Kundasang War Memorial & Gardens

Located on a hill at the town center Kundasang, Kundasang War Memorial & Gardens is one of the famous landmarks of the area near Kinabalu Park. This memorial park means a lot to many people who were affected by World War II. It carries the historical significance of remembering those who served in Borneo during WW2 and suffered from war crimes as prisoners of war.

Despite located in a small town, Kundasang War Memorial & Gardens is not a simple rough monument. It was designed with elaborate fine details and space. In a late afternoon, my son and I strolled the four separate gardens that representing the countries of those who died in Sandakan POW camp and during the 3 Sandakan Death Marches. There are Australian Garden, English Garden, Borneo Garden and 'Contemplation Garden' with a reflection pool and pergola. We read the words, stories and names on the walls and monuments and understood the horrific past for the first time.

It is a place worth going and it is very accessible.

A beautifully decorated and well maintained Australian Garden.

The Contemplation Garden.

The establishment of Kundasang War Memorial & Gardens was initiated by Major Gordon Senior 'Toby' Carter DSO and was restored in 2005 by Mr Sevee Charuruks with his own personal funds. Australian government's grants came years later.

Choosing The Right Season to Climb Mt Kinabalu.

How to Book a Trip to Climb Mt Kinabalu.

How Hard Is It to Climb Mt Kinabalu?

Terrain of Summit Trail. KM by KM Photograph Series from Timpohon Gate. Start Here.
More photos on the Summit of Mt Kinabalu.

Is It Dangerous (or safe) to Climb Mount Kinabalu?

Training to Climb Mt Kinabalu. Read to Prepare. Download Checklist.

 
 
 
 

This website is about climbing this majestic mountain located in Sabah state of Malaysia, Mount Kinabalu, arguably the highest mountain in South East Asia.

You can find checklist, guides and tips on preparing and evaluating your trip. There are guides on:

• choosing right season to climb the mountain,
• making booking of your trip,
• evaluating safety and toughness to climb,
• training plan and training to climb
• Pictures of the terrain of Mount Kinabalu, KM by KM. Start the journey here
• and more...

There is a useful checklist on things to prepare for the climb and a selection of photographs.

Guides to Climbing Mt Kinabalu

Preparation
Planning Weather and season Flights and road transports Booking a package to climb Mt Kinabalu DIY tour: Booking to climb Mt Kinabalu Overview of the climb journey Training An overall training Plan (for busy people) Prepare your body for a long uphill walk Descend: walking downhill	Getting Ready To Go Clothing to climb Mt Kinabalu Shoes & slippers Gear & equipment First aid & medicines Full checklist for climbing Mt Kinabalu Travelling Luggage arrangement Telecommunication on Mt Kinabalu
Journey
How to Get There Flights and road transports Getting there, Kinabalu National Park Analysis Of Terrain & The Journey Is climbing Mt Kinabalu easy? Is it safe (or dangerous) to climb Mt Kinabalu? More about the terrain and the climb Climbing the terrain (Part 1: Ascending) Climbing the terrain (Part 2: Descending) Photograph of Timpohon Trail's terrain (before rearranging) Photograph of Summit's terrain (before rearranging) Low's Peak, the highest point of Mt Kinabalu Photograph of descent from summit before Sayat Sayat (to be ready) Photograph of descent after Sayat Sayat (to be ready)	Accommodation And Food Grace Hostel (Grace Lodge) Laban Rata Rest House Panar Laban Huts Balsam Buffet Restaurant Nepenthes Lodge Journey to climb Mount Kinabalu Increasing odds to reach Low's Peak Altitude sickness Food & drinks while climbing Personal hygiene, toilets and bathrooms My Journey Of Climbing Mount Kinabalu Why do I climb Mount Kinabalu? Our experience on climbing Mount Kinabalu: 18th~19th September 2010 Our experience on climbing Mount Kinabalu: 15th~16th September 2011 (to be ready)

Rock formation right after Sayat Sayat checkpoint during our descent.

The most iconic view of Mount Kinabalu, South Peak.

Desa Cattle Dairy Farm, Kundasang

When you and your family travel to the area around Kinabalu Park, the one place that you should not miss is Desa Cattle Dairy Farm at Kundasang. There are reasons why this place is one of the tourists' favorites. It is not just because it looks like those farms in New Zealand. Located at the foothill of Mount Kinabalu, the scenery around this farm is simply stunning. Inside the farm, you can find interesting activities for young children.

Heavy clouds cover the mountain behind the farm in most hours of the day except early morning.
With luck, you may be able to catch a glimpse of the mountain as backdrop view of the farm.

We caught a glimpse of cattle roaming at wild.

Location of the Farm...

Training (for Busy People) to Climb Mount Kinabalu

I write this training guide for person like me, a busy-9-to-5-office-worker. We probably sit too long during office hours and have too little exercise after office hours. We want to spend minimum time in training but yet we want to reach the summit of Mount Kinabalu.

It is a big slanting plateau at the summit of Mount Kinabalu. After the last checkpoint, Sayat Sayat, you will be walking, with only 62% of oxygen of sea level,  for about 1.75KM to reach Low's Peak. The elevation of this 1.75KM is 442Meters (from 3,653M at Sayat Sayat to 4,095M at Low's Peak.)

Bare Minimum Training Objectives

• Get your body to get use to walk on jungle trail and uneven hiking terrain
• Prepare for reasonable fitness, especially for exercise-lacking-middle-age-office-workers. First, you can't reach Laban Rata too late in the evening because you need to sleep and wake up in the mid night for the climb to summit. Second, you need to cross Sayat Sayat checkpoint before 5am
• Get use to walk in the dark with headlamp
• Get use to your gear and shoes, i.e. headlamp and climbing shoes

These are the minimum objectives of training in order for a person to reach the summit of Mount Kinabalu and descend safely.