Of course the most significant feature of the town is that it is the closest to Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia's highest peak, and it offers stunning and breathtaking panoramic view of the mountain. Kundasang, at only 6 kilometers away from the park, is in fact the window to Mount Kinabalu.

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.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR TO KUNDASANG

To prepare for Kundasang weather, you need to check the forecast before you travel and pack accordingly. You should bring warm clothes, such as jackets, sweaters and scarves, as well as umbrellas and raincoats.

WHAT IS THE FACT ABOUT KUNDASANG

It is populated mainly by the native Dusun and a small population of Chinese people. Almost all the shops are operated by locals. Rows of shoplots in Kundasang town. At an elevation of almost 1,900 m (6,200 ft), it is the highest settlement in Malaysia.

Origins of the term "Kadazan"

The "Kadazan" term is used among the Tangara/Tangaa' tribe on the west coast of Sabah to refer to themselves. Non-Tangara tribes within the same dialectal and cultural continuum in the interior and eastern part of the state prefer the term "Dusun". Administratively, the Kadazans were called 'Orang Dusun' by the Bruneian Sultanate (or more specifically the tax-collectors). An account of this fact was written by the first census made by the North Borneo Company in Sabah, 1881. Administratively, all Kadazans were categorised as Dusuns.

WHAT ARE THE INTRESTING FACTS ABOUT KUNDASANG

At an elevation of almost 1,900 m (6,200 ft), it is the highest settlement in Malaysia. Kundasang is also famously known as the New Zealand of Borneo for its unique mountainous geographical terrain almost similar to New Zealand.

IS KUNDASANG WORTH VISITING

If you have a keen interest in climbing and hiking, Kundasang is the perfect place for you. Even if you don't have the time to climb Mount Kinabalu, you can still trek at some of these popular hiking spots in Kundasang, including Maragang Hill, Sosodikon Hill, Tinorindak Hill, Kimondou Hill, Lugas Hill and many others.

The meaning of the word ‘dayak’ itself is debatable. ‘Dayak’ means human, while many others say that Dayak means inland. The Iban people use the term Dayak as human, while the Tunjung and Benuaq people interpret it as the river upstream.

There are many Dayak Tribes in Kalimantan, some divide the Dayaks into six groups which are the Klemantan or Kalimantan, the Iban family, the Apokayan family, the Dayak Kayan, Kenyah and Bahau, the Murut family, the Ot Danum-Ngaju family and the Punan family.

The most Dayak Tribes are Dayak Kenyah who use accessories as their body jewelry. Dayak Tribes generally have beads made of natural stones.

Previously, these stones were formed by hand without a machine, so that the color is dull when compared to modern beads made in factories. There are also differences in weight on the stones and beads. If you want to prove that the beads are genuine from the Dayak Tribe or not, then you must do a test by burning them.

Generally, Dayak people especially the men are not familiar with other stone accessories other than beaded jewelry. Accessories that are generally used are those that come from their hunting animals, such as canine and bear teeth and also pig fangs. If in Papua the pig fangs are made into jewels which are stuck in the nose while for the Dayak, the pig fangs become their fruit necklaces.

Another unique characteristic of Dayak tribe is the tattoo, where tattoos for them have a very deep meaning. Tattoos for the Dayak are part of tradition, religion, social status of a person in the community and can also be tribal appreciation for one’s abilities. Therefore, tattoos can not be made haphazardly.

Both tattoos on men or women, traditionally made using long orange fruit spines. They can do tattoos using one spines or use several needles at once. Meanwhile the material for tattooing use soot from a black pot. There are some of Dayak customs that are still preserved. This custom is one of Indonesian culture which are:

1. The Tiwah Ceremony

The Tiwah ceremony is one of Dayak traditions. Tiwah is a ceremony that has the purpose to deliver the bones of died people to Sandung. Sandung itself is a kind of small house that is made especially for those who have passed away. The Tiwah Ceremony for the Borneo Dayak Tribe is very sacred. Before the bones of dead people are delivered and placed into Sandung, there are many ritual events such as dances, the sound of traditional instruments and many more.

2. The Supernatural World

One characteristic of Borneo Dayak Tribe is their relationship with their supernatural world. Because of their ritual activities related to supernatural world foreign people called them cannibal. One of their traditions is Manajah Antang. It is the Dayak tribe way to get clues of their enemy using spirits of the ancestors with the Antang bird.

3. Red Bowl

Red Bowl is a ceremony for merging the Dayak Tribe. A red bowl exists if the Dayaks feel threatened by danger. Their leader, called Pangkalima or Panglima, will give alert for dangerous situation or war by spread the red bowl from one Dayak village into another villages.

Before spreading the red bowl Panglima of Dayak tribe held ceremony to determine the right time for war. In this traditional ceremony the spirits of their ancestors will enter the body of the Panglima and he will summon the spirits of the ancestors so all the Dayaks will have the power like their Panglima.

Red bowl made of bamboo terrace. The Red Bowl must be included with acoruscalamus which symbolizes courage, red chicken feathers for flying, bamboo torch lamps, sago palm leaves (metroxylon sagus) for shelter and a knot rope made from crab skin as a symbol of unity. This equipment is placed in a bowl of bamboo and wrapped in red cloth.

 By: Clarisse

district of Ranau, Sabah

As a part of the Crocker Range area, located in the district of Ranau, Sabah, this mountainous area is only 90km from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and becoming a very popular tourist attraction. Other than popular as tourist attraction, Kundasang is also known for agricultural and dairy products.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF 'RANAU'

The origin of the name "Ranau" comes from the Dusun word ranahon, which means paddy fields. The Dusun people who live in the highland grow mountain rice on the hills (called tumo/dumo), where the mountain rice is called parai tidong in Dusun.

Important both for its high biodiversity and for its karst features, Gunung Mulu National Park, on the island of Borneo in the State of Sarawak, is the most studied tropical karst area in the world. The 52,864-ha park contains seventeen vegetation zones, exhibiting some 3,500 species of vascular plants. Its palm species are exceptionally rich, with 109 species in twenty genera noted. The park is dominated by Gunung Mulu, a 2,377 m-high sandstone pinnacle. At least 295 km of explored caves provide a spectacular sight and are home to millions of cave swiftlets and bats. The Sarawak Chamber, 600 m by 415 m and 80 m high, is the largest known cave chamber in the world.