Homestay and Tenom

Tour code: FD005

Come and join us for a night at the foot of the Crocker Range, to experience the life of the Dusun People, Sabah’s largest ethnic entity; have a swim in the river and taste local specialities, inclusive of ‘tumpung’ – rice wine. The second day will take us over the Crocker Range to Tenom, to the world famous Tenom Agricultural Park. Curious to see how cloves and tamarind look? Or simply want to admire the thousands of orchid species? Take your time! The last day will take us over Keningau and the Alab pass back to Kota Kinabalu, with a stopover at the Rafflesia Conservation Area - in case there are any blooming - and the Kipandi Butterfly & Orchid Garden for yet more indigenous orchids!

Itinerary

Day 1 0900 hrs - pick up from your hotel in Kota Kinabalu. Our first stop is Donggongon and its markets where we will buy some local specialities for our dinner: jackfruit, ferns and local herbs and spices (the offer varies with the seasons). Then we continue to Ulu Kimanis. The road leads through vast rice fields and quaint Dusun villages. In Ulu Kimanis we will meet our host family for the night, the Ketua Kampung or Village Chief, who guards the entrance to the Crocker Range National Park. He calls his homestay place "The Last Borneo Paradise - Guardians of the Rainforest", and from here he battles a lone struggle against threats to Sabah's largest National Park: game hunters and illegal logging. Though he does not receive any government funds NGO's support his endeavour and Sabah Parks acknowledges his efforts, well aware that they are unfortunately understaffed and cannot effectively and efficiently control the vast expanse of the Crocker Range National Park against those two major threats to its incredible and yet to be fully studied biodiversity. We can go for some light trekking, and later in the afternoon take part in the preparations of dinner and learn how to cook ferns and other local delicacies. After dinner we let you taste indigenous rice wine and the village chief will tell stories of olden days.

Overnight: homestay
Meals: lunch, dinner (local)

Day 2 0600 hrs – The early morning has an especially invigorating action on one’s soul, but this is for early birds only! As the sun rises gradually over the steaming jungle we can go and meet the locals in the Rubber plantations and see how they tap the trees to collect the latex sap. You can of course opt for sleeping a bit longer, the serenity of the place is very conductive to a lazy morning! After breakfast we say good-bye to our friendly host family and continue along the road that cuts through the Crocker Range into the plain of Keningau and onwards to Tenom, where the Agricultural Park is. The Lagud Sebrang Agricultural Park is Sabah’s Kew Gardens full of local and imported tropical trees, scrubs, flowers and orchids. It is also a major research centre and internationally acknowledged. You’ll have time to discover the park at your leisure! After our visit we continue to Keningau where we stay at a modern hotel with hot shower facilities...

Overnight: hotel
Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner (local restaurant)

Day 3 The last day will take us back to Kota Kinabalu. We’ll pass  the plains of Tambunan with their terraced rice fields. On our way to the Gunung Alab Pass we will stop at the Rafflesia Conservation Area where one has good chances to see one in full bloom. The Rafflesias are the largest flowers in the world and can be almost a meter in diameter. At the Rafflesia Reserve the flowers might not be that big but nevertheless amazing! On the pass we will have lunch and then continue towards Kota Kinabalu with a stopover at the recently opened Kipandi Butterfly & Orchid Garden. Back in the plains and time permitting we can have a swim in the Moyog River that flows crystal clear out of the Crocker Range.

Meals: breakfast and lunch

 

Enchanting Borneo Rainforest
 

Simple accommodation local style

Tree planting project initiated by the Village Chief