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14 Apr 2022 - 6 min read

Trip to Kundasang, Sabah: What to Know & Where to Go

Kundasang, Sabah is the place all of us have always drawn as a child - a small wooden house with a magnificent view over the paddy fields and the majestic mountains beyond.

Kundasang, Sabah is the place all of us have always drawn as a child - a small wooden house with a magnificent view over the paddy fields and the majestic mountains beyond.

If you are keen in exploring the best of Sabah, Kundasang is guaranteed to take your breath away with its majestic views.

A sanctuary away from the city, prep yourself before a Kundasang trip with our comprehensive guide on what to know and where to go for your next visit to the Land below the Wind.

Take our words, do not leave Kundasang without visiting these places.

Best time to visit Kundasang

Though Kundasang opens its doors all year round, the best time to visit the place is anytime between January and April. Heavy rainfall is expected from May to December.

How to get to Kundasang, Sabah?

Kundasang is a small town without any airport therefore it is impossible to take a flight directly from Singapore to Kundasang. Alternatively, Singaporeans may take a flight to Kota Kinabalu instead.

Located nearby to the country, the travel time from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu is only 2 hours and 25 minutes.

The airport is only 8 kilometres away from the city of Aso where there are car rental services available for visitors to rent and drive up to Kundasang directly from the airport.

The cheapest month to travel to Kota Kinabalu would be in May when the flight tickets are only 175 Singapore dollars. However, in other months, the flight ticket does not vary much as it may cost between 186 dollars to 255 dollars only.

What are the airlines flying to available?

Seeing how Singapore and Malaysia are neighbouring countries, there are plenty of airlines that can bring Singaporeans to Kota Kinabalu.

One of the most famous and commonly used would be Air Asia. It is a low-cost airline that offers one of the lowest prices in Asia. Other than that, there is Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, Singapore Airlines, Firefly, Scoot and many more.

There are up to 10 flights to Kota Kinabalu weekly. All of the flights are direct flights and have no transit or layover in other states. Therefore travellers would definitely arrive in Kota Kinabalu in a blink of an eye.

Book your flight to Kota Kinabalu

AirAsia Berhad (Malaysia)

Start from S$ 109.79

Singapore (SIN) to Kota Kinabalu (BKI)

Tue, 18 Jun 2024

AirAsia Berhad (Malaysia)

Start from S$ 111.91

Singapore (SIN) to Kota Kinabalu (BKI)

Tue, 18 Jun 2024

Firefly

Start from S$ 121.27

Singapore (SIN) to Kota Kinabalu (BKI)

Tue, 18 Jun 2024

COVID-19 travel regulations

Malaysia has announced that they will be reopening the borders for international travel starting on April 1st, 2022. Therefore to be able to enter Malaysia, visitors would need to download the MySejahtera app and create an account for contact tracing purposes.

On the app, travellers can fill up a digital pre-departure form. Visitors would need to verify their vaccination certificates.

The state of Sabah is following suit on the government’s announcement hence is reminding travellers to be fully vaccinated, update the Mysejahtera app, always wear a mask, sanitize and wash their hands regularly and keep a social distance at all times.

Where to Go?

1. Get the NZ feels at Desa Dairy Farm

Desa Dairy Farm

These lush green hills overlooking a dairy farm is not the New Zealand outback; this is Desa Dairy Farm in Kundasang, Sabah. Still, you can get photos to trick almost anyone into believing that you were in New Zealand. (Psst… We won’t tell!😉)

After a trip to watch the processing of milk and feeding the adorable calves with bottled milk, get some souvenirs, especially popular dairy products like fresh milk, natural cheese and gelato ice-cream.

Ice Cream at Desa Dairy Farm

Credit: Law Hui Sheng

Admission Fee: SGD1.5 (adult) and SGD2 (children). The admission ticket can be purchased online.
Opening Hours: The farm opens to the public from 8 am to 11 am for its first session. The second session starts from 11 am to 2 pm and the third session starts from 2 pm to 5 pm.
Reminders: The farm requires the visitors to check in on the MySejahtera app for contact tracing. Visitors are required to wear face masks at all times and maintain a social distance when possible.

2. Sip in tranquility at Sabah Tea Garden

Sabah Tea Garden

Whether you’re a tea person or not, you will appreciate a trip to the sprawling tea plantation in the cool mountain air.

Take a tour at the Tea Factory at an additional fee to watch how tea is processed.

For the adventurous, trek along the trails to the peak of Kamunsu Hill in the early hours to catch a magnificent view of sunrise or embark on a night walk to check out unique insect species.

Save the best for the last - have a sip of Sabah’s finest tea without which your Sabah Tea Garden visit wouldn’t be complete. Take your pick from 8 flavors - cinnamon, ginger, geranium, lemongrass, pandan, tongkat ali and misai kucing.

Sabah Tea

Credit: Sabah Tea Facebook

Admission Fee: No admission fee for entrance, SGD4 for a guided tour of the tea factory.
Opening Hours: Open daily except on public holidays The garden welcomes visitors from 8 am to 4.30 pm.

Visitors are also able to purchase the tea at the shop on site.

Reminders:

As per the rulings from the government, every visitor will need to check in to the establishment on their MySejahtera app.
Masks are compulsory at all times and social distance needs to be observed.
Visitors are also encouraged to wash and sanitize their hands regularly.

3. Defeat gravity at The Upside Down House

Upside Down House Borneo

Credit: Rumah Terbalik - The Upside Down House in Borneo! Facebook

The Upside Down House will literally turn your world upside down. The attraction features a traditional

Sabah ‘kampung’ house with a living room, bedrooms, a toilet, kitchen and veranda, all upside down!

Being the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, this architectural wonder has also been included in the Malaysia Book of Records. Best of all, the place is wheelchair-friendly!

Note: While indoor photography is prohibited, visitors are allowed to pose with outdoor upside-down attractions.

Upside Down House Borneo

Credit: Rumah Terbalik - The Upside Down House in Borneo! Facebook

Admission Fee: SGD4 (adult) and SGD2 (children)
Opening Hours: 8am - 5pm

4. Visit the fresh market of Kundasang

Kundasang Fresh Market

Credit: Augustine bin Jumat

Once a quiet village, the now small town of Kundasang is home to independent traders selling produce harvested from the farmland nearby. Visitors will not miss the Kundasang fresh market, a stretch of stalls along the Kundasang-Ranau highway.

Other than local produce and flowers from the surrounding nurseries, drop by for souvenirs such as handicraft and clothes, all on sale at a good bargain.

5. Remember the fallen heroes at Kundasang War Memorial

Kundasang War Memorial

Credit: Rafie Van Geam

Established in 1962, Kundasang War Memorial was built to commemorate the brave Australian and British prisoners of war who died in Sandakan and during the infamous death marches to Ranau in World War II.

The memorial also honors the North Borneo heroes who risked their lives to help the prisoners of war.

What makes the garden unique is its four beautiful gardens - the Australian Garden, the English Garden, the Borneo Garden and the Contemplation Garden and Pool - to represent the different nationalities of the fallen heroes.

Admission Fee: SGD0.5
Operation Hours: 8.30am to 5.30pm

6. Get close to the birds with Tandem Paragliding Ranau

Tandem Paragliding Ranau

Credit: Ranau Paragliding Park Facebook

To compulsive thrill seekers, the sky is the limit.

With nothing between you and the sky, Tandem Paragliding Ranau gives you the wings to fly like a wild bird. Suspended in a harness some 700 metres or so above, fly on top of the lush Kokol Hill forest as you sing to R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly.”

Note: The key factor of a flight is ideal wind and weather conditions. There will be no refunds in case inclement weather persists. Instead, the session will be rescheduled to a later date.

Tandem Paragliding Ranau

Credit: Ranau Paragliding Park Facebook

Fee: SGD50 (Malaysian), SGD80 (non-Malaysian)
Operation Hours: 10am to 5.30pm

Ready to explore the best of Sabah? Get started on your booking by checking out Traveloka’s latest offers for hotel and flight to Kota Kinabalu from Singapore deals.

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