Hotels near Mount Kinabalu

Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Sabah and Malaysia and protected with Kinabalu Park. British colonial administrator Hugh Low made the first recorded ascent of Mount Kinabalu's summit plateau in March 1851 whereas the highest point of Mount Kinabalu was finally reached in 1888 by zoologist John Whitehead. British botanist Lilian Gibbs became the first woman and the first botanist to summit Mount Kinabalu in February 1910. Mount Kinabalu is formed from granodiorite which is intrusive into sedimentary and ultrabasic rocks, and forms the central part, or core of the Kinabalu. In geological terms, it is a very young mountain as the granodiorite cooled and hardened only about 10 million years ago. The best time to climb Mount Kinabalu is between March and August, which are the dry seasons of Sabah. You can also climb in other months and avoid climbing on December and January, which are the wettest months, due to the North-East Monsoon.

How to Get There

By Plane

There are flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Kota Kinabalu International Airport such as Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines. It takes around 2 hour 25 minutes to reach the airport and another 2 hours and 6 minutes via Ranau-Tamparuli road.

Tourist Attractions

Kinabalu Park

Kinabalu Park is one of the main attractions at Mount Kinabalu. Visitors can find variety of plant life, birds and mammals. There are over 326 species of birds in Kinabalu Park, including the spectacular rhinoceros hornbill, mountain serpent-eagle, Dulit frogmouth, eyebrowed jungle flycatcher, and bare-headed laughingthrush. Besides that, the park is surrounded by beautiful plants such as the biggest flower, Rafflesia and the infamous Nepenthes rajah; the world's largest pitcher plant, Nepenthes x sukaibiensis; a natural cross-hybrid between Nepenthes lowii and Nepenthes burbidgae and the enigmatic Paphiopedilum rothschildianum (Rothschild slipper orchid) which is one of the rarest orchids in the world.

Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary

This rehabilitation centre was founded in 1964 and was previously a forest reserve. It was established by an Englishwoman called Barbara Harrison in 1964 and was the first centre in the world to dedicate itself to the rehabilitation of orphaned orangutans. Visitors can have a chance to watch the orang Utan up close in their natural habitat. There is also a boardwalk leads to a viewing gallery and feeding platform where the apes are fed milk and bananas twice a day at 10am and 3pm by rangers. This centre acts as a home to 25 young orphaned orang Utan and provides medical care for orphaned and confiscated orang-utans. Besides orang Utan, sun bears, gibbons, Sumatran rhinos and elephants also can be found here. On top of that, Sepilok is considered by the Wildlife Department to be a useful educational tool with which to educate both the locals and international tourists and minimise the impact of deforestation on orang Utan.

Hotels

J Residence

J Residence is located nearby Kota Kinabalu Wetland Center and Kota Kinabalu Harbor. It was built in the year 2010 and the nearest lodge outside Mount Kinabalu National Park. This accommodation is facing the Bundu Tuhan dwelling and farming community surrounded by tall and matured pine trees. The cold temperature ranges from 17°C to 19°C at night. All guestrooms are equipped with sitting area and a kitchenette complete with a dishwasher and an oven. In addition, there are also a flat-screen television, private bathroom with a bathtub or shower and bidet and additional features for specific rooms.

Ayana Holiday Resort

Lies in the Kundasang area of Kinabalu National Park, this resort offers impeccable services and a wide range of amenities. The rooms are fitted with balcony or patio and fitted with complimentary WiFi access. Besides that, there are flat screen television with satellite channels, coffee and tea maker, electric kettle and free bottled water. Daily housekeeping, laundry, 24-hour reception desk and free parking are among services that guests can find here.