Poring Hot Springs is 40km northeast of the Kinabalu Park Headquarters on the edge of the Mamut River on the border of Kinabalu National Park.  En-route from the headquarters, you will pass flower and vegetable farms and miles of rice paddy fields, you will also enjoy magnificent views of Mount Kinabalu’s impressive eastern summit and its long eastern ridge. Poring is situated 550 metres above sea level and is in the more humid lowland rainforest which contrasts with the majority of Kinabalu National Park. Aptly named Poring as this is the Kadazandusan word for the species of bamboo that is prevalent in the area. Poring is populated by an abundance of birds including Drongos, Woodpeckers, Leafbirds, Broadbills, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Magpie Robin, Asia Fairy Bluebird and Hornbills. Out of Borneo’s ten Sunbird species, seven are found in Poring, as well as six species of Spider-hunters. Poring possesses several species of snakes; the Green Vine, Bamboo and Racer being amongst the most popular. There are many flying species, such as flying lizards, flying frogs, flying squirrels and flying snakes. Squirrels, lemurs and tree shrews are also abundant.
It is believed to have been discovered by the Japanese during the occupation, other sources say that it was discovered by a British geologist in the colonial time when Sabah was known as North Borneo. According to writing by Japanese, they say they heard about it from locals who used to bathe their sick there. Nevertheless the hot springs have been developed to include five tiled hot spring pools ranging in temperatures from 49-60 degrees Celsius. There are options of private spa cabins, some with jacuzzis and there is a large communal cold water swimming pool to cool off in. Mineral rich and naturally heated, the waters of Poring Hot Springs are said to increase the metabolism, accelerate healing, soothe muscles, improve blood circulation and detoxify the body's lymphatic system. Soaking in the hot springs' waters allows minerals to pass through your skin and be absorbed and utilized by body cells. This can fight the effects and symptoms of fatigue, insomnia, edema, poor micro-circulation, repressed immune system and even arthritis.

There are three rivers within the Poring Hot Springs area, namely the Mamut, Kipungit and Langanan are often swollen during most times of the year. Standing on the suspension bridge over the Mamut River one can enjoy a breath taking view of the crystal clear and sparkling waters swirling around the moss-laden rocks and boulders strewn below. Poring has two spectacular waterfalls, the Kipungit Waterfall and the Langanan Waterfall. These two waterfalls named after the rivers can be found by trekking the forest trails of the same name. Botanists like to trek along the Langanan Trail as somewhere along its path is the only site known in the Poring Park for the very rare Rhizanthes; a parasitic flower belonging to the same family as the Rafflesia, the Rafflesiaceae. The genus Rhizanthes is easily distinguished by having smaller flowers with 14 to 18 petal-like lobes instead of five as in Rafflesia. On the path to the Kipungit Falls, up a steep embankment are the Tumbled Bat Caves. Thousands of bats make their home here in the crevices between the giant rocks, some say you can hear and smell them before you even see the mouth of the cave.
Also within the Poring area is a Butterfly Farm said to be the first of its kind in Borneo. Kinabalu National Park has over 350 species of butterflies and over 600 varieties of moths, many of which can be spotted here. The Butterfly Farm features a well cared for flower garden, a butterfly nursery and hatchery that houses countless caterpillars. It is being maintained for the purpose of research that leads to the preservation of rare and endangered species. Malaysia`s national butterfly the Raja Brooke`s Birdwing was discovered in 1855, is endangered but can been seen here. The wings of the male are black and each forewing has 7 distinctive teeth shaped electric-green markings while the wings of the female are browner with prominent white flashes. The head of both the male and female is bright red with the body being black with red markings. As well you can see the Atlas Moth, considered to be the largest moth in the world in terms of total wing surface area (upwards of 65 square inches!) with a wingspan of 12 inches. They are predominantly tawny to maroon in colour with triangular transparent “windows” on their wings. It is so named because its wing patterns resemble maps. The wing tips are hooked and some say resemble a snake head complete with eye to scare off predators. Besides these two spectacular species the Butterfly Farm boasts countless other equally striking butterflies and moths endemic to Sabah.

Another great attraction of Poring is located a quick 20minute walk from the hot springs and is the Canopy Walkway. At the maximum height, the walkway reaches 41 metres into the canopy and it is 175 metres long, affording the visitor a different perspective on jungle life.  This walkway permits you to get a closer look at the life in the canopy and catch glimpses of numerous bird species, small mammals, reptiles and countless insects. The largest stick insect in the world, Chan`s Megastick is found in Sabah, it stretches to an extraordinary 22 inches! There are also tens of thousands of beetle species running around Kinabalu National Park so you are pretty much guaranteed to see several species such as the Giant Long-horned Beetle as well as the fabulous Three-horned Rhinoceros Beetle. Keep your eyes peeled for the largest ant species in the world, the Giant Forest Ant. Numerous epiphyte orchids can be seen amongst the tree tops. These types of orchids grow on other plants for support and are very well adapted to life in the canopy.

Not to be missed while in the Poring area is the Poring Orchid Conservation Center. This 10 acre park was started in 1987 and houses the largest living collection of Sabah`s endemic orchids. An impressive compilation of more than 500 species of orchids grown at Poring, mostly rare and endangered is a photographer’s paradise.  Six of the 12 Borneo Slipper Orchids are endemic to Kinabalu National Park including the endangered Rothschild’s Slipper Orchid. The orchids are generally considered to be the most diverse plant family, with estimates of their numbers ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 species in over 800 genera. This represents about 10 percent of all flowering plant species. Recent DNA research suggests that the orchids, at more than 90 million years old, are among the most ancient flowering plants. The Centre also has a collection of other plants such as palms, aroids, begonias and gingers. Within the Orchid Centre is a micro-propagation laboratory for conservation of rare species of orchids and pitcher plants by micro-propagation.

Poring is also home to the Tropical Garden and Rehabilitation Centre. The tropical garden is a 5 acre man made garden displaying lowland tropical forest flora and fauna. There are flowering plants such as hibiscus, bougainvilleas, heliconias, ixoras, cock`s combs and geraniums, as well there are many examples of orchids, palms and ferns. Amongst the fauna are turtles, monkeys, deer, lizards and snakes that include the venomous Striped Coral Snake and the Oriental Vine Snake. The centre has rehabilitated five Orang Utans in the past, and there are reports of one which is free to come and go who occasionally turns up for supplemental feedings. Recent sightings of Orang Utan in the canopy surrounding Poring have rekindled hope that this area's ecosystem has been regenerated to suit the fragile habitat of this beautiful creature, once relegated to the most remote interior jungles.

There are several accommodation types at Poring Hot Springs ranging from basic dormitory style bungalows to lodges that can accommodate up to six people.  There is campsite as well, for the adventurous that are equipped with a tent. The Rainforest Restaurant offers up some good food, but there is an inexpensive option to head to the stalls just outside the main entrance to Poring Hot Springs

At Labuk Bay, huge pendulous noses and enormous pot bellies are not the result of a lifetime of overindulgence, rather they are the distinguishing features of one of the world’s rarest primates, the proboscis monkey.  The sanctuary is located at the centre of a 500 acre mangrove forest along coastal land near Kampung Samawang in Labuk Bay;  a one hour drive from Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.

In 1994, the area was initially purchased for commercial development of a palm oil plantation; this plan was dropped when the owner of the land found there were proboscis monkeys living there. He started to give the monkeys supplemental food when he realised that the Labuk Bay area was entirely hemmed by palm plantations, drastically reducing the amount of natural vegetation needed for the monkeys’ survival. Today more than 60 monkeys have been recorded in the area, many of which show up daily for their supplementary food. As the population of the proboscis monkey is growing, the sanctuary is currently underway planting more mangroves trees in the surrounding area to ensure more room for the monkeys to move around.

The proboscis monkey is one of the largest monkeys in the world, with the big-nosed male weighing up to 23 kg. The females have smaller pointed noses and can weigh in at 7-11 kg. This unique monkey is one of nine totally protected species in Borneo and are found exclusively here; Labuk Bay in Sabah is one of the most accessible places to view this fascinating creature. During the colonial period the locals gave the monkey the Malay name ‘Monyet Belanda’ which means Dutch monkey. The locals felt that this odd looking monkey, with its pendulous nose, red face and large pot-belly resembled the European traders and colonialists. The proboscis monkey spends most of its time in the trees in loosely unified groups of 12 to 24 feeding on young leaves, shoots, sour fruits and seeds that they digest in a multi chambered stomach which accounts for their extended bellies. The nose of male can be four inches long and hangs down past the monkey's mouth. Loud nasal honks are emitted by the males and are given a particular resonance by the long proboscis, which straightens out during each honk. The nose is a secondary sex characteristic; the bigger the nose, the sexier the monkey.

Though protected by law and listed as endangered by the USDI and Appendix 1 of CITES, this unusual monkey is threatened with extinction due to loss of habitat through land clearing for plantations, logging and hunting. Today, there are only 1,000 proboscis monkeys in Sarawak. There are 2,000 in Sabah and 4,000 or so in Kalimantan. Currently the proboscis monkey is more endangered than the Orang Utan and it is said if something is not drastically done to save the habitats of these animals they may be extinct in about ten years.