Kundasang in the Morning: Sabah’s Highland Secret Two Hours from KK

At 1,560 metres above sea level, Kundasang sits in a cool, damp, improbably green highland bowl that feels nothing like the coast two hours below it. The air genuinely requires a light jacket. The mornings are misty. There are strawberry farms.

Getting there

The drive from KK takes approximately two hours via the Ranau road, winding through rubber estates and secondary jungle before climbing into the highlands. Buses from Inanam bus terminal also serve Kundasang daily for around RM12-15 one way.

The morning market

The Kundasang public market operates from around 6am and is the real reason to leave KK before sunrise. The highland vegetable diversity here is extraordinary — temperate vegetables that can’t grow in the lowland heat, wild mushrooms, and herbs that don’t exist in any city supermarket.

Vegetable farms and views

The surrounding hillsides are terraced with vegetable gardens, and the farms along the main road welcome casual visitors. There’s no formal tourism infrastructure — you simply stop, walk to the edge of the plot, and take in a view that most travel photographers would schedule a flight for.

Mount Kinabalu backdrop

The best clear views of Kinabalu from Kundasang happen between 6am and 9am before the cloud builds. The Mesilau area, about fifteen minutes past Kundasang town, offers the most unobstructed perspective.

When to visit

March through September offers the highest probability of clear mountain mornings. Weekday visits are strongly preferable — weekends bring a larger crowd of KK day-trippers.