Places of Interest
| Tawau | Semporna | Kunak | Lahad Datu |
Places of Interest | Tawau | Semporna |
Kunak |
Lahad Datu |
The interesting places in Tawau are all about getting closer to Mother Nature
Nature has the power to awe and to inspire. Hence, it is not surprising that nature is the compelling reason for many people to travel. Being a tropical country, Malaysia supports a diverse natural landscape that ranges from mountaintops to limestone vegetation to swamp forests. Getting up close and personal with Mother Nature is not difficult; all you need is a good pair of walking shoes, a sense of adventure and a keen eye for wildlife spotting.
1. Mulu National Park, Sarawak
Living up to its reputation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mulu National Park is a nature wonderland. It is so unique that the park houses two distinct mountain ranges; one of sandstone and the other of limestone. Visitors often come for its caves, deep gorges with clear rivers, and underground passages, which stretch for some gikm. However, you should be warned that hiking to the Pinnacles, a forested landscape of sharp limestone peaks 43m above the rainforest (which could very well be the Bornean Hanging Garden), is no walk in the park. But the view alone will make your trip worthwhile.
2. Bako National Park, Sarawak
Due to its proximity to Kuching city, Bako National Park makes a wonderful day trip into Bornean wilderness. It is Sarawak's oldest national park but more importantly, it supports seven complete ecosystem:
beach vegetation, cliff vegetation, mangrove forest, mixed dipterocarp forest, grassland, peat swamp, and heath forest. With such a diverse natural habitat, no wonder the Lonely Planet Bluelist 06-07 declared it as one of the top three places in the world for wildlife spotting. If you ever get tired of spotting Proboscis monkeys, you can always lay back for some sun at one of the secluded beaches sandwiched between majestic cliffs.
3. Pulau Langkawi, Kedah
Sun, sea, sand and duty-free - is that all you know about Langkawi? With its new status as a Geopark, a recognition accorded by UNESCO, more and more people are aware of the island's natural beauty. From mountainous forests to riverine mangrove and labyrinths of limestone karsts, Langkawi is a naturalist's paradise.
Certain parts of the island, such as the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, often bring to mind the majestic splendour of Thailand's Krabi region. But Langkawi can do one better - it has more than 2,2,6 species of birds, one third of which are migratory species from Manchuria, Siberia and China. And few realise this is one of the best places on the Peninsular Malaysia to spothornbills.
4 Tainan Negara, Pahang
Taman Negara is the world's oldest rainforest, dating back to the Ice Age. It is therefore a rewarding place for jungle trekking. Since it is a dense forest, spotting an animal is not as easy as the open savanna of Africa, so make sure you go with an experienced guide. Besides nature excursion, you could experience rapid shooting, water confidence activities and even river drifting on Sungai Tembeling. For all you shutter bugs, Sungai Tahan is serenely beautiful - the stillness of its dark green water mirrors the forest's verdant canopy, a sight that seems to come right out of a poet's imagination.
5. Kinabatangan, Sabah
Sukau, or the lower Kinabatangan river floodplain, is described as one of the best places in Borneo for wildlife spotting. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you spend at least a night at the rugged lodges within this untamed wilderness. A river cruise in the evening is the best time to look out for wildlife as animals like to hang around water source. Keep your eyes peeled for Pygmy Elephants, Proboscis Monkeys, Estuarine Crocodiles, Orang Utans, Silver Leaf Monkeys and the beautiful Oriental Darter, one of the few
birds that actually dive for its food. Moreover, with eight species of hornbills to be found here, Kinabatangan is the Asian safari.
6. Maliau Basin, Sabah
Maliau Basin is perhaps the most mysterious of all jungles in Malaysia. It looks like a volcanic caldera surrounded by cliffs and slopes up to 1500 m in heights, making it almost impossible to access on foot from most directions. But for the determined, not only is it a rich unspoiled rainforest, it boasts an awe-inspiring seven-tier waterfall. At least 80 types of orchids have been recorded, most of which are a newly discovered in Sabah. There have been talks that this lost world of Borneo could very well be Malaysia's fourth World Heritage Site.
7 Royal Belum Forest Reserve, Perak
Once believed to be the hiding ground of the communist party, the Royal Belum Forest Reserve is so precious that only its southern part is open to visitor - even so, you would need a permit to enter. As such, this largely unexplored virgin forest is home to some of the most fascinating
animals in Malaysia, including elephants, rhinoceroses, tapirs, and even tigers. Nature lovers often come looking for the world's largest flower - the rafflesia. But make sure you watch out for the hornbills as well. For the adventurous, staying in a boathouse on Belum Lake is the ultimate experience.
8. Kinabalu National Park, Sabah
Kinabalu National Park, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to Malaysia's highest mountain, Mount Kinabalu. At a stunning height of 4095 m, it is a land of superlatives. For one, the park alone is bigger than Singapore. Secondly, it is a unique botanical sanctuary supporting a rich plethora of flora and fauna ranging from four distinct climate zones; from the lowland dipterocarp to the alpine meadows. The mountain itself is one of the easiest mountains to climb and on a good day, you can even see the Philippines from its summit.
9. Mossy Forest at Cameron Highlands, Pahang
This is the birth land of fairy tales. Every surface in this forest is covered in fresh green moss, giving this forest a haunting yet beautiful glow. Imagine swaying curtains of moss hanging from muscular branches and lusciously green moss-covered boulders; it is simply magical. Located on the chilly Gunung Brinchang, Cameron Highland's highest peak. Mossy Forest is a feast for the eyes but a chore for the body. Its soft muddy ground is hard to maneuver so make sure you have proper walking shoes, and preferably a pair that you don't mind getting soiled. But then again, being surrounded by this spectacular setting will take your breath away.
10. Danum Valley, Sabah
The Danum Valley conservation area has always been an interest for scientists doing research on the ecology system of tropical rainforest. It supports close to 300 species of birds (most of which are endemic to Borneo) and more than 100 species of mammals. While the African safari has its Big Five, Danum Valley is famous for sightings of extremely rare creatures such as Sumatran rhinos, clouded leopards, pygmy elephants, gibbons and if you are really lucky, the sun bear. While you're here, do not miss out on the night drive as it gives you a completely different feel of the rainforest after dark. Keep an eye out for the nocturnal creatures - giant flying squirrel, sambar deer, leopard cats, and civets.
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Maliau Basin "Lost World of Sabah" The Lost World is only 200km from Tawau
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Maliau Basin is almost circular in shape and surrounded by a
formidable escarpment of extremely steep slopes of up to 1,500m in
height. The Maliau Basin Conservation Area sprawl across 588.4 sq km
or 58,840 hectares encompasses the entire Maliau Basin plus additional
198.4 sq km of forested land to the east and north of the rim
including the fabled Lake Linumunsut. Maliau Basin has some of the most beautiful, picturesque waterfalls and in fact it is believe to have the most waterfalls in any part of Malaysia. Maliau is
a refuge haven for rare and endangered animals such as Sumatran Rhino,
Proboscis monkey and the Asian Family genre. So far a total of 69
mammals and at least 231 species plus over 25 species of amphibians
have been identified and at least one species that’s completely new to
science call Thelphusula sp. Crab has been been identified too. |
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Another Tawau Hills Park's Hidden Treasure Tawau
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The interesting places in
Tawau are all
about getting closer to mother nature. The places are for people to
get away from
their busy lives. Nothing is more relaxing than being far away from the city.
Located only 20 minutes drive from
Tawau is the
Tawau Hills National Park.
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Kunak :
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Places of Interest in Malaysia
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April 03, 2008 12:53:14 PM |
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