st 2008. The opening ceremony of mall was absolutely a grand occasion, and there was a firework display. Construction were then concentrated on the 3 28-storey and one 12-storey condominium towers, till all 4 were completed by 2011.

1 Borneo is located about 8 km away from the central business district of Kota Kinabalu and is easily accessible through any major highway in the city. It is also easy to reach by using public transport. Those intending to drive should know that the mall can be accessed through 3 main entrance.

Entrance A - to underground car park or west wing of the mall

Entrance B - main entrance to mall foyer, south wing of the mall
Entrance C - to rooftop car park, north and east wing of the mall

Upside Down House (Rumah Terbalik) at Tuaran

Turn your view upside down when you visit this unique yet amazing house in Tamparuli. The 'Rumah Terbalik' which translate to Upside Down House is the first of its kind in South East Asia and among the five upside-down structures in the world. The house was opened to the public in early February 2012.

The house has been fascinating visitors from near and far. The house itself is hard to miss, having been flipped upside down, with its floor facing skyward. Everything inside the house, from furniture to household appliances, linger above your head, as the ceiling is actually floor. Visitors will notice some characteristic Sabahan decor and features showed in this house.

In the garage, a car is parked upside down. it might seem complicated in the first few second watching this unique view. The architectural wonder has also been included in the Malaysia Book of Records for being the first of its kind nation. Visitors can enjoy a meal or afternoon snack at the Rumah Terbalik cafe or pick up a souvenir at Gift Shop. Guided tours are available. It opens everyday including public holiday from 8.00am till 10.00pm

Tapioca Food of Bajau in Semporna

Putu is a famous food among Bajau people in Semporna. This traditional food is made from shredded tapioca. By squeezing the shredded tapioca, the juice is then is steamed. Commonly, Bajaus replace rice with putu as their daily meal. Putu is usually eaten with sagol, tayum, tehek tehek and ikan bakar.

Fresh Putu

Putu with side dish

Tompek is also a Bajau traditional food which is based on tapioca. The difference is the way to cook it. The squeezed shredded tapioca is fried without cooking oil until it become yellowish. Tompek is also referred as anggang by other ethnic Bajau in Semporna.

Tompek (on the plate)

Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary

Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Center is located in the west of Sandakan in the state of Sabah. The center was opened in 1964 as the first official orangutan  rehabilitation project to rescue orphaned baby orangutan from logging sites, plantations or illegal hunting. The orangutan are trained to survive again in the wild and released as soon as they are ready. 

The Center under the administration of the Wildlife Department of Sabah attracts tourist and researcher by giving them the opportunity to watch the orangutan closely in their natural habitat. A walkway leads you to witness gallery and feeding platform where the orangutan are fed with milk and bananas twice a day by the rangers. Feeding time also attracts long-tailed macaques to the area. 

Visitors are barred to walkways. Some Orangutan have become familiar with people but touching them is strongly discouraged. For the more adventurous, there is trekking through the forest. As this is under the Forestry Department, you will have to get a permission from them before trekking the 5 km trail which runs through Sepilok Laut. 

Opening Hours 

Security Gate : Daily from 8.00am till 5.00pm

Receprion and Ticketing : Daily from 9.00am till 11.00am and 2.00pm till 3.30pm

Exhibition Hall : Daily (except Friday) from 9.00am till 4.30pm

Admission rate : Adult RM5.00 (MYkad holder) RM30.00 (others) and Below 18 years old RM2.00 (MYkad holder) RM15.00 ( others)

Dragon Inn Foating Resort

Dragon Inn Floating Resort is located in Semporna on Jalan Kastam. This resort is not an island. It is opened on 1985 and it is popular pit stop to travelers which want to go to world famous Sipadan Island or Mabul Island. This resort offers a very outstanding resort experience that not many places in Malaysia can offer. The rooms are made up on stilts and they have a fascinating view of the ocean, Bajau Laut's Lepa and sunsets.

There are about 70 rooms divided throughout the floating resort. There are 6 VIP rooms, 7 family suites, 33 singles, 16 doubles, 3 longhouse units and 3 dormitory-style units. The longhouse and dormitory units are only supplied with fans and have to shared bathrooms. The single and double rooms are air-conditioned and supplied with hot shower. The family and VIP suites are absolutely larger and located on their own floating chalets. 

VIP suites

Family Rooms

Double rooms

The resort also has conference hall, a multi-purposes hall, a fantastic seafood restaurant call Restoran Bandar Mutiara and natural aquariums with various types of ocean fish that reared for visitors to see.

Sipadan Island

Sipadan is internationally famous island that located in Semporna, Sabah. It is thickly forested and surrounded by sandy beaches like many tropical islands. Sipadan is an oceanic island and was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct undersea volcano.

More than 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this richest ecosystem. It is not unusual for a diver to see more than 20 turtles on each dive as Sipadan is well known for its unusually large numbers of green and hawksbill turtles which gather there to mate and nest. Turtle Tomb is an underwater limestone cave with labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that contain many skeletal remains of turtles that become disoriented and then drowned was another unique feature to divers visiting Sipadan.

The residential schooling barracuda and big-eye trevally that often gather in thousands forming breathtaking tornado-like formations, are on of the highlights of every diver's wish-list. With the possibility of seeing aquatic species such as mantas, eagle rays and whale sharks each dive at Sipadan is highly anticipated event.

There are total of 12 sites in Sipadan Island namely the West Ridge, North Point, The Drop Off, Turtle Cavern, Barracuda Point, Coral Garden, Whitetip Avenue, Mid Reef, Turtle Patch, South Point, Staghorn Crest, Lobster Lair and The Hanging Garden. The most popular yet highly recommended is Turtle Cavern, Barracuda Point, South Point and Hanging Gardens.

How to get there? From Kota Kinabalu it only takes 55-minutes flight to Tawau and an hour drive to Semporna. From Semporna, Sipadan takes another 40 minutes by speedboat.

Regatta Lepa at Semporna Sabah

Regatta Lepa is one of the special event in our National Tourism Calendar which is water festival that held in Semporna, a small town in the eastern of Sabah. Lepa means "boat" is believed found from the Bajau people who lives in Pulau Bum-Bum.

This unique yet interesting event celebrated by the Bajau Laut ethnic community. The Bajau Laut people are seaman or yachtsman and well-known for their Lepa, traditional boat that is used in their daily lives.

But, in this era of globalization, the practice using this traditional boat slowly scatter. Few modern Bajau used this Lepa in their activity as they migrated to the mainland. Nevertheless, Lepa will remains as the symbol of the tradition and precious legacy for the Bajau Laut community.

The Bajau Laut seaman came alive in this annual festival. They will featuring their boats, the Lepa with participants will dancing at the helm of their boats, anf decorated their boat with bright colour sails.

The boredom Semporna town comes to life as the colourful sails take to the sea to compete for the most beautiful Lepa. The most important event of this festival is the sail-past of the Lepa, each boat will have dancers and lively musicians, hoping to be crown as the most beautiful Lepa. Every Lepa family has their own beautiful daughter to welcome the visitors with rhythmic igal-igal dance which is the traditional dance at Semporna.

The Regatta Lepa is not just a water festival, the whole town of Semporna has a carnival atmosphere, with various concerts staged and so many stalls set up to promote or sell products and services to the population, visitors and tourists.