Sabah

Sabah occupies the top portion of the beautiful island of Borneo, and covers an area of 74,000 sq. km with a coastline that is washed by the South China Sea, Sulu Sea and the Celebes Sea.

Sabah is known as "The Land Below The Wind" as it sits below the typhoon belt. It is home to some of the worlds oldest jungles, and the magnificent Mount Kinabalu, which is the highest mountain peak in South-east Asia.

The capital of the state is Kota Kinabalu or KK as it is locally known, with a population of around 300,000 it is a relatively new city as the original was destroyed during the Second World War.

Sabah is a true melting pot of indigenous and immigrant groups. There are around 30 different races and over 80 different dialects, each group have there own distinctive colourful culture, festivals and beliefs. The indigenous groups include Kadazan / Dusan, Bajau, Murut, Rungus, Bisaya. The largest ethnic group in Sabah are the Kadazan / Dusans and are mainly located on the West Coast.

Sandakan is the old state capital and is located on the East Coast. It is home to the worlds largest Urang Utan Sanctuary at Sepilok, which is around 15 minutes drive from the town.

For Dive enthusiasts Sabah has some of the best dive sites in Malaysia, SipadanIsland for one is a word that is on the lips of any diver who has explored the waters of Borneo.