I visited Kinabalu Park back in September 2022 with my wife, and we decided to climb Mount Kinabalu as part of our visit. The cheapest climbing option was to book directly via the official site (sabahparks) for the climbing permit and accommodation booking. It's worth pointing out that the climbing permit is limited and always in high demand, especially outside the rainy season (basically avoid Nov - Feb), and the permit booking slots are open in a 6-month window. So, if you're planning to climb the mountain, be on the lookout for the announcement once the booking window is open. The safest bet is to follow Sabah Parks official FB page. They will have a set allocation for independent visitors (booking done through sabahparks.com reservation portal) and visitors via agencies if I'm not mistaken.

As we flew to Kota Kinabalu from Kuala Lumpur and didn't plan to rent a car or take a bus, we opted to book through an agency. The package included return transportation to Kinabalu Park and stops at Jambatan Tamparuli, Desa Dairy Farm, Kundasang market, and Poring Hotsprings. We decided to skip Poring Hotsprings so that we could have more time spent at the park itself.

On the first day, we arrived at Kinabalu Park around 3pm, greeted by clouds concealing the Kinabalu summit. After checking in at Sutera Sanctuary Lodges, the only accommodation within the park, we took a walk along the one-way road, spotting Bornean Stubtail, Mountain Wren-Babbler, and Ochraceous Bulbul. As the clouds cleared momentarily, we witnessed the glorious Kinabalu summit, creating anticipation for our ascent in the following days. As sunset approached, the fog enveloped the park, adding a mystical atmosphere.

The next day, while heading for breakfast, we spotted more endemic birds: Bornean Treepie and Borneo Thrush, along with a Grey Wagtail. We then collected our permit cards from the park HQ, required for check-in at Panalaban later that day. After a van ride to the Timpohon Gate, the hike's starting point, we received a briefing from our guide. I'm going to skip most of the details of the hike itself as the Kinabalu hike had been well documented on the internet by other hikers/vloggers. They are pretty much the same. The hike to Panalaban took us from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. The climb to Panalaban was made interesting by the gradual change in vegetation around us. We were very lucky that day as the weather was clear and sunny all day, and the sunset at Panalaban was simply breathtaking.

We had to sleep early that night and wake up at 2:00 am the next day. Breakfast first (sausages, bread, and scrambled eggs), then we had to get prepared for the final hike which started at 2:30 am. Equipped with our headlamp, we climbed up the wooden stairs for hours in the dark, under the beautiful stars. We managed to reach the cut-off point called Sayat-Sayat Checkpoint in time at 4:20 am. From there, we continued toward the peak, experiencing a unique section of the climb with fewer trees, horizontal terrain, and stunning rock formations. The hike between Sayat-Sayat Checkpoint and the peak was, without a doubt, my favorite part of the climb. The trees became fewer and fewer, and the climb became more horizontal instead of vertical. In that section, we were just walking from one side of the moutaintop to another part. The surrounding areas were like on a totally different planet with stunning rock formations around us. The final ascent itself felt less remarkable, with a rocky and narrow path crowded with climbers going up and down simultaneously.

Descending, we were rewarded with panoramic views of Kundasang and the surroundings while making our way down (see photo). It was amazing. The only downside was that we couldn't take our time to enjoy the view because we had to check-out from Panalaban by 10.30am. Every additional 30 mins of late check-out will incur a penalty of RM50, which was unfortunate, but I guess they had to implement that to ensure a smooth operation since the accommodation is always limited at Panalaban. Luckily, we reached back at Panalaban around 10:20 am, so we quickly packed our stuff, checked out, then had late breakfast (and a very short break) before continuing our climb back to the park HQ. We arrived at Timpohon Gate around 5:00 pm, enduring heavy rain that transformed the trail into mini waterfalls on the way down. We also spotted a huge Kinabalu Giant Earthworm on the way down which was super cool. We got back to Kota Kinabalu later that night, and we could barely walk to our hotel room after two days of rigorous hiking (9:00 am to 4:30 pm on Day 1, 2:30 am to 5:00 pm on Day 2).

We consider ourselves fortunate to have completed the climb, as poor weather conditions prevented the group that was supposed to climb the day before (whom we crossed paths on our first day as they're climbing down). They were stopped at Sayat-Sayat Checkpoint due to heavy rain.

Our trip to Kinabalu Park was a remarkable experience that solidified its deserving status as a World Heritage Site. The landscapes, flora and fauna, and captivating changes in vegetation along the climb to Mount Kinabalu showcased the best part of the park's natural beauty. The limited availability of climbing permits also helped in contributing to this experience.