Livelihoods dependent on riverbanks
Published on: Sunday, March 27, 2022
By: Anna Vivienne
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Polumpung campsite.
The people of Sabah live and eke a livelihood within this beauty, mostly ignored or taken for granted by them in the past. The mists that blanket the valleys in the morning and the dew heavy on grass blades are mere sights, seen every day of their life.
Times have changed however and these sights are now being marketed as tourism products; mostly the rivers and the sights of Mount Kinabalu, distant or near. These are the pride of the people of Sabah, and they willingly share these with their guests through the inceptions of river side activities, such as camping, river trekking and white-water rafting as well as homestays.
Kg Tombotuan Kota Belud is one such valley that is breathtakingly beautiful. In the morning upon waking up, one can look out the window and see the Mountain. Surrounded by tall trees this valley boasts rows of houses, a school with a vast play field and a couple of provision store.
A river flows nearby, between a row of houses. A hanging bridge connects the homes across the river. The river is one of those effected by the earthquake several years ago, and huge rocks now stand in the middle. This lends a certain charm to the river.
Kosimin Sulidon the headman of Kg Tombotuan promotes his village to tourists as having a cool environment being in a valley under the brooding Mount Kinabalu.
“There are ten homes here that are actively involved in the homestay, with a varying number of rooms in each house. We have several activities here including trekking up Nungkok Mountain and tubing on the river, hiking to the waterfalls and fish feeding among others.”
He shares that they used to be sustenance farmers but has since turn to the tourism industry, banking on the beauty of nature as their product.
The Polumpung Campsite in Kadamaian is a beautiful site. The rocks at the banks of the rushing river are huge, and acts like a buffer against the wind for campers. The sound of the rushing river is soothing. In the morning the cold air is invigorating and a morning dip can be quite icy.
Pitching a tent there for a few days can be an experience worth trying for those who want to be close to nature and photography buffs.
The proprietor Somboton Gunsalahon, who also used to be a sustenance farmer shares that he found out it is viable to maintain a campsite there due to its popularity.
“We can accommodate 400 tents in the past but we had to decrease it to 200 at any one time to ensure that there is social distancing. Our campsite is usually for leisure vacationers who want to enjoy the river, the natural environment and the sight of Mt. Kinabalu. We have hosted groups on teambuilding here too,” he shared.
Bidin Molindoi operated Nahandang Melangkap Homestay and Campsite since 2014 banking on the crystal-clear river and good sight of Mt Kinabalu from his site. He had played hosts to many visitors since.
The site there is beautiful as well and just as any other riverside tourism products they depend on the river, the camp sites and the sights of nature around them.
“We suffered badly during the several Movement Restrictions Order (MCO) through the Pandemic but we maintained our camping sites. We are now hoping for a better future,” he shares.
Tegudon Tourism Village in Kota Belud is a famous site for stargazers. The field where stargazers usually pitch their tent on, at times, are filled with people with telescopes.
Although it is rather quiet nowadays, due to several restrictions caused by the pandemic, it is still a nice place to visit and stay a couple of days, Visitors can enjoy the roaring river and the beauty of nature around. In the morning they will enjoy the sight of majestic Mount Kinabalu in the distance.
Kaisah Darinsin spokesperson for the village shares that there are nine huts available for visitors who wish to stay for a while. There are cooking facilities available for them.
Lasmin Lopog who owns Kondis Point, Kiulu White Water Rafting, is also a sustenance farmer in the past, planting vegetables and catch crops on his land. Several fruit trees are also standing there, having been planted through the years, until he saw the viability of turning his place into a white-water rafting site.
“I started very modestly, having only a couple of raft and a couple of huts by the river. I worked hard, building the huts and landscaping. I have several rafts now and we offer food for our guests. Our guests are diverse, with China tourists making the bulk of the arrivals.”
“It takes a lot of patience and perseverance to make it work. We have gone through good times and bad times. We have dealt with stubborn tourists, but we held on, as this is our livelihood now,” he shares.
He agrees that banking on the river and the beauty of nature is feasible in tourism, and he believes that environmental conservation is paramount in ensuring a sustainable industry.
Karanahan view.
Value adding tourism products are also viable. This speaks true for Michael Asik proprietor of Karanahan View Kg Tampasuk Dua Kota Belud. Instead of a river, his site is by paddy fields. The place is beautifully landscaped and decorated. There are photo booths and also the landscaped garden for visitors and avid photographers.
There is a pond where people can paddle a boat and maneuver a kayak, while a swimming pool is ready nearby for visitors to cool down in. Children can go cycling around the premise too.
There are traditional dances at certain time, a handicraft making demonstration and also traditional cake making demonstration. For those who have never ridden on a buffalo, they can take the opportunity to do so.
For those who wish to stay overnight in Karanahan View, they can watch fireflies and enjoy the night ambiance of a village while they dine at the restaurant available there.
Karanahan View may be value added, but the beauty of nature still abounds as it is in the middle of a village, and vast paddy fields nearby.
This just goes to show that Sabah is one of the best places in the country to visit and enjoy sites and sights of nature.
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