Bordering Sarawak on Borneo Island’s north-western flank, Sabah is a Malaysian state that boasts an idiosyncratic topographical makeup. Topped by the lofty granite spires of Mount Kinabalu, the region is a lush mixture of exotic animal and plant life, wild jungle rivers, mangrove-tangled coastal areas and green paddy fields. Home to Mount Kinabalu – the highest peak between the Himalayas and New Guinea – Sabah is also known for its smorgasbord of endangered fauna such as the orang-utan, Sumatran rhinoceros and Irrawady dolphin.
The gateway to some of Borneo’s best known offerings, the 72,500sqkm Sabah plays host to an array of indigenous groups including the Dusun, Kadazan, Lundayeh, Murut, Rungus and Sungai peoples. Falling just below the typhoon belt, visitors to Sabah come here for the challenging trekking and mountain climbing along the dizzying Crocker Range as well as some of the world’s best diving in the Semporna Archipelago.
