Kundasang

Today’s the last day of our holiday in Sabah. We came with our daughter and her friend, spending two nights up in Kundasang and another two back in Kota Kinabalu. It’s been 17 years since we last came, and this trip really takes us back to 2008 when we climbed Mount Kinabalu. That adventure’s far behind us now. There's no way we can repeat it anymore. If only we were 17 years younger, things would be different.

Anyway, we arrived last Wednesday on an AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur. The flight was delayed by about 90 minutes but in hindsight, that wasn’t such a bad thing. By the time we landed, the heavy rain had eased off into a light drizzle, so it actually worked out. Lunchtime too, so we headed to a shop called Fatt Kee for their famous fish head noodles. After that came the long drive to Kundasang. At an elevation of almost 1,900m (6,200 ft), it is the highest settlement in Malaysia. It was already dark when we checked into our Airbnb homestay – a little place called Tiny House.

Befitting its name, it really was tiny and compact: just about 12 feet by 16 feet, with a small ground-floor bedroom that felt more like an 8x8 box, and an equally small bathroom. My daughter and her friend had the loft space, which was bigger but the steep staircase put me off. So, Saw See and I stayed put downstairs. The dining area was outside the house, and we had to deal with three curious cats that kept hopping onto our laps, eyeing our food. One even overturned the rubbish bin to get at the bones. In the end, I weighed down the lid with a heavy stool to stop this nonsense.

The next morning, Mount Kinabalu was completely hidden by thick mist and clouds. But we made up for it by checking out Anooh Coffee nearby – a cosy café with good coffee and views of the surrounding hills. Later, we visited the Kundasang War Memorial, which was beautifully kept and quite moving, especially the gardens built in memory of the soldiers. From there, it was on to the Desa Dairy Farm, with its “New Zealand” scenery of rolling green pastures and grazing cows – and of course, the fresh milk and ice cream everyone comes for. By late afternoon, we wandered through the open-air market in Kundasang, browsing local vegetables, fruits and flowers. The place was lively, with the usual friendly chatter from stall owners.

The following morning, I stepped outside and finally got my reward. Mount Kinabalu stood there in full glory, the sky clear and blue, with wisps of mist circling the summit. Even Laban Rata was clearly seen. It was a surreal sight, and it instantly brought back memories of my very first visit to Kinabalu Park with schoolmates back in 2006. I joked to my daughter that the mountain was calling me again – but sadly, climbing it now is out of the question.

Still, we did spend about two hours inside Kinabalu Park before the long drive back to Kota Kinabalu. Had lunch there and took a short stroll along the Silau Silau trail. Not quite the same as climbing to the top, but it was enough to bring back a flood of memories.