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Sabah: Stunning sunsets and beautiful beaches

By Wang Wen (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-02 10:57

If you want to watch one of the world's most beautiful sunsets, Sabah is the place to go.

The Malaysian state on the island of Borneo, Sabah also has the highest mountain in Southeast Asia and beautiful sea known as divers' heaven.

A five-hour chartered plane journey will take you from Beijing to Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah.

Sipadan Island, about 35 km south of Sabah's mainland, is famous for its green and hawksbill turtles and the unique "Turtle Tomb", which attracts divers from all over the world.

"I have seen other places like Sipadan, but it was 45 years ago," famed French ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau once said. "Now we have again found an untouched piece of art."

Mt. Kinabalu, Southeast Asia's highest peak at 4,095 m, is in the west of Sabah and the focal point of the state's oldest park. Two hours drive from Kota Kinabalu, it is the youngest non-volcanic mountain in the world, still growing at the rate of 5 mm a year. It is home to more than 6,000 types of trees, 300 varieties of birds and 100 kinds of mammals.

Forest coverage can be more than 95 percent in Sabah and the air is fresh. Tanjung Aru Beach, Anjung Senja, Segama Waterfront and Likas Bay are among the best places to watch the stunning sunsets for which Sabah is renowned.

During the Spring Festival, a four-day holiday in Sabah costs about 7,000 yuan.

The temperature in January and February is about 28 C.