TENOM: The Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association (MCTA) Sabah has embarked on a familiarisation trip to promote the rural tourism of Tenom following the resumption of interstate and interdistrict travel.
MCTA Sabah chairman Lawrence Wong said Tenom which is located 170km south of the state capital Kota Kinabalu offers the charm of yesteryears that will invoke the nostalgia of the olden days.
"This is especially so as only in Tenom, you can take a ride on the oldest train service in the Borneo Island dating back to 1896.
"The ageing train service is still running in full steam starting from Tanjung Aru to Tenom with a total distance of only 134km.
"The experience is certainly unforgettable as this will take a whole day or an estimated eight hours to arrive in Tenom, which is the last station.
"Throughout the slow journey, visitors will enjoy the rural scenic view and the rapid Padas River which offers an adrenaline rush for white water rafting enthusiasts.
Visitors would also be able to see the local community's slow-paced lifestyle as many still commute to town by train to sell their produce in the market and do their errands, according to Wong who led his committee members and travel agents to visit the interior town.
"Tenom is the first destination that we are visiting after the relaxation of the Movement Control Order against Covid-19.
"We will be inspecting several other districts to draw up our domestic tour packages to cater for the inbound holidaymakers and get ready for next year's programme," he said.
For culture, he said Tenom is the heartland of the Murut tribe which is one of the major ethnicities in Sabah. They are famous for the energetic magunatip or bamboo dance.
"To discover more about them, visitors can take a tour to the Murut Cultural Centre which is an impressive structure made entirely from timber and houses many ancient artefacts such as jars and gongs," he said.
For the time being, both the train service and the Murut centre are closed to the public for maintenance and repair works, he said.
"However, visitors can still try the train service which is available between Tenom town and the Pangi section.
"Perhaps in the future we can develop a daytrip package for visitors to explore the rustic Kampung Pangi and enjoy some local delights there," he said.
He said MCTA is also promoting the Chinese Hakka community as many still preserve their traditional culture and food in Tenom.
The Yong Farmstay for instance still preserves many of the old farming tools and paraphernalia in a traditional bamboo museum, he said.
The Tenom Padas Farmstay on the other hand focuses on educational tourism where activities such as picking fruits, planting vegetables, mini jungle trekking and feeding goats are conducted, he said.
"The Hakka community is also widely known for their traditional cuisine such as steamed chicken (feed with corn), stuffed tofu, chun kien (pork egg roll) and homemade noodles.
"Many of the cuisine which are still cooked using charcoals can be found in the central market, coffee shops and food courts," said Wong.
The visit to Tenom will not be complete without touring the popular Yit Foh, Fatt Choi and Tong Foh coffee factories, three of the oldest coffee makers and leading brands in Sabah.
He said visitors can enjoy freshly brewed coffee at Yit Foh and Fatt Choi as only these two factories have their own café and mini kiosk to sell their coffee products as well as lodging for overnight stays.