Mesilau Nature Park and Resort, Kundasang

Mesilau Nature Park and Resort is another interesting place in Kundasang. I have been here twice and both visits with family members. This place sits at the foot of Sabah’s Mount Kinabalu, 6562 ft above sea level and provides an alternative starting point for the mountain climb up Mount Kinabalu.

For the first time being here, it is looks like a common place and same like other place in Kundasang. But, after discovering that some places can be visited, then I know this place has its own attractions. The Mesilau Nature Resort is a fabulous place for a guided nature walks. Its flora is mesmerizing and also home to amazing nature growing pitcher plants such as Nepenthes rajah.

To enjoy your visit here to the fullest, visitors are strongly recommended to bring along comfortable walking/tracking shoes, sun lotion and raincoats just in case it rains. Nature will have its share of creepy crawlies; therefore, insect repellent is essential.

How to get there? Mesilau is situated about 100 kilometers (2 hours 30 minutes - 3 hours away) from Kota Kinabalu by road or 30-minute drive from Kinabalu Park. Mesilau Nature Park is situated just further up from Kundasang Dairy Farm and Kinabalu Golf Resort. To getting there, you can use the same way for Kundasang Dairy Farm. This Park is open daily from 9am to 4pm. Visitors are required to pay entrance fee to visit the park.

If you do decide to drive your own car to getting there, it is imperative to make sure your car brakes are checked because it is surrounded by hills and is very close to the foot of Mount Kinabalu. Mesilau is practically the highest point accessible to automobiles.

Visitors do not have to worry about food when you are here because there is a restaurant there, call Renanthera Restaurant. This restaurant offers Asian and Western food at affordable prices.

Other than that, Mesilau Nature Resort also offers a peaceful retreat. Rooms at Nature Resort Mesilau come with spacious lodges and hostels. Handmade wooden furnishings add a beautiful touch to the rooms. All are comfortably fitted with standard amenities include a satellite TV cable TV, telephone, radio and coffee/tea maker.

We enjoyed our visit to Mesilau Nature Park and Resort very much and will certainly visit here again. Can't wait to share my experience of visiting the Kundasang War Memorial Park.

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Beautiful Evening at the Kuching International Airport, Sarawak

Enjoy the beautiful view surrounding of the Kuching International Airport, the main gateway into Sarawak while waiting for departure to Kota Kinabalu.

 

 

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Help Me Win the Malaysia International Tourism Photography/Art Blog Award

Ministry of Tourism Malaysia will be organising the International Tourism Malaysia Bloggers Conference and Awards 2012 (MITBCA2012). The Awards aim to encourage and honour the tourism bloggers across the globe for extensively promoting Tourism in Malaysia.

The tourism bloggers awards are designed for individuals, travel and tourism companies and organizations related to tourism and highlight their achievement in the social media space with respect to tourism. International blogger nominees should be travel bloggers who blog about tourism, tourist spots and also share Malaysia in some way or the other.

I submitted this blog under International Tourism Photography/Art Blog category. So, if you feel there’s value in My Beautiful Borneo, please give me your vote. 

To vote:

1. Click the Malaysia International Tourism Photography/Art Blog.
2. Click login with facebook at the top. You will be taken to MITBCA2012 application. Click Go to App and then Allow.
3. Find my Blog (http://mybeautifulborneo.blogspot.com), then click on the vote button.

Thank you for your support in my time of need.

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Sungai Sarawak

Visiting to Kuching, Sarawak is a very interesting experience. Although the real purpose of coming to work there is on business, but this was my opportunity to share with my family. After all, is not always a chance like this, so there is nothing wrong if the course of work infused with holiday activities.

A visit to Kuching will not be complete without making a stop at the Sungai Sarawak (Sarawak River) which is one of the Kuching City landmarks. Upon completion of all matters pertaining to my work schedule is arranged, we started get around the city from Harbour View Hotel, along several major roads here right up until the Kuching Waterfront. From here we can see the Sungai Sarawak.

Sungai Sarawak (Sarawak River)
Sungai Sarawak is an important source of water and transportation for the inhabitants in southwestern Sarawak. It is also used in water-related sport activities such as the annual Sarawak Regatta which attract tourists from all over the world.

What is more interesting, Sungai Sarawak is not just an interesting place but also has a unique history. Here is the place where the English adventurer James Brooke first landed. Starting with a few leaves of the building roof and then turns into a busy port with warehouses and wharves. Kuching has a number of notable historic buildings which are well worth a visit.

Water transport are among the attractions here. A traditional ‘tambang’ yacht will take you past places of interest like the Kuching Waterfront, Square Tower (formerly a prison), a multi-purpose market, old State Mosque with five onion-shaped domes, a Malay house on stilts and the Satok Suspension Bridge before heading the other side of the river to see the Astana (former palace of the White Rajahs), Fort Margherita (now a police museum) and a fishing village.

Other than the traditional ‘tambang’ yacht, there are also a cruise, another fantastic way to turn a page back in history of Sarawak, through a cruise along the river that brings you past historical landmarks of Kuching. The Sarawak River Cruise - MV Equatorial provide services along the Sarawak River. Travel time 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm (1 hour 30 minutes), 7 days a week. Payment for trips is a RM60 for adults and RM30 for children (4-12 years).

Walk along at Kuching Waterfront the and enjoy the scenery of Sungai Sarawak (Sarawak River).
Kuching Waterfront is one of the easiest places to destination when in Kuching Waterfront Kuching is located in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Street and Sungai Santubong-Sarawak. What is interesting in Kuching Waterfront is not just a view of its surroundings but also from the perspective of design and architecture of the area. Not surprisingly, Kuching Waterfront has received international architecture award in 1994, including:

• National Project Civic Design Award in the Category - 1994 (Awarded by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture) 
• Merit Award in the Overseas Category - 1994 (Awarded by the Royal Australian Institute of Architecture) 
• Excellence on the Waterfront / Waterfront Center Annual Award - 1994 (Awarded by the Waterfront Centre, USA) 

History Walk

I'm very interested on history sign that found along the sidewalk on the Kuching Waterfront. On each sign there is the record of Sarawak history. Not sure how much all of them because I only had time to take pictures until the ninth History Walk.

History Walk 5 (left): 1839-1841 - An English traveler, James Brooke arrived in Kuching with Royalist ship on August 15, 1839. Raja Muda Hashim to seek assistance from James Brooke to appease the rebels against the Sultan of Brunei.

History Walk 9 (below): 1941-1946 - Sarawak occupied the Japanese in 1941. The associate members were arrested and imprisoned and the local population suffers. Japanese troops killed when Australian troops landed in Kuching on 11 September 1945. Rajah Vyner Brooke to rule Sarawak back to seventy-five days.

Done travels story about Sungai Sarawak and Kuching Waterfront. I will come to share an interesting experience to visit historical buildings in Kuching City, the Jong's Crocodile Farm and some other interesting places around Kuching.

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The Tour of Borneo 2012, Sabah's First International Cycling Road Race

Sabah will be in the global spotlight when a total of 120 cyclists comprising 20 teams including a Sabah team have confirmed to compete in Sabah's first international cycling road race, the Tour of Borneo 2012 to commence from April 27 to May 1.

This inaugural race in Sabah will feature cyclists from Malaysia and more than 10 countries are participating in the race. They are includes six professional teams from Malaysia are participating while the remaining teams come from continental, national and club teams from all over Asia, Europe, United States of America, New Zealand, Australia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Philippine, and Brunei Darussalam, among others, and will be accompanied by over 520 race officials.

The ToB 2012 race includes a tough challenge from Sepilok in Sandakan to Kundasang, Ranau where most of the road condition is going uphill to the foot of Mount Kinabalu. This is the new challenge that we are introducing to the riders in this edition.

 

This sport event will promote the State's tourism industry to the outside world and to let them know that Borneo has roads as well as capable of organising a challenging cycling competition at international level, here. Other objectives include to promote interest in cycling among the younger generations in Sabah and expose Malaysian riders to more international level of competition, thus contributing to the development of cycling in Malaysia.

I hope through ToB, the people especially fans of cycling in this country will able to feel the excitement of a cycling tour. And at the same time, highlighting the uniqueness of the rich culture and our friendly hospitality to the competitors and officials from overseas that will be here for the first time in Sabah.

Source: DailyExpress

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Beautiful Flower at Kundasang, Sabah

Here is my first original pictures of flowers that I taken during our visit to Kundasang last March.

I love taking pictures of flowers because the flowers is one of the nature's best gift to mankind. Flowers are the simplest way to express our feelings on someone. It's make our world a more colorful place to live in. They have been admired and used by humans to beautify their environment.

But they don't always come out quite the way I want. I’m not a professional photographer, so I will facing a problem when it comes time to choosing best angle to taking photos of flowers.

Another common problem experienced. Take a photo and it appears sharp on the LCD screen. Get home and view it on my PC monitor. Then I realized the subject is blurry and background more prominent than main subject.

At the end of the day i realized, true professional photographers are artists, not snapshooters! It means, still too much that I need to learn.

Anyone can bring me tips on how to take sharp photos and avoiding blurry pictures?

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Celyn Resort Kinabalu, Kundasang Ranau

My family and I stayed at Celyn Resort Kinabalu, Kundasang a few months ago. For me, this resort is among the best here. The place was great with the majestic view of Mount Kinabalu. We enjoy our stay here. The food in restaurant was pretty good and we love the surrounding view from our villa.

Celyn Resort is a new 3-star resort located on top of a hill in Kampung Samuruh near Kundasang. Surrounded by luscious and well manicured flora & fauna, the Resort offers a wide selection of activities and facilities. The amazing attractions that draw guests throughout the world such as Mt. Kinabalu, Kinabalu Park, Hot Spring and the War Memorial are located a short distance from the Resort.

Check out Hotels, Resorts and Homestay in Kundasang, Ranau, Malaysia.
Sabah Tea Garden | Poring Hot Spring & Nature Reserve Ranau | The Cottage Hotel Kundasang | Kinabalu Pine Resort Ranau | Mount Kinabalu Holiday Home Haleluyah Retreat Centre | Mount Kinabalu Heritage Resort & Spa | Mesilau Nature Resort | Celyn Resort Kinabalu | Kinabalu Park Kota Kinabalu | Poring Hot Spring & Nature Reserve Ranau | Kinabalu Mountain Lodge | KK- Suites Residence at Kinabalu Park | Slagon Homestay | Puncak Borneo Resort | Jungle Resort | Dream World

Celyn Resort Kinabalu is just a touch away from Sabah’s pride and joy, Mount Kinabalu. At a temperature of between 15º c - 32ºc, the Resort is the perfect getaway whether it is for a short trip or a long one.

Beautiful morning view of Celyn Resort Kinabalu

Celyn Resort Kinabalu features 2 distinctive types of room accommodations each with it’s own unique view of Mount Kinabalu (Kinabalu Wing) and the surrounding Valley (Valley Wing). When choosing to stay at Kundasang, Celyn Resort Kinabalu offers the ideal location and convenience to cultural attractions, health facilities, sports & recreation, business tourism or leisure pleasure.

Jungle Villa at night

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