..Hiatus in Borneo.. Part 1

Halfway up mount Kinabalu in Sabah Malaysian Borneo.

As you may have notice on my Instagram, I ran away from rainy London for a few days!

Where? to Borneo!
I m surprise quite a few people around me got confused about Borneo; they can easily locate Thailand and the Philippines, but not Borneo! So Wikipedia attack:

Borneo is the third-largest island in the world and the largest island of Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and east of Sumatra.

The island is divided among three countries: Brunei and Malaysia on the north, and Indonesia to the south. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory. In the north, the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, along with the federal territory of Labuan, make up about 26% of the island. The sovereign state of Brunei, located on the north coast, comprises about 1% of Borneo's land area. Borneo is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world.

I have to say my travel time was terrible: 7-hour flight from London to Doha, another 7-hour flight from Doha to Kuala Lumpur, then local 2-hour flight from KL to Kota Kinabalu (capital of Sabah) and finally 6-hour to 12-hour bus to reach the other side of Sabah, our final destination.

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So yes, Borneo is less connected to Europe than the rest of South East Asia BUT it was definitely worth it! Being a Muslim dominated area and having less Western tourists, you can't expect to party all day long like in South Thailand but if you're looking for stunning landscapes, amazing rain forest biodiversity and adventures...
That's the place you should go

I even managed to climb mount Kinabalu (4,095 m/13,435 ft) despite not going to the gym regularly

Majestic view about 1 hour away by car from the starting point.


Beginning of the trail, still looking good (and innocent)...


Carnivorous plant! Nepenthes rajah is endemic to Sabah.


Lack of oxygen but amazing landscape.


Stairs, stairs and more stairs! Nothing compared to stone climbing later on!


Lonely tree fighting against strong winds.


Almost there!


Weirdly shaped rocks, who put them here?


Aaaaalmost!!

And..... shortly before the top

I did not post any pictures of the sun rise or Low's peak on purpose as my iPhone camera really sucks compare to what I have seen in real. The last 4 pictures were taken on the way down after that epic moment.

No spoiler

How to climb Mount Kinabalu - a little guide with information I had trouble to find on the Internet

Unfortunately only a restricted number of climbers are allowed per day to protect the mountain and its inhabitants, so you will have to book in advance with Sutera Sanctuary Lodge... and the price for international visitors is higher than for locals. You can also go with tours that would arrange everything plus transportation but the price is likely to be even higher with their fees.

Climbing permit and things to pay in advance: a bit less than 100 GBP pax
We paid a bit less than 100 GBP each for 1 night in a lodge half way and 4 buffets (on halfway arrival, before climbing to the peak, on the way back and back to the base)... to think about it it is actually not that bad considering the food was quite good given the conditions. You get warm tea, coffee and even coca cola. Plus everything except water (from eggs to gas, etc.) is brought up everyday by local climbers!!

Taxi from Kota Kinabalu to the base: 150 RM (27 GBP)
If you are traveling alone, you can also take the 7am bus for about 45 RM (8 GBP) but try to find someone to share the taxi as they will come at your hotel and also drive you from the check-in place to the starting point (which is charged otherwise).
Sutera Sanctuary Lodge asks you to be on site before 9:30 am but you don't have to rush if you're a good climber. Some people start at 8 am and last starters around 10:30 am.

Entrance fee to the reserve: 10 RM pax (1.81 GBP)

Mountain guide: 128 RM (23.13 GBP)
Compulsory guide to assure your protection (you can share if alone). Ours was totally late and we arrived before him but he was actually quite helpful on the way back where most accidents occurs I think. Guides will give you tips on how to manage difficult areas and I also saw them helping or carrying injured people.

Voila! It's quite expensive but fair in terms of comfort and safety measures. When I climbed Mount Fuji I didn't pay anything but had a mountain sickness for going to fast and I almost fainted on the way back... this time I was totally fine as I rested halfway and got plenty of food!
If you are a hard core climber you can also start a 8 am, arrive halfway around noon, go to the peak and come back around 4 pm, all in one day as well. I assume this option is a lot cheaper but you must be fit!