On the way back to Kota Kinabalu we stopped outside the UNESCO World Heritage site of Mount Kinabalu (The highest mountain in the Crocker Range)

We stayed at the side of the main road just down from the entrance to the mountain.

We had flirted with scaling the 4095m summit but with torrential rain all passes were cancelled while we were there. You could see all the new waterfalls made from waterlogged trails up the mountain.

This was a shame as it was the highest mountain existing between the Himalayas and the Snow Mountains of Papua Barat (New Guinea Island).

This majestic mountain range is not only beautiful but has a sad story as it was probably the last sight for the 2,248 Australian and British POWs who died on the forced death marches that passed by. There is a plaque commemorating this just inside the park gates.

The park itself is not just a mountain, it contains many trails and areas and is bigger than the whole of Singapore Island!! It contains many different flora owing to the 4 distinct climate zones here, many located in the Botanical Garden. It’s home to over 1200 species of Orchids alone!

We spent the best part of two days trying to get some good photos of the mountain, walking around the park and sampling the local cuisine. With misty rainy weather those tans would have to wait until Bali!