How It All Began
This trip happened by a stroke of luck, or perhaps, it was simply just fate. It materialised because I originally had a project scheduled for 5 to 11 March 2025 but it didn’t work out at the last minute. And since I had already taken leave for that period and it coincides with my birthday, I decided to treat myself by going on an overseas trip.
I had a few destinations in mind – Surabaya (for Mount Bromo), Yogyakarta (for Borobudur Temple), Flores (for Komodo Island) and Bhutan (for Tiger’s Nest). In the end, Kota Kinabalu (KK) emerged as the winner because I did some quick research and discovered that March is a good time to climb Mount Kinabalu. Scaling the 4,095.2m peak in Sabah (East Malaysia), Borneo is something I’ve always wanted to do and I was super excited that the opportunity presented itself.
Despite the short notice, I was lucky I managed to find a good buddy of mine, TH, to join me, two months before the trip. He is super fit and he happened to have leave to clear by end-March so the timing was perfect for him. I also sussed out a few other potential kakis but they all couldn’t make it so it ended up being just us two. Having more people on board will be better because it will lower the cost of the tour packages, but it was ok. Better to have us two than just me alone!
After using Trip.com to book flights for my Japan trip last year, I found it to be reliable and even cheaper than booking directly with the airlines, so I booked my KK flights using Trip.com once again. For the two flights, I paid S$275.50 altogether, after redeeming S$1.80 worth of Trip Coins from my previous bookings (that’s the other benefit – you can earn Trip Coins to offset your next booking). The outbound flight is on AirAsia and the inbound flight is on Scoot. Both flights include 20kg checked baggage.
For accommodation, I wanted a nice hotel that is centrally located yet not too expensive. I shortlisted a few like The LUMA Hotel, Shangri-La Tanjung Aru (both recommended by a friend), Hyatt Centric, Marriott and Le Méridien but I chose Hilton eventually because it was within my budget and it had a nice rooftop swimming pool. For our 4-night stay in a Twin Guest Room, we paid RM1,359 (S$417.32), or S$208.66 per person (S$52.17/person/night).
Mount Kinabalu Climb with Borneo Calling
And now for the most crucial component, the Mount Kinabalu climb. All climbers are required to engage the services of a registered mountain guide – you cannot climb the mountain independently. There is also a limit to the number of climbing permits issued by Sabah Parks daily for safety reasons, and also due to the number of hostel beds at Pana Laban. The number of climbing permits issued daily is about 160.
As of 1 January 2023, the Mount Kinabalu climbing permit costs RM400 for international climbers aged 18 and above. There are also additional fees like climbing insurance coverage (RM10), conservation fee (RM50) and the climbing certificate (RM10). The baseline mountain guide fee is RM350 for 5 persons.
Based on my research, there are two major tour operators – Borneo Calling and Amazing Borneo. I had friends recommending each company but I went for Borneo Calling because they seem to be more established for Mount Kinabalu tours based on Tripadvisor reviews. I wanted to engage Amazing Borneo for other tours so I thought it was better not to put all my eggs in one basket.
I made an enquiry with Borneo Calling (BC) on 18 January and received a reply via WhatsApp the day after. I initially wanted the cheaper 2D1N Budget join-in package (click here) but BC replied that it was fully sold out until November(!). BC suggested the 3D2N Private package instead (click here), with the nearest availability date from 5 to 7 March, which coincides with our day of arrival in KK. As we didn’t have much options due to the short lead time (1½ months before the climb), we agreed to take up the more expensive 3D2N private package.
For 2 pax (International participants, i.e. non-Malaysians), the cost is RM3,000/pax. For Day 1, we also paid RM180/pax to upgrade to Kinabalu Park, run-of-house (ROH) basis, which means we will be randomly assigned to stay at either the Rock Twin Share or Hill Lodge accommodation. Kinabalu Park is the park headquarters and there are several accommodation options there, with the nicer chalets and lodges costing more (but even those were fully booked).
If you choose not to upgrade, you will stay at Poring Hot Spring on Day 1. Poring Hot Spring is about an hour’s drive to Kinabalu Park, which means you will need to set off earlier on Day 2 before you start your climb. There is also the matter of acclimatisation. Poring Hot Spring is about 400m above sea level whereas Kinabalu Park is 1,520m, so spending the night at Kinabalu Park will help you acclimatise and get more rest. Hence, it is advisable to pay a bit more to upgrade to stay at Kinabalu Park instead of Poring Hot Spring.
On 21 January, we finalised the booking with BC and paid RM3,180 (S$974) each for our 3D2N private package. BC will pick us up from the airport upon our arrival on 5 March and send us straight to Kinabalu Park, so we’ll save one night of accommodation in KK city. After completing the climb on 7 March, BC will also send us to our Hilton Hotel in KK city. With the most important Mount Kinabalu climb finally settled, I can now look at booking other activities!
Cycling and River Rafting with Amazing Borneo
Amazing Borneo (AB) offers a wide range of fun activities in KK, including jungle treks and wildlife safari tours. I really wanted to see orang utans and proboscis monkeys in their natural habitats but we didn’t have time to fit these tours into this trip, so I will have to do it another time. As we had three free days left after our Mount Kinabalu climb, we decided to leave one day for recovery/free-and-easy, and join a 1-day cycling tour and a 1-day river rafting tour on the remaining two days.
AB offers three cycling tours – Kota Kinabalu City Easy Ride (click here), Kiulu Countryside Fun Ride (Beginner) [click here] and Kiulu Countryside Ride (Intermediate) [click here]. Of course, I chose the third option, because it is for intermediate cyclists who love to explore rural Sabah. It also more adventurous and covers a longer distance (16km) compared to the Fun Ride (10km). For the Kiulu Countryside Ride (Intermediate) tour, we paid RM803.40 (S$246.87) for 2 pax, or S$123.44/pax.
I also wanted to join a river rafting tour because I love the thrill of paddling down rapids, which is something we don’t have in Singapore. AB offers three rafting tours – Kiulu Fun Tour with Hawun Valley and White Water Rafting (Grade 1-2) [click here], White Water Rafting – Kiulu (Grade 1-2) [click here] and White Water Rafting – Padas (Grade 3-4) [click here]. Naturally, you know which option I chose.
The first two options are quite mild (Grade 1-2) and are suitable for children and elderly. Both tours are also at Kiulu, visiting the same area as the Countryside cycling tour that we will already be doing. The third option is more thrilling (Grade 3-4) and it will take us to the Padas River, located southwest of KK city that is only accessible by train. It will be a full-day excursion taking 12 hours and it sounds really exciting.
The Padas tour is available every day but it usually requires a minimum of 4 persons to run. However, the website listed a few upcoming join-in dates (two in March) and one of the dates was 10 March, which suited us. I wrote in to enquire if the two of us could join the tour on 10 March, and luckily for us, AB said yes! For the White Water Rafting – Padas (Grade 3-4) tour, we paid RM751.90 (S$234.09) for 2 pax, or S$117.05/pax.
Lastly, we also bought travel insurance from Income, at S$33.46 per person for the Deluxe plan. TH researched on a few travel insurance companies but many of them cover trekking only up to 3,000 metres or Grade 1/2 river rafting. Income was the best compromise as it includes Grade 3/4 rafting and trekking up to 4,000 metres, which means we are not covered for the final 95 metres ascent to the summit of Mount Kinabalu, but that’s the best we can get.
With travel insurance purchased, we were all set. Our fixed expenses for this trip were therefore S$1,732.11 per person. But before embarking on the trip, what do we pack in our luggage?
What to Pack for Mount Kinabalu climb
I was so excited that I packed my luggage 2½ weeks before the trip! That is because we would be engaging in three different activities (hiking, cycling, river rafting), so I needed to make sure that I had all the necessary gear and attire for each activity. If I was missing an item, I still had time to go buy them before the trip.
In fact, about 1½ months before the trip, I went on a shopping spree at Decathlon to grab new gear. I spent around 3 hours browsing through the entire store and emerged S$300 poorer, but very happy. I bought new waterproof hiking boots, a pair of trekking pants, a fleece balaclava, windproof gloves, a headlight, a pack of hand/feet warmers, a bottle of 2-in-1 shampoo and shower gel and some other items. I especially wanted to buy the boots early so I could break them in.
The Borneo Calling website (click here) provides a very comprehensive packing list for the Mount Kinabalu climb, so you can refer to it and pack accordingly for Day 1 and 2. I have attached the images below for easy reference.
I also highly recommend hiring a porter to carry your summit gear/overnight stuff so that you can just carry a light backpack containing the essentials for the climb from Timpohon to Laban Rata Guest House (at Panalaban) for the first day, and from Laban Rata Guest House to Timpohon for the second day. This means you’ll need to prepare the following before you depart from your home country:
- A luggage (containing everything for your entire KK trip)
- A medium-sized backpack for the porter to carry (containing your summit gear/overnight stuff)
- A small backpack for you to carry during the climb (containing only the essentials)
Your big luggage can be stored at Kinabalu Park (park headquarters) for RM15/luggage. Inside your luggage should be things you don’t need at all for the 2D1N Mount Kinabalu climb. These will remain at the base of the mountain at Sutera Sanctuary Lodge in Kinabalu Park.
Thus, you’ll need to prepare two backpacks for the 2D1N Mount Kinabalu climb – one for the porter, and one for yourself. In our case, since we are doing the climb as a duo, we only need one backpack for the porter because we can combine our summit gear/overnight stuff into one (bigger) backpack for the porter to carry. We will then carry a smaller backpack each for the climb. So, if you’re climbing as a duo, you’ll need to decide among yourselves who will provide the extra medium-sized backpack for the porter to carry.
For the climb from Timpohon > Panalaban > Timpohon, the porter fees are charged at RM14/kg, with a minimum charge of 10kg, i.e. RM140. Any additional weight will be based on the rate of RM14/kg. Even though porters may earn more the heavier your backpack is, please keep the weight at a minimum because porters are human too. It is tough work climbing a mountain with a heavy load on your shoulders.
So, what goes into the backpack for the porter to carry? That will be your summit gear/overnight stuff. Things you only need for the night at Panalaban (e.g. toiletries, slippers, change of clothes, mobile phone charger) and your gear for the summit climb the following morning (e.g. a different set of thicker clothes, socks, headlamp, fleece/down jacket, snacks). Once again, the Borneo Calling website (click here) provides a very good breakdown of the items for the porter, so please refer to it and pack accordingly.
With my bags packed, I am ready to go!
(Exchange rate: S$1 = RM3.30)
Day 1 – 5 March 2025, Wednesday
Today is the start of a thrilling adventure to Kota Kinabalu (KK), the capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state in Borneo island. I’ve never been to East Malaysia before so I was very excited. After having breakfast at home, I booked a Tada car to Changi Airport Terminal 4 and arrived at 9:05am. As usual, mum and dad sent me off. I always feel a tinge of guilt and sadness whenever I travel without them.
My travel companion, TH, was making his way to the airport by himself so I proceeded to the Departure hall alone. My checked baggage weighed 17kg because I had packed a lot of clothes for the various activities we’d be doing over the coming week. I later found out that TH’s checked baggage weighed only 9.6kg! He’s a much lighter packer than me for sure.
By virtue of being a Platinum member on Trip.com, I was entitled to a 1-time free VIP lounge access. After passing through passport control and security check, I made my way to the Blossom – SATS and Plaza Premium Lounge on level 2 mezzanine. The indoor dining area was dimly lit but the outdoor area was much nicer. There was a salad bar, toast, hash brown, baked beans and Singapore food like Laksa, porridge and Udders ice-cream. I already had breakfast at home so I had a light meal here.
Lounges are great when the common areas in the departure hall are cramped and noisy. But here at T4, the terminal is gorgeously furnished, it is not crowded and it is super spacious with lots of comfy benches and seating areas. Besides the free food, there is actually not much incentive to pay to use the lounge.
I met up with TH and we started boarding our AirAsia flight AK1794 at 11:15am. By a strange coincidence, we were assigned seats next to each other even though we had checked-in and booked our flights separately. The flight was full and our seats were at the second last row of the aircraft. I had forgotten how cramped the seats on AirAsia are. There was practically no extra legroom for me. Thankfully, it was only a short 2 hour 5-minute flight.
We touched down at Kota Kinabalu International Airport T1 at 2:07pm. There is no time difference between KK and Singapore. After retrieving our luggage, we met up with our driver Alfie and hopped on his van, which was adorned with Borneo Calling livery. Transport is included in our Mount Kinabalu tour package with Borneo Calling. Before driving to Kinabalu Park, we requested for Alfie to make a stop somewhere for us to have lunch and he obliged.
The KK city centre is located very near to the airport. After driving for about 15 minutes, Alfie dropped us at Jalan Pantai, which is parallel to Jalan Gaya (or Gaya Street), the so-called Chinatown of Sabah due to the numerous Chinese coffeeshops and restaurants there. Gaya Street is also where the Sunday Street Market is held. Alfie recommended an eatery called Sin Kee Bah Kut Teh. I generally prefer the Singapore style, peppery version of Bah Kut Teh (pork ribs soup) but I don’t mind the Malaysian style, herbal version once in a while. The eatery looked pretty authentic, with a mix of locals and tourists dining in.
We ordered one portion each of the soup and dry version of Bah Kut Teh, a plate of spinach, a bowl of pig’s stomach, you tiao, two bowls of steamed white rice and two cups of coffee. The bill was RM74 (S$22.42). The Bak Kut Teh was a bit different from the usual – instead of pork ribs, it was served with pieces of lean and fatty pork, pork balls and slices of pig’s stomach. The soup was nice but I preferred the dry version, which came with tasty dark soy sauce. The spinach was delicious but the you tiao was very compact and starchy, unlike the crispy and fluffy ones in Singapore.
After finishing our lunch, we met up with Alfie again. In the van, he gave us a short briefing for our Mount Kinabalu climb tomorrow, as well as the accommodation and meal arrangements for tonight and tomorrow. We drove off at 4:07pm and made our way towards Kinabalu Park.
Traffic was heavy even at that 4 o’clock hour and were caught in the peak hour jam. Many of the roads in KK have only two lanes while the bigger roads have three lanes. The slow-moving traffic allowed us to have a better look at the city. Based on the impressions so far, KK appears to be a pretty laid back city. In terms of architecture, it’s not very modern and there are no really tall skyscrapers due to its proximity to the airport. As we drove along the coast, we saw coconut and casuarina trees dotting the waterfront and beach, which reminded me of our East Coast Park in Singapore.
As we turned east towards Tamparuli and the mountains, the buildings became sparser and greenery became more prevalent as we drove towards the green heart of Sabah. The winding mountain roads only had one lane in each direction so we moved slowly whenever we were stuck behind a large trailer or a truck until an overtaking opportunity came. As the skies began to darken around 6:20pm, we had a nice view of the sunset through the windows of our van. The clouds and the surrounding mountains made for a beautiful view.
It started to drizzle just before we reached Kinabalu Park HQ at 7:00pm. Alfie handed us indemnity forms to fill up. Basically, we signed our lives away, absolving Sabah Parks of any responsibility should any accident, injury or death arise from our participation in the Mount Kinabalu climb. The standard clauses.
We then went to the reception building of Sutera Sanctuary Lodge to register our attendance and obtain our room keys. For our one-night stay here at Kinabalu Park, we’ll be staying at Hill Lodge number 7. Earlier, Alfie told us that we’d be staying at Rock Twin Share hostel, which is a different accommodation type. The room at Hill Lodge is much bigger than Rock Twin Share hostel (about 83.6 square metres vs 22.3 square metres) and it comes with an attached bathroom, so it was definitely an upgrade. Considering we booked a private tour package with Borneo Calling, I think we deserved it.
Alfie dropped us at our Hill Lodge 7 before saying goodbye to us. He would be driving for another two hours back to KK city as he has another pick-up tomorrow, poor thing! Furthermore, he would have to drive in the dark as there are no street lamps in the mountains. We gave him a tip for his good service and for making him work overtime.
Hill Lodge has 10 units, which are like mini bungalows set in a garden with a hill right behind. There was a small water fountain and benches for people to sit and enjoy the serenity of the forest. The surrounding environment was very relaxing and I loved it.
The room was also gorgeous, with parquet flooring, a high ceiling, cosy armchairs, a beautiful lilac-coloured wall and a tasteful designer rug completing the look. The only thing we didn’t like was the heavy smell of paint, which came from the recently-painted white furnishings. We left the door open to air the room as much as possible, but a giant beetle found its way in so we shut the door after that.
At 8:00pm, we walked to Liwagu Restaurant for our dinner, a short distance away from Hill Lodge. Dinner is served till 10:00pm daily. It was a buffet dinner, with salad, pasta, rice, steamed sea bass, black pepper chicken, long beans, fried chicken, dessert and cut fruits on offer. The food was decent. Next to the restaurant was The Goodie Bag Shop, which sold wine, souvenirs and supplies for your Mount Kinabalu climb. I bought a T-shirt (RM 50/S$15.15) showing the trail map for Mount Kinabalu as a memento.
We were back in our lodge at 9:00pm. After showering (yes, hot water is available here), we packed our bags for tomorrow’s climb. We’d each be carrying a day bag for the climb and the rest of the items would go into one bag for the porter to carry. After we finished packing, we slept at 11:30pm, excited for our adventure tomorrow morning. End of Day 1!