Kinabalu Park is included on the World Heritage List mainly because of the extraordinary plant diversity resulting from its particular topography. In fact, Mount Kinabalu creates a gradient of climatic and edaphic conditions enabling an incredible number of plants to thrive. The isolation of certain populations resulting from this topography has also favoured the emergence of a large number of endemic species. The best way to visit the park, as described in some of the reviews here, is therefore to reach the summit and tackle this climatic and topographical gradient yourself. Unfortunately, although I'm quite the target audience for such an attraction, the staggering cost of the excursion put me off and I won't be describing a trip to the summit to you. Indeed, it's compulsory to reach the summit in two days with a guide, and only one company has a monopoly on accommodation on the mountain. As a result, a night in a basic dormitory can cost upwards of $500, to which must be added park access fees and the guide's fee. Nevertheless, there's plenty to do at the bottom of the mountain.

I visited the park over two days in February and March 2023. It's easy to get to the park from Kota Kinabalu thanks to the minibuses that frequently leave the city on their way to Ranau. However, on the morning of my departure, the only other passengers present at the minibus stop were an American couple on their honeymoon who had been waiting for other passengers to arrive for over an hour. We paid the full fare, shared between the three of us. When I arrived at the park, I asked if there was a two-day rate, as I was planning to come back the next day (I knew full well there wasn't). The lady at the gate was kind enough to write on my ticket that I had paid for two days without charging it to me. I picked up a map at the park information office and explored the Silau-Silau trail and the main road to the summit checkpoint. Along the way, there are several viewpoints (including one with a big WH sign), the aptly named Mountain View trail and good bird-watching opportunities. I was hoping to sneak past the guardhouse and get close to the summit without sleeping there. But that's impossible. It looks like a military checkpoint with a guard and barbed wire. Take note that the Bukit Ular and Liwagu trails were closed (and they didn't seem to be about to reopen), forcing me to return by road. The small botanical garden featured a few Nepenthes, but was rather disappointing (little information on the plants, which were themselves very poorly showcased). I ended my day at the park museum (very interesting) and at the mountain viewpoint directly at the entrance. It was at this point that the clouds cleared the most (photo)!

The next morning, I returned to the park to hike the Kiau View, Mempening and Bundu Tuhan View trails. Although they didn't offer interesting views, despite their names, these trails were quite enjoyable. They offered me the best birding opportunities, including a crimson-headed partridge, a magnificent Whitehead's broadbill, a fiery minivet (see Els' photo), and a few chestnut-crested yuhinas, indigo flycatchers and Bornean forktails. I also took part in a guided hike with a naturalist (offered daily at 11am). Or so I thought. It turned out that I knew the forest better than she did... Since I was the only participant in this guided hike, I simply took a walk in the forest in her pleasant company. I was able to ask her about my plans for the afternoon, which included a trip to Poring hot springs, where I'd read that Rafflesia could be seen. She informed me that there were none in bloom at the moment in Poring, but, thanks to her contacts, she referred me to the Kokob Rafflesia Conservation Garden (outside the park and therefore outside the WHS), where a specimen was indeed in bloom. The park's transport office offered to take me there for an exorbitant fee, but in the end I was able to hitchike to get there.

Finally, although the summit remained out of my reach, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Kinabalu Park. The views of the mountain studded with waterfalls are sublime. And the jungle is pristine, criss-crossed by pleasant paths and populated by multicolored birds. A single day might be enough for travellers in a hurry.