A Detour to a Fruits Farm in Kampong Sayap, Kota Belud

Another incentive for us to spend a night in Kundasang was to visit a fruits farm in Kota Belud after the wedding reception. A former colleague of my wife who has ventured into fruits farming soon after retirement from his school principalship has been asking her numerous time to visit his farm.

The decision to visit the farm also created an opportunity for me for the very first time to drive along the bypass that tee-off at a Junction at Km62 of KK-Ranau Highway that leads to Kota Belud.

Road junction at Km62 KK-Ranau Highway to Kota Belud.

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The bypass did give some surprises in terms of scenery and terrains. At approx. 9Km from the tee-off road junction, we were confronted with a scenic river (Sungai Sinilou) spans across with a suspension bridge at Kampong Lingkubang. We immediately took a break and stopped to enjoy the beautiful scenery. I discovered later that during a clear cloudless day, Mount Kinabalu is easily visible from the suspension bridge!

Mt. Kinabalu was shrouded in cloud that particular morning!

Mt. Kinabalu is clearly visible in a clear cloudless day!

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As it turned out, access to the fruits farm was not as easy as we were first given to understand. We were first given a google location by the farm owner which is just a mere 2.5Km from Kota Belud town. Once we arrived at the location and upon checking with the owner, we were told that's not the location of the farm. We were then directed through multiple phone contacts to the final location after driving another 25Km - some of which was bumpy graveled road currently still under upgrading work!

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Upon arriving at the farm, we were deeply touched by the thoughtful welcome prepared for us. The owner had gone out of his way to set up a shaded umbrella shed, complete with a table neatly arranged with drinks and light snacks to refresh us after the journey. It was such a warm gesture that I could hardly imagine what a loss it would have been had we not made it to the farm.

The owner had, on many occasions in the past, extended invitations to my wife to visit his farm. Both he and my wife had once served as school principals, and through the course of their work, they got to know each other.

The farm itself is a treasure trove of tropical abundance. Rows of fruit trees flourish across the land - local green oranges, jackfruits, rambutan, tarap, and no fewer than 20 varieties of durian, according to the owner. He shared with us his vision of expanding the farm into something even greater. His son, who is currently pursuing studies in tourism, is expected to one day play a key role in managing and developing the farm, turning it into a place that not only produces fruit but also attracts visitors to experience its charm.

Notwithstanding the current poor access road to his farm, he is upbeat about the potential of venturing into agro-ecotourism once the existing graveled road is fully sealed. According to him, plenty of locals and foreigners come to do trekking at the nearby Eco-Edu Tourism Tinuman (Read here).

Durian trees.

Plenty of orange trees.

Just before we left, he handed us gifts in the form of his home-made cleaning agent, air-fresher (made from peels of oranges) etc. I must say that he is someone who is both creative and industrious even after retirement!