Kinabalu

Declared in 1964, it protects Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m), the highest mountain between the Himalaya and New Guinea, held sacred by the indigenous Kadazan-Dusun people as the dwelling place of their ancestors' spirits. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000 for its exceptional plant richness: it holds more species of carnivorous Nepenthes pitcher plants — including giant endemic forms able to trap small vertebrates — than anywhere else on the planet, along with thousands of orchid species. The climb to its summit, possible without technical gear but physically demanding, is one of the most popular mountaineering experiences in South-East Asia.