Mesmerised by the Milky Way

A spectacular Milky Way over one of Kudat's remote beaches.

THE tip of Borneo, which separates the South China Sea and Sulu Sea, is spectacular at night.

From mid-February to early October, the dazzling display of the crisp clear Milky Way appears without fail in the south-western sky, visible to the naked eyes.

This cloud-like stretch of stars across the sky is mesmerising and will spellbind any observer.

Finding the Milky Way is not difficult as one only needs to know which direction to look.

Kudat, which has no light pollution, is one of the few pristine places that offer stargazers an amazing view of the Milky Way.

Not many know that you don’t need special gadgets to observe the Milky Way, the home to some 400 billion stars.

The Kudat seascape offers one of the best scenes for photographers.

In fact, in the mid-1970s and 1980s, the mass of innumerable stars could be seen anywhere in Malaysia on a clear night.

With progress and development over the years, light and dust pollution has drowned out and blocked the twinkling stars.

For the past two years, I have been quietly slipping out of Kuala Lumpur for weekends in Kota Kinabalu, where I would make a quick dash to Kota Belud or Simpang Menggayau to conduct my astrophotography activities.

Having spent many hours in various locations in Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia to capture the Milky Way, I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing more captivating than Kudat’s night skies.

This district, which is much bigger than Penang island, never fails to impress with its mesmerising view of the Milky Way on every visit.

The narrow sandy beach leadign to Pulau Kelambu separates the South China Sea on the right and Sulu Sea on the left.

Perhaps its remoteness, some 190km from Kota Kinabalu, and the lack of development have helped preserve this district from light and dust pollution, allowing anyone to have a clear view of the twinkling stars.

Of course, aside from astrophotography, Kudat has plenty to offer photography enthusiasts and tourists.

It has beautiful sunrises and stunning sunsets, especially during the blue hour – the twilight shortly after the sun disappears below the horizon.

Volcanic activity that took place centuries ago have also left behind unique and beautiful rock formations on some of Kudat’s remote and isolated beaches.

But what fascinates any visitor to this district is it’s ever-changing seascape, unveiling hidden rock formations, as the sand on the beaches shift according to the wind and tide, only to hide its beauty again when the monsoon comes in October.

The tip of Borneo island, which is a top tourist attraction in Kudat.

Kudat’s secluded and long-unspoiled beaches are never the same at any time throughout the year. This makes the seascape enchanting.

Kudat, once the capital of Sabah shortly after the British North Borneo Chartered Company leased the territory from the Sultan of Brunei and Sulu, is also known for its inexpensive fresh seafood.

However, there are not many restaurants serving proper cooked meals aside from Coconut Homeland, which is located behind the wet market in the heart of the main Kudat town.

For accommodation, there are half-a-dozen budget hotels and two main hotels — Hotel Ria and Kudat Golf and Marina Resort — to cater to visitors.

For those who love to stay by the seaside, several mid-range resort-type accommodations are available.

The Rungus community is known for their distinctive costumes with handmade bead necklaces and bangles.

However, one should not expect too many luxury facilities at a resort here as many of them are located in the middle of nowhere, some operating only using private generator sets.

Passing the smaller towns from Kota Kinabalu to Kudat, which is a three hours’ drive on the only trunk road to the tip of Borneo, one will notice many churches along the route, some next to each other.

These churches mainly cater to the Rungus tribe, a sub-group of the Kadazandusun.

The Rungus, many of whom are farmers or work in the agricultural sector, are colourful people with unique legends and practices.

They also have distinctive traditional costumes.

A spectacular sunset is captured as the sun disappears below the horizon.

The women here are also known for their handicraft, particularly woven fabrics, beadwork and basketware.

However, the tribe no longer lives in traditional bamboo longhouses but in modern villages where there is proper water and electricity supply.

Nonetheless, one can still find longhouses in some of these settlements, where the community congregates to celebrate different events throughout the year to remind them of their past, culture and heritage.

So the next time you think about going on an adventure, see beautiful people and learn a bit about Malaysian culture, head to Kudat.

Oh yes, the pristine dark skies promise an enchanting hidden treasure.

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