ISQOLS 2024 Pre-Conference Cultural Excursion Sabah

24 June, 8:00am-4:00pm

Location: Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Experience the culture of Kota Kinabalu in this special 1 day pre conference cultural excursion that include visits to a local village and traditional food tasting and culture.

Provided by the Lingga Eco-Tourism Kiulu, Sabah.

Observe a traditional welcoming ceremony, cultural introduction (Dusunic lifestyle experience), Silate performance, Magavau performance. Next, enjoy a village tour and meet with local people. Learn about the Kampong's history and heritage through its food. Learn about traditional herbs medicine. Test a variety of village food dishes at the LET hall and see a demonstration of local food preparation. Enjoy a traditional prepared lunch. After lunch, explore the Lingga by catching fish and watching a demonstration on planting/harvest paddy/process rice, and making traditional lihing. Finally, enjoy the farewell ceremony. Fee includes all events, transportation (pick up from hotel) and lunch.

Fee: $50 USD

ISQOLS 2024 Pre-conference Workshop: A Crash Course on Personal Wellbeing Interventions and Life Coaching

25 June, 2024

8:30am-12:30pm 

Location: University of Malaysia Sabah

ISQOLS 2024 Pre-conference Workshop: A Crash Course in the Psychology of Wellbeing

25 June, 2024

1:30pm-5:30pm

Location: University of Malaysia Sabah

Other Preconference Excursion options (not organized by local hosts): 

Trip to National Park opposite for diving/snorkelling

Opposite of Kota Kinabalu is the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine National Park, which is a 15 minute boat ride away. This one day excursion will begin at Jesselton Point ferry terminal at 8 am (10 minutes walk from the SICC conference venue and right opposite three international chain hotels). We will bring delegates for snorkelling; any delegates who wish to rent diving instructors or diving gear can do it at their own cost. There is a restaurant available on the island where delegates can order food and drinks if they wish. We will return to  Jesselton Point ferry terminal by 3.30 pm due to the potential of inclement weather if travelling too late in the afternoon.

Local tour of UMS 

Universiti Malaysia Sabah campus spans 999 acres and is a tourist attraction on tour bus stops in Kota Kinabalu. In this half day excursion, we will allow you all to visit the Medical Museum, the aquarium and gallery, the university jetty and beach, and go to the Malaysian traditional archery arena on the beach. 

Ecovolunteer trip to a local village for community work 

Volunteering in a new country can be an enriching and rewarding way of truly immersing oneself in a new country, and Borneo has an organisation called the Partners of Community Action (PACOS) that can establish links with villages where volunteers can work on projects for variable duration. This offers an invaluable opportunity to transfer the quality of life knowledge and skills from academia to ground levels, and can offer an unprecedented level of exposure to the quality of life situation in Borneo at ground level. 

Cycling trip through the heartlands of rural Borneo

Kota Kinabalu is uniquely positioned for cycling tourism as it has fairly long stretches of sealed road in villages outside of town that snake through paddy fields, seas, and mountains on the other side. We will begin at Universiti Malaysia Sabah meeting point at 6 am and lead participants on a 20 kilometre route to the coast, and wind back through paddy fields in the north of Kota Kinabalu. Participants will need to rent bicycles which will be organised by the local organising committee.

Mount Kinabalu climb

Mount Kinabalu, at 4,092 m is the highest mountain in South East Asia between the Himalayas and Papua island. It can be climbed in two days of individuals with moderate fitness level, but pre-bookings are essential due to high demand. The local organising committee can help with making bookings.

Orangutan sanctuary (6 hours away or ½ hour by flight)

The Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary is half an hour by plane and offers an unparalleled opportunity to see the orangutans in their own habitat, rather than in an artificial zoo environment. This can be done as a rushed day trip with a 7am flight and a 4pm flight back available, but is possibly best done as a two day excursion incorporating a stay in Sandakan town, the second biggest town in Sabah state on the other end of Borneo island.