Sabah, The Land Below The Wind

SABAH sits at the tip of Borneo, the world's third largest island. 

Its coastline of 1,440 kilometres (900 miles), washed by the South China  Sea on the West and the Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea on the east, that encloses an inland area of 74,500 square kilometres (29,399 square miles).

 Lying just north of the equator, Sabah enjoys a sunny tropical climate where it's summer all year round. daily temperatures range from 21 - 34 degrees Centigrade, with cooler weather up in the mountains.

A land blessed with nature's most bountiful treasures, Sabah is also known by the famed romantic name of "The Land Below The Wind".

Interesting places in Sabah are:

Kinabalu Park

A forest reserve covering 754 sq km of rugged mountains covered with pristine jungle. Vegetation in the park is diverse ranging from lowland rainforest to temperate mountain oaks to alpine conifers. More than 1,200 species of wild orchids and 40 species of oaks can be found in the park. The world's largest flower, the Rafflesia, is found from 600 to 1,000 metres above sea level on the primary forest floor. Other unusual flora include the nepenthes pitcher plant which digests insects, the Dawsonia, the worlds largest moss and Low’s Rhododendron, whose flowers can reach 30cm in width.

Sipadan Island

This Malaysia’s only very small oceanic island . A 25-minute walk is all that is required to circle the island on foot. Surrounded by crystal clear waters, this crown jewel is a treasure trove of some of the most amazing marine animals. 

Declared a bird sanctuary in 1933 by the Colonial Government of North Borneo and regazetted in 1963 by the Malaysian Government, the dense vegetation on Pulau Sipadan supports a large variety of tropical birds which include sea eagles, kingfishes, sunbirds, starlings and wood pigeons. Exotic crustaceans including the amazing coconut crab (Birgus largo) roam the beaches and scurry among the undergrowth.

Pulau Sipadan offers some of the best wall diving in the world. The water's edge presents a drop of more than 609.6 metre (2,000 feet) just 9.14 metre (30 feet) from the beach, and all dive sites are within easy reach by boat. Thousands of marine life, big or small, make Pulau Sipadan their home, making it one of the most exciting dive locations in the world. 

  Mabul Island

Mabul Island is reputed to be one of the best places for underwater macrophotography in the world. Located in the clear waters of the Celebes Sea off the mainland of Sabah, it is surrounded by gentle sloping reefs from 2 to 40m deep.

It is larger than the nearby Sipadan Island and is home to the Bajau Laut tribe, one of many ethnic groups in Sabah. Diving is the main activity on this island, and it can be done all year round.

Marine life that can be seen here includes sea horses, exotic starfish, fire gobies, crocodile fish, pipefish and snake eels. There are over eight popular dive spots, each with its own speciality.