Mount Kinabalu: Surprise Yourself

If the thought of yet another holiday spent shopping endlessly and hitting the usual tacky tourist traps makes you shudder, Mount Kinabalu might just be the wild adventure you’ve been waiting for.

At an elevation of 4,095 metres (13,435 feet) about sea level, this majestic mountain in the heart of Borneo is a challenge that adrenaline junkies will love. While reaching the peak is a spectacular experience in itself, the flora and fauna you encounter along the way are worth a mention too.

In fact, Mount Kinabalu is one of the world’s most diverse biological sites, with 5,000–6,000 plant species. That’s more plant species than the whole of Europe and North America! Many of these plant species are also endemic (they can’t be found anywhere else except Mount Kinabalu), including a staggering range of over 800 orchid species.

The famous – or infamous, depending on how you feel about strong smells – Rafflesia flower can also be found on the slopes of Mount Kinabalu. The mountain is also home to orangutans, rhinoceros hornbills, deer, otters, and two species unique to Mount Kinabalu, the Bornean ferret-badger and the Malayan weasel.

You may be wondering if you need to undergo rigorous physical training before attempting the summit of Mount Kinabalu. Of course, you’ll be better equipped to cope with the climb and thus enjoy it more if you’re in decent physical condition. However, Low’s Peak can be reached via the main trail without any mountaineering equipment. There will be an accredited guide with you throughout the climb, so there is no question of getting lost or stranded on the mountain. Altitude sickness is something that you may encounter during the climb. However, there are precautions you take to lessen its effect on your body. Good cardiovascular and respiratory health can reduce the chances of severe altitude sickness, although individual reactions to the altitude can vary among those with similar and high levels of fitness. If you’ve gone scuba diving in the past 24 hours before the climb, this can affect you adversely and lead to
decompression sickness, so be sure to wait at least 24 hours after a dive before attempting Mount Kinabalu.

There are two stories behind the origin of Mount Kinabalu’s name. The first story states that it’s an abbreviated form of the Kadazan Dusun word 'Aki Nabalu', which means "the revered place of the dead."

The second story states the name ‘Kinabalu’ means ‘Cina Balu’ which means "chinese widow." According to legend, the spirit of the mountain took pity on a woman who climbed the mountain every day to wait for the return of her husband, an exiled Chinese prince. When she died on the mountain, the spirit took pity on her and turned her into a sea-facing stone so that she could wait for her husband’s return for all time. When the people in the woman’s village found out what had happened, they were deeply moved and named the mountain “Kinabalu” to honour her memory.
Ready to conquer the mountain? BeMyGuest is offering a sunrise climb package (2 days which includes one night’s accommodation at the mountain’s rest house, daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, as well as supper and tea,) and an experienced guide who will also be your driver. After the climb, you’ll also receive a certificate of achievement. The fun doesn’t have to end there, of course: Kota Kinabalu has a lot to offer, from snorkelling and scuba diving to river rafting and cultural village tours.


If you’ve always wondered what it’s like to stand on the edge of the world at 4,000 metres above sea level, there’s no time like the present to find out. Daryle, our intrepid BeMyGuest verifier who made this climb, summed it up thus: “The world is indeed very big, and there's still a lot more to explore!”