Travel writing by Chloe Pang
After an exciting paragliding adventure at Ranau and a night’s rest at Gathering Village the day before, my family and I are ready for our adventure in Kundasang.
We started off with brunch at a cafe belonging to another homestay called Ausvilla. The food there is quite reasonably priced. Furthermore, the place is also perfect for taking pictures because the view there is really nice and windy.
Our first destination after the meal was Sosodikan Hill. To those of you who have never visited Sabah before, the hill is a must-go on a clear day, as you would get to enjoy a 360-degree view of Kundasang. Hiking up the 400-metre hill on a sunny day will be quite hot, but I promise you that the view at the top is going to be worth the trouble.
The weather was cloudy when we began our hike, so we brought along umbrellas just in case it rains. Fortunately, the clouds cleared by the time we reached the top, so we rested and took photos of the beautiful view before heading back down.
After coming down from the hill, we continued on to Desa Farm, which is famous for their dairy cows. They sell ice cream, cake, sausages, and more. The farm also has a place where people get to feed the calves and goats. They sell grass for RM1 and milk for RM2 for you to feed the animals with.
Apart from that, we were also allowed to watch the cow’s milking process using the farm’s automated milking machines. I was very impressed by how smooth the milking process was; the cows were very organised, and they seemed to know which of the machines they should use even without anyone telling them to.
Afterwards, we checked in at our new accommodation, Hounon Ridge Farmstay and Camping at around 6.30pm. This place had a beautiful view of both Mount Kinabalu and the Kundasang Highlands, and the house reminded me of one of the Sylvanian Families doll houses because of the yellow lighting and similar looking houseplants.
This place had a big field since it is also a farmstay and a camping site, but I was not able to stargaze that night due to the sky being covered in rain clouds. Instead, I woke up early the next morning to enjoy another thing that I would always recommend others to visit to Kundasang for: the sunrise. The temperature was freezing, but the wait was worth it when I finally saw the sun rising behind a veil of thin clouds between two mountains.
Kundasang, and the areas surrounding it, is a place filled with natural wonders and scenic views. It was a really good decision for my family to bring our friends to Kundasang, as they get to enjoy the best views of Sabah’s natural wonders during their time there. If you come to visit Sabah as well someday, do consider doing the same too, and you will enjoy what I got to experience throughout the trip I have written here.