Sabah’s main attraction is its treasure trove of natural wonders, particularly its fascinating and in most cases, rare, animals that can be found both beneath its waters and on land, and its diversity of plants.
In order to see the best of these, though, you will have to travel all over the island to various forests, rivers and dive spots. However, if you are only visiting Sabah for a short time, you can still see some of the best spectacles of nature that Sabah has to offer simply by visiting The Green Connection which is right in the heart of Kota Kinabalu.
The Nature Discovery Centre of Sabah
The Green Connection is aptly named because it is a center committed to the conservation of nature, specifically the natural resources of Sabah. In its effort to promote this, it has gathered together some of the plants and animals that can be found all over Sabah, doubling as a nature discovery center and as such, a popular tourist attraction.
Photo by Lozz and The Rocket Cat, courtesy of Flickr.com
Sabah’s Natural Wonders under a roof
Basically, the Green Connection is Sabah’s natural wonders in a nutshell, with each area representing a part of Sabah’s rich natural heritage.
The limestone caves, for example, represent the Gomantong and Madai Caves, having interesting stalactite formations and the nests of swifts while the jungle area represents the dense and largely unexplored jungles and rainforests in Sabah, such as the ones in the Maliau Basin and the Tabin Wildlife Reserve. There is a mangrove forest in the Green Connection, too, much like the ones found in Sandakan.
Largest coral tank in the world
The highlight of The Green Connection, though, is its aquarium, which has tanks modeled after the freshwater and saltwater habitats found all around Sabah.
The coral tank featuring corals and fishes from around Sipadan Island is especially captivating, giving visitors a glimpse of one of the world’s most scenic underwater spots.
It is also large enough for daring visitors to take a plunge in during feeding time, and is in fact, considered to be the largest coral tank in the world.
Photo by The Green Connection, courtesy of Flickr.com
Types of wildlife inside Green Connection
Some of the fishes in the coral tank include the green sea turtle, the blacktip reef shark, the brownbanded bamboo shark, the honeycomb stingray, the fantail stingray and the moray eel.
There is also a tank which showcases the fishes that can be found in the Kinabatangan River and one that is exclusively for the banded sea krait, one of the deadliest snake species in the world.
Plan your weekend family trip here
Indeed, The Green Connection is a world of discovery. It is also ideal for children, who may have a hard time visiting the jungles and reefs themselves, and so is suited for families.
How to get to The Green Connection:
Take a public bus (#1 route – Jalan Tuaran) in Kota Kinabalu which will pass by The Green Connection or take a cab from anywhere in Kota Kinabalu.
The Green Connection
Kompleks Badan Sukarela, Lorong Bunga Matahari 2,
KM 2, Jalan Tuaran, Likas,
88450 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Tel: +60 88-263326
Fax: +60 88-263327
E-mail: [email protected]
Hours of operation:
Daily, 10am to 6pm
Admission fees:
17 years old and up – RM 25
2 to 16 years old – RM 15
1 year old and below – Free
