Bombalai Hill (Bukit Bombalai)

Friday, December 08, 2023 02:07:04 PM

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Bombalai Hill
(Bukit Bombalai)

From Hills Park car park walk 1 Km of Plantation Road + 900 Meters of Mountain Trial

Bombalai Hill is 540meters above sea level.
Only about an-hour jungle walk on plantation road + jungle trial
From the hill top you have a panoramic view of oil palm plantations, Tawau town and the horizon the Sulawesi Sea!

The walk from Park's Office to Bombalai Hill composed of 1.9 Km in two sections:
1- One Km of Plantation unpaved road (private land)
2- 900 meters of jungle trail (government protected land)

You do not need to enter Tawau Hills Park through the ticket counter at the entrance gate. Because Bombalai is at a separate area outside the park's entrance.

To Bombalai Hill, you do not enter the park entrance and do not have to buy a ticket. Because Bombalai Hill is outside the Park's Entrance. Just from the outside car park (not the inner car park) walk toward the road end where a plantation road began along the boarder of the Park. The plantation road is the starting point of your hike to Bombalai Hill.

Though you do not need to go to the counter to but a ticket for Bombalai Hill. it is advisable for foreign travelers to show your faces at the ticker counter and tell them you are going there. This keep the management aware of their responsibility of safeguarding foreign hikers to Bombalai.

Bombalai Hill and Tawau Hills (both government protected land) is broken and separated by a 1Km oil palm plantation (private land). You witness the two difference ecology between the human planted oil palm trees and the original rain forest.

After a 1 Kilometers of plantation road you will find at the left hand side the junction of the 900 meters trail to Bombalai Hill. The hikers trail is very much narrower then the plantation road wide enough for plantation trucks. Though this trail is shorter then the plantation road, this jungle path will take you longer time in climbing because it is an uphill trek in the jungle. Certain section can be slippery during wet seasons. Always go with a partner in case of casualty.

Private plantation and Government protected forest side by side

For hikers Do Not walk out of the trail and enter protected forest. At least not to venture too far for fear of being mistaken as poachers.
It is common for poachers entering protected areas to capture rare animals and plants. Even more common is local hunters with licensed hunting guns hunting for the plentiful wild-boars (wild-pigs) at night in oil palm plantations.

Bearded Pig or Wild Boar (Sus Barbatus - Babi Hutan) was not a protected animal in Sabah before 2021. But an African Swine Fever (ASF) epidemic resulted these boars are on the decline. Since 2021 Bearded Pig has become a protected species for the first time in wildlife history.

The above photo of a young Bearded Pig was taken in 2005 in the Mini Zoo of Yuk Chin Primary School, Tawau Town. It is still in the zoo as an old aging boar now.

The zoo was shut down on 17th September 2015 by Sabah Wildlife Department after animals found in squalid conditions. But some common easy to maintain animals are still kept there. The "zoo" is still available as "domestic animal zoo" with domestic animals for interested public to enter with a small fee.

If you are interested, the school's animal farm is located on your way to Tawau Hills Park if you are using the Kuhara Road. But do not expect to see rear animals that you can only find in Tawau Hills Park.

Bombalai Hill Trail
0 meter mark - 900 Meters of hill trial start here
Private plantation road continue

At 100 meter mark Bombalai Hill trail (800 meters to go)

At 200 meter mark (700 meters to reach the summit of Bombalai Hill)

The 300 meter mark of jungle trail to Bombalai Hill. Another 600 meters to go.

From 400 meters onward, the path gets steep and steeper.

Exotic plants begin to show up from here.

Finally the end of 900 meter jungle trail to the submit of Bombalai Hill at 530meters above sea level.
From the summit of the hill you have a panoramic view of surrounding oil palm plantations, Tawau town and the horizon of Sulawesi Sea!