Four gardens
Australia, Britain, Borneo and contemplation.
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Aisyah Norshidi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Atqmors — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0
A memorial on a hill in the town of Kundasang, honouring some twenty-four hundred Australian and British prisoners of war who died at the Sandakan camp and on the forced death marches to Ranau during the Second World War, and recognising too the suffering and sacrifice of Sabah's own people in that war. The memorial is made up of landscaped gardens, each with its own character, representing Australia, Britain and Borneo, and a contemplation garden with a still pool; from the hill there is a lovely view of Mount Kinabalu on clear days. The idea dates from 1962, when a New Zealand war veteran proposed it. Entry is about ten ringgit for foreigners, and it opens daily from morning to evening. The visit is quiet and moving, and half an hour to an hour is enough. It stands right behind the Kundasang vegetable market, so combine it with Desa Dairy Farm and the Kinabalu Park headquarters in one day. Mornings are best, when Kinabalu's summit shows.
Australia, Britain, Borneo and contemplation.
The summit from the hill on clear days.
Remembering the death-march victims.
Kundasang town, behind the vegetable market, about 92 km from Kota Kinabalu
It is a short, peaceful stop with lovely gardens and a view of Kinabalu, right on the way to Desa Dairy Farm, so it is an easy stop even for non-specialists.