Life In Borneo

Posted by Daniel on January 1st, 2009 in Events

As the year 2008 came to a close, we at Lifeinborneo.com decided to take this opportunity to look back at some of the events of last year that the crew covered and share it with all our readers.

January to March
The year started quietly, as there weren’t a lot of events happening, except for one: the welcoming of the year of the rat. The Chinese community celebrated the Chinese new year in February with enthusiasm. We get to see lion dance performances, as well as the open house tradition happening all over Kota Kinabalu.

February was also the month where citizens of Kota Kinabalu celebrate the anniversary of the city on 2nd February of each year. The city hall organized a street parade at the Promenade Boulevard to commemorate this event.

Kota Kinabalu City Day 2008

April to June
As the first quarter of 2008 passed by, the night life in KK started to pick up. Blue Note started their Generation Y events, which brought in DJs from some of West Malaysia’s hottest club to spin dance tunes for KK’s night owls. Shenanigan’s Fun Pub brought J-Style fashion to KK with there Harajuku Night, where they showed models attired in Japan’s latest and most extreme teen fashion.

Generation Y

Harajuku Night

While the night partied, the morning saw international events on the seas and shores of Sabah. On the 26th of April 2008, Kota Kinabalu held the Freedom of Entry to The City ceremony at Padang Merdeka, where participants from the Royal Malaysian Navy, US Navy, Marine Nationale of France and the Royal Brunei Navy took part in the ancient naval tradition. On the 23rd of April 2008, dragon boats tore through the waters of Likas Bay during the 23rd Sabah Dragon Boat Race 2008, which saw the new-comers and locals from Tuaran beat the reigning champion Brunei for the grand prize.

Freedom of Entry to The City 2008

Sabah Dragonboat Race 2008

But the highlight was definitely in May, when Sabah and Sarawak celebrated the Harvest Festival. In Sabah, May was the time for Sabah Fest, when cultural events took place throughout the month, which ended with the most anticipated event in the Sabah Calendar – The Unduk Ngadau Grand Finals. We also went to Sarawak to experience the Sarawak World Harvest Festival 2008, where we covered their International Cultural Concert, a spectacular theme play based on a local Bidayuh folklore and the grand finals for Miss Fair & Lovely WHF 2008, Sarawak’s own unique ethnic beauty pageant.

Unduk Ngadau Grand Finals 2008

Unduk Ngadau Grand Finals 2008

Unduk Ngadau Grand Finals 2008

Sarawak World Harvest Festival 2008 – Cultural Concert

Sarawak World Harvest Festival 2008 – Panglima Kulow Theme Play

Sarawak World Harvest Festival 2008 – Miss Fair & Lovely WHF 2008

July to September
Things started to slow down after May, but there were events that kept the Lifeinborneo.com crew busy. In July, the Lifeinborneo.com team went to to coastal town of Sipitang to catch the conclusion of the 9th Gambus Festival 2008 – the biggest Gambus festival in Sabah.

Gambus Festival 2008 in Sipitang

In August 2008, we covered more interesting events: the Borneo International Cat Show 2008 at the Sabah Trade Centre and the Sabahan Bloggers Gathering 2008 at Imperial International Hotel. The Borneo International Cat Show was the first international cat show ever to be held in Sabah (and perhaps of Borneo) while the Sabahan Bloggers Gathering invited bloggers from all over Sabah. Also there was the Base Jumping event at the Tun Mustapha Tower.

Borneo International Cat Show 2008

Sabahan Bloggers Gathering 2008

Base Jumping at Tun Mustapha Tower

August and September were also important to everyone in Malaysia. 31st of August 2008 was Merdeka Day for Malaysia, and a Merdeka Day Parade was held at the Kota Kinabalu Waterfront. September 20008 was the fasting month for the Muslim community, known as the Month of Ramadhan. It was also a month which saw multitude of street hawkers selling delicacies that can only be found during the Ramadhan at Food Bazaars.

Merdeka Day Parade

Ramadhan Food Bazaar

October to December
As the Muslim community celebrated Aidilfitri, events in Kota Kinabalu started picking up again. First, there was the Borneo International Marathon 2008 – the first of its kind to be held – which brought in participants from all over the world. Then we have the Tattoo and Art Exhibition at the Monsopiad Cultural Village (a part of a month-long arts event). After that we went to Kota Belud to cover the Annual Traditional Open-Air Market, where we brought you the Tamu Kota Belud – the biggest open-air market in Sabah – the horsemanship of the Bajau people.

Borneo International Marathon 2008

Tattoo Art Exhibition at Monsopiad Cultural Village

The traditional Tamu Besar Kota Belud

In November 2008, we attended the ‘Bear Necessities’ Fundraising Event which was held at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa. It was the biggest fundraising event we’ve covered so far. The event successfully raised a total amount of RM1.3 million, which will kick-start the construction of the biggest Sun Bear conservation centre in Borneo.

BSBCC Fundraiser Event

As the Christmas season filled the air in December, we covered clickstartplay.com’s HobbyCon 2008, the biggest hobby convention in KK yet. Then we covered the last sports event of 2008 in KK, the F2 World Cup Powerboat Race 2008. We end our December (and our event-coverage spree of 2008) with Red Bull Female Driver Search 2008, which was held at 1Borneo.

HobbyCon 2008

F2 World Cup Powerboat Race 2008

Red Bull Female Driver Search 2008

It has been a good year for Lifeinborneo.com. We hope that all our readers had a good year as well, and wished you all will have a better year in the new year. We look forward to experiencing the life in Borneo in 2009 with all our readers.

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Posted by Daniel on September 28th, 2008 in Adventures, Destinations

Sabah is known for her treasures of the natural world, and one of them is the highland village of Kundasang which lies at the shadow of the granite-clad Mount Kinabalu. Located in the Kundasang valley at an altitude of more than 1,000 metres above sea level, it is one of the highest highland village on the Crocker Range and has one of the highest concentration of farming community in Sabah – quite possibly the whole of Borneo.

Sabah’s original Green Town

The climate of Kundasang makes it ideal for the local farming communities to plant temperate vegetables, and this is evident with the abundance of green edibles that are sold here daily. The most popular export of Kundasang are cabbages, but other vegetables are also planted here such as broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. These produce will eventually wind up in markets all over Sabah, especially in the west coast.

A picturesque surrounding

Kundasang boasts some of the most spectacular scenic views in Sabah, from the pine forest hills and the cascading mountain terrain, to the evening rays of the setting sun cast through shifting clouds. Not to mention a panoramic view of Mount Kinabalu itself. Combine that with the cool highland climate, and what you have is a perfect environment for visitors to come, relax and enjoy.

The surrounding area of Kundasang is dotted with lodges and chalets – a perfect location for resorts. It is also a mere 6 kilometres away from the Kinabalu Park Headquarters, which is the starting point for visitors who wish the hike up Mount Kinabalu.

Welcome to Kundasang

If you are visiting Sabah, make Kundasang as part of your travel destination. We assure you that it will be an unforgettable experience!

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Posted by Xander on September 15th, 2008 in Destinations, Foods, Hot Spots

Ramadhan is a month when the muslim community practices fasting and every year in Sabah, it’s state capital would put up a month-long Food Bazaar in the heart of the city. Located in the Asia City area which is situated nearby prominent malls; is a haven for food lovers as the selections of mouth watering delicacies comes from all corners of Malaysia.

It was officiated earlier this month on September 1st by Y.B. Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Yahya Hussin. With the multitude of selections presented at the Food Bazaar it is no wonder why the area is packed with so many people even as early as 3 p.m. Upon droves of stalls you can see people from all walks of life coming to this place and some still in their office attire.

Refreshments and Drinks . . .

Some of the staple drinks for breaking fast are the sugar cane juice, lime juice and coconut drinks, though lately the juice stands in the bazaar has diversified its range of refreshments and now you can see an assortment of drinks equally satisfying such as the Carrot juice, Guava and Watermelon.

Pastries and Local Delicacies . . .

In Malaysia, with its multifarious ethnicity and religion it is not surprising to find some of the best and somewhat unique foods available for all travelers to try out. One such food would be the Roti-John. Imagine a hot dog bun and instead of your normal sausage you find yourself biting into scrambled-eggs cooked with minced beef/chicken and onions. It is an enigma on how its name was procured but you’ll find yourself coming back for more of it.

Some other local delicacies includes the onde-onde, kuih lengang, kuih terang-bulan and murtabak-jawa. But no household would be short of one of the more traditional and usually a necessity for breaking fast among the muslim community: Dates. Besides its application in processed foods namely confectionery product, dates are a staple delicacy within the month of Ramadhan; the fasting month.

Grills and Barbecues . . .

The smell of fresh sea foods and chicken wings could jostle your olfactory senses from afar. Though being a food bazaar with a blend of traditional and local delicacies, there are more than just fishes being cooked here. Some includes the the sting-ray, squids, cuttlefish and the well known satay. There are so many stalls to choose from, one should find time to browse through them to find what suits your taste buds.

The Ramadhan Food Bazaar starts its operating hours as early as 1.00 p.m to 6.30 p.m, though it is advisable to come early though due to the fact that most of the best-selling foods here would be finished as early as 5 p.m. But rest assured this bazaar will be on through the whole month of September, and you will find yourself coming back here for more.

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Posted by Daniel on September 14th, 2008 in Events

On the 31st August 2008, Malaysians throughout the country commemorated the 51st Hari Merdeka (or Independance Day). Each year on this date, every state in Malaysia will celebrate this day with a march-past, and Kota Kinabalu is no exception – a Merdeka Day parade was held in capital city of Sabah at the Kota Kinabalu Waterfront, with hundreds of participants and spectators attending the event.

31st August 1957 – Independance Day
It was more than half a decade ago when the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, made the official proclamation of independence at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. The proclamation was witnessed by a score of international dignitaries and royalties including Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. It marked the start of a new era for all Malaysians – a new era of freedom and democracy. 51 years later, Sabahans in Kota Kinabalu still honour this day with other Malaysians nationwide.

The theme for this year’s Merdeka Day celebration was Perpaduan Teras Kejayaan, which means “Unity Is The Core of Success.”

The Merdeka Day Parade
The parade began with the arrival of the guests of honours, among whom was Sabah’s Head of State Yang diPertua Negeri Tun Ahmad Shah Abdullah. It then proceeded with the inspection of the guard, followed by the march-past of more than a hundred contingents.

After the march-past, several performances was held in front of the dignitaries; there was a cultural dance show, a martial arts of Silat Cekak demonstration, and an awe-invoking performance by the Fifth Infantry Brigade of the Royal Malaysian Army.

Merdeka!! Merdeka!! Merdeka!!
In this modern age, we tend to take for granted the peace and prosperity that our ancestors have laboured so hard to obtained.

We at Lifeinborneo.com salute the heroes of our country who fought and bleed for our independance and for our freedom. And to all Malaysians, may the years ahead be as peaceful and as prosperous as ever.

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Posted by Eshark on September 10th, 2008 in Destinations, History

Launched in 2006, the Tun Mustapha Gallery was established to honour a great leader who was a visionary in leading Sabah to Independence. He helped to lay the foundations of a modern and progressive state within the federation of Malaysia (16 September, 1963). Tun Mustapha was the first Governor (1963-1965) of the Malaysian state of Sabah. He was also the third Chief Minister of Sabah from 1967 to 1975. He passed away on 2nd January, 1996 at the age of 76.

Located in premises that once housed the Sabah State Assembly from 1980 – 1995, the Gallery tells the life story of the late Tun Datu Hj. Mustapha bin Datu Harun. Featuring a combination of impactful graphic panels, audio visual-visual and artifacts, the Gallery unfolds the life of this remarkable man, from his humble beginnings to his illustrious term as the former Chief Minister of Sabah.

A classic car from a model of Daimler which before have been used by Tun himself during his official transportation was showcase in the main hall of the gallery.

The Gallery also operates a Souvenir Shop that specialises in high quality crafts that are unique and beautiful, inspired by the traditional motifs of the indigenous tribes of Sabah while fashioned after mainstream culture.

The Tun Mustapha Gallery is located at the Podium Level of Tun Mustapha Tower (formerly known as Yayasan Sabah Tower)

The Tun Mustapha Gallery operates from :
Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm
Saturday 8am – 5pm
Sunday – Closed except Public & School Holiday.

Entrance Fee :
Visitors without MyKad (NRIC) RM15
Visitors with MyKad(NRIC) RM5
Under 12 without MyKad (NRIC) RM5
Goverment staff RM3.50
Students staff RM1.50

additional info source: sabahtourism.com

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Posted by Raz on September 9th, 2008 in Destinations, History, Travels

The Kundasang War Memorial is located near the renowned vegetable market in Kundasang Village. It was established as a tribute to World War II prisoners of war who died during the Sandakan Death Marches in 1945.

Major G.S. Carter, D.S.O. (Toby Carter) a New Zealander employed with Shell Oil Co. (Borneo) initiated the building of the Memorial in 1962, together with the launching of Kinabalu Park; to remember the 2,428 Australian and British prisoners who died during the World War II at the Sandakan POW Camp, and the Continue reading this post…

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