The North Borneo Railway is the only and oldest railroad on Borneo. The railroad runs from Kota Kinabalu (from the Tanjung Aru train station), via Papar and Beaufort to Tenom. Along the way you travel along the coast (in some places the railroad runs almost directly on the beach), through small kampongs and lush jungles, with magnificent views of the surroundings everywhere you look. The railroad is over 100 years old and still in use. For tourists, there is a special tourist train on the Tanjung Aru and Papar route that you can book in advance as a half-day tour. This tour is possible with or without a guide, but we definitely recommend a guided tour as you’ll learn, see and experience so much more this way.
Early gathering
The organized tour follows a fixed daily program. You will be picked up at your hotel in or around Kota Kinabalu early in the morning, followed by a drop off at Tanjung Aru train station, the central station of Kota Kinabalu. By early, we mean setting your alarm clock well before 7am because in our case we were picked up at our hotel right in the city center at 7.15 that morning. We still wanted to have breakfast, even though you can also order a so-called “breakfast box” the night before at most hotels and resorts. We always prefer an actual breakfast and fortunately, this was available from 6.30 at The Pacific Sutera, the hotel where we stayed at.
On the train
Our lovely guide Grace was already waiting at the train station and immediately started sharing her wonderful stories after a short introduction. It is clear that she knows a great deal about the region, the train ride through North Borneo and the quaint village of Papar in particular. Before you board the train, you are given an earpiece so that you can clearly hear her explanations despite the noise the old train makes.
When boarding (around 7:40), she was allowed to stand at the front, which meant that we were the first to board. This also meant that we had good seats (on the right side of the car for the best view). She told us about the history of Sabah, about the tribes based on what we saw from the train along the way, about the train and the history of the train itself and about Papar, the village that we would eventually explore on foot.
The diesel train is modern by local standards. In the past, you could also take the historic steam train on this route, but this train has not been in use on this route for several years now. The current train is primarily a commuter train that the locals use to travel between Kota Kinabalu and the villages south of the city. The locals also make eager use of it because they do not have to worry that much about the costs. A one-way ticket from Kota Kinabalu to Papar costs only RM1.85 (a one-way ticket all the way to Beaufort costs RM4.80).
Our arrival at Papar train station got off to a good start. The Papar Tourism Association put on a lovely musical performance of Kulintang music (with the gong being the most important instrument). It was somewhat reminiscent of Gamelan, which we often heard in Java (Indonesia).
Papar Heritage Walking Tour
The tour we took was a fun and informative ‘Community Based Heritage Tour’, during which we walked past various nice spots in Old Papar Town and supported local Papar entrepreneurs at the same time. Experiencing Papar’s cultural highlights was the central theme, with many stops at shops, markets and various eateries.
Papar consists of three parts. Old Papar is the heritage part, with old buildings, covered markets and typical shop lots. New Papar is mainly new construction like high rise appartments and business offices. Modern Papar is the modern town center, with new commercial buildings and several luxury apartment complexes. Our tour revolved entirely around Old Papar with all the highlights you will find there.
We started our walk with a short stop at the daily morning market. It is held every day except Thursday. Here you will find several small stalls selling fresh fruit, fried pisang goreng, fresh vegetables and plants. Grace bought several different types of fruit, which we tried there on the spot.
We then crossed the road and entered an indoor market with hundreds of stalls where everyone seemed to be selling pretty much the same things. Local coffee, local tobacco and various remedies and ointments were popular. Herbs, spices and lots of ingredients for cooking can be found here as well. I bought some trassi to take home.
A little further on we arrived at the site of the enormous Tamu Market, which takes place weekly on Thursdays between 5.30 in the early morning and 12 noon. This market has been around for over a hundred years and draws people from far and wide. On the other days of the week there are only a handful of stalls with local snacks, fruit and vegetables. We lingered at one stall for a while. They had delicious drinks (Ki Sai Ping, an ice cold plum and lime drink, was very tasty) and also a popular local delicacy: deep-fried mackerel cakes on a stick. They were really delicious and Grace bought a large bag for us to take home.
Then we walked to the fruit market where we could taste various fruits again. Because we once lived in Malaysia, we already knew most of the fruits, but for tourists trying it for the first time, this is really fun. This could also be the very first chance to try out Durian, the most talked about fruit in Malaysia.
Afterwards, we walked to the Papar Riverfront, but it was really too hot there in the full sun. There is also a fish market here, but we skipped that because we were going to have lunch somewhere and had to keep an eye on the time. We ended up at Restaurant Auntie Ping, where I ordered a delicious curry laksa. They had many delicious dishes for very reasonable prices and it was clear that Papar isn’t overrun with tourists. Everything was included, so Grace took care of the payment.
The tour ended around 11.30 and we were back at the Papar train station around noon. We arrived back at the Tanjung Aru train station at 12.40 (the train ride itself takes about 50 minutes).
A fun day out
The train trip is a fun and combined with a walking tour through Papar it was a great activity to do when based in Kota Kinabalu. Along the way you will learn all about the (first) train on Borneo, the village of Papar and about Sabah in general.
We did a private tour with Grace, which was a lot of fun because you could ask her a lot of questions along the way and she knew a lot about the town of Papar as well. However, it would also have been fun with a bigger group. For example, we were already familiar with a lot of the fruits during our years in Malaysia, but with a larger group chances are bigger that someone has never eaten Durian, Jackfruit or any of the other fruits that Grace bought for us. It would probably have made an interesting experience for them :).
How to book the trip?
We took the trip with North Borneo Train Tour, part of Borneo Excursions. On their official website, you will find a tab labeled ‘Packages’ where you can find all the options. The tour cannot be booked every day (and never on Sundays), so keep this in mind when planning your trip. Furthermore, the tour can only be booked for a minimum of 2 people (if you are there on an individual basis, you pay for two). Our tour was RM130 per person (at the time of our trip in October 2024).
How to get there?
The tour does not include pick-up (nor a drop-off afterwards) and you take a Grab to the Tanjung Aru train station yourself. The roads in and around Kota Kinabalu are not busy in the early morning, so to be there by 7.20 am at the latest, you should take a Grab around 7am, depending on where you are staying (if you are staying around Karambunai, it is best to check the travel time to the train station in Grab beforehand).
Tips
- In the past, you could take the authentic North Borneo Steam Train, which also offered day tours. This train used to go all the way from Kota Kinabalu to Beaufort and on to Tenom. It was a truly magnificent train ride, but unfortunately the North Borneo Steam Train by Sutera has been out of service for several years now. The question whether this steam train will ever be put back into service is still unanswered.
- There is also a colonial train that runs every Saturday from 4pm to 9pm as the “Sunset Train Tour”. This train ride consists mainly of sitting back and enjoying the view during the sunset. There is also karaoke on the way back in the dark.
- The same tour agency also organizes a free walking tour every Saturday at 3pm with an official Sabah guide. You only pay a conservation fee on the spot (but a tip is always welcome). The walk includes the mangrove wetland in the center of Kota Kinabalu, which is a unique area.
- Wear light clothing, because it is often hot and sunny in Papar. Although there are many shaded and covered areas, you will also find yourself standing in the blistering sun from time to time. A cap or umbrella is therefore recommended.
- Every Wednesday and Saturday there is an STB Free Heritage Walk in Kota Kinabalu. This guided walk lasts from 9am to 11am and the starting point is at the STB office on Gaya Street.
- If possible, try to book the tour on a Thursday, as you will then visit the enormous Tamu market, which is known throughout the entire region and is therefore always very lively.
- If you book the Papar Heritage Tour including the North Borneo train ride, try asking for Grace as your guide in the comments field. Grace no longer does the daily tours, but sometimes makes an exception (as in our case).
Suggestions?
Got any good tips to share with us? Do you know of any great things to do in Sabah, or tips on the best places to eat? Let us know by leaving a reply below!
