Sabah strengthens air connectivity with China

Sabah welcomes Shanghai Airlines on July 2, as the second China-based airline to resume direct flights into Kota Kinabalu, enhancing air connectivity and the tourism industry. Assistant Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, greeted the inaugural flight’s 159 passengers, emphasizing the importance of this development for the tourism sector. The collaboration between Sabah…

Read More

MATTA Fair Sabah raked in over RM25 million

The MATTA Fair Sabah concluded with a remarkable sales turnover of over RM25 million. The event, held at the Sabah International Convention Centre from May 19 to 21, attracted more than 15,000 visitors over three days. MATTA Sabah chairman Lawrence Chin, expressed satisfaction with the fair and highlighted the participation of 50 regional and international…

Read More

Sabah eyes Japanese’s market

Sabah is making strides to boost its market presence in Japan through its participation in the Tourism Expo Tokyo 2024. Under the Tourism Malaysia Pavilion, the Sabah Tourism Board is promoting the state’s diverse offerings to the Japanese market, with a focus on student education tourism, diving, and birdwatching. These efforts are bolstered by the…

Read More

Borneo Safari to enliven Visit Sabah 2027

KOTA KINABALU: 2 November 2026
The 34th edition of the Borneo Safari International Offroad Challenge 2026 concluded on Nov 1 after eight days of offroad action through the rugged terrain of Ulu Tongod, Sabah.

Flagged off on Oct 25 from the Sabah Tourism Board building along Gaya Street here, the event attracted more than 650 modified 4×4 vehicles and over 1,700 participants from Malaysia and 15 other countries.

Participants faced muddy jungle tracks, steep inclines, V-gullies, landslides, river crossings and other obstacles.

The competition category saw 31 teams compete in 24 special stages (SS), testing their driving skills, vehicle capabilities, endurance and teamwork.

In the tag-on category, competitors faced equally demanding routes, with persistent rain adding to the challenges.

Aleshen Lo and co-driver Norlee Yap from Kota Kinabalu emerged as overall champions with 1,927 points from 24 SS.

The pair secured a 76-point lead over their closest competitors to claim the Borneo Safari Championship Trophy and RM135,472 worth of cash and prizes.

“I am so happy today. We practised hard to make sure we would be ready for this event and all the hard work paid off,” said Aleshen.

Alexander Chang and Anderson Abdullah from Kota Marudu finished as first runners-up, receiving a trophy and more than RM84,967 worth of cash and prizes.

Koo Foi Loong and Velerick Martin from Keningau finished second runners-up, taking home a trophy and more than RM57,758 worth of cash and prizes.

The Fred Leong Award for excellence in visual storytelling through social media went to Nazri Hashim of Offroad Paparazi Burger.

Sabah Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA) president and Borneo Safari event director Faez Nordin congratulated all participants on completing this year’s event.

He also thanked the sponsors, partners, government agencies and supporting organisations for their contributions.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar, who officiated at the closing ceremony at Wisma Hakka, hoped Borneo Safari would continue next year as part of efforts to enliven Visit Sabah 2027 and boost the state’s tourism sector.

Jamawi also announced additional cash prizes for the winners.

Read More

Golden Halo phenomenon on Mt Kinabalu attributed to sunlight refraction

Sabah Parks has clarified that the mesmerizing ‘golden halo’ phenomenon observed on Mount Kinabalu was a result of sunlight refraction, resembling the traditional headgear called ‘sigah’ or ‘sigar’ worn by the ethnic Dusun community. The park authorities addressed this on their official Facebook page on June 15, dismissing speculations about photo manipulation. The captivating image,…

Read More

China contributes largest tourists to Sabah

China is Sabah’s largest source of foreign tourists, with 262,070 of the 706,383 international arrivals recorded from January to July this year. The surge was also due to the mutual visa exemption between Malaysia and China announced last December. China’s visitor arrivals were recorded at 26,054 of the 424,052 international arrivals for the same period…

Read More

Palace Hotel won prestigious award

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The Palace Hotel Kota Kinabalu was the only hotel in the whole of Borneo to won the ASEAN Green Hotel Standard Award 2020-2022 recently, from out of four hotels in Malaysia. The ceremony was held at the Empire Brunei, Brunei on Jan 16, 2020. The award was a recognition by the Ministry…

Read More

Tawau’s tropical rainforest run on Nov 26

The second edition of the Tropical Rainforest Run 2023 is scheduled for Nov 26 at Tawau Hills Park. The run, featuring two routes: a challenging 21km tropical rainforest trail and a family-friendly 6km sulphurous springs fun run. The 21km route follows the demanding Mount Lucia trail, ascending to 800m, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister…

Read More