We woke up to a very rainy and wet kundasang. Our plan for the day was to visit Kinabalu park for a small hike then grab some lunch on the way to the hot springs.

If you want to get around it is tricky so stock up on money for taxi rides. Ben another of Sabrina’s family was free so offered to be our driver for the day for a fee. Please don’t bank on this but if you are thinking about not getting a hire car maybe contact Sabrina in advance to ask.

The rainy drive up the the park filled me with a little dread as my mac wasn’t very waterproof anymore so I was relying on a plastic poncho. The Kinabalu Park was 20 ringgit entry and the heavens literally opened as we arrived. If you head into the entrance and round the the right there is a small souvenir shop and slightly further round is an info centre with free maps.

After suiting up we walked down the main driveway and started the walking route we’d been advised but unfortunately a bit further in the bridge was drowned by the rain and so we headed on down the path to the botanical gardens. It’s only 5 rigget to enter the gardens and it’ll take about 10-15 to meander around. Hilariously we were obviously visiting at the wrong time of the year so they’re wasn’t much out but I did manage to get a few shots

Upon leaving we headed down the tarmac road for about 10 mins and being soaked to the skin we ran into the restaurant dripping with rain. The restaurants a lovely stop off and I bet with a bit of sun it’s a lovely break point for your day. The first thing they gave us were hot towels and I kid you not it felt like I’d died and gone to heaven after the freezer soaking wet walk. We had coffee and spring rolls which were very tasty. Wee bit pricey at 30 ringgit but oh so worth it.

Given up on our walk Ben drove us off the the springs. Enroute he saw a sign for he roffesia flower being open. This flower is the biggest in the world and can grow to a metre wide! Amazing! When I was little I’d seen one in a puzzle book and when I saw the grew in Borneo we had to stop off! For 20 ringger we had a five min walk down a path to see it

The photo doesn’t really do it justice but this ones about 75cm wide! And didn’t have the horrible smell which they are known for.

The next 30 mins we drive onwards the the hot springs whilst Ben told us about a huge waterfall and treetop walk at the same location so they seemed like a good plan before taking a dip. We walked past the springs and to the entrance to the canopy walk to find it had closed 5 mins earlier 🤦‍♀️

Never mind the waterfall was to come so we started the steep asent to the top. Part way up Ben informed us last time he went to see it with his mates they all got bitten by Leeches (lovely) it didn’t diter us but as we walked we did keep an eye out until the guys started looking at a bat cave and Abby shouted. Staring at her pulling her trousers away from her leg and this wriggly thing attached it was a bloody leech. Needless to say I was no use but Ben swiftly pulled the leech off and flung it away. After that Abbie had had enough and so had I, so we scarped down the hill.

We got to the bottom relived that no one had actually been bitten but we were all freaked out especially as Abbie had encountered another leech on the way down.

Heading back to the home stay Ben kept mentioning a delicacy of chicken bum. We couldn’t work out if this was a translation error or actually a bum but Joel tried to fend off trying it as both he and Abby were veggie. But Ben was adamant we try it and pulled over to buy one. It then occurred to me that I was gonna have to take one for the team. As Ben came back to the car I was handed a skewer with 4 piece of chicken in a light pink marinade. The only slurpy worrying thing was at the centre of each piece was slightly dark.

As not to often I took a small bite. Actually it just tasted like thick chicken skin but the thought of what I was eating made me flintch. Lucky no more bites were expected and we drove off home.

Relieved to be home leech free and stomach still intact the thought of a cool beer was appealing. As I ripped off my socks something hurt. Bugger me a leech had got me! As bloody trickled down my foot the paranoid checking of boots/socks/everywhere for the little blighter no where to be seen.