The Land Under the Wind

Sabah, the easternmost state of Malaysia, boasts stunning natural beauty, a temperate climate, and a rich ethnic culture. Together with Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan, it forms East Malaysia. This region is located on the island of Borneo, which is shared by three countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. East Malaysia is less developed than West Malaysia (or Peninsular Malaysia), but it is also a popular destination for many people.

Anyone who loves collecting passport stamps will love Sabah because even if they are traveling within Malaysia, foreign visitors to Sabah will have to go through immigration procedures and their passports will be stamped again. The same is true for Sarawak and Labuan. This is because the states in East Malaysia have a high degree of autonomy, including immigration.

Kinabalu National Park

Sabah is nicknamed “The Land Below the Wind”. The name can make people imagine the romantic scenery of Sabah. In fact, this name comes from the geographical location of Sabah under the path of tropical storms. This helps Sabah to avoid the impact of storms.

Sabah has an area of ​​73,904 km² with a population of nearly 4 million people, including more than 30 ethnic minorities and hundreds of local ethnic groups. To better understand the culture of the indigenous peoples, visitors to Sabah often visit the Mari Mari Cultural Village first, which depicts the culture of the 5 most representative ethnic groups. These are the Dusun people, who are the majority in Sabah state and are good at farming; the Rungus people are also good at farming and are known for their longhouses; the Lundayeh people are good at fishing on the river; the Bajau people include the Land Bajau who are good at horse riding and the Sea Bajau who are good at diving and have a nomadic lifestyle; the Murut people with the old gruesome headhunting story. Of course, that is no longer the case.

Coming to the village, visitors can also participate in some activities such as jumping high from the bamboo floor, making fire from bamboo, tattooing ink on hands, tasting wild honey, enjoying some typical dishes as well as watching attractive dances. Interactions with visitors such as a Murut suddenly jumping out from the bushes, blocking the way of visitors to "question" before letting them into the village also bring an interesting sense of drama.

The author at Desa Farm

Adventure seekers will probably be interested in Kinabalu National Park, which not only has unspoiled nature but also has Malaysia's highest mountain, Mount Kinabalu (4,095m). If you want to enjoy nature in a more relaxed way, you can spend an afternoon rowing a rubber boat through the rapids on the Kiulu River, both experiencing the feeling of adventure and taking time to admire the wild scenery. Visitors often enjoy seeing the long-nosed monkey (proboscis monkey), an endemic animal on the island of Borneo. It is easy to see many groups of long-nosed monkeys sitting on tree branches eating leaves, flowers, seeds and fruits. The long nose that extends beyond the mouth is often seen in male monkeys, this is a characteristic to attract females. Boating until dusk is also the perfect time for visitors to watch fireflies perch on the bushes along the river, looking like a starry sky descending on the water in the dark night.

And if you are lucky, during your journey to explore Sabah, you will be able to admire Rafflesia, the world's largest flower. Rafflesia grows on tree trunks or vines where water accumulates, helping them grow. It is very rare to see Rafflesia because it does not grow much. From the time it first sprouts until it blooms, it takes about 7-13 months. After blooming, it lasts about 7 days and then rots quickly. The beauty of this giant flower is associated with the image of mysterious, adventurous tropical jungles. Its image is also printed on the Malaysian 10 ringgit note. There are 23 species of Rafflesia in the world. Sabah alone has 9 species. There are species so large that they have a diameter of up to 1.1m.

Indigenous people in Mari Mari Cultural Village

When tired of the journey of exploring forests, rapids, rivers and streams with the typical hot and humid air, visitors can go to a cool place like Desa Dairy Farm. Located in a high mountain area, the view of grasslands and mountains at the farm reminds people of New Zealand or Switzerland. The 199ha farm is where visitors can watch dairy cows leisurely grazing.

Between physical activities, visitors can choose to stay at island resorts located away from the bustling city in villas floating on the sea. Not far from the coast of the capital Kota Kinabalu are beautiful islands such as Mari Mari Sepanggar, also known as Rainbow Island. Here, you can experience walking on the seabed to see the vibrant underwater world, swimming, snorkeling, riding a jet ski and enjoying a light lunch on the island. If you prefer excitement, nearby Manukan Island is an option.

At night, strolling around the bustling market in Kota Kinabalu is a great way to get a feel for local life. There are not only stalls selling specialty goods, but also stalls selling fresh seafood or many other local dishes. If you want to buy something as a souvenir, don’t forget that Sabah is also famous for its delicious tea.

Sabah is not far away. There are surprising, interesting and different experiences. A 4-5 day itinerary is just right to travel around Sabah. You can also stay for a week to enjoy the fresh air and slow pace of life here.

Visitors can fly directly from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Kuala Lumpur with Vietnam Airlines . From here, a domestic flight of about 2.5 hours is the optimal option to reach Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah state.

Source: https://heritagevietnamairlines.com/mien-dat-duoi-lan-gio/