destination

destination dapako hill lingga eco tourism

Stretch your arms and legs, and escape the city to the serene and peaceful Dapako Hill Lingga Eco Tourism, Kiulu. Enjoy the fresh air, sounds of the river, and the calmness of the forest when you spend your day at Dapako Hill.

Located an hour away from Kota Kinabalu, you won’t need to worry about a long journey to get there. The local community that manages the site offers a few packages for visitors to choose from. From a hike up the Dapako Hill, to a campsite made available for everyone, you have quite a variety of activities to choose from.

Once you’ve arrived, your main destination is right across the Tuaran River, so you’ll need to cross the suspension bridge. On your way across, you’re greeted by the harmony of gongs beating to welcome you. You’re also welcomed with freshly brewed coffee with pandan served by the friendly locals. When you’ve settled down, you can then start the fun activities from your selected package.

As mentioned above, the main attraction of the Dapako Hill is, well, obviously Dapako Hill itself. You have a choice between hiking up the 5 or 7 kilometer trails. Along the way, you’re able by Noel Jinguli to experience the calm forest, try fresh honey from the hives of stingless bees, and also visit two waterfalls. Abseil down one of them and feel the cool and clean water on your skin. Once you’ve reached the top, it’s nothing but an amazing scenery.

Other than hiking, you can also swim in the clear waters of the Tuaran river or go rafting in it. The deepest point of the river is approximately 16 feet. If you do decide to camp, the campsite is literally beside the river. During our visit there, the air and atmosphere was very cool. Other activities that you can do are fish feeding and swinging across the river during the ‘flying fox’ activity.

No matter which package you choose, you’ll surely enjoy your day or night, relaxing by the river or hiking up the hill. If there are more than 20 people in your group or combined with other groups, you’ll be treated with a free lunch of chicken porridge. For more information and bookings, you can contact them at

016-810 6953. Images | Noel Jinguli

eco news

Patriotism and Our environment

Malaysia Day is just around the corner and the patriotic spirit is in the air. This year, we’ll be celebrating the 57th anniversary of the formation of our country. However, this year will be a tad different when it comes to the celebrations. Due to the circumstances, there’ll be no parades or big festivities held. This is not an excuse not to show support and patriotism for our country. Aside from sticking flags on cars and waving them around, there are things we should do in regards to our environment.

First, what do you do with the flags after the day? Do you store them for next year or do you dispose of them immediately? It’s more environmentally friendly to reuse them, but if you do need to dispose of them for some reason, make sure you do it properly. Also, don’t simply throw them on the sidewalk. You’re not only being a litterbug, but it’s also unpatriotic. So, think about that!

That being said, patriotism isn’t only about respecting our flag, leaders, and those who sacrificed for our country. It’s also about respecting the environment we live in, what we call home. If we litter and don’t take care of it, then it’s sad to say that we are unpatriotic and not respecting our country.

It’s also about learning from the past. Knowing and understanding the nation’s accomplishments, along with our mistakes, helps ensure we learn from them and improve for the future. The same approach can be made with our environment. We’ve all by Noel Jinguli had lapses in judgement and for the most part, that’s okay. What matters now is we learn from it and try our best not to repeat them. We can determine what we can do better now and in the future.

So to recap, patriotism isn’t only about respecting our country, the flag, and the people who made it what it is today. It’s also about taking care of our environment, our home. Patriotism is also about learning and understanding history, just as it’s important to learn from our own mistakes and achievements. Patriotism is more than just the emotions and feelings we have,

it’s also the actions we take to better the nation. Images | Unsplash