KOTA KINABALU: Dreaming of an island-hopping holiday Sabah’s Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park (TTAR)—named after Malaysia’s first Prime Minister — could be the perfect fit if you’re into activities like scuba-diving, snorkelling and jungle trekking.
The marine park is made up of five islands — Mamutik, Sulug, Sapi, Manukan and Gaya – with the last-mentioned the biggest at 1,465ha and dotted with villages and a police station, while the smallest is Mamutik, where reef residents like the sergeant major, parrotfish and butterflyfish are common.
Part of the Crocker Range, but cut off during the Ice Age, altogether the land totals 4,929ha.
According to Sabah Parks statistics, 22,600 international and 16,604 local tourist arrivals were recorded in the first four months of 2019 — totalling 39,204 people — in TTAR.
Last year, there were 564,081 tourists (394,222 international and 169,859 local) while in 2017, there were 564,330 tourists (386,543 international and 177,787 local).
So, what are you waiting for? Boats await at Jesselton Point and several other jetties in Kota Kinabalu to whizz you away to your exotic destination just 20 minutes away. – Bernama
