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 The Poring Hot Springs ranger station lying 40 kilometres from Park HQ in the
humid lowlands is a complete contrast to the cool environment of Park HQ. The
sealed road to Poring leads past the cabbage and flower farms of Kundasang and
beyond, to the town of Ranau and the lowlands.
The headquarters of the Poring Hot Springs ranger station, at an elevation of
550 metres, lies on the Park boundary at the edge of the Mamut River. Offices,
visitor chalets and hostels are situated here as well as the Orchid Conservation
centre and the fenced 5 acre tropical garden nearby containing an animal
rehabilitation centre. The main attraction here is the hot and cold pools in a
forest clearing on the other side of the Mamut River. Other attractions across
the river are a small butterfly enclosure, a forest trail system, a Canopy
walkway and picnic areas. Night walks on the canopy walkway can be arranged on
request and school and other special programs can be arranged if a written
request is made in advance,
The chalets and hostels can accommodate 90 persons per night and all have
self-catering facilities. There are also stalls serving local food just outside
the entrance gate, and a restaurant at the hot pools clearing, serving both
western and oriental food. It is advisable to take a torch if eating at the
restaurant in the evening as well as raincoats and umbrellas in wet weather.
Poring has a range of activities for the visitor to enjoy. These include the
butterfly centre, night walks, schools and educational programs, orchid centre,
tropical garden, forest trails, Canopy walkway and also the animal
rehabilitation centre. All visitors are required to pay a fee for coming into
the Park. Fees are also payable for entrance to the Canopy walkway, the
butterfly farm, the orchid centre and the animal centre.
Hot Pools and Butterflies
 Many butterflies can be seen in the small but well-maintained enclosed butterfly
farm in which about 60 species, including Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing are bred. The
farm was opened to the public in 1995 and on a sunny day black-and-yellow
birdwings, smoky blue-black mormons, black, white and red swallowtails, brown
autumn-leaves and white orange-tips are all common in the clearing. In the
enclosure food plants for the caterpillars and flowering shrubs are grown. Extra
food is also provided for the butterflies in the form of honey-water and juicy
fruit. Eggs are searched for regularly and when found are removed for protection
to a separate breeding house. There is also a small exhibit centre here.
  The Hot Springs themselves, trickles of steaming water bubbling up from under
large boulders, were first discovered by the Japanese during WW II, but the Park
did not start any development until 1966. The hot sulphur water has now been
piped into a series of functional, rather than aesthetic, open Japanese style
tiled bath-tubs set in a natural clearing with many picnic shelters. Secluded
bath cabins for those who want more privacy are also available at extra cost.
Cold water swimming pools make a refreshing change.
 Sitting in the pools at night, under the stars, watching a Colugo glide across
the clearing was often a highlight of earlier visits, as was watching groups of
hornbills fighting across the clearing in the early morning. Such sights are not
common now but in the early morning and evening when few people are around, the
pools clearing can still be rewarding in terms of wildlife.
For birdwatchers, Poring is one of the best places in Sabah for lowland to hill
forest birds.
Canopy Walkway
  Beyond the pools lies the forest. Many of the dipterocarps in the lowland forest
reach a height of 60 metres or more, but even stand the emergent, at 70 – 80 metres. Though several dipterocarps do emerge above the main canopy, the tallest
trees are the menggaris or kayu rajah (Koompasia excelsa) in the bean family,
characterized by their smooth silvery-grey trunks and wide spreading crowns of
delicate feathery foliage.
The lowland dipterocarp forest at Poring has developed on relatively poor soils
in hilly terrain and thus does not reach its maximum height here, but the
menggaris trees still stand head and shoulders above the rest.
A few minutes walk into the forest will bring you to the entrance of the path up
to the Canopy walkway. This is not for those who suffer from real vertigo, but
Park staff are on hand to help those who are merely nervous.It is best to leave
early, as soon as the walkway opens at 0700.
The winding path, zigzagging up a ridge from the entrance gate, where you pay
your fee, takes about 20 minutes. It is fairly steep and slippery in wet weather
so good footwear is essential.
 The walkway consists of four sections made from single planks laid on aluminum
ladders with rope handrails and netting to prevent accidents. In total it is
over 157 metres long and 41 metres high as its highest point. It is basically
built in the shape of a “T”, the left arm being much longer than the right. The
first section, the vertical part of the “T”, ends at a magnificent menggaris
tree around which a broad wooden platform has been built just below the
branches.
From here, the right hand arm of the “T” gives access to some good views looking
east over the forest canopy to disturbed land and forest outside the Park. The
left hand arm continues on to a second superb menggaris.
 The trail down from the other end of the canopy walkway follows another ridge
with a beautiful stream and waterfall that provide the high humidity which
encourages a luxuriant growth of ground herbs, wild gingers, ferns and aroids. |
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