Morning Sunrise Hike @ Shangri-La Rasa Ria, Sabah

One of the most memorable moment during our stay in Shangri-La Rasa Ria Sabah is the morning sunrise hike to the summit of their forest reserve and watch the breathtaking sunrise over the majestic Mount Kinabalu. The Borneo Sunrise hike is one of the many activities offered by the 64 acres Rasa Ria Reserve in the resort. 

I set the alarm clock and woke up unusually at 4.30am in the morning, don myself in simple athletic wears and prepare for the morning hike. We gathered at Rasa Ria Discovery Centre at 5am, where a short briefing was given by the ranger assigned by the state wildlife department in charge of the nature reserve. All the hikers were given a set of head torch. 

The hike was not as tough as I thought. It was a mere 98m ascending hill hike and probably will take 30 minutes. Beginners and healthy people should not be worried as ascending was minimal and you can request for stops, as there will be rangers guiding you through the journey. 

Hiking the nature reserve was a fun experience, as you have opportunity to have encounter with rare wildlife such as pangolins, civets, long-tailed macaques and many rare bird species. I was less fortunate with wildlife during that particular day because we only encounter with a snake hidden in bush (thanks to the sharp eye of the ranger) and a giant ant. The group one day before us was lucky to encounter long-tailed macaques.

We reached the summit just right before the sunrise. When the sun comes over the horizon, it was such a beautiful view akin to a postcard. The Mount Kinabalu was clear in view, and on the left there are South China Sea with sun golden light gradually shines across the lush greens. Human activities can be sighted gradually over theclam Tuaran town as gas was fuming in small quantity. The view is worth all the efforts it took the wake up early during the vacation just to reach here.

Then we proceed with some delicious breakfast over a bottle of VCP Champagne. Yes, it was a luxury trip as we were on a premium package (RM 565 nett per couple) that includes a bottle of champagne and breakfast. Alternatively, you could opt for standard package (RM 158 per couple) that includes light refreshment or RM 45 nett per adult just for the guided walk without food. 

On the way descending to the discovery centre, we took a detour for a canopy walk and Pantai Dalit was seen afar. 

So here is a question we get - did we get our daughter along with the trip? The answer was no. She was over excited over the stay in the comfy room and had troubles falling asleep at night by overenjoying the room. Therefore, only the father goes up to the hill. Nevertheless, children can take part in this experience too. 

You may check out other related activities offered in Rasa Ria Reserve including Canopy Walk, Night Walk with or without night vision goggles, ranger experience (for children above 4 who wants to learn basic jungle skills), bird watching and stingless bees experience.