Intro to Sabah...

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Sabah is one of the 13 states that make up Malaysia, together with the capital district of Kuala Lumpur (KL). Along with the other Malaysian state Sarawak, Indonesia and Brunei, it makes up Borneo, the third largest island in the world. Both Sabah and Sarawak were independent colonies before joining Malaya in 1963, and even today they retain more autonomy than the other states. The capital city of Sabah is Kota Kinabalu (or KK) where Raleigh Fieldbase is situated.

Sabah, otherwise known as ‘The Land Below the Wind’, has a beautiful and dramatic landscape, and some fascinating ethnic communities, flora and fauna. The state is well known for its incredible natural features and varied terrain, which includes everything from swampy, mangrove tangled coastal areas, to gorgeous sandy beaches and coral reefs, through dazzling green paddy fields and rainforests. Nature here weaves such a colourful and diverse tapestry of sights and sounds. In Borneo you will find the Rafflesia, the largest flower in the world, along with orangutans, rhinos, Asian elephants and proboscis monkeys, all living together.

Sabah also has the highest mountain in South East Asia. At 4,095m Mount Kinabalu is Malaysia’s only world heritage site, and most of the participants and staff will scale its dizzy heights in the coming months. They may also have the opportunity to visit one of the world’s last areas of pristine and unexplored primary rainforest in either Danum Valley or Imbak Canyon, and experience world-renowned coral dive sites and beautiful sandy beaches.

The people of Sabah are a multicultural mix of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Eurasians and indigenous groups such as the Rungus and Murut (formerly headhunters). Although Islam is the state religion, Sabah is one of the few places left on earth where many faiths live together in complete harmony, often ‘borrowing’ aspects of each other’s religious beliefs, as the mood takes them.

The official language of Malaysia is Bahasa Malaysia, but English is widely spoken. Part of the challenge of the expedition is to be able to converse in Malay. Learning about traditions and customs of the remote regions that we visit has been an important part of the training, as in some cases Raleigh volunteers are some of the first non-Malaysian people the communities have met. Malaysians are incredibly friendly and welcoming, and keen to help anyone to learn their language.

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