Sabah Parks is delighted to host the 14th Southeast Asian Biosphere Reserves Network (SeaBRnet) Meeting in 2023. In collaboration with the Kiulu Tourism Association, Sabah Parks has organized an exciting excursion scheduled for November 15th, 2023. Kiulu is located approximately 60 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu, situated within the Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve.
The excursion will encompass a wide range of activities from morning to afternoon. In the afternoon, delegates will have the option to choose between adventurous activities or a traditional cooking experience, both activities to be pre-booked during registration. All activities are curated to not only offer a unique blend of nature, culture, and tradition but also actively engage and support the local community living in the Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve. Please refer to the full itinerary below:
Tagal Fish Feeding experience - Learn about the community Tagal Initiative, a stakeholder-driven system of rehabilitation, protection, and conservation of the river environments and the fisheries resources for its sustainable development. You will see river teeming with Pelian fishes also known as the Gem of the river. If you are adventurous enough, you may choose to try a fish foot massage!
Guided Village walk - Tour around the scenic village and learn the local’s way of living. Kiulu is populated by predominantly the Dusun Bundu ethnic, an indigenous community of Borneo.
Dalai Bead making - Kiulu community are skilled artisans, creating beautiful handiwork with the Dalai beads. Popularly known as Job’s Tears, a hard-shelled false fruits of the wild bamboo grass, learn how the local community process the Dalai beads to make variety of beautiful accessories such as necklaces, bracelets, belts and bags. You will have the opportunity to make your own handiwork with the Dalai beads.
Learning traditional dance ,musical gong and try traditional costume - Opportunity to learn to dance the Botumban, the traditional dance unique to the indigenous Dusun of Kiulu and try your hands at the Gong, a traditional musical instruments. Put on a traditional costume and snap some photos for remembrance
Traditional rice wine making demo - See how the deeply rooted traditional rice wine in Borneo is made. Rice wine is synonym with indigenous celebrations and festivals. It accompanies most rites of passage such as births, deaths, marriages and birthdays, used as offering to visiting guests, in cookings and as offering to spirits during rituals.
Traditional game (Slingshot, coconut bowling, Inuong dazang etc) - A rare chance to experience traditional games still preserved by the Poturidong community to safeguard their ethnic traditions from becoming extinct due to modernization
Learn how to make the following ethnic food
- Hinava (Raw fish salad) - this dish is made from fresh fish meat (often Mackerel), marinated with lime juice, mixed with grated Bambangan seeds, red chilies, ginger, onions, and salt. Usually served during festive occasions but you can now find it at some local restaurants that specialise in Sabahan dishes.
- Hinompuka - a traditional steamed glutinous rice cake made of glutinous rice wrapped in Banana leave. To give it falvour and color, sweet potato or banana can be added into the glutionuos rice. This cake is usually served during festivals and special occasions such as weddings and births
- Linopot Linangatan - Linopot means 'packing' in Dusun language, hence Linopot is cooked rice, packed and wrapped in a big leaf. Hill rice is normally used in making Linopot, and sometimes yam and sweet potato are mixed in to make colourful and flavourful Linopot Linangatan.
