Attractions in Malaysia

Location

The Mesilau Nature Park is located at the southeast corner of the Mount Kinabalu on the Pinosok Plateau at an altitude of 1951 meters. The park is situated within the boundaries of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kinabalu National Park, in the state of Sabah.

Overview

The Mesilau National Park is a great place to escape the hot tropical sun as the climate at this area is much cooler. It is reported to be 17 degrees Celsius during the day and drops to 10 degrees Celsius at night. The park is populated by a different kind of vegetation. It is very different from those seen in most tropical forests and this results in sparsely spaced tree concentration as it consists of a great range of ferns, fruiting shrubs, orchids, mosses, orchids, rhododendrons and the pitcher plant called the Nepenthes Raja. The lush vegetation of the park is mainly made up of oak and chestnut forest with large conifers in between that are covered fully by moss and climbing bamboo. The great variety of flowers here attracts several species of bees to the park where five out of the eight species of bees in the world can be found here in the Mesilau Nature Park.

There are several trails that one can embark on like the Kogonon Trail and the Nepenthes Raja Trail that will both take a good 30 minutes to complete. The number of bird species found here is impressive and do make sure you have your camera with you as there will be many photo opportunities. The Mesilau Summit Trail is also an alternative starting point for those who wish to hike up the Mount Kinabalu. This is a path less travelled as compared to the Timpohon Path. This trail was only opened to be public in 1998 after scientists and researchers have tried the path. The Mesilau Trail is longer by 2 kilometers and has an uneven trail which goes in a vertical manner as opposed to the Timpohon Summit Trail but this trail has more floras to view.

There are several choices of accommodation to choose from at the Mesilau Nature Park. If you do wish to extend your stay in Sabah there will be no need to worry about accommodations in Sabah. There is plenty of hotels around Sabah.

Transport

Mesilau is 100 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu and will take about 2 hours and 30minutes by road. Various transfer options are available according to preference and budget.