Frequently Asked Questions

Disclaimer: Though the information below is correct to the best of my knowledge, I can give no guarantee of its accuracy. Please check with other sources and don't make any planning decisions based on this information alone.
  1. How to get there?
  2. What is the approximate cost of the whole trip?
  3. How does one go about booking accommodation?
  4. Is there any reliable agency for organising such a trip?
  5. Is there a tour package to Kinabalu by itself in Singapore?
  6. Do I need advance booking for the rest houses along the way up?
  7. Do you climb the mountain by footpath, or is there some need of rock climbing?
  8. How many days for the entire trip, if you start from and return to Singapore?
  9. How current is this information?
  10. What are the other sources of information about Mt. Kinabalu?

How to get there?
Mt. Kinabalu is in the Kinabalu National Park in East Malaysia. To get to the park, the easiest mode of transport is a bus ride. The city of Kota Kinabalu is best reached by a flight.
If you are travelling from Singapore, the cheapest way to reach Kota Kinabalu is by taking a flight from Johor Bahru.

What is the approximate cost of the whole trip?
Not much. Check with the airline regarding the air fare. Kinabalu park charges are very reasonable (about RM. 150) per person, but it is always a good idea to check with the concerned parties.

How does one go about booking accommodation?
Call up Kinabalu National Park to make the bookings. They are quite likely to keep you on hold for a long time, so you may want to correspond via post. In that case, make sure that you take into account all factors like postal delays and local holidays.

Is there any reliable agency for organising such a trip?
Not that I am aware of. There are some companies in JB and KL that offer organised outings, but usually they combine Mt. Kinabalu with some other places.

Do I need advance booking for the rest houses along the way up?
You will spend a night at the park and the next along the way to the peak. You need to book accommodation for both these stays. It is better to make booking beforehand if you want everything to be well planned or if you are on a tight schedule. We had a few fellow climbers who had made no prior arrangements whatsoever and were ready to rough it out. Roughing it out probably means sleeping on the couch/floor in the rest house rather than in a bed.

Do you climb the mountain by footpath, or is there some need of rock climbing?
The ascent is via a footpath (more like a foot road) most of the way. After that it is a hard climb, but you don't need any special skills. In one or two places you may have to grab hold of the ropes already tethered to the rock face. Overall, it's quite tame.

For us it was something like
Day 1
5:30 am: Leave Singapore for JB in the MAS bus
8:30 am: Flight from JB to Kota Kinabalu
12:00 noon: Take bus to Kinabalu National Park
3:00 pm: Reach Kinabalu Nat. Park. Spend the rest of the day settling down, going for walks etc.
Day 2:
7:00 am: Go to park HQ to book the guide
8:00 am: start the climb
3:00 pm: reach Laban Rata (we were quite slow in climbing. If you are a regular you can probably make it in half the time)
6:00 pm: to bed since there is nothing else to do!
1:30 am: wake up and get ready for the climb (in case this is too early for you, you can start at 3:30 and still make it to the top - again depending on your fitness level)
2:30 am: start the climb
5:45 am: reach Low's peak
9:00 am: back at Laban Rata
3:00 pm: back to park HQ - on the way out to Poring
5:30 pm: In Poring - hot springs
Day 3
9:00 am: Bus from Poring to KK
12:00 noon: FLight to JB
5:00 pm: Home!

How current is this information?
The last time I went to Mt. Kinabalu was in May 1997, but I definitely plan to go there again.

What are the other sources of information about Mt. Kinabalu?
The internet is obviously a goldmine of information. There are web pages like mine, web pages by tour operators as well as some websites maintained by the Malaysian tourism authorities. One way will be to use a search engine and look for the keywords from the previous sentence.

There are also some books that provide some useful information.

SOS: The Story Behind the Army Expedition to Borneo's 'Death Valley': Lt. Col. Robert Neill, Maj. Ron Foster:

This book is written by two members of the British expedition party who climbed down Low's Gully and were lost for weeks. It is good armchair reading and it also provided me some project planning and management insights. (A vistor to my web page told me about this book)
Parks of Malaysia, A Practical Guide and Manual: John Briggs
This cast-off from the local library cost me only two dollars. It has a wealth of information about the national parks of Malaysia, not just the Kinabalu National Park. There are also practical tips and packing lists for travellers.