The Treasure Kota Kinabalu – the City Oasis
October 6th 2006 05:30
I have been looking into the Malaysia’s official tourism site from the government and though they did it spectacularly (and I will update the posts extracted from there) but they did miss out some sanctuary areas for city folks to have the conveniences of having city facilities yet able to visit some nature sites.
Here is a nice location recommended to nature lover tourists (local or abroad) who wants to see something special in the city while they are there. And I found this nice article when I was reading the WWF (World Wide Fund) Green Heart issue today.
A City Oasis
Tucked away in the heart of Kota Kinabalu is a green and tranquil oasis
By Eleanor Chen, WWF Malaysia Green Heart
Amid the hustle and bustle of Kota Kinabalu city lays a quiet place that soothes the nerves and provides respite from city stress. And it lies just two short kilometres away.
It’s the Kota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary.
Flocks of egrets soar overhead while majestic purple herons give visitors the sense of prehistoric hird-of-prey in flight. Closer to the ground, the ancient horse-shoe crab, colourful fiddler crabs and mudskippers create excitement when they are spotted.
Locals come to enjoy its cool air and green surroundings while students, visitors and even national service trainees experience the mangrove ecosystem first-hand.
The Bird Sanctuary is considered a model of mangrove conservation in a urban environment. Gazetted as bird sanctuary by the Sabah State Government in September 1996, the Sanctuary comes under the custody of the Sabah Wildlife Department. It was given additional protection as a State Cultural Heritage Site in 1998.
This 24-hectare remnant patch of a once extensive mangrove forest is a haven for wildlife right in the heart of Kota Kinabalu. With sightings of over 85 species of birds, the Sanctuary is along the right path of birds from Japan, China, and northern Asia. Resident and migratory birds, including the rare Chinese Egret, make this important wetland a favourite haunt for birdwatchers and nature lovers alike.
Getting there: From the city, travel along the Likas coastal highway towards the roundabout at Likas Bay. Make a 3 o’clock into Jalan Istiadat. Travel straight until you reach the Likas Square building. Keep right; turn right after the junction into Jalan Bukit Bendera Upper, which also leads you to Signal Hill. The site is the third left junction after the traffic lights.
Facilities: A 1.5km-long boardwalk, resting huts, an observation tower, an outdoor classroom for environmental games and other activities as well as Environmental Education Centre, comprises an audio-visual room and resource library.
Activities: A series of Environmental Education Programmes that cater to everyone, including Exploring KKCBS, Get To Know Our Mangrove, Nature Detective, Bird Watching and Mud Trail.
So I do hope to see someone who has actually been there and post some comments here. I for one will save some money so that I can fly over and have this breath taking view of natures beauty some time soon (I hope).
To see the official website for KKCBS, please go to:
http://www.sabah.org.my/kkcbs/page1.htm
Here is a nice location recommended to nature lover tourists (local or abroad) who wants to see something special in the city while they are there. And I found this nice article when I was reading the WWF (World Wide Fund) Green Heart issue today.
By Eleanor Chen, WWF Malaysia Green Heart
Amid the hustle and bustle of Kota Kinabalu city lays a quiet place that soothes the nerves and provides respite from city stress. And it lies just two short kilometres away.
It’s the Kota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary.
Fiddler Crab
Locals come to enjoy its cool air and green surroundings while students, visitors and even national service trainees experience the mangrove ecosystem first-hand.
The Bird Sanctuary is considered a model of mangrove conservation in a urban environment. Gazetted as bird sanctuary by the Sabah State Government in September 1996, the Sanctuary comes under the custody of the Sabah Wildlife Department. It was given additional protection as a State Cultural Heritage Site in 1998.
This 24-hectare remnant patch of a once extensive mangrove forest is a haven for wildlife right in the heart of Kota Kinabalu. With sightings of over 85 species of birds, the Sanctuary is along the right path of birds from Japan, China, and northern Asia. Resident and migratory birds, including the rare Chinese Egret, make this important wetland a favourite haunt for birdwatchers and nature lovers alike.
Getting there: From the city, travel along the Likas coastal highway towards the roundabout at Likas Bay. Make a 3 o’clock into Jalan Istiadat. Travel straight until you reach the Likas Square building. Keep right; turn right after the junction into Jalan Bukit Bendera Upper, which also leads you to Signal Hill. The site is the third left junction after the traffic lights.
Facilities: A 1.5km-long boardwalk, resting huts, an observation tower, an outdoor classroom for environmental games and other activities as well as Environmental Education Centre, comprises an audio-visual room and resource library.
Activities: A series of Environmental Education Programmes that cater to everyone, including Exploring KKCBS, Get To Know Our Mangrove, Nature Detective, Bird Watching and Mud Trail.
So I do hope to see someone who has actually been there and post some comments here. I for one will save some money so that I can fly over and have this breath taking view of natures beauty some time soon (I hope).
To see the official website for KKCBS, please go to:
http://www.sabah.org.my/kkcbs/page1.htm
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Comment by Anonymous
I'd put that on my "places plan to visit".