For this year’s “Golden Week” National Holiday (the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China), we traveled to another Southeast Asian nation: Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

Also known as KK, Kota Kinabalu is located on the northwest coast of Borneo, along the South China Sea. Being the third-largest island in the world, Borneo is comprised of three countries: Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. The island lies 1 degree north of the equator and is home to dense rain forests as old as 140 million years old. These rain forests provide one of the few remaining natural habitats to many important species, most notably the endangered Bornean Orangutan.

What was meant to be a relaxing week of beautiful blue skies and pristine beaches, turned into an educational experience on the global impact from illegal forest fires. The minute we stepped off the plane in KK, we could smell the smoke.

 

For months, rain forests in Indonesia have been burning due to illegal fires. Set to clear land for harvesting palm oil, these fires are an annual burden to surrounding countries which become engulfed in polluted air for weeks or months. Because this has been an extremely dry season, the Indonesian fires have been smoldering longer thus creating more smoke. Cities a thousand miles away, including Singapore, have forced schools to close due to the worsening haze. The pollution is stifling, the rain forests are disappearing, and the orangutans are being forced from their homes.

Rather than go on about this environmental crisis, I will ask you to research more about it on your own. Make a change in your daily routine that will help our environment. We are all impacted by each other.

 

Thankfully, Kota Kinabalu was more than a vacation on a beautiful island; it was a reunion with our friends whom we miss dearly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, the haze began to dissapate after a few days and we were able to explore the islands just off the coast of Kota Kinabalu.

 

Mainly uninhabited, these islands are perfect day trips. We spent a day exploring Manukan Island’s forest trails, beautiful beach, and coral reefs.

 

 

 

 

Venturing into the Crocker Range just northeast of the city of KK, we spent another day white water rafting down the Kiulu River and zip lining through the trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our final night, Kota Kinabalu finally revealed to us the beautiful sunset it’s known for. The sunsets prior to this were clouded with haze. I’m grateful we were able to experience this sunset, for it also revealed to us just how much we take such beauty for granted. Pollution is not limited to mega-cities, but co-exists alongside economic opportunities, wherever those arise; no matter the cost to our environment.