Papaga

Kampung Papaga lies 40 kilometres south of Sabah's capital, Kota Kinabalu.  It is the centre of Koposizon Homestay, part of Sabah's innovative Homestay Programme.  Papaga is peopled by the Kadazandusun ethnic group, the largest ethnic category in Sabah and predominantly wet rice and hill rice cultivators.  A stay here will give visitors a close encounter with village life among very friendly and welcoming people. Asian Encounters is implementing an e-CBT project here as a pilot for the rest of the Sabah Homestay Programme.  The nearby town of Papar has an interesting market, handicraft outlets and good restaurants

Papar is an agricultural district  rich in nature, culture and tradition arising from its diverse and varied ethnic communities, comprising of Kadazandusun, Bajau, Brunei, Chinese and others living peacefully together. There are 12 host families participating in the  homestay programme with  a total of 17 rooms (single or double) to cater for around 35 visitors at one time.  English is widely spoken, and there is a host of year-round rural activities in which to participate, apart from the homely entertainment provided by your hosts.  There are many superb and unspoilt beaches nearby. Papaga is an ideal location to experience unforced rural hospitality and stimulating activities in comfortable surroundings at very reasonable cost.  If you've had it with the bland trappings of incongruous luxury to be found at those impersonal and indistinguishable resorts dotted around the coast of most SE Asian countries, then Papaga is well worth a visit; it will make a meaningful experience  out of your free time.

Kampung Papaga is reached most easily from Kota Kinabalu by road; a journey of around 45 minutes depending on traffic.  There are two routes, one that runs along the coast and another inland route.  Alternatively there is the well known and rather curious railway, the only one in Borneo.  Sabah State Railway's Department provide services to Beaufort and Tenom that depart from the Tanjung Aru railway station in Kota Kinabalu.  The train passes though the town of Papar.  Papaga is then a short bus ride from there; ask the driver to be taken to Robert's. Overland access from Brunei is also possible, taking around 4 hours with  ferry crossings and  checkpoints where passengers have to stamp their passports to cross the borders.