The Tip of Borneo

I first read about The Tip of Borneo about a year ago and wanted to make a trip there.  It has also been years since I last visited Kota Kinabalu.  When Malaysia Airlines tested their new A350-900 XWB planes on the Kuala Lumpur – Kota Kinabalu route, I took the opportunity to fly on the new aircraft.

The Tip of Borneo is located in the district of Kudat, which is approximately three hours’ drive from Kota Kinabalu.  The journey took us through various towns like Tamparuli, Tuaran and Kota Belud passing by rustic villages in the valleys, green padi fields, rolling hills, coconut and oil palm plantations as well as roadside stalls set up by the locals selling fruits, food and handicrafts.

Passing through a valley on the way to Kudat

Cars and animals sharing the road 🙂

We stopped by the gong making village of Kampung Sumangkap.  The gong is an important instrument in Sabah’s indigenous traditional music.  It is played at major events and festivals.  Most of the villagers made a living by making gongs of various sizes. They display their wares at the workshop.  Most of the gongs are made from brass or bronze.

Kampung Sumangkap is a Rungus village near Kudat

Giant gongs at the community playground

Gongs of various sizes on display in the village

One can walk about freely in the village and see how gongs are being made.  Souvenir gongs in various sizes and unique designs can be purchased as a memento of the visit.   Visitors have to pay an entrance fee of RM5.00 and the village is open from 8.30am to 5.30pm daily.

A villager expertly worked on a gong

Painted gongs left to dry

Gongs for sale in one of the workshops

From Kampung Sumangkap, we made our way to Kampung Bavanggazo to visit the Rungus longhouse.  The Rungus people, a sub-ethnic group of the Kadazandusun, is one of the ethnic tribes in Sabah.  With modernisation, most have moved to live in modern houses and living in longhouses is quite rare these days.

Rungus Longhouse which also housed the Maranjak Longhouse Lodge

One can book a stay in the Maranjak Longhouse Lodge to experience living in a longhouse.  Housed in a longhouse built from traditional materials – attap leaves (palm leaves) for roof, bamboo for the floor and wood for the stilts and stairs, the lodge offers basic accommodation for those who want to experience a communal living lifestyle.

Maranjak Longhouse Lodge reception

Interior of the longhouse

The longhouse has long and wide corridoor

The longhouse is still open to visitors like me who are just visiting.  Entrance fee is RM3.00.  Though clean, the longhouse looks a little derelict and needs more upkeep.

Leaving Kampung Bavanggazo, we continued our way to Kudat.  This small frontier town is located in the northernmost point of Borneo in the heartland of the Rungus people.  Kudat also has a significant population of Hakka Chinese.

Malaysia Day Memorial Monument in Kudat

Fuk Tek Kung Temple is another attraction in town

Main altar of Fuk Tek Kung Temple

After lunch and a short rest, we made our way to The Tip of Borneo.  The small road took us through remote villages and oil palm plantations.  The road still has sections that are bumpy, unsealed and narrow.  After about 40 minutes drive, we reached Kalampunian Beach.

Narrow wooden bridge on the road to Tip of the Borneo

The scenery on the way to Tip of the Borneo

This 4 kilometer stretch of sandy beach with crystal clear water on a good day can be tempting one to jump in for a swim.  Surfers are also attracted to the beach as it has some pretty strong waves.

Kalampunian Beach

The beach is popular with surfers

View of Tip of the Borneo from Kalampunian Beach

Then it is off to the ‘tip’.  Known by the locals as Tanjung Simpang Mengayau referring to the fierce battles that took place at this cape by the Rungus people against pirates and invaders to their homeland.

This landmark globe indicates the location of The Tip of Borneo

This cape marks the end of Borneo island on the northern side and the point where the South China Sea meets with the Sulu Sea.

Steps leading to The Tip of Borneo

Rocks eroded by waves and wind

This cape is well-known for its stunning sunset view.  It is also a good spot for stargazing on a clear night.  Alas, we didn’t get to witness any as it was a very cloudy day when we visited :(.  So we just enjoyed the peace and quiet and took in the nice scenery while listening to the waves crashing into the headland.

View from The Tip of Borneo

The landmark at The Tip of Borneo

It was still worthwhile making the trip.  Apart from being able to see the scenic countryside, discovering beautiful unspoilt beaches, now I can claim that I have been to the end of the Borneo island too :).