Reaching the Summit of Mount Kinabalu

At over 13,435 feet Mount Kinabalu stands as the tallest peak in Southeast Asia, higher than anything between New Guinea and the Himalayas.  The mountain’s horny crown of granite peaks spread out in a bizarre moonscape that seems to trade in all vegetation for views too beautiful to blink.  Of course there is a physical price to pay for such a view and it doesn’t come cheap.  The summit trail is a relentless chain of steps that stretch end to end for 9km (but between you me that 9km doesn’t account for the incline).  We gathered ourselves in Kota Kinabalu or KK, the Malaysian state of Sabah’s capital city and about a 2.5 hour flight from Singapore.  The city is far from breathtaking by itself, but serves as a great launching pad for several different adventure tours around Borneo.  Another benefit is its proximity to Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, a collection of 5 small islands 15 minutes away by boat that offer great beaches, hiking, and snorkeling.

Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park

DAY 1

We leave behind the island life of KK after taking down one last meal of pasta for the adventure ahead of us at Kinabalu National Park.  Our driver stops off at the entrance to the park before driving on to the trailhead in order to secure the mandatory permits, insurance, and guide.  Our guide Veronica is one of only a few woman guides in a job that demands the endurance to summit every couple of days and the patience to wade through our bad jokes.

Summit Trail to Mount Kinabalu

The trail begins with a few hundred yards of downhill, an ironic joke for those who know the trail ahead holds nothing but up.  Seemingly endless steps along the trail have been built out of stones, roots, planks, dirt, and more stones.  Frequent breaks are our best friend, and compliment nicely Veronica’s motherly words of “jalan palang palang” which roughly translates to “slow and steady.”  A relentless 6 hours of stair stepping brings us to a small cluster of mountain rest houses, our accommodations for the night.  The digs are dorm room style with an adjacent restaurant that serves decent grub.  The food is made all the more appreciated when you realize that every ounce of ingredients has to be carried up a mountain on foot.  The view from the rest house during sunset is incredible as you’re now over 10,000 feet and amidst the dramatic clouds that spread out across Borneo.  As soon as the sun went down we crawl into sleeping bags and crash in preparation for our 2am wake up call to conquer the summit.

DAY 2

The sound of a pre-recorded rooster lets everyone know it’s time to wake up.  We shuffle out of our dorm room and collect the things we would need to summit: headlamp, camera, snacks, water, etc..  The weather atop Mount Kinabalu can change quickly, with temperatures commonly dipping close to freezing and wind that will blow you off the mountain.  The stretch of trail to the summit is a combination of built stairs between large boulders, ropes climb with through the steep sections, and finally an open granite landscape near the summit.  Of course all of this is hidden from us under the darkness of night (which can be a bit unnerving at times).  As we arrive at the summit there is a faint light growing off to the east and we know the best part of our tour is only minutes away.  Each passing minute brightens the vistas around us, which in turn ushers in a fresh round of photo ops and camera clicking.  The view as the sun rises over the horizon is unreal.  The sky in every direction holds colors of pinks and reds overlaid on a blanket of deep blues.  The lush topography of Borneo some 10,000 feet below is laid out in front of us like we’re looking at a map.  To witness a complete sunrise from the top of Mount Kinabalu is an incredibly powerful experience, and makes every last strenuous step worth it.

Sunrise From Mount Kinabalu

Once we thoroughly capture the awesome panoramas from the summit we begin the grueling task of reversing our tracks.  On our way down we opt for the Via Ferrata (Italian for “iron road”) which is a novice rock climbing route that offers a technical twist to the hike down for an additional cost.  To the uninitiated it would seem that the hike up would be the more physically taxing, but there is unanimous consent among hikers that the hike down is far more arduous.  Our legs felt numb by the time we reached our transport to carry us off to the Poring Hot Springs, where our legs would begin their slow recovery.

Poring Hot Springs is located further inland from Mount Kinabalu and doubles as a nature research center.  There we are able to soak our aching muscles in pools of steaming sulfuric water (fresh water pools also available) while toasting ourselves with several well deserved rounds of Tiger Beer, the proverbial Bud Light of Malaysia.  I would strongly encourage the booking of the River Lodge, a luxurious 2 bedroom with living room detached unit, for any accommodations instead of the group dorm rooms.  After Mount Kinabalu you’ve earned it!

DAY 3

Canopy Walk Poring Hot Springs

The last day of our tour begins with the much-anticipated Canopy Walk .  After a short walk from the Hot Springs up a few switchbacks (uugghh my legs) we arrive at the start of a suspended foot bridge that spans between canopy trees 120 feet off the rainforest floor.  At 8am the sounds of the rainforest are alive and thick, giving one the sense that he or she is in a truly wild place.

The transport back to KK takes about 3 hours by car but depends in some part to how much your driver wants to race in formula one.  Ours would not hesitate to pass slow moving semis on a blind curve two gears too low.  We arrive back in KK in one piece (albeit with a quick blessing under our breath), but with our legs feeling like razor blades.  Our 3 day 2 night tour is complete but not without a mountain of memories, accomplishment, advil and great photos!

Once you are on the tour to Indonesia by cheap flights to Indonesia you would find lots of entertainment and activities. These entertainments include traditional puppet show (wayang), dances, comedians, shopping, islands excursions, walking along beaches, surfing and fishing. Night life is also haunting there. Huge buildings in the floods of lights, beautiful roundabout and late night hoteling is really charming. In short, you can find every type of entertainment matching with your mood.

You can find cheap accommodation, cheap transportation, and cheap man power by cheap flights to Indonesia. In fact, you can say there is no match of Indonesia anywhere else in the world. Tremendous shopping plazas, extraordinary picnic places, peaceful oceans, amazing sports and astonishing valleys all these are coupled with Indonesia flights. So, make a plane of Indonesia tour as soon as possible because its a high time for it.

Bali

Bali is one of the most attractive islands in Indonesia and most interesting touristic destination of Indonesia. Bali contributes much in economy of the country because it attracts a large number of tourists every year from throughout the world. It is famous for its art working .Painting, sculpturing, metal working, wood forging and music are major arts here. You can see important destinations like Taman Ayun Temple, Tanah Lot Temple, Beratan Lake, Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, Bali West National Park, Subak Museum, Tabanan Hot Water, Gua Lawah, Kusamba Beach, and Ubud Monkey Forest by Indonesia flights.

Jakarta

Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, also has lots of visiting places for its tourists. Major industries of Indonesia located here. Main touristic points are Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, National monument, museums, Ragunan Zoo, Jakarta Old Town, and Ancol Dreamland. Amazing collection of museums will help you to know Indonesia’s heritage.

Sumba Island

It is also most attractive island of Indonesia. It is not so large but has a great fun in it. You can aware yourself by unique culture and heritage of Indonesians by visiting this island

Understanding the Local Culture

Before getting a mile out of town, the group’s curiosity about the offerings that can be seen all over Bali got the best of us. Sandy explained that the offerings, or banten, are common ritual in Balinese Hinduism. What we were seeing were canang, the palm leaf trays filled with flowers and food offerings, meant to express thanks to the good spirits and to placate the demons to prevent them from disturbing life’s harmony. These offerings are made daily and can be seen all over Bali– in temples, store fronts, homes, etc.

Our first stop was to watch Barong dancing. Sandy explained to us that theater and dancing are a central part of Balinese culture, and that Barong dancing exemplifies the unique form of Hinduism that exists in Bali. We walked into the outdoor theater and as we were taking our seats, we were showered by the traditional music being played to the side of the stage by an ensemble of nearly 20 performers. Listening to the music and waiting in the heat for the performance to begin, I almost fell into a trance. The costumes used in the performance are elaborate, colorful and fun. The Barong, the “Lord of the Forest,” is a mythical creature, half dog, half lion and his costume requires two performers, one to fill the front and one the back. The story told typifies the Balinese culture, and the constant balancing act between good and evil.

Next, shopping!

Next we visited a local silver shop, followed by a stop at a wood carving shop. At both places we were able to see the masters of trade at work. Bali is known for its wood work, and there were some amazingly elaborate pieces on display and for sale. Sandy explained that some of the larger works required a full year of labor to complete– watching the artists carefully at work, I could understand why! The prevalence of Hinduism was dominate in many of the sculpted pieces and Sandy was happy to share with us the significance of the figures.

On our way to lunch near Mount Kintamani, we stopped at the rice fields outside of Ubud. I never knew so many shades of green existed! As we waited for the sun to come out from behind the clouds for the “perfect photo opp,” I took in the terraced sea of green. At this stop, more than others, we noticed that the locals were accustomed and ready for tourists– they were aggressively hopeful that we would buy their crafts. Our buffet lunch overlooking Mount Kintamani was delicious and filling. The area surrounding the volcano is lush and green, making the black blanket of cooled lava flow that stretches the side of the mountain appear all the more dramatic.

Sandy made a special stop for us at an agrotourism coffee farm. The farm included a small botanical garden and we were greeted by locals, happy to have us sample their freshly roasted coffee. It was so delicious that we made a quick stop at their store to purchase some beans to bring home.

A Place of Worship

The tour includes two stops at temples, first the Holy Springs (Gunung Kawi Temple) and the last stop of the day the Elephant Cave at Goa Gajah. At both temple entrances there were sarongs for borrow, as it is improper to enter a temple with one’s knees exposed. Sandy walked us through the holy springs, situated in lush jungle, and showed us the holy baths. Offerings abounded, and it was clear why this serene setting was chosen as a place of worship. As the name suggests, the Elephant Cave is an elaborately sculpted cave that resembles an elephant. Before the deluge of tourists, this was a place of worship where people would meditate within the Elephant Cave for hours or days.

Driving Home

Our drive back to the hotel corresponded with rush hour and the streets were crowded with motorbikes. Before the trip I’d toyed with the idea of renting a motorbike and touring around the island. On the drive home, a huge sense of relief set in when I realized what I would have been getting myself into had I attempted to weave in and out of traffic with hundreds of other riders. I was happy to be in the van with Sandy.

Seminyak is a shopper’s paradise. There are plenty of branded boutiques, including some that I’m familiar with from Jakarta and others that are completely new to me. And if you ever get tired of shopping, if that’s possible, you can pop into one of the fine-dining restaurants managed by foreigners and locals or any one of the hundreds of cool bars.

But the shopping and eating had to wait because my first order of business was to find a place to stay. On my way to Double Six Beach, home to numerous hotels located on its white sand, I stopped in front of a hip-looking new building. It was The Heaven.

As I entered the lobby (the one on Jalan Seminyak Raya), I as stunned by just how unique this property is. The Haven offers a hotel, suites and villas, and has two lobbies. The one I entered is for walk-in guests to the hotel.

The haven’s hotel rooms surround a courtyard filled with vibrant tropical plants and flowers, with the focus being an elegant ziggurat sculpture with water gently cascading down its face.

When I asked of I could look around the property, I was taking to the middle area of The Haven, where the villas are located. There are seven villa residences of one and two bedrooms featuring private pools and split-level living. The villas also feature a concierge service that is always ready to respond to guest requests.

Then I looked around the suites area. What struck me was the comfortable and homey atmosphere. The Haven boasts 60 spacious suites offering a total of go earthy, minimalist style suites overlook a trio for swimming pools ensconced in landscaped tropical gardens inspired by Bali’s rich natural heritage. Every suite is also fitted with fully equipped kitchenettes, LCD flat-screen TVs with cable, digital audio systems, broadband cable internet and oversize daybeds on the balconies.

The Haven is also strategically located, being just a short stroll away from the dynamic hub of Seminyak, with Bali’s hippest nightspots, boutiques and restaurants.

Hearing the call of the shopping, I found myself out and about in Seminyak that evening looking to unearth what fashionable treasures I could. I had been invited by Paul Ropp to his workshop. Ropps runs one of the one world’s leading fashion brands, Wrapped in Ropp, which has its roots in Bali. Ropp describes his distinctive fashions as being ‘based on sun and fun’. His workshop is located just opposite of Kerobokan prison, tucked away in a side street, so you have to keep your eye out for it.

After spending some time with Ropp and picking up a few of his gorgeous pieces, I spent some time exploring this part of Seminyak, which was wholly unfamiliar to me, and found a chic suites hotel that very much blended in with the surroundings.

Located in the fashionable Pettitinget area, a short walk from some of Bali’s best-known restaurants, bars and boutiques, is Kokonut Suites. Surrounded by a delightful Balinese backdrop of rice fields and coconut trees, Kokonut Suites offers a peaceful and modern refuge hidden away amidst the hustle and bustle of Seminyak.

The 33 spacious suites are designed and built in a modern tropical style. Consisting of one and two-bedroom suites, each suite has a living room, kitchen, bathroom and private balcony.

My reservation was for a one-bedroom suite but they upgraded me to a two-bedroom. It was glorious, with a chose the bedroom n the first floor, with its terrace facing the swimming pool. The bedroom and living room had massive windows and sliding-glass doors, allowing plenty of sunlight.

The suites were lovely clean and well-appointed, but even better was the personalized and caring service of the staff, including romantic dinner they prepared for me by the pool.

Kokonut Suites can also arrange a shuttle to take guest anywhere in the Seminyak area, and knowledgeable staff members are always ready to provide some helpful advice on what to buy and the newest hip spots. Kokonut Suites also has a gym, spa and recreational activities like a kid’s club to ensuer an enjoyable stay.

Seminyak is also known for its cafes and restaurants, especially along Jalan Raya Seminyak and Jalan Laksmana. The variety of cuisines, styles, settings and ambiance is amazing. But make sure to bring your gold card or some extra cash if you are planning to explore these world-class dining establishments, because when the standards are this high, you can expect the prices to follow. Not to worry though, there always something for everybody in Seminyak.