Places of Interest in Sabah: Sabah Agriculture Park, Tenom

The Sabah Agriculture Park (Taman Pertanian Sabah) in Tenom is situated on a 200 hectare site and was developed and maintained by the Agriculture Department. It is a park that offers visitors both recreational and educational activities.

Native Orchids - The Native Orchid Centre has been known and recognized as one of the most important centers in the world for the collection and conservation of native Bornean orchid species. There are at least 400 species with more than 1,500 collection being kept here, including many rare and endangered species such as the Elephant Ear orchid (Phalaenopsis gigantea), the Rat-tail orchid (Paraphalaenopsis labukensis) and the Bella orchid (Renanthera bella), also not forgetting the many species of Slipper orchids (Paphiopedilum spp.), many of which endemic to Borneo.





Crops Museum - This is an 8-acre living museum of Crop Plants where there are some 400 species of plants systematically planted according to their uses. There are those that are fruit trees, some for medicine, spices, fibers and beverages. Yet there are some that provide essential oils that are very aromatic and are used for the perfume industry. There are also some which are exotic and their uses are also explained.



Ornamental Garden - The Ornamental Garden comprises 21 distinct and well-landscaped gardens with each garden exhibiting its unique plants and flowers. Here you will see a variety of Bougainvilleas, Ixora, Hibiscus and cactus as well as other very interesting plants such as the Hoya. There is also collection of parasitic and carnivorous plants. You will very much enjoy going through the various gardens and perhaps pick up some ideas on how to set up your own garden.





Plant Evolution & Plant Adaptation Garden - Take a walk through this park and learn about the 3.5 billon years of earth's history. From the early unicellular organisms and plants, learn how through the process of evolution, that we have now the huge varieties of plant life on earth today. Get to see how plants adapt to the environments, from pond-life to semi-arid habitats. You will also get to see the amazing giant water lily from South America.



Model Garden - This garden has five smaller theme gardens to illustrate the different styels in which a garden can be modeled. The Sub-urban Garden is simple and pleasing while the Family Garden has more features for the children. The more formal garden are the Paved Town Garden, the City Garden and the Sabah/Malaysia Garden. It is pleasure to walk through all these five gardens.





Bee Centre and Museum - Sabah is home to five of the nine species of honey bees found in the world. The Bee Centre and Museum is a place where you can find them. There are also exhibits of equipment used in honey extraction and you can watch honey bees working in their hives up close. There is an orchard of food plants for the honey bees in the Bee Centre and Museum where you may want to take a walk.



Animal Park - The Animal Park is likened to a mini zoo and various animals and birds are put on display. Many of these animals and birds are examples of those already used for the commercial livestock industry. This park also gives visitors a rare chance of seeing some of the animals and birds up close.



Getting There



Visitors to the park can choose three routes to travel:



* Kota Kinabalu - Tambunan - Tenom : 3 hours

* Kota Kinabalu - Papar - Tenom : 2½ hours

* Kota Kinabalu - Sipitang - Tenom : 3 hours



Visitors can also travel by train to Tenom via Beaufort from Kota Kinabalu, a journey that will take four hours. There are taxis, buses and other forms of public transportation which you may wish to use and they are easily available in Kota Kinabalu.



Opening Hours



Tuesday to Sunday - 9.00 am - 4.30 pm

Closed on Monday (unless a Public Holiday falls on a Monday)



Source: Sabah Tourism



NOTE: Photos Copyright to e-borneo.com



ED NOTE: The Sabah Agricultural Park can be considered a hidden gem of remote Tenom. It is truly a haven for botanists or those interested in plants as the Park houses a wide collection of plants and flowers. If you are into fruits, you will never find any location with so many fruit trees in one place. One of the most interesting (or infamous) fruits is a red little thumb-nail size fruit, which is also known as the "Miracle Fruit" (scientific name for the plant - Synsepalum dulcificum) or commonly known as miracle berry. It is fast becoming one of the main attractions of the Park. What so miracle about this berry? Nothing that is out of this world. It just that after eating the berry, you may eat anything that is sour or bitter with ease, as you will immediately get a sweet response. Yes you heard it. Your lime or lemon will taste sweet instead. A quick Wiki found that this effect is due to miraculin, which is used commercially as a sugar substitute. A bit of disappoinment when I discover that this plant/species originates from West Africa. Would be marvelous if it is endermic to Tenom only. This plant can be found in the Model Garden. Do check it out (ask the botanist in charge) and do your own experiment when you visit the Sabah Agricultural Park.



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Places of Interest in Sabah: Murut Cultural Centre, Tenom

The Murut Cultural Centre is situated in Kampung Pulong, about 10 kilometers away from Tenom town.



The location of this cultural centre is conspicuously located just by the roadside, on the left hand side of the road if you’re heading from the direction of Kota Kinabalu.



The centre covers an area of 33 acres and lies next to the Pegalan River. The humongous building of the Murut Cultural Centre alone stretches out to 20 acres large. The cultural centre houses an interesting gallery which displays many artifacts such as jars, gongs, and traditional designs of the indigenous Murut inhabitants.



The impressive buildings of the Murut Cultural Centre are mainly constructed out of local timber. The gigantic pillars epitomize elements of Murut architectures. Chiseled carvings on the pillars and the buildings’ interior panels offer a glimpse of the authentic Murut architecture.



The Murut Cultural Centre is open daily from 9am to 5pm.

Source: Sabah Tourism



NOTE: Photo Copyright to e-borneo.com

ED NOTE: A recent visit on a sleepy Sunday found the Murut Cultural Centre to be 'sleeping'. We were not greeted by anyone and we simply tour the compound on our own. The Centre normally only comes alive once a year during the Pesta Kalimaran cultural celebration in April. It would be a shame if this impressive work of art and culture is left lifeless during the majority of the year. It would definitely be hard to impress tourists (both local and foreign) who walk-in to the Centre. More crucially, the colourful Murut culture will lose the opportunity to be introduced to visitors. But, it is still worthwhile to drop by at the Centre when you are in Tenom. With well-written information along all the displays and exhibits, a self-guided tour will be equally intriguing to learn more about the culture of the Muruts, one of the indigenous people of Sabah.

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Plans afoot to extend railway services to major towns in Sabah

SANDAKAN: The Ministry of Transport plans to extend the railway transport services to connect all major towns in Sabah.

In this connection, the ministry through the Sabah State Railway Department (SSRD) and the Malayan Railway Berhad (KTMB) has been carrying out short-term work projects to modernise the railway service from Tanjung Aru to Tenom spanning 133.7 kilometres as a precursor to linking the major towns in the state.

This modernisation work has been divided into two sectors, i.e. Sector 1 (Tanjung Aru to Kimanis) and Sector 2 (Kimanis-Tenom).

In terms of progress, modernisation works for Sector 1 has been completed in full whereas Sector 2 is 74.5 per cent complete. The modernisation work for Sector 2 is expected to be completed by March 2012.

This was the ministry’s response to the oral question raised by MP for Batu Sapi, Datin Linda Tsen Thau Lin in Parliament recently.

The short-term work projects to modernise Sabah railway services from Tanjung Aru to Tenom are among the efforts undertaken by the ministry to connect the major towns in the state. Plans to link the other major towns in the state will be implemented after the ongoing modernisation work is completed.

The ministry has taken note of a study conducted by the State Ministry of Infrastructure Development (KPINS) to have railway services connected to all major towns in the state and this study will be scrutinised and taken into account in the planning for the future railway services.

Continue reading at: Plans afoot to extend railway services to major towns in Sabah

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Sabah Tourism: 9th Pesta Kalimaran, Tenom

Date: 07 - 10 April 2011

Pesta Kalimaran (Kalimaran Fest) is an annual cultural celebration of the Muruts. It celebrates the richness of culture of the Muruts and presents most of their cultural aspects. Therefore, to know the Muruts closely, Pesta Kalimaran is the venue.

The word Kalimaran refers to the craftsmanship activities of the Muruts. It is derived from the Murut's words ralaa and alimar. Ralaa means young lady and alimar means hardworking, strong-minded, diligent and trustworthy. According to the story, there was a young Murut lady called Ralaa. She was a hardworking, strong-minded, diligent and trustworthy young lady. But her brother Yolomor had to sacrifice her for the benefit of their community. Before she was sacrificed she managed to produce many handicrafts like the Tikar, Silaung, Tikalis, Buyung, Lintoyog and Onot by using raw materials like bamboo, rattan and bamban. Ralaa ended her kalimaran by weaving cloth, sampoi (scarf) by using thread, which was produced from Timahan roots. Finally, Ralaa was sacrificed by Yolomor to get seeds for his cultivation farm.

Sabah state government has adopted Pesta Kalimaran as a state level celebration in the year 2003. First state level Pesta Kalimaran was on the 4th and 5th April 2003. Since then it is celebrated in April every year at Sabah Murut Cultural Centre. It is co-organised by Sabah state government through Sabah Cultural Board and Sabah Murut Association in collaboration with Tenom District Office. For this year’s (2011), some of the activities have to relocated to be Tenom town due to the ongoing upgrading works of the Murut Cultural Centre (please refer to the Kalimaran detailed programme). See you there!

Sabah Murut Cultural Centre (Pusat Kebudayaan Murut Sabah) is a cultural centre for the Muruts of Sabah. It is located at Kampung Pulong, 13 km from Tenom Town. The construction of the unique building started in 1994 and completed in 1996. The construction cost was more than twelve million (Malaysian Ringgit). It is unique in a sense that the building itself is a manifestation of the most aspects of the Muruts' culture. What's more, it is the biggest Belian (hardwood timber) building in Borneo (popularly known as 4B building)!

Source: Sabah Cultural Board

NOTE: Photo Copyright to Sabah Cultural Board
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Sabah Tourism: KFWDC Jamboree 2011

Date: 11 - 13 March 2011

Kinabalu Four Wheel Drive Club (KFWDC) Jamboree 2011 at Ulu Membakut (80 km south Kota Kinabalu), Sabah

4 x 4 KFWDC Jamboree is an event organize by the club to foster family 4 X 4 off road outing activity among club members. These activity includes novice 4 x 4 challenge is for members that never compete in any club competition before. For the other family's members there is also children drawing competition, hash (jungle trekking) and camp fire tug of war.

This year 4 X 4 Jamboree is the 5th edition of the annual activity event for the Club and this year event will be held at Ulu Membakut Crocker Range sub-station, belong to Sabah Park. It about 80 km south of Kota Kinabalu with at least 30 km off Kota Kinabalu Sindumin highway and 15 km semi hard core road. The duration will be a 3 days 2 nights camping and it is anticipated that more than 150 vehicle and 350 participants are going to take part.

A minimum vehicle specification to enter the site must have at least 33 inches radial ground clearance Mud Terrain and have to be equipped with Four Wheel Drive. All members of Kinabalu Four Wheel Drive is invited to join however there will be also a membership drive on that day to those who are interested to join the club.

Sabah Park Crocker Range coverage is 430 km square and about 40 km square is under Ulu Membakut Sub Station which is 150m m.s.l.. It was open in 2002 however started operating only 2 years ago. The Sub Station headquarter main attraction is the white water river of Ulu Membakut fron the interior of Tenom and Keningau district. Other activity in the pipe line is a trekking trial to Melalap, Tenom which is about 8 - 10 km. There will be a joint expedition between Sabah Park and University Sabah Malaysia to open up this trial this year.

Wildlife in this area is mostly wild boar, wild deer, barking deer, monkey, and mouse deer. Hunting and fishing is highly prohibited including the felling or extraction of a highly valued GAHARU tree. Most part of the park is still a first class Forest reserve accept for some part which was destroyed by the big forest fire in 1997.

Further Information

Organiser : Kinabalu Four Wheel Drive Club (KFWDC)
Contact Person : Edward Lingkapo / Thomson Teo
Telephone : +016 8312997 / +016 833 8077
Email Contact : edward.lingkapo@sabah.gov.my / thomson@tcisabah.com.my

Source: Sabah Tourism

NOTE: Photo Copyright to Sabah Tourism
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Kota Kinabalu-Beaufort rail service resumes Feb 21

Kota Kinabalu: The rail service between here and Beaufort which has been disrupted for quite sometime for improvement works on the tracks will fully resume on Feb. 21.

State Railways General Manager, Hj Mohd Zain Hj Mohd Said, said to commemorate the resumption of service, the rides would be free until Feb.

27. However, commuters will still have to take the free tickets from the counters being boarding the train. "From Feb 28, there will be promotional rates until the officiating ceremony end of March," he stated.

He added there will be six services between Tanjung Aru and Beaufort as follows:

l 6.10am - Papar-Secretariat (Sembulan) l 5.10 pm - Secretariat-Papar l 7.45 am - Tg Aru-Beaufort l 11.01am - Beaufort-Tg Aru l 1.40 pm - Tg Aru-Beaufort l 4.30 pm - Beaufort-Tg Aru

From Beaufort, commuters can continue their journey onto Tenom.

The entire Tg Aru-Tenom trip will take 2 hours and 15 minutes and the coaches will run at a speed of 80km per hour compared to 50km previously.

There will be a total of 14 stations between Sembulan and Tenom, namely: Secretariat-Tg Aru-Putatan-Kinarut-Kawang-Papar-Kimanis-Bongawan-Membakut-Beaufort-Saliwangan Baru-Halogilat-Rayoh-Pangi-Tenom.

Meanwhile, Hj Zain said the railway service was introduced in Sabah (then North Borneo) by the then British North Borneo Chartered Company Limited.

"The first railway track, a distance of 32 km, was laid in 1896 and completed in 1990 , linking Weston and Beaufort.

Continue reading at: Kota Kinabalu-Beaufort rail service resumes Feb 21
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