Travelling in Tawau

Friday, December 03, 2004

Last month, I packed my bags and headed to the southeastern coast of Sabah to visit the state’s agro-tourism hub,Tawau I had been to this modest town a few times before but this trip was different. I was not merely going to visit. I was going to explore.

The minute my colleagues and I landed atTawau Airport, we were greeted by our guide, Peter Lee of Pulau Sipadan Resort (PSR), and whisked to the Teck Guan Cocoa Village. The Village (which is more of a plantation and cocoa processing plant than a settlement) is located some 20 minutes’ drive from the airport. The name Teck Guan is synonymous with the growth and development of cocoa in Sabah. Today, Tawau is the main producer and distributor of cocoa in the state. We were given a tour of the estate, which is around 1000 acres in size. The sprawling estate has miles and miles of cocoa trees as far as the eye can see. From blooms to green fruits to ripe brown pods, it was a myriad of colours and the air was filled with the scent of cocoa. We were treated to some fresh local fruits, which are also grown around the area.

A few bumpy kilometres from the main entrance is a hiking trail which. we were told, leads to a magnificent waterfall. And so we trekked up and down steep stairways, following the sounds of babbling brooks and what promised to be a splendid waterfall. I slipped a few times on the wet rocks, but my huffing and puffing became no matter as we finally arrived at the waterfall. It was truly a magnificent sight to see the 30-foot waterfall surrounded by large shady trees, the morning sun streaming through the branches. The water looked inviting, but there was no time for a dip. The Cocoa Village guide told us that the waterfall would eventually be opened to the public and that it was ideal for picnics and get-togethers. After hiking back to the estate, we were taken to the factory and our guide briefly explained the processing methods.

To complement this visit, we were taken to the Teck Guan Cocoa Museum where various forms of produced cocoa are displayed, including drinking cocoa, beans and, my favourite, chocolate bars! Set up from wall to wall is an illustrated history of cocoa. There is also a mini auditorium where a 20-minute video on cocoa processing and production is played for visitors as part of their tour. I am told that Tawau is still the largest cocoa producer in Malaysia. This has led to the construction of the Malaysian Cocoa Research Centre in Apas Balung, located about 30 km from the town centre.