KOTA KINABALU: Visitors are being wooed to visit Tenom, an interior district that has a lot of interesting sights and experiences to offer.
Tenom township is about three hours drive from Kota Kinabalu, the State Capital of Sabah with a scenic drive that is an attraction by itself. Through the Kimanis-Tenom road, one can see the stark beauty of nature on both sides of the roads as well as valleys and mountains in the distance. For photography buffs, they can stop to take in the views with their camera.
The route through Kota Kinabalu-Tambunan-Keningau and Tenom road is no less scenic, with its winding road up the Crocker Range. One can see hamlets in the distance and pine trees as one goes up the mountains. Stopping by at a roadside café is a plus, where one can get coffee and a bite to eat.
Reaching Tenom is a sight to behold as it still has that old time atmosphere that is reminiscent of the olden days, especially the rustic shop buildings.
However, the township doesn’t define Tenom as a whole, there are a lot more to this district than meets the eye, and this is exactly what Lawrence Wong the spokesperson of the Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association (MCTA) Sabah Branch is sharing.
According to him, there are many and various sites and sights in Tenom that will be of interest to visitors, especially those that are interested in food, culture, traditions and agricultural products.
“We are currently promoting our Hakka culture, traditions and food in Tenom. We believe that this are good and interesting products to showcase to our tourists both domestic and international. To make this a reality, we have restored and created houses that are reminiscent of Hakka houses in the past.”
“We have tried to make it as close to the original as possible, recreating the atmosphere of the olden days with farming tools and paraphernalia. The famed Yong Farmstay for instance, with the portrayal of a Hakka house with the farming areas, is a very good example of this effort.”
“We are also looking into promoting the food, most of which are being served and consumed everyday in this part of the district. There are many types of food , be it curd, chicken, various types of meat and vegetables that are cooked and served with recipes reminiscent of what our ancestors used to serve.”
There are presently 20 members in the association, most of whom are promoting their products actively. Their combined products are many and various, representing what are available in Tenom presently.-Anna Vivienne/BNN
