Kiulu Fun Ride

Located 42km North East of Kota Kinabalu, Kiulu is popularly known for its white water rafting in the Kiulu River. We drove for about 45 minutes from Kota Kinabalu to the Tamparuli district. For city folks, Kiulu is another interesting getaway to get close to the nature and experience the simple life of the Dusun tribe.

Pekan Kiulu

At the tiny little 1. Pekan Kiulu, we started to unload our mountain bikes. The quiet trading street has just about 10 wooden shops that sells groceries, pharmaceuticals and electrical goods. Some shops were still yet to open their doors for business as we reached shy before 10am so we just picked up several bottles of drinking water and get on with our ride.

Hanging Bridge

Kiulu has seven hanging bridges that cross the Kiulu River to serve residents residing at both sides of the river banks. A short two minute ride cutting through kampong houses led us to the first 2. Hanging Bridge. For many, the excitement starts after seeing the rapids of Kiulu River and the over 50 metres long hanging bridge hung above the river. Our fear sets in when we were about to cycle on the hanging bridge crossing the river. Seeing kampong folks cycled on the hanging bridge with ease, we chose to do the same instead of pushing our bicycles across.

Just like cycling, it is all about balancing. The experience is similar to cycling on a very narrow bicycle lane, except that the swaying and bouncing tractions of the hanging bridge got stronger as we reached the middle of the bridge. Our excitement peaked when we took a quick stop at the middle of the bridge. It was just like standing on a rock tall above the river when the rapid water passes through you. That moment gave us a sense of achievement and joy after we managed to cross to the other side of the river.

Farmland

Further into our journey was a vast grass field with kampong houses scattered around. The neighbourhood does not have any paved road so we were basically free to cycle in any direction as we wish but had to be extra careful with the grassy and uneven ground. About 1.3km into our ride, we entered the 3. Farmland of the villagers. Unlike commercial farmland, villagers grow fruits in the virgin, untouched jungle. For added tip, bring along mosquito repellent when you travel as we forgot ours and were attacked by hundreds of mosquitoes nearby the pineapple trees.

Hanging Bridge

Kilang Gilingan Padi

As we zipped through the farmland, we encountered the second 4. Hanging Bridge. We crossed the bridge smoothly and cycled along Jalan Tamparuli Kiulu for about 2km and reached Kampong Tombung Kiulu. At the entrance of the kampong, we spotted a small 5. Kilang Gilingan Padi (paddy mill). The tiny wooden mill is equipped with a rice husker that acts to remove the chaff of rice for the villagers. According to our guide, the main sources of income for the villagers in Kiulu are rubber and paddy.

Dusun Walai

Cycled further into Kampong Tombung, small rice fields and vegetable farms can be spotted across the neighbourhood. We cycled through the third hanging bridge and to a homestay called 6. Dusun walai; a traditional Dusun house. It is interesting to know that 10 Dusun families in the kampong participated in the homestay that allows tourists to room in with a local family to experience culture and lifestyle of the villagers.

Gong

Although many Dusun houses has bathrooms in the house, this particular walai did not come with any bathrooms attached in the house. Every Dusun house has a 7. Gong or tagong; a rimmed metal disk that produces a loud sound when struck. It serves as a tool of communication in a Dusun village, especially during wedding, harvest festival, Christmas, arrival of VIP or funeral to inform villagers of the occasions. Most tagongs are passed down from their ancestors from generation to generation. The tagong is also a common item many Dusun families would request in the proposal of wedding.

Linopot

As we rest our tired feet at the courtyard, one of the neighbours of the Dusun family came by with 8. Linopot; a traditional rice mixed with yam wrapped in leaves. This traditional delicacy is a common food for farmers and hunters for them to carry to work but is now commonly served in weddings and harvest festivals.

Pangi Seed

Another interesting item that we chanced upon in the Dusun family was the 9. Pangi Seed. The dark brown colour with irregular shape seed is a type of preservative still being used by the Dusun tribe. The seeds are grinded into powder form and mixed with salt to preserve meat and fish, allowing them to be kept for at least a year!

Rubber Tapping

Moving on, we followed a villager to her 10. Rubber Plantation after spending an hour in the walai. It was our first time to a rubber plantation and we managed to try our hands on rubber tapping. It was fun and educational at the same time. We were taught the correct methods to tap a rubber tree without hurting the tree, a common mistake most rubber tappers would do.

White Water Rafting

After bidding farewell to the Dusun family and villagers, we hopped on to our bikes and cycled for the last 5km along Jalan Tamparuli Kiulu to the Riverside to take a glimpse of tourists on 11. White Water Rafting and finally end the bicycle tour.

Overall, this Kiulu Fun Ride bicycle tour is suitable for family and riders of all ages. It offers a combination of on-road and off-road rides and the routes are mostly flat with just some small climbs. The most interesting part of this tour is to cycle across the hanging bridges. However, we do not encourage kids and beginners to cycle on the hanging bridge as the swing of the bridge could throw you off-balance. Another plus side of this tour is the educational elements. The Dusun culture and lifestyle are an eye opener to many of us and tourists from different cultures.

This tour includes bicycles, helmets, lunch, drinks and transportation in the package. Just bring along your hiking shoes, mosquito repellent and sunscreen as you will be cycling through jungles and walking on paddy field and into a rubber plantation. For the more adventurous travelers, we recommend trying the white water rafting too!

Cycling Route – Kiulu Fun Ride