Bombalai Hill

Facts

• Elevation: 530 m (1,739 ft)
• Prominence: 206 m
• Peak category: Spesial
• Region: Sabah (Malaysia)
• Division: Bahagian Tawau
• Google Earth: kml
• Rating: (2 votes) Add your rating
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• Other names: Bukit Bombalai

Photos

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This relatively small hill is not particularly prominent but it is an ancient volcanic cinder cone and effectively still regarded as a dormant volcano. Indeed, it is considered to be Malaysia’s only potentially active volcano. It is very close to the town of Tawau and is a good viewpoint. The trailhead starts at the entrance to the excellent Tawau Hills Park (Taman Bukit Tawau) and given you are already at a starting elevation of nearly 300 metres it takes less than one hour to cover the short distance of under 2 kilometres to reach the summit and even less time to descend.

In 2023, the trail is just re-opening after a period of closure and some renovation work but it makes a perfect short warm-up before beginning the larger trek in Tawau Hills Park to Mount Magdalena and Mount Lucia. This park can get very busy with local people at weekends so if at all possible try to visit on a weekday and make an early start – ideally at 8am – to avoid the hottest part of the day. You could then have lunch at the Tawau Hills Park canteen (‘Kantin Begonia’) and/or take a second walk to the waterfall or hot springs which are both great places to spot wildlife including red leaf monkeys.

The trail up Bukit Bombalai is straightforward, with a few wooden steps in places. At the top is a metal beirut, summit signs and a pleasant wooden viewing platform. There is a grand view over other hills plus the city of Tawau and Pulau Sebatik in the distance, half of which belongs to Indonesia. On the far left of the view, looking south-east, is Gunung or Bukit Andrassy (671m), a peak with a telecommunications compound at the top and access road. This is popularly known to local people as ‘The Peaks’ and indeed there is a restaurant halfway up the access road (Jalan Stesen TV Tawau) with that name. Although bagging the highest point is unlikely, good views over Tawau are possible from The Peaks and it is effectively the southern end of the range which includes Gunungs Magdalena, Lucia and Maria, the three main peaks of Tawau Hills Park.

On the right is partial view of Bukit Gemok (approximately 428 metres high), a minor forest peak on the edge of the city of Tawau, which appears to have been ‘closed’ during the pandemic and has not yet been re-opened. Although known for mosquitoes, Bukit Gemok used to be quite popular for its canopy walk which at 231 metres is the second-longest in Sabah. Let’s hope it re-opens.

Down to the right of the summit is a fairly steep drop. This could easily be missed but is quite noteworthy as it is the edge of a 300-metre wide ancient crater, one of the very few places in all of Borneo with known historic volcanic activity. Local authorities have been looking into volcano tourism recently, as although this kind of attraction is commonplace in Indonesia there are very few such locations available to visit in Malaysia.

Bagging report by Dan Quinn (August 2023)

Local Accommodation

Practicalities

• Getting there: For Malaysian domestic flights and flights within Southeast Asia, for example to Kota Kinabalu or Kuching, we recommend Baolau. The closest town is Tawau which has an airport with regular flights to Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. From the airport to Tawau Hills Park takes about 1 hour by car or taxi (or 30 minutes from Tawau itself). Public transport is poor or non-existent. There is also an express boat from Tarakan (Indonesia) to Tawau 3 or 4 times a week taking around 4-5 hours. In 2022, it leaves at 11am and costs Rp500,000 one-way.
• Guides and GPS Tracks: Want a PDF version for your phone? Looking for a guide? Need GPS tracks and waypoints? Bombalai Hill information pack can be downloaded here.
• Permits: RM20 entrance fee for foreigners (in 2023). Open from 8am until 4.30pm.
• Water sources: Take sufficient bottled water for what is a short hike.
• We recommend Safety Wing as travel insurance for overseas travellers and tourists hiking up to elevations not exceeding 4500 metres.

Location