Poring Hot Springs

The Poring Hot Springs is a series of Japanese 'onsen' baths fed by spring water. The boiling hot waters have a strong scent of sulphur and are believed to carry therapeutic properties.

The canopy walk in Poring is a must-visit.

Gonocephalus bornensis, an endemic agamid species to Borneo.

The Kipungit Waterfalls, the smaller of the two in Poring Hot Springs.

Forests ~ Poring Hot Springs

Poring Hot Springs is a lowland tropical rainforest located about 40 km away from Kinabalu National Park and near Ranau Town. This beautiful park is famous for its sulphuric hot springs, channelled into Japanese-styled 'onsen' baths for the benefit of visitors. Besides the hot springs, the park is a rich repository for lowland species of flora and fauna in Borneo.

Visitors often head to Poring for a dip in the hot water baths after a gruelling trek up Mount Kinabalu. The boiling water springs from the ground into man-made rock pools and pipes that connect to a series of thatched open-air baths. Each hut has four baths arranged in a circular fashion. Cold or hot spring water is fed into these baths by taps that you can turn on and off.

It takes about an hour to fill the 1-meter deep bath as the tap funnels water very slowly. There are also outdoor pools fed by a river and one with slides. These require additional costs on top of the entrance tickets. The source pool for the hot springs is cordoned off but you can reach in through the chains with your hand and feel just how boiling the water is! Near the hot springs are some chalets, several of which are run by a premier resort in Kota Kinabalu, making their facilities top notch despite being in the middle of a jungle.

Other than the hot springs, visitors should head to the 41-meter high canopy walk that is located on a 400-meter hill. The canopy walk is considered one of the best in Malaysia. After paying the entrance tickets (again), you walk on the bridge suspended by thick ropes and wire cables across the forest canopy. The bridges connect to various observatory platforms where you can appreciate the view of the jungle surroundings from high-up or even spot wildlife such as birds, monkeys and squirrels. The canopy walk may be accessed during the night by a special arrangement with the park authorities.

From the canopy walk, one can visit the Butterfly Farm or Tropical Garden, where wild animals are kept for display. However, visitors should skip the Butterfly Farm as it is almost devoid of butterflies and carries little things of interest. Furthermore, a visit to either of these two places will incur more additional costs in the form of entrance tickets.

A long trail heads into the forest that leads to Kipungit and Laganan Waterfalls. Kipungit Waterfalls is the first along the way and may be reached in half-an-hour. This small waterfall offers a cooling stop that's popular for weekend picnics. Continue on the journey and you will reach the Bat Cave, a small limestone cavern that's filled with hundreds of tiny bats.

Visitors are warned not to venture too deep into the cave without proper equipment, as there are steep drops and sharp outcrops as well as massive amounts of slippery mud and rocks. Proceed on the trail for about 45-minutes and you will reach the larger Langanan Waterfalls.

Poring Hot Springs may be reached from Kota Kinabalu by using the road towards Kundasang, and then turning off at a junction after Ranau Town.