In Sabah Borneo, the Kiulu Community Based Tourism or CoBT, is one of the highly sought-after experiences by many travellers due to several factors that are very ecotourism-based.
Over the years, Kuilu is one of the well-known destinations, about an hour's drive from Kota Kinabalu and can be visited as a day trip.
Kiulu Community Based Tourism
Over the last decade, Kiuli has become known for its water rafting along the main Kiulu River, the main tourist attraction. I even tried the water rafting here in 2005, almost 20 years ago.
Over the years, the Kiulu community has slowly developed several other tourism products here, mainly focusing on the homestay elements in the Kiulu Valley.
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| The new Tourist Information Centre in Kiulu. |
With proper guidance from selected parties, the integrated community-based tourism initiative in Kiulu was committed to using local resources ranging from accommodation, activities and people.
There were courses educating the people here on maintaining unique cultural practices, developing rural tourism through training hosts, and linking homestays with surrounding products or activities.
For those who are reading this for the first time, community-based tourism is a special genre of tourism that is conducted by the local village community, where the earnings all go back to the community.
This way, it helps to sustain the local villages through various programs organised by the tourism boards, associations, tour companies and even NGOs.
What Does Kiulu Community Based Tourism Offer?
Over in Kiulu Valley, there is quite a bit of activity available, not forgetting the all-new Community-Based Tourism Centre, which opened in August 2023.
This centre is open to everyone, and when you visit here, you can speak to the association members who manage this facility. They will then guide you to the correct facility and accommodation.
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| Water rafting is one of the popular things to do in Kiulu. |
Kiulu Valley offers;
- Local Sabahan Homestay Experiencs
- Kiulu Farmstay Experience
- Kiulu Water Rafting
- Quad Biking in Borneo
- Kiulu Obstacle Courses
- Kiulu Countryside Visits
- Trekking and Hiking around Kiulu
- Camping in Kiulu
- Kiulu Abseiling and Flying Fox
- Kiulu Riverside Picnic
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| Inside the Kiulu Tourism Association office. |
Where is Kiulu Valley in Sabah?
Kiulu Valley is located about 80 minutes drive from Kota Kinabalu through some beautiful village roads. It is accessible only via car or bike as there are no buses or trains here.
In most cases, visitors who come here either take a tour package from Kota Kinabalu or rent a car and self-drive themselves here to experience the homestay and activities around Kiulu.
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| The welcoming sign when you enter Kiulu town. |
Conclusion
Please also read my other articles about community based tourism in Sabah, as I have documented quite a few of these places all over the state.
And for those who want to experience the Kiulu community based tourism, you can easily book a package through one of the leading tour companies in Kota Kinabalu.
You can also book directly through the Kiulu Tourism Association from their Facebook page, as they are pretty active there.