Tun Fuad Stephens Park, also known as Bukit Padang is named after a Chief Minister of Sabah who died in the Double Six plane crash in 6 June 1976. It is about 15 minutes by car from the city centre. You can catch the number 12 mini bus (Bas Mini) if using public transport.
This park in Kota Kinabalu has a lake, which is surrounded by hills on three sides except at the front entrance. The lake was a reservoir (for drinking water) in the old days, and the park was only built in the late 70s.
The Tun Fuad Stephens Park is centred around the green lake. A beautiful wooden bridge, with two gazeboes in between, cuts through the centre of the lake making the park even more picturesque. Many fish can be seen swimming under the bridge. Children love to throw in small pieces of bread into the lake to feed these fish which come up to the surface as they scramble for food.
One can also take a walk at the 2.2km track that goes around the lake, and the track also leads one through the green forest. About 70% of the track is shaded by the many species of tall trees that grow around it, making it a pleasant walk at any time of the day. On late afternoon many insects and birds can be heard humming away with their favourite songs along the track. This track is especially popular with the local populace. As early as 4 am many early risers come to walk or jog, and by 7 am a few groups would have gathered to practice Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art, at numerous places at the park. In the late afternoon from 3pm onwards the track starts to fill up again, since more and more people are opting for a healthier lifestyle. A few small shelters, were built around the park, creating good resting place for the tired joggers, as well as for weekend picnickers.
For the more energetic individual there are 5 trails at the park that head up to the Bukit Padang hill top at a height of 477 feet, and these trails have an average distance of 1 km. Many people use this hill to train for their climb up Mt. Kinabalu. Some of the stairs are very interesting, constructed by using car tyres and glass bottles being the more unusual ones. Many parts of the trails are just nature path way, so during rainy season can get muddy and slippery. All 5 trail will lead you to the cache at the hill top.
The hill top has a small flat area about 1,000 square feet, and from here a good panoramic view of Kota Kinabalu and it's suburbs can be seen. From the Kota Kinabalu International Airport on the west all the way to 1Borneo Hypermall on the north are visible by naked eyes. The Manukan Island and Sapi Island of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park are clearly visible, but one can't see the Kota Kinabalu city centre from here, because it was blocked by the Signal Hill. On a good day, you can see Mount Kinabalu from the top of Bukit Padang. This is also a great place to see the fascinating sunset. After sunset one must go down quickly, as the forest can get dark very fast, and there are no street lights on these trails.
The cache is located on the hill top where a reasonably fit person can get there in 30 minutes.
While you are here, dont forget to find this cache Bukit Padang - Lakeside Trail placed by offseid.
Appreciation
Congratulations to Offseid for the FTF
Thanks to Viajero_Perdido, Toombarra, el_Daxo and Synapsenfreund, Durialdodol, Timke48 and Wandelsloefkefor the Favourite Points given. Much Appreciated.
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